Aircraft Carrier 1970 - "707 Project"
China's development of aircraft carrier began in the 1970s, when Premier Zhou Enlai gave instructions for the self-reliant development of China's own aircraft carrier. In July 1970, the Navy in conjunction with the Ministry of Machine, the Ministry of Aircraft made the development of domestic aircraft carrier ideas and ideas, and demonstration and pre-research work, project code-named "707 Project", then the idea is from 24,000 ton light aircraft carrier to start, and then to develop a medium-sized aircraft carrier.
The initial 24,000 ton carrier would have been slightly larger than the American CV-48 Saipan class, so it might have been about 700 feet long. Design details of the subsequent "medium carrier" are lacking, but it might be imagined to have been similar to the American CV-41 Midway Class design, with Chinese characteristics, 60,000 tons full load with a length overall of 975 feet. One piece of line art reproduced by Chineses sources labelled as the 707 Projec is evidently a fuzzy reproduction of US Navy line art for the ill-fated post war "United States" C-2 scheme of May 1946.
However, due to the limitations of the domestic technical level, such as the main power system constraints, "707 Project" failed to continue. Although this project died, it can be seen that the national leaders of the strategic vision and the construction of a strong sense of the historical mission of the Navy.
As early as 1958, Mao Zedong at the CMC emphasized that in addition to continuing to strengthen land and air force, there must be vigorously shipbuilding industry. A large volume of shipbuilding, with construction of a 'maritime railway ", would build in the next few years a Powerful Navy. Chairman Mao's speech at the Central Military Commission prompted China to develope an ambitious plan for an oceanic navy, including aircraft carriers, and plans to build 18 submarines and surface ships. This plan was the product of the Great Leap Forward. Military technology, national strength and financial capacity were beyond the actual situation in China at that time. In the end the aircraft carrier's pre-research program was suspended.
In the late 1960s, the Taiwan authorities repeatedly attacked Chinese cargo ships, which were sunk on the high seas and even captured and snatched goods. These events occurred in external factors, which stimulated the new China's second Aircraft carrier research program.
The Seventh Research Institute is a unit with a long history. It was established in 1961, and its first director was General Liu Huaqing, the "Father of China's Aircraft Carriers". General Liu Huaqing studied at the Voroshilov Naval Academy of the Soviet Union from July 1954 to September 1958. The Seventh Research Institute once designed China's first guided missile destroyer, the first nuclear submarine, and the first 10,000-ton ship "Dongfeng". It can be said that the Seventh Research Institute was the cradle of the Republic's cutting-edge ship design and innovation in that era. Since the founding of new China, due to limited national power, the Navy for a long time wanted to develop "fast flying submarine", that is, missile boats, aircraft, and submarines. The establishment of a strong blue water Navy had always been a dream of the Chinese people, as early as the early 1970s. In fact, in the development of China's aircraft carrier program from the early 1960s, Liu Huaqing, Director of Naval Research Institute was very concerned about the world's naval power aircraft carrier development and application, and the development of aircraft carriers to explore the issue. The United States in the 1950s already had the "Forrestal" class aircraft carrier. To the 1970s, the birth of the new Chinese history, the first aircraft carrier project report.
In April 1970, the Chinese navy equipment research and technical personnel received a central directive on the aircraft carrier pre-research instructions. The "glorious political mission" fell to the then head of the Naval Shipbuilding Industry Group Office of the head of Liu Huaqing. In April 1970, Mao Zedong and the Central Military Commission instructed the Seventh Research Institute and the Sixth Research Institute to start preparing and implementing the aircraft carrier plan. Because of this, the project was classified as "top secret" at the time. One month after Mao Zedong's instructions were issued, in May 1970, the Seventh Research Institute produced a report on the architectural ideas for the design of new China's aircraft carriers. On May 16, 1970, Liu Huaqing presided over the completion of a report entitled "preliminary views on the construction of the aircraft carrier". The report, although the length is not long, but the development of contemporary Chinese navy has a very significant significance, that China's carrier moved from a dream into a high-level decision-making level.
Shortly afterwards, Liu Huaqing hosted the symposium on demonstration of aircraft carriers. The meeting identified the aircraft carrier model program, at this meeting, the aircraft carrier development code was identified as "707 project." In his memoirs, Liu Huaqing wrote: "As early as 1970, when I was still working in the office of the shipbuilding industry leadership group, I organized a special demonstration of the aircraft carrier according to the instructions of my superiors and submitted the project plan." The aircraft carrier demonstration program was formally adopted in July 1970 , called the "707 Project." The development plan by the Navy's first political commissar Li Zuopeng signed a report, Premier Zhou Enlai approved the formation of the aircraft carrier development demonstration group, which is China's first aircraft carrier development.
In early 1971, the Navy, in the name of the Shipbuilding Industry Leading Group, submitted to the Central Military Commission the "Fourth Five-Year Plan for Shipbuilding Industry and Scientific Research", which clarified that aircraft carriers are the cutting-edge equipment of the "Fourth Five-Year Plan" and are ranked ahead of missile destroyers, frigates, missile boats, and torpedo boats. After the 707 project was launched, the first aircraft carrier in New China was positioned as an "escort aircraft carrier" with a displacement of about 30,000 to 40,000 tons, steam turbine propulsion, and a speed indicator of 25 knots. After thousands of engineering and technical personnel and hundreds of participating units of the discussion, Liu Huaqing finally set the tone, for the first development of a 30,000 ton-class light aircraft carrier. In response to Mao Zedong's "supreme directive" to complete the launch in 1973, Liu Huaqing boldly submitted a letter in the spirit of respecting science, saying that it would never be possible to complete the launch in 1973. Later, with the approval of the Central Military Commission, it was decided that Project 707 would be divided into two steps. The first step : Complete all blueprint designs before the end of 1972. The second step: freeze the design in January 1973 and start construction. It is planned to launch the aircraft carrier in 1976. The aircraft carrier will begin construction in 1980, with 1985 delivery to the Navy. This was the first in new China since the founding of the first aircraft carrier development plan.
Looking at the world at that time, the US Navy from 1967 fiscal year has already begun to develop the second generation of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier - "Nimitz" class; 1970 July, the Soviet Navy "Kiev" class aircraft carrier ship in the Black Sea shipyard started Construction; in 1973 the United Kingdom also ordered the "Invincible" class light aircraft carrier. It should be said, compared with the traditional power of the Navy, the Chinese navy in the early 1970s gap was still very obvious.
In the 1970s, there was an extreme lack of relevant information on aircraft carriers in China. However, the 7th Research Institute did not "work behind closed doors" because of this. Instead, it found another way to use unofficial channels that received "technical support" from Japan, New China's first aircraft carrier is technically based on Japan's latest fully enclosed armored deck aircraft carrier "Dafeng" from World War II. Don't underestimate the "Dafeng". It is completely different from the Japanese and American aircraft carriers of that era. It has many characteristics of modern aircraft carriers, such as a closed bow, an all-steel flight deck 75 mm thick, and a 20 mm special steel plate underneath, can withstand bombing of 500 kilograms of bombs. When the Dafeng was designed, most aircraft carriers in the United States were still using all-wood flight decks and open bows. The "707 Project" was started, but encountered many practical problems. At that time, China was to develop nuclear submarines, but was not a wealthy country. The development of nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers were two large-scale weapons projects, and there is indeed a very large financial pressure. In addition, in order to meet the Dongfeng-5 ballistic missile launch test, but also the construction of a large number of destroyers and other engineering ships, the development of aircraft carriers was less of a priority.
The preliminary demonstration program was to build a type of escort carrier. At the time, that was not a World War II aircraft carrier escort within the meaning of this type by the temporary conversion of the low-speed merchant ship, but a higher speed to support offshore operations in the range of a 30,000-ton aircraft carrier. Because the naval aircraft combat radius was to provide China's cargo ships escort, the name was "escort carrier".
In accordance with the "707 Project" planning, this type of escort aircraft carrier would use an enclosed bow, single hangar, steam catapult, angled flight deck to the steam turbine powered. However, this scheme obviously with the Great Leap Forward of color, did not choose the right carrier aircraft (F-6, the F-7 are unsuitable). The most important thing was, even by the endof the 20th Century, China still had not successfully developed a steam catapult.
Since the 1960s, the relationship between China and Japan had become "ambiguous". Although the two countries have not established diplomatic relations for the time being, according to the information declassified by the 7th Research Institute, in the naval field, exchanges between China and Japan Its early date and extensive content are far beyond what most people can imagine. At that time, China secretly invited a group of designers from the old Japanese naval factory to China through private channels, and thus obtained the basic concept of the aircraft carrier, most of the drawings of the "Taiho" and the design ideas of the "Taiho". All this stems from the Japanese "keeping a hand" after their defeat. At that time, they collected and photocopied the original design files of the "Dafeng" behind the back of the Americans, and pinned their dream of resurrecting the "Dafeng" on China. Of course, seeking truth from facts, although the motives may be a little impure, the Japanese still provided valuable experience and contributions to the development of the Chinese Navy's aircraft carrier.
After obtaining the information from the Japanese, Project 707 came up with two plans, A and B, compared to the "Dafeng". One plan basically copied the mature design of the "Dafeng" in order to be put into production quickly. Case A, closed bow, direct flight deck, basically copied the idea of "Dafeng" Another solution is not to blindly copy and plagiarize, but to "advance and retreat" in design: it has its own innovations and its own shortcomings. For example, this design still adopts the open bow that was common in World War II, but breaks the idea of the Japanese aircraft carrier's direct access to the deck, and initially has the concept of an angled deck. In particular, the double island design is refreshing. This island design It was not until the 21st century that it was realized on the British aircraft carrier Elizabeth. In the end, the Navy selected Case B, with double islands, angled flight deck, unenclosed bow.
The "707" aircraft carrier plan corresponded to the current situation in China and the actual demand as the starting point, was more realistic planning, more reasonable. The French Clemanceau carrier was equipped with US-made BS5 steam catapults. The flight deck was 265 meters [870 feet] long and 51.2 meters wide, the draft of the hull was 8.5 meters, the standard displacement was 27,300 tons, the full load displacement is 32,780 tons, the power unit was steam with the total horsepower of 126000 horsepower, the maximum speed is 32 knots.
In terms of power, unlike China's aircraft development, which always has "heart disease", the 453 steam turbine developed by the 703 Research Institute has achieved substantial breakthroughs in a short period of time. The power output of a single unit has stably reached 37,000 horsepower. Two 707 engineering equipments are To 74,000 horsepower, it is enough to ensure a speed of 25 knots. By the way, even the current "Shandong" aircraft carrier still uses an improved version of the 453 steam turbine: 453B.
The only thing left is the catapult. At that time, like the Soviet Union, China was unable to develop steam catapults, so Project 707 wanted to adopt the vertical take-off and landing fighter plan. At that time, the 601 and 606 Institutes had been developing vertical take-off and landing fighter aircraft ( Codenamed "No. 4"), the design idea of "No. 4" can be described as "simple and crude". It adopts two lift fans directly added to both sides of the J-6 fuselage to achieve vertical takeoff. At that time, the Air Force attached great importance to this, and it was under the leadership of Lin Biao's precious son Lin Liguo, who was then the deputy director of the Air Force Operations Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
However,the September 13 incident that shocked China and the world occurred in 1971. On the night of September 12-13, 1971, Lin Biao, Mao Zedong’s officially recognized closest comrade-in-arms and chosen successor, was killed in a mysterious plane crash in Mongolia. The development of "No. 4" was actually suspended because the person in charge was lost. But even if there were no personnel or political reasons that led to the discontinuation, as a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the "No. 4" design with the "Great Leap Forward" idea would make it difficult to become useful. It can even be said that it was a vertical take-off and landing aircraft from the beginning. Unqualified and with no future prospects. Comparing the Soviet Yak-38 and the British Harrier at the same time, our 601 and 606 vertical take-off and landing fighter aircraft are indeed not even close to others in terms of design ideas and vision. The power design of the Soviet Yak 38 is obviously much better than the Chinese design.
If the plane is gone, what will happen to the aircraft carrier? Project 707 was once at a standstill. Without steam catapults, it would be impossible for the Qiang-5 and J-7 to board the ship. At that time, the only one that could take off from a flat-deck aircraft carrier without relying on a catapult was the J-12. Therefore, Project 707 finally decided to use the J-12 as the fixed-wing aircraft and the "Super Hornet" imported from France as the helicopter.
The background of J-12 Chief Engineer Lu Xiaopeng is not simple. He graduated from the Department of Aviation Industry of National Central University. In 1944, he went to the McDonald Aircraft Factory in Missouri, USA, to study warplane design. After liberation, he resolutely chose to return to the embrace of New China - just for the sake of Build a great country!
The J-12 designed by his team was originally developed for the so-called "aerial guerrilla warfare" and required a liberation vehicle to carry it around. It is an ultra-light fighter aircraft. When it first flew in 1970, it weighed only 3.1 tons. Using a turbojet 6B engine, the thrust-to-weight ratio is as high as 0.91. The total length is 10.664 meters, the wingspan is 9.192 meters, the useful ceiling is 17,410 meters, and the maximum flight speed is Mach 1.2.
By some strange combination of circumstances, the J-12 turned out to be the only choice and hope for the continuity of the first aircraft carrier in New China. The most ideal thing about the J-12 for an aircraft carrier is its excellent short take-off and landing capability. It has a long take-off and rolling distance with afterburner. It is only 290 meters. If the 707 project is changed to a ski jump deck, the take-off distance will be even shorter.
But it is a pity that the new aircraft carrier could have been launched into service in 1976. However, with a series of changes after the troubled autumn of 1976, "the sword of the previous dynasty cannot control the officials in power." The country's economic construction has too many debts, and the people have to improve their livelihood. The central government's energy and focus gradually shifted to economic construction, and the famous slogan "the military must endure" was put forward, and aircraft carrier construction came to a halt.
General Luo Ruiqing was one of the "talkers" of the military at that time and had previously served as the Chief of General Staff. He had reservations about the large-scale dismantling of military industry projects. Unfortunately, General Luo died suddenly in 1978 when he went to Germany to treat a leg disease, so a large number of military industry projects Projects were screened out one by one roughly in 1979, including "far ahead" projects such as the land-based anti-missile system Project 640, not to mention Project 707 and the J-12 project.
Lu Xiaopeng felt so distressed about this that he even wrote to the central government to submit a plan for the J-12 stealth carrier-based version. In the last five years of his life, he worked hard to write a 400,000-word related report. Several thick books, in his vision, It will be based on the J-12, retaining the nose air intake design, optimizing the stealth appearance, lengthening and thickening the fuselage and using a large amount of stealth composite materials, strengthening the wheel structure to adapt to the needs of boarding the ship, replacing it with a high-thrust turbofan engine, and equipped with all-round Vector tail nozzle——It is a pity that this very, very unique and unique carrier-based aircraft plan ended in vain.
But the history did not assume that the "707" aircraft carrier project for various reasons did not continue, in 1971, Premier Zhou Enlai instructions, "707" project do not worry, so far, China's first attempt to develop aircraft carrier died.
Although the "707 Project" ultimately failed to be implemented, Liu Huaqing looked ahead to realize that the future development of China's overseas trade, the maintenance of maritime traffic, the task of protecting marine resources was bound to become more and more arduous, the role of aircraft carrier can not be replaced. Therefore, the pursuit of the Chinese Navy aircraft carrier had not stopped.
The aircraft carrier, for the Chinese navy, was definitely not just an increase of large surface ships, but existed beyond the meaning of the military field. It is no exaggeration to say that the aircraft carrier completely called the Chinese nation to revive, stand in the world power.
Even if Project 707 was close to "successful" in theory, if it is actually equipped with troops, the J-12's body without radar and short legs will not have much practical significance in combat. This is just like the "Dawn" manned space program that was also launched in the 1970s. China's foundation and preparations are actually not yet ready. Although "it is too early to start", it is a pity that "the sword is sharpened and the disadvantage is lost". National defense technology must be patient. China must live alone, and don't always fantasize about "overtaking others around the bend." This often leads to haste rather than speed, getting up early in the morning and rushing to a late market, which inevitably leads to the fate of premature death.
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