Possible Soviet AEW aircraft are compared with the Fairey Gannet, E-1 Tracer, and E-2 Hawkeye. The Tracer's radar installation and storage demands make it a poor fit for the inherited hull, while later aircraft also require reinforced decks and enough hangar height. Soviet designers accept folding and height compromises so the same aircraft can fit both carriers. The larger ship is called a half-sister because it shares size and operating requirements with Graf Zepplinski; its hull design is independent. Once fleet growth makes those compromises unnecessary in the mid-1970s, the old carrier moves out of front-line service.
Notable Point · 57:16-1:03:42
AEW aircraft make hangar dimensions a fleet constraint
Comparisons with the E-1 Tracer, Gannet, and Hawkeye show why radar-aircraft height and folding arrangements matter aboard a rebuilt carrier.