Behold the stride of the sun !! (Vikramaditya)

]http://s014.radikal.ru/i327/1206/b7/95566f433760.jpg
]http://s019.radikal.ru/i616/1206/38/2601138d0826.jpg
http://s013.radikal.ru/i322/1206/fd/5cafd50a3f17.jpg
http://s019.radikal.ru/i623/1206/40/65a05ba4ee35.jp%5D
http://s15.radikal.ru/i188/1206/cc/93322724b7dc.jpg

Damn good shots….the above one exposing the silhouette gives it an “awww” feel as a monster emerging out from the fog…. 😎

Meanwhile his stepbrother can now be seen on Google Earth.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/2213/7351222796a5bd45e540b.jpg

This drawing for IAC-I is incorrect in terms of dimensions as the bow and stern is not going to extend that long. The waterline hull has already been completed and unlike the Vik, the bow don’t extend much from the waterline dimension.

Sevmash press release from 8th June 2012
http://www.sevmash.ru/rus/news/1171–lr-.html

From the article few stats.
Displacement – > 45,000t
Length -283m
Width – 59.8m
Aircraft – 30
Crew – 1,924

Some performance figure. Range (Pr.1143.4 Admiral Gorshkov)
– 13,500 nm @10 kts
– 8,000 nm @16 kts
– 7,160 nm @18 kts
– 4,000 nm @29 kts

INS Vikramaditya is likely to retain the above range and with new units might be improving upon this earlier figures.

Another roumor has arrived like the way it happened earlier with the Rafale way back when MiG-29K was contracted.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/indian-aircraft-carrier-enters-sea-trials-as-navy-eyes-rafale-372925/

Sources say the Indian navy is considering the carrier-capable Rafale M as a possible acquisition, with a potential cost benefit to come from the air force’s pending deal for 126 of the type to meet its medium multi-role combat aircraft requirement.

Already operational with the French navy and similar in size to the MiG-29K, the Rafale M could potentially be operated from India’s future ski-jump-equipped domestic aircraft carriers and offer a greater operational capability than current Russian aircraft and India’s Aeronautical Development Agency Tejas naval fighter.

It is probably promoted by the Dassault and its fan club media in India & RoI. Way back also rather baseless rumour was promoted by media that MiG-29K was pushed down the throat, when in reality it was the best platform available/suitable at that time for duty on board STOBAR. Rafale probably attained its full capability in 2006 only and the Naval variant on whose superiority the article is promoting it is based on the catapult assisted launch variant.

Rafale-M is specified with a heavier payload capacity of 9.5t against the 5.5t of MiG-29K in STOBAR operation. But that capability of Rafale-M is with cat assisted launch……another simple fact is Rafale-M is not certified or demonstrated its capability for STOBAR operations as of June 2012 even with any light air-defence load. Where as MiG-29K had demonstrated the capability of STOBAR operations way back in 1989 on board Tbilisi which was among the factors that made MiG-29K to be selected for INS Vikramaditya.

Now the Rafale promoters are saying that IN is looking at Rafale-M for its carriers. And that tooo without a single flight test from either a STOBAR carrier or land based facility?? :rolleyes:

btw, The two clowns have no words on their blog about the start of INS Vikramaditya trials, where as they sniff and reproduce whetever happens in US, like the C130 flight etc.

It’s the Rezistor-K4 TACAN(Tactical Communications and Navigation) system for the ship’s aircraft. Pretty bulky compared to Western analogues, but I guess that’s due to the 80s vintage design(It was originally designed for the Baku).

Probably it is not as simple as it looks??

In the western systems, what you see is only the Antenna part of the TACAN. The power systems, processing units etc are separate housed below. Probably in the Russian units, the big “tin can” have something more like power source (?) or processing units (?) and/or maybe just service area to check up the systems…

Also the very low freeboard of the ships precludes a gallery deck between the flight deck and hangar, which although not universal on western carrier designs, does allow many compartments to be moved below flight deck level and decrease the size (ie footprint on the flight deck) of the island frreing up precious space for aircraft, which are after all the raison d’ etre of the ship.

I think they are making use of the under-deck space…

This is the below deck space where the arrestor gear & restraining claws are installed. The picture is not giving me a correct perspective to estimate the ceiling height.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qh1DL49l5P8/T8SceqgGHxI/AAAAAAAAALo/d_RYGxHSxwo/s1600/arrester+system.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MFxGhmTIcRY/T8ScyKP3PcI/AAAAAAAAAMg/LBNb7bBmLII/s1600/IMG_7260.JPG

From the below pictures we get an idea about the below deck space between the flight deck and the hanger that probably runs all along and around the hanger (& above it as well). My estimate of its height is anywhere between 6.5 – 7.5 feet. And the mess hall photos does somewhat back up my estimation.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAtem3s9hKQ/T8SdXxs8lSI/AAAAAAAAAPY/ZeXIZPChJIo/s1600/IMG_7335.JPG
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iDAE0uA7MXU/T8SdbrTZn5I/AAAAAAAAAPo/ziAl1bh_jec/s1600/IMG_7338.JPG

Below is the officers mess room. From the pictures, to me, both seem to be of the same height and is on the same deck level. i.e this mess hall is either directly beneath the flight deck or under the island (more likely).
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ihqpOfLYjdo/T8SczhIc0iI/AAAAAAAAAMo/suBuausV72k/s1600/IMG_7261.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EnBSOgmN2JU/T8Sc1Y8aabI/AAAAAAAAAMw/Ub9dUizTM-8/s1600/IMG_7262.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxesXFX51DI/T8Sc2lu8ZbI/AAAAAAAAAM4/ZejIPlfwneE/s1600/IMG_7263.JPG

too bad Jamwal did not upload the pictures of the supplies being stocked. I’m attaching those pictures below. From the pictures it looks like the storeroom & mess and related area is probably in the front under the flight deck…

In short what i wanted to convey based on my observation and interpretation from photos is that, almost all the available under-deck space (above & around the hanger) has been probably used to its maximum for crew housing, mess facilities, stores etc.

‘941’ warms-up for Viky trials (?):

http://russianplanes.net/images/to80000/079344.jpg

Interesting….
how many of them can we expect on the deck? what about the older two units, one of which was on the deck for static tests?
941, 947 will be there for sure…. can we expect the rest of the 5 MiG-29s to be delivered on the deck?

videos of the event.

lots of people had gathered for the event….but few pictures and videos are available… everyone seems to have been very excited on the sight of the ship and it is evident from the way they are running there camera all around the ship without patience..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=s9E1QQ87BZg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=tiU9moHQ5n8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oLDtQ9xwmsM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ckd8Ih3UOjE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DKBmRbYIWuk

probably officer of INS Sindhurakshak, family & friends…