catamaran aircraft carrier concept

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Russian Future Semi-catamaran Aircraft Carrier gets New Design Concept

• 09:44 AM, October 3, 2018

Russia’s Krylov State Research Center (KSRC) has devised a new design concept for its future semi-catamaran aircraft carrier.

The model of a future non-nuclear multirole aircraft carrier was presented for the first time at the Army-2018 forum in August this year. "The semi-catamaran design of the ship’s underwater part is the project’s key distinguishing feature," KSRC spokesperson was quoted as saying by TASS on Wednesday.

The proposed project has no name yet. Normally catamarans have two parallel hulls and a superstructure platform connecting them. The proposed semi-catamaran hull will resemble a dovetail, bifurcating toward the stern.

The new design pattern’s main advantage was a large flight deck (as wide as that of heavy aircraft carriers) and smaller displacement. The flight deck area is a crucial factor for the number of planes the ship can carry, the spokesperson said.

"An average displacement ship is capable of carrying a full-scale air wing," he added.

No V-shape hull aircraft carriers have been built so far.

The Krylov Center said the proposed aircraft carrier’s water displacement will be 44,000 tonnes, length - 304 meters, deck width - 78 meters, draught - 8.5 meters, full speed - 28 knots, and cruising range - 8,000 miles. The ship’s air wing will consist of 46 aircraft: 12-14 Sukhoi-33 fighters, 12-14 MiG-29K/KUB fighters, four early warning and command aircraft and 12-14 Ka-27 helicopters.

Russia’s only medium class aircraft carrier The Admiral Kuznetsov having a far greater displacement (59,000 tonnes) carries the same air group - up to 52 planes and helicopters.

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Russia is building the world’s first catamaran aircraft carrier.

October 21, 2018 Videos 37,443 Views

Russia’s light aircraft carrier will feature a semi-catamaran hull, a representative of the Krylov Scientific Center told Russian news agency TASS (see the translation and a model of the design here).

“The project is distinguished by the underwater part of a semi-catamaran form,” he said. “Catamaran actually means two hulls united by a platform. It has a wide deck which is important for an aircraft carrier. The design adds flight deck space on which the number of aircraft depends. As a result, a medium-displacement ship can carry a full-fledged air wing.”

“The essence of the carrier is below the waterline,” he added.

List of Top 10 Biggest aircraft carriers in service

The light carrier will displace about 40,000 to 45,000 tons, according to  TASS . That’s less than half the displacement of a U.S. Ford-class carrier.

It will be about 1,000-feet long, with a maximum speed of 28 knots using gas-turbine propulsion and an at-sea endurance of 60 days.

The vessel will carry an air wing of 24 to 28 Su-33 and MiG-29K), four airborne early warning aircraft and about a dozen Ka-27 helicopters. Again, that’s about half the air complement of a U.S. aircraft carrier.

The ship will be armed with Pantsir-ME anti-aircraft missiles, as well as anti-submarine weapons and electronic warfare equipment.

TASS describes the light carrier’s mission as maintaining “combat sustainability of navy forces and groups in blue and green [coastal] waters by providing air and missile defense and destroying air, surface, underwater and coastal targets.”

Read Full Article:  nationalinterest.org

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Russia prepares catamaran aircraft carrier concept.

The Krylov State Research Centre fundamentally changes aircraft carrier concept. According to the article published at TASS news Agency, new design has already been presented for the first time at the Army-2018 forum at the end of August. Apparently no one noticed the offer.

This new design concept is based on future semi-catamaran but the proposed project has no name yet. It will be a non-nuclear multirole aircraft carrier. “The semi-catamaran design of the ship’s underwater part is the project’s key distinguishing feature,” the spokesman told to TASS.

Normally catamarans have two parallel hulls and a superstructure platform connecting them. The proposed semi-catamaran hull will resemble a dovetail, bifurcating toward the stern.

New semi-catamaran design will provide a large flight deck with smaller displacement.

The Krylov Center said the proposed aircraft carrier’s water displacement will be 44,000 tonnes, length – 304 meters, deck width – 78 meters, draught – 8.5 meters, full speed – 28 knots, and cruising range – 8,000 miles.

The ship will be consisted of 46 aircraft: 12-14 Sukhoi-33 fighters, 12-14 MiG-29K/KUB fighters, four early warning and command aircraft and 12-14 Ka-27 helicopters.

Russia’s only medium class aircraft carrier The Admiral Kuznetsov has 59,000 tonnes displacement and carries up to 52 planes and helicopters.

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Catamarans are double-hulled ships. Usually, they are somewhat small designs, which is why I decided to go for something big. An aircraft carrier roughly the size of USS Nimitz, with one clear distinction - a double hull. I was thinking a lot about the feasibility of this concept and could not find anything wrong. Twin hulls meant better stability on rough seas, better redundancy of all critical systems, higher survivability, and whatnot. So I decided to create one. It's another Google SketchUp thingie, lots of clean, straight lines and basic rendering. So if you've liked the others, you'll this one, and if not ... Anyhow, let's rock ... eh ... float.

As always, a nice cozy isometric view to get you comfy with my latest madness. The carrier has two completely identical hulls, connected by gigantic spars, which also double as connection ways between the hulls, allowing people and materials to be shuffled back and forth. The isle is stationed centrally, minimizing the impact on the two V-shaped landing decks.

Looking from above, you can appreciate the grace and beauty of the carrier - and all the classic must-have elements that modern carriers sport. Notice the six aircraft elevators, all mounted inboard to prevent possible damage from missile attacks.

From the bow and stern, the carrier strikes a menacing, solid silhouette. The service cranes toward the rear nicely offset the powerful lines of the twin hulls.

From the side (starboard, if you will), the carrier is the classic example of a floating airbase.

I've paid quite a bit of detail to weaponry. While American carriers carry relatively little weapons, relying on its air wing and the supporting task force of cruisers and destroyers to enforce and impenetrable air defense net, I've made my carrier slightly more Russian and armed with lots of guns and missiles. First, let's take a look at the R2D2-like Vulcan Phalanx-sque CIWS guns, sprinkled about the deck like wild mushrooms. We can see the outboard R2D2 defending the waterline flanks:

Then we have a pair, mounted centrally and facing toward the stern:

A closer look:

There's another pair of guns on the isle, complementing the "low" pair; other domes belong to various radar units. There are more units positioned on the flight deck forward, for a grand total of 12 cute little robots.

I also gave my ship some cruise missiles in vertical launchers, known as VLS, and quad anti-shipping units sporting Harpoon. And there's also a big automatic 127mm dual anti-aircraft anti-shipping gun mounted on fore isle. You must admit the pristine white of the weapon tube hatches and radar domes contrast the dull navy seagull-gray paint scheme in a rather pleasing way.

The big gun:

Airplanes are another important element in this gallery. When I first created the carrier, it was a bit boring, especially due to its unique symmetry. So I imported my Su-35 wannabe model and placed some four units on the landing deck, breaking the boredom. The planes are positioned randomly on the deck and their bright yellow-brown camouflage is a good addition to the dreary palette. Oh, they are another Ruskie element here, being Su-27 lookalikes.

A more intimate look of the elevators supported to service aircraft in and out of the belowdeck hangars.

And a wild shot of the various radar domes. Mushrooms, indeed. But if you take a look at a few real images of combat warships, you'll notice I have not exaggerated that much.

I've also created a few screenshots of the complex flight deck. The actual landing strip is painted gray so that it can be more easily spotted from the air. I believe it's too narrow, but it does not matter really.

Another angle:

And a daring, sharp look of the catapult rails and the jet exhaust deflectors, currently lowered. Notice the two R2D2s framing the TO section.

I've noticed that real carriers have messy, crowded sterns, so I tried to recreate this. I've added the service cranes to make things look busier. I think the overall effect is nice.

Connecting the two hulls is a massive mid-section, almost a third hull, with powerful spars that also counter-act against any bending forces on rough seas, as the two hulls might not be experiencing the exact same strain. I do not know if this could work in reality, but it sounds better than a rigid link.

Lastly, a few screenshots of the isle - or the tower if you will. Lots of wires, lots of activity.

This one is pretty decent, you must agree:

A long shot, with command bridge windows adding life to the model:

And just before we part ways, one last bird's eye view from amidst the many lines of antennae high in the electronic forest on top of the isle.

I guess that's it. I think this is a quite decent 3D model. Hopefully, you've enjoyed it watching as much as I did creating it. Took me some 10 hours, I think - and it's definitely better looking than my first model: DD 71 .

Kerkythea images

Time for proper fun ... This is madness, Sparta, uh ... realistic rendering. Here's the same model, only re-created using Kerkythea , after exporting the model using SketchUp Importer for Google SketchUp and rendered with photons and ray tracing and magic and whatnot. You will like this. My dream of making near-realistic models is coming true, finally. Nirvana. Spledidski.

OK, so here's a nice isometric shot. The skin is rendered in between plastic and metal, with a sort of thick mat anti-reflective paint used for military ships. No background yet, but this is just a warmup.

And another one, a little more zoom and a shallow angle:

Now, the real deal, with authentic sea and some extra clouds added in GIMP, so it appears like a photo taken by an overhead scout plane. And yes, that is a real sea, even if it looks like a pimpled teenager's back. The carrier skin is also more bumpy, so it appears like aluminum and steel sheeting beaten with wear. The sea shadows might need a sharper outline, but don't mind that.

A few more rather lovely renders, showing the carrier bathed in early sunrise. The water is calm and gray. If this does not stir a feeling deep in your artistic soul, nothing will. Rendered in about 10 minutes of CPU time with four threads on my HP laptop.

Notice the smooth metallic sheen on the gun turrets and radomes. Notice the slightly grainy feel to the landing deck. I'm really pleased with the output, although yet more quality can be milked from these renders. But that's what sequel articles are for, right.

That's amazing, I have to say. Self-flattery is stupid, but sometimes well deserved. Oh, more good stuff coming, including POV-Ray renders, extra galleries and suchlike. Stay tuned for updates.

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Russia's ship design bureau comes up with catamaran aircraft carrier concept

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. The Krylov State Research Center has come up with a fundamentally new design concept of what may become Russia’s future semi-catamaran aircraft carrier, the center’s spokesman told TASS.

The model of a future non-nuclear multirole aircraft carrier was presented for the first time at the Army-2018 forum at the end of August. The proposed project has no name yet.

"The semi-catamaran design of the ship’s underwater part is the project’s key distinguishing feature," the spokesman said.

Normally catamarans have two parallel hulls and a superstructure platform connecting them. The proposed semi-catamaran hull will resemble a dovetail, bifurcating toward the stern.

The company’s spokesman said the new design pattern’s main advantage was a large flight deck (as wide as that of heavy aircraft carriers) and smaller displacement. The flight deck area is a crucial factor for the number of planes the ship can carry.

"An average displacement ship is capable of carrying a full-scale air wing," the specialist said.

No V-shape hull aircraft carriers have been built so far.

The Krylov Center said the proposed aircraft carrier’s water displacement will be 44,000 tonnes, length - 304 meters, deck width - 78 meters, draught - 8.5 meters, full speed - 28 knots, and cruising range - 8,000 miles. The ship’s air wing will consist of 46 aircraft: 12-14 Sukhoi-33 fighters, 12-14 MiG-29K/KUB fighters, four early warning and command aircraft and 12-14 Ka-27 helicopters.

Russia’s only medium class aircraft carrier The Admiral Kuznetsov having a far greater displacement (59,000 tonnes) carries the same air group - up to 52 planes and helicopters.

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The 10 Best Superyacht Concepts of 2023

Blue-sky superyacht concepts range from pure fantasy to easily buildable. here are our 10 favorites in the last year., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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To stand out from the crowd, more and more superyacht buyers—many new to the market—are challenging designers to break molds, go extreme, and think way outside of the traditional box. And they’re doing it with head-spinning bow designs, huge windows, and much larger interior and exterior spaces.

They’re also trading traditional monohulls for big-volume catamarans and trimarans, taking inspiration from oddball places—an aircraft carrier or 1930s Hollywood-style automobile—and, at the same time, future-proofing them with new propulsion systems, including hydrogen fuel cells, solar power, and advanced battery power.

These 10 concepts, from a range of designers and studios, show that the future of superyacht design has never been more exciting—if at times a little bizarre.

Sinot, ‘Aware’

Not all superyachts need to look like multi-tiered wedding cakes. That’s according to Dutch studio Sinot Yacht, which has just penned conceptual renderings for a sleek, almost-minimalist cruiser called Aware . Yes, the 262-footer does have the look of some super-stylish European river boat from the likes of Viking or Uniworld. But the aim here is to optimize the spaces experienced owners tend to use the most. Like the owner’s suite on the main deck, which in Aware spans the full beam and totals over 860 square feet. Then there’s the super-size beach club with its twin fold-out terraces, gym, bar, cinema, 36-foot-long pool, and glass-sided dining area. As for power, Sinot envisions a hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system good for a 21 mph max, and a 4,000 nautical mile range at 14 mph.

Icon Yachts, ‘Mission’

Ice-breaking, globe-trotting expedition yachts are nothing new for Holland’s Icon Yachts. Its rugged, 224-foot, converted ice-breaker Ragnar literally wrote the rule-book on building high-latitude-friendly luxury superyachts. But Icon’s concept for a brand-new, ultimate explorer it’s calling Mission adds Indiana Jones–levels of off-the-grid exploration. Designed by Dutch explorer-yacht specialist Bernd Weel, Mission is all towering, ice-crushing bow, trademark geometric hull sides, and endless space for all that adventure-seeking gear. Here we’re talking six tenders of all sizes, a three-person submersible, an Airbus H130 helicopter, and space midships for a multitude of shipping containers for when you want to become the next Jacques Cousteau. As for range, Icon would target over 6,000 nautical miles.

Andy Waugh Yacht Design, ‘Decadence’

Flick through the pages of any automotive history book and you’ll notice that 1930s design is dominated by the outrageous, teardrop-fendered creations of the French duo of Figoni et Falaschi. Their designs look to be the inspiration behind London-based designer Andy Waugh’s jaw-dropping concept for a 264-foot catamaran he quite aptly calls Decadence . Featuring a central hull flanked by four teardrop-like pods, the concept evolves the idea of so-called SWATH catamaran hull design used in a number of oil-platform support, research vessels, and even some superyachts. Providing immense stability through reduced roll and pitch, the design makes perfect sense for a superyacht. One drawback: the yacht’s massive, marina-unfriendly 98-foot beam. Though that becomes a positive when you consider Decadence ‘s vast owner’s suite measures 66 feet wide and almost 100 feet long.

Oceanco, ‘Aeolus’

When the Dutch superyacht maestros at Oceanco release a blue-sky design, the concept is likely just a few steps away from reality. Fresh from delivering the 410-foot Koru , the world’s largest sailing yacht, to new owner Jeff Bezos, and the 357-foot Seven Seas to Steven Spielberg, Oceanco has unveiled Aeolus , a concept for a highly sustainable 430-foot gigayacht. Drawn by former Rolls-Royce head of design Giles Taylor, this curvaceous, quad-deck world cruiser looks to the future by incorporating Oceanco’s Energy Transition Platform (ETP) philosophy. The propulsion could start with diesel-electric power, with battery banks charged by twin MTU V16 diesel generators. Then, as technologies advance, it could more to more advanced fuel types such as methanol or other, even wilder technologies like nuclear power.

Anthony Glasson, ‘Star Trek’

Designed to boldly go across oceans, this concept for a massive 275-foot trimaran i s said to have been inspired by Hong Kong–based designer Anthony Glasson’s love of the TV show “Star Trek”—especially the Starship Enterprise . Viewed bow-on, you can see why: The slender, wave-piercing bow, the twin side hulls, and rounded glass upper observation deck have USS Enterprise written all over it. But the trimaran form definitely adds to its function, with the wide beam creating an expansive “courtyard” that’s part enclosed and part open, housing a hot tub—one of three aboard—a gym, a bar, sunpads galore and even a helipad-turned-dancefloor. Glasson envisions the trimaran to be built of lightweight aluminum, with a 5,000-nautical-mile range. Captain Kirk would be impressed.

Jozeph Forakis, ‘Pegasus’

Until now, arguably the ultimate stealth boat was the one in the 1997 James Bond romp Tomorrow Never Dies , owned by tyrannical media mogul Elliot Carver. That would change if the 289-foot concept Pegasus , from the computer screen of N.Y.C.-born and now Milan-based designer Jozeph Forakis, gets a production go-ahead. It features a superstructure comprising three over-lapping “wings” with metallic surfaces designed to reflect the sky and the clouds, rendering the superyacht near-invisible. The “wings” also do double duty as solar panels generating energy that would be used to convert sea water to hydrogen. Fuel cells would then turn the hydrogen into electricity that would be then stored in banks of lithium-ion batteries, making Pegasus essentially emissions-free with a virtually infinite cruising range.

Lazzarini, ‘Plectrum’

Why fly through the water when you can fly on top? That’s the thinking behind Rome-based Lazzarini Design’s radical 243-foot hydrofoiling superyacht concept named Plectrum . Massive foils deploy from the sides of the yacht’s rounded carbon-fiber hull, while a trio of 5,000 hp engines would elevate the yacht out of the water and punch it to a top speed of over 80 mph. It’s a similar concept used in the latest America’s Cup AC75 foiling monohull sailboats, along with a crop of electric powerboats and surfboards. Applying the technology to a 243-foot superyacht is what’s new and possibly technically impossible, at least for now. Other stand-out features of this bright-orange flyer include a helicopter garage beneath the mile-long foredeck and a garage for your supercar at the stern.

Phantom and Golden Yachts, ‘Vesper’

When it comes to next-generation superyacht design, it seems glass is fast becoming the new steel. Take the collaboration between the design team at Holland’s Phantom Studios and Athens-based superyacht builder Golden Yachts. The 213-foot concept they’re calling Vesper features five levels of floor-to-ceiling structural glass, a glass floor in the yacht’s upper deck lounge, and a glass-sided swimming pool. Connecting the beach club to the pool is a huge, high-lifting hatch that’s, what else, all glass. Now head to the owner’s “suite”—it’s more like a two-level penthouse in a Miami skyscraper—and it features floor-to-very-high-ceiling glass that floods the space with light. To catch some real rays, the full-deck suite features not one, but two outdoor terraces.

DeBasto Design, MED

Think of this as a 301-foot dayboat with the emphasis on outdoor, alfresco, lounge-in-the-sun, Mediterranean living. From the drawing board of Miami-based designer Luiz de Basto, Project MED features uninterrupted, bow-to-stern open teak decks topped with a huge upper superstructure supported by just four columns. And to ensure the superstructure doesn’t dominate the superyacht’s sleek lines, de Basto covered it in reflective glass so that it almost disappears from view by mirroring its surroundings. The designer says his inspiration came from the idea of “Agora,” named after the squares in Ancient Greek villages where everyone congregated. Aboard Project MED, that could be on the main deck, around the oversized pool at the stern, or on the vast open foredeck.

Enzo Manca, ‘UAE One’

There are superyachts designed to look like military warships. Some even are shaped to look like navy submarines. But here’s a first; a superyacht inspired by the lines of an aircraft carrier. The 459-foot UAE One is from the fertile mind of Milan-based designer Enzo Manca who created the concept for an unnamed United Arab Emirates sheikh looking to create an official UAE flagship. Without a doubt, the design highlight is the yacht’s runway-like main deck. It features not one, but three helipads, a conning tower-like, four-level structure on the starboard side, a geometric-shaped pool and a huge circular “conversation pit” right on the bow, complete with cozy sofas and a firepit. Accommodations over nine decks include five “super suites”, eight master cabins, 14 mini apartments, and 35 cabins for the crew of 65. 

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Meet China’s triple-hulled warship of the future

A trimaran vessel with all-electric propulsion, multiple helicopters, and anti-ship missiles.

By Jeffrey Lin and P.W. Singer | Published Feb 23, 2017 9:44 PM EST

At the Dubai IDEX defense exposition, arms makers from around the world show off their latest wares. A notable debut at the recent 2017 show: a new, triple hulled Chinese warship design.

While showing off a model of the planned ship, China Shipbuilding Trading Company announced that it is aiming to start construction on a “trimaran” warship in 2018 for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

The Chinese navy already uses smaller trimaran ships for noncombat missions—think training torpedo recovery, search and rescue, and oceanographic research.

So what exactly are trimaran ships? The major distinction is they three hulls: one large, central one and two rearward smaller hulls connected by decks or girders. The design is used in the U.S. Navy’s new USS Independence subclass of the Littorial Combat Ship, and in fact the new Chinese ship looks very similar to that class.

The design means the ships have the advantage of a wider deck to operate more aircraft; this frigate design has a two-door hangar for helicopters and vertical take-off landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Trimarans can also reach higher speeds, due to the reduced drag of having three hulls instead of a single wider one.

Heavy Firepower

The Chinese trimaran frigate will be about 465 feet long, and has a beam of 105 feet and a weight of 2,450 tons. Interestingly, it may be the first Chinese warship to use an integrated electrical propulsion system (IEPS) to provide the power for driving its three pumpjets. It is unclear if the announced 2,450-ton displacement is full or light.

USS Independence

If we’re comparing the vessel to the USS Independence subclass of the Littorial Combat Ship, the latter is designed as a high-speed platform, with a top speed estimated at 50 knots, which is faster than the Chinese trimaran frigate’s announced 30-35-knot top speed. The Chinese trimaran frigate is far more heavily armed for conventional warfare; the American ship mounts only a 57mm cannon plus provisions for anti-ship missiles while the Chinese ship boasts the capacity for a 76mm cannon, anti-ship missiles, and vertical-launching system cells for carrying anti-ship, land attack cruise and anti-air missiles.

That being said, the USS Independence offers the flexibility of changing out mission modules (such as between anti-submarine and mine countermeasure missions). This flexibility may be overstated, however, as both trimaran designs have wide decks for intensive helicopter operations, and the Chinese version also appears to have ample cargo spaces to embark maritime special forces and unmanned surface and underwater systems.

If built, the trimaran frigate would provide the PLAN with a high-speed, heavily armed warship for littoral operations in the East and South China Seas. It would likely serve as a complement to smaller Type 022 stealth missile boats and Type 056 corvettes; fast enough to keep up with them, and provide them with area air defense and helicopter coverage. Its space for special operations and aviation units also makes it a candidate for Chinese special operations in the littoral environment, and its speed makes it a good rapid-response unit to regional emergencies. Finally, its large carrying capacity could come into play as a heavily armed mothership and command center for Chinese drones, unmanned boats, and submarine robots. If the PLAN does buy this trimaran frigate, it’ll have a warship that will open up new places in high paced 21st-century naval combat.

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