Video of Chinese J-15 carrier ops...

[Flash]

It's kind of funny that a light fuel and weapons load on a Flanker will probably make it as capable as a fully loaded Hornet...

It wouldn't be that hard for them to convert their Flankers into organic tankers if they haven't already. Now I don't know how much give they would have, but those are big engines, and they don't have to do cyclic ops.

I am not sure you all realize just how much they lose without a catapult even with the Flanker's big motors (and are they using the 'weak' Chinese engines or the better Russian ones?). As jcmquate already pointed out their light loads would likely preclude them being able to use them as buddy tankers for more than just a photo op. Simply put, without a catapult all the Su-33's and J-15's are good for is point defense.

To paraphrase the late great VADM Connolly, all the thrust in Christendom isn't going to make the Flanker a good carrier fighter without a catapult.

 

[John wright]

I read in the newspaper they are using russian engines until the chinese can develop a more powerful engine.

 

[pilot_man]

I am not sure you all realize just how much they lose without a catapult even with the Flanker's big motors (and are they using the 'weak' Chinese engines or the better Russian ones?). As jcmquate already pointed out their light loads would likely preclude them being able to use them as buddy tankers for more than just a photo op. Simply put, without a catapult all the Su-33's and J-15's are good for is point defense.

To paraphrase the late great VADM Connolly, all the thrust in Christendom isn't going to make the Flanker a good carrier fighter without a catapult.

And I'm not sure you are grasping how much thrust each engine can produce. And a light loaded Flanker, still has some pretty long legs.

Or we can just keep deprecating their capabilities and ignore them. I'm sure their military spending is just for self defense.

 

[Flash]

And I'm not sure you are grasping how much thrust each engine can produce. And a light loaded Flanker, still has some pretty long legs.

Or we can just keep deprecating their capabilities and ignore them. I'm sure their military spending is just for self defense.

I am not dismissing their capabilties out of hand but just being realistic. Certainly the Flanker and the Chinese copies are great fighters but they can't bend the laws of physics, a ski jump simply isn't a good substitute for a catapult no matter the fighter.

 

[JIMC5499]

From the hand signals right down to the colors of the flight deck jerseys. Was that several landings, or just one filmed from several different angles?

 

[BackOrdered]

From the hand signals right down to the colors of the flight deck jerseys.

I found that odd too for some reason.

 

[Brett327]

Confucius say, why reinvent the wheel.

 

[nittany03]

Confucius say, why reinvent the wheel.

It's not like we didn't steal the basic design of our flight decks from another country's Navy, anyhow. Cheerio, chaps . . .

 

[Renegade One]

It's kind of funny that a light fuel and weapons load on a Flanker will probably make it as capable as a fully loaded Hornet...

At doing what? And for how long/far?

 

[FlyinSpy]

From the hand signals right down to the colors of the flight deck jerseys. Was that several landings, or just one filmed from several different angles?

I have to say they were the *cleanest* float coats and cranials I've ever seen. Almost as if they've never been used before....

 

[Alpha_Echo_606]

I have to say they were the *cleanest* float coats and cranials I've ever seen. Almost as if they've never been used before....

It's hard to get them dirty when all you have is one aircraft on deck at a time.

 

[Flugelman]

Anyone notice the dual cross-deck pendants? I didn't see them in the video but still photos from another source shows them. I'll go see if I can find them.

 

[LFCFan]

With the weight limits the ski-jump has I'm assuming that a tanker with buddy stores is not in the picture.

For those of you more knowledgeable than me: Does this weight issue also mean that they'd be limited for future COD options, or is an empty small C-2ish aircraft about the same weight as a loaded up flanker?

From the hand signals right down to the colors of the flight deck jerseys.

Anyone know how to say "Grapes" in Mandarin?

 

[Flash]

For those of you more knowledgeable than me: Does this weight issue also mean that they'd be limited for future COD options, or is an empty small C-2ish aircraft about the same weight as a loaded up flanker?

I think they are going to be limited to tactical jets when it comes to fixed-wing operations off that carrier, the other non-catapult carriers of the world just use helos for aerial resupply. There might be one or two older gents here who could tell us if the C-1 ever did deck run takeoffs but unless the PLAN buys some old 'Traders' I think they are stuck with helos unless Brazil sells them KC-2 Turbo Traders, and at least the Brazilians have a carrier with catapults.

 

[BigIron]

I found that odd too for some reason.

I did as well.

And even down to the shooter crouch. That signal (touching deck and pointing forward) means "fire the goddamn catapult." Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.