Aircraft Carrier US vs Russian

babyme

US has 10,  Russian 1,  China 1 (from Ukraine unfinished Russian designed).
Both Russia and China are both building a second one.

Funny that US has a FLAT deck,  But Russian versions have Raised ramp for take off.  From pure physics theory, looks like that deck will give a better take off lift.  Just like the new planes or renovated ones all got Wing TIP  on the wings to give it a better lift too.

Jason15

Technically, the Russian and Chinese carriers are classified as "heavy aircraft-carrying missile cruiser" as opposed to true carriers in the role used by the US.

The Russian fleets are designed around huge supersonic ship launched missiles as the main offensive weapon. The aircrafts are meant to be used as air cover in a mainly defensive or supplementary role. Thus the air wing is much smaller and less potent compared to those in US fleets in which the carrier is the centre of the fleet and the air wing is the main offensive component.

US carriers have flat decks and aircrafts use CAT (catapult assisted takeoff) which is much more effective than the ski ramp style takeoff used on Russian carriers. CAT is very mechanically complicated and its proper use is very difficult to master. The Russians are unable to do it. The 2nd Chinese carrier (which is the 1st indigenous one) will still use a ski ramp, but they are planning to use CAT starting from the third one onwards.

babyme

Jason15 发表于 2016-12-25 14:40
Technically, the Russian and Chinese carriers are classified as "heavy aircraft-carrying missile cru ...

Thanks for the enlightening post on CATO.

I was under the impression that Ramp will help the lift.  But in actually fact  CATO is a lot more powerful if it works.  Apparently it is moved from Steam Catapults to Linear Induction Motors using Electromagnetic force.

Chinese 3rd or 4th Carrier will have both Linear Induction as well as Nuclear Powered Engine.