Japan had its first aircraft carrier Hōshō in 1922.
This is the FIRST time that a plane can take off from; and land on a PRC aircraft carrier in 2012.
It is grandly reported.
But isn't a plane expected to be able to fly from and land on a carrier?
It is like celebrating that our camera can actually take a photo. Is that not what it is supposed to be able to do?
Note that:
• the whole carrier deck is empty for ONE plane to land on.
• the sea is calm and not pitching in rough ocean waves.
• it is bright daylight and not at night.
In other words, the carrier is not combat operationally ready yet, in terms of hardware and personnel.
It is very far behind the Nimitz class carriers.
[video=youtube;qkwwYANpHN0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=qkwwYANpHN0[/video]
This is the FIRST time that a plane can take off from; and land on a PRC aircraft carrier in 2012.
It is grandly reported.
But isn't a plane expected to be able to fly from and land on a carrier?
It is like celebrating that our camera can actually take a photo. Is that not what it is supposed to be able to do?
Note that:
• the whole carrier deck is empty for ONE plane to land on.
• the sea is calm and not pitching in rough ocean waves.
• it is bright daylight and not at night.
In other words, the carrier is not combat operationally ready yet, in terms of hardware and personnel.
It is very far behind the Nimitz class carriers.
[video=youtube;qkwwYANpHN0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=qkwwYANpHN0[/video]