New technology from China could revolutionize aircraft carriers

Not everyone can use every plane Aircraft carrier never. Even modern ones Electromagnetic catapults, as used by the United States and China, has physical limits. here they are Runway length And that Aircraft weight.

Chinese researchers now want one Catapult system It has evolved to break previous restrictions. This would allow heavier combat aircraft to take off from carrier ships or with more weapons and fuel than was previously possible.

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Inspiration from electric cars

as The South China Morning Post reportsThe new system uses technology from Electric cars. The aircraft's landing gear is attached to the sled. The electric motor causes the flywheel to rotate at high speeds. Once the required speed is reached, kinetic energy is transferred to the tension wheel. This transmission is magnetic – the two wheels do not touch each other.

The tension wheel uses energy to pull a steel cable attached to the cart. The aircraft is then pulled forward at high speed and reaches the desired take-off speed.

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From 0 to 252 km/h in 2.1 seconds

According to calculations, the system could be… 30 tons Heavy aircraft from 0 to 70 meters per second in 2.1 seconds acceleration. 70 m/s corresponds to approx 252 km/h It is used as a common standard for launching aircraft carriers. The 2.1 seconds is impressive: the shorter the time, the shorter the runway.

According to the researchers, the electromagnetic catapults used so far would require just over 3 seconds to accelerate a 13-ton plane to 66 m/s. However, they did not mention whether they are using the catapult of the Chinese super aircraft carrier Fujian Mine or American super aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford.

The American catapult has problems

Researchers comment on Gerald R. Ford electromagnetics elsewhere in their study. Since the aircraft carrier was active, the catapult would be plenty Long interruptions be, be ineffective and generally be Poor durability Displays.

Data from the US Department of Defense seem to confirm this: Gerald R. Ford in 2023 614 starts It is highly preserved. On average, all US Navy aircraft carriers are equipped with classic steam-powered catapults 4000 starts. There also appears to be a problem with the landing system of the giant aircraft carrier. A malfunction occurred every 46 landings.

The catapult also helps with braking maneuvers

The new Chinese catapult could also be… Brakes Landing planes are used. The pressure sensor detects when the aircraft's landing hook is connected to the steel cable. The tension wheel tightens the steel cable, slowing the plane down the runway.

According to the researchers' calculations, a fighter plane landing on the ship's deck at a speed of 72 m/s would be within range 2.6 seconds Come to a full stop. This would meet military standards.

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Smaller aircraft carriers, heavier aircraft

According to the research team, the new catapult has many advantages. it should Cheaper In manufacturing and More compact He is. Plus it consumes Less energy. Besides high performance, it is possible to build smaller aircraft carriers. According to researchers, one can 100 metres The long runway will be sufficient to allow military aircraft to take off using the new catapult.

For comparison: aircraft carrier Fujian is 316 meters long, with a straight runway for catapult take-offs and an inclined runway. American Gerald R. Ford has a similar design and it is 337 meters long. China still has two aircraft carriers (Liaoning and Shandong) equipped with standard steam-powered catapults and ski jumps, which are also just over 300 meters long.

The new catapult could make it possible to build aircraft carriers more compactly overall. This means that newly built aircraft carriers will do so Completed faster Become. The Fujian Building, which is more than 300 meters long, took 6 years to build.

Ship modernization

If the new catapult could be modified for use on ships, this would also have great advantages. Helicopter carrierSuch that Type 075 classThey could become aircraft carriers.

Older ski jump aircraft carriers Liaoning And Shandong The new catapult can be used to launch heavier aircraft, e.g J-20 stealth fighter. With its normal take-off mass of 32 tons, it is currently unsuitable for Chinese aircraft carriers. Obviously a different model was to be developed for Fujian, but this may have been to the advantage of the more compact model J-35 It was rejected again.

In any case, the new catapult would greatly improve the Chinese Navy. The ability to launch heavier aircraft than aircraft carriers means that fighters can carry more weapons or fuel. This increases strength, range and flexibility. China currently has only one combat aircraft in service suitable for aircraft carriers: J-15It's not a stealth fighter.

But especially the stealth fighters option Hypersonic missiles Armed, launching from aircraft carriers is a concern for China. The country wants to prepare itself for a possible confrontation with the American fleet. China is currently testing more hypersonic anti-ship missiles. It is said to be capable of rendering super carriers like the Gerald R. Ford incapacitated with a single strike.

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