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| Photo taken in May 2012 shows a Chinese aircraft carrier cruising for a test on the sea. China's first aircraft carrier was delivered and commissioned to the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army on Sept. 25, 2012. The carrier, with the name "Liaoning" and hull number 16, was officially handed over to the Navy at a ceremony held in a naval base of northeast China's Dalian Port. (Xinhua/Li Tang) |
China's first aircraft carrier the Liaoning was transferred to the PLA navy on Tuesday. There's been a lot of interest in this huge ship as well as the crew who'll be sailing on board. CCTV reporter Shi Wenjing has been finding out about some of the facilities they'll enjoy, when China's first aircraft carrier sets sail.
A milestone in China's naval history - The hanging flags are a characteristic naval tradition, to welcome any new member of the People's Liberation Army.
At around 300 meters long, and 70 meters wide, it's a veritable giant of the sea. There are 10 levels beneath the main deck while the structures above deck tower at 9 storeys high.
And when she's afloat, the Liaoning displaces an impressive 50, 000 tons of water. Though there's no shipboard aircraft on deck at the moment, the ship is well equipped for when they arrive.
There are three possible ways of taking-off from the Liaoning -- the ejection takeoff, the ski-jump takeoff, and the vertical takeoff.
Snr. Colonel Zhang Zheng, commander of the Liaoning, said, "I feel a great honor to be the commander of the Liaoning. As China's first aircraft carrier, there's much pressure as well as challenges of technique and management. There is a huge system behind the ship, and it'll take time for us to adapt to this new system. At the same time, we need to learn from it and innovate from our own side."
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