"That looks a bit like a carrier designed for VTOL aircraft - do the Chinese have any VTOL aircraft?""In its building, unique engineering working were used, allowing to aircraft to take off practically without starting run. Post #14
| Designation | Manufacturer | Model; Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z-5 | Harbin | Mil Mi-4 built in China; known as "Syuan Fen" (Whirlwind) | |
| Z-6 | Harbin | Turboshaft version of Z-5 (prototype only, not produced) | |
| Z-7 |
|
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| Z-8 | Changhe | Aérospatiale SA321 built in China | |
| Z-9 | Harbin | Eurocopter AS365N Dauphin built in China; versions include Z-9, Z-9A (AS365N1) and Z-9G | |
| Z-10 | - | Conflicting references: - Attack helicopter - 12-14 seat transport helicopter |
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| Z-11 | Changhe | Eurocopter AS355 Fennec built in China | |
| Z-? | Harbin | Chinese-built attack helicopter (based on Z-9) | |
I had a bit of a look around the net and discovered the launching ramp you can see in the photos isn't quite the same thing as seen on Royal Navy carriers that launch Harriers, and is actually used to launch non-VTOL aircraft. The ramp is replaced on US carriers by the catapult - and the technology for one is apparently quite difficult to perfect. That surprised me, but the key problem is getting good reliability from a design, which is fair enough when you think of what must have been in the design brief.
The ramp concept is a bit of a budget solution that doesn't permit launching in all weathers like the catapult. It's got to be one important difference between a good carrier and an inferior one. Having VTOL aircraft is another way to go all weather, although that has its problems too.
If the Chinese are desperate enough for the tech that they'll buy carriers, you can bet they are snooping around elsewhere too.