"891" aircraft carrier project

Before the 048 project, China also had a "891" aircraft carrier project. The project began in January 1989, when it formally became an official project, named 891 project. Engineering was to establish the principle was to rely on China's own capacity, self-reliance development of a medium-sized aircraft carrier.

The planned Chinese aircraft carrier was a self-developed conventional 50,000-ton-class power carrier with steam catapults, and the relevant research projects were carried out accordingly. The "891 Project" aircraft carrier demonstration project was based on the existing domestic level, the development of self-reliant development of a medium-sized aircraft carrier.

The Shanghai Institute of Navy launched a feasibility study on the design and construction of the project. They built an aircraft carrier model and tested at the 600 -meter-long pool and Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province. Experiments were conducted in 1985, and the requirements of the Navy Admiral Liu Huaqing Guangzhou Naval Academy class aircraft carriers were established.

Admiral Liu Huaqing was the third commander ofthe PLA(N) (1982-1988) and one ofthe foremost maritime strategists produced by the People's Republic ofChina. Born in 1916, Liujoined the PLA in 1930 and was a veteran ofits Long March. His transition from the army to the navy began in 1952, after which he served in a variety of operational and technical assignments including Deputy Commander ofthe North Sea Fleet, Vice Minister of the 6th Ministry of Machine Building (Ship Building), and Deputy Chief of the General Staff, before assuming the position of PLA(N) Commander in August 1982.

In a military dominated by the "great infantry" concept, Liu was much more than just an army officer serving in naval assignments. Instead, Liu proved himself to be a forward thinking maritime strategist who developed the PLA(N)s current strategy of "offshore defense," began the now robust program of naval diplomacy and foreign engagement, and laid the intellectual and technical foundations for the rapidly modernizing PLA(N) oftoday. In the final phase of his military career, Liu served on the Central Military Commission, where he would eventually become the senior vice chairman and one of the most powerful men in the Chinese military behind then-CMC Chairman Deng Xiaoping.

In 1985, the Secretary of Navy equipment and technology unit reported to Admiral Liu Huaqing that naval equipment development 15 years envisaged the need to start the aircraft carrier demonstration. Liu said: "The aircraft is always made to the year 2000, and the Navy always considered the development of the aircraft carrier, you can not put on the model, and to engage in preliminary research."

In 1988, the National Defense Science and Technology Industry Committee and the Seventh Insitute led the organization of China's aircraft carrier project demonstration. The demonstration of the topic "China's development of aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft". In January 1989 the project was given the formal code-named "891 Project" [ie 1989, 1st month]. This established the principle to rely on China's own capacity, self-reliance development of a medium-sized aircraft carrier.

The development of the aircraft carrier become one of the top ten Chinese military research projects in the "Eighth Five-Year Plan". "891" aircraft carrier project to establish the principle of self-reliance in the development of a medium-sized aircraft carrier.

The Chinese aircraft carrier planned by the project was a medium-sized aircraft carrier with steam power and steam catapult, independently developed for the Chinese aircraft carrier. The relevant research projects had been carried out, such as the overall structure of the aircraft carrier, the combat system, the steam catapult, arresting devices and Fresnel lens, and so on to all aspects of aircraft carrier technology research.

Demonstration projects included the controversial selection of carrier aircraft. At the time the aircraft available were the selected models of the F-6, the F-7 and J-8, with the final selection of the F-7 aircraft prototype. The Navy selected the ten pilots in the autumn of 1987 to go to Guangzhou Naval Naval Academy for special "flight captain class" learning, training and reserve personnel in advance. Then for some reason, the project failed to continue.

At that time the country's policy was that military construction was subordinated to economic construction. So limits on the development of the military projects was extremely strong, therefore, funds allocated to the development was extremely limited, all only 40 million yuan, funding that could only support some fundamental research.

After years of pre-development, the military believed that in all aspects of the conditions were ripe, so in 1995 Liu Huaqing proposed in a formal report to the Politburo on the construction of aircraft carriers. But the development of the aircraft carrier and the central policy at that time were not consistent. The report was rejected, and the "891" aircraft carrier project also died. In the following years, the name of e "aircraft carrier" became an extremely sensitive words, not allowed to be mentioned.

From 1995 to 2003 for a full eight years, the development of China's aircraft carrier was a completely blank period, the relevant research work had all stopped, and pre-research results were sealed. However, the Chinese military and Chinese fleet did not give up the aircraft carrier dream. After three years, the "891 Project" was discontinued, which meant that for a considerable period of time proposal of the aircraft carrier was impossible.

In the years since, the name of the aircraft carrier has become an extremely sensitive vocabulary, no longer be mentioned. From 1995 to 2003 for a full eight years, China's aircraft carrier development is a blank period, the relevant research work completely stopped, the previous research results were sealed. However, the Chinese military did not give up the aircraft carrier dream, instead looking for other ways, then Varyag aircraft carrier has become the focus of the Chinese military.

They turned to find other ways, and then the Varyag aircraft carrier entered the Chinese military's attention. The military had to take second best, so the line of sight to "Varyag" aircraft carrier they were ready to take a roundabout "curve to save the country" road.

In more than five years time, the "891" studies achieved remarkable results, and laid a solid foundation for later in China's aircraft carrier development project, and played a great role in the development of China's aircraft carrier.