Even thought the ship WoWS calls Hakuryuu is already in game. Taihou Kai for you
Hakuryuu is based on an enlarged follow-up version of Taihou (G-15 Project) that the IJN planned but never built, not just a remodeled Taihou. The IJN did refer to G-15 as Taihou Kai since they were cancelled before having names assigned, hence the confusion.
Hakuryuu is based on an enlarged follow-up version of Taihou (G-15 Project) that the IJN planned but never built, not just a remodeled Taihou. The IJN did refer to G-15 as Taihou Kai since they were cancelled before having names assigned, hence the confusion.
Taihou Kai is a different ship than non kai Taihou. Her CG shows a larger hull heavier underwater defence and more AAA. Taihou is actually 2 ships in KC. Taihou's illustrator Humikane said himself that Taihou Kai is based on the G-15. That makes her a different ship because the modifications she gets are beyond remodelable. And since IJN refered as G-15 as Kai Taihou that fits as a in game remodel since the G-15 class would still be improved Taihou-classes having the same design but withoug the flaws that they noted on the Taihou-class and that historical Taihou was sank before even getting the chance to be remodelled. https://twitter.com/humikane/status/415515064095879168
Still wonder why WG didn't put the Third Yamato Class sister that's completely build CV instead Hakuryuu.
Because Shinano was garbage, sloppily built (worse than Taihou!) and was essentially of the same tier as Taihou or lesser carriers. It was not on the whole an improvement to Japanese carriers.
Still wonder why WG didn't put the Third Yamato Class sister that's completely build CV instead Hakuryuu.
Because people finally figured out she was a mediocre carrier overall and absurdly bad for her bloated tonnage. The Midway at T10 is absurdly obvious as the US top end CV so you can use that to compare, only considering things that would have a game effect.
Shinano Vs Midway
Hangars and Aircraft Capacity: Both ships have only one hanger, Shinano was converted comparatively late in construction the main armor deck was in place and it was just impractical to try and tear the ship apart to fit a double hanger like other Japanese CVs. The result was a single hangar basically the size of the one on a Yorktown displacing a third as much, Midway was about 40% larger.
Shinano had parts of her hanger given over to storing dissembled spares and expanded workshops and such, this reduced her planned compliment to about 40 planes. If this was all reversed and the entire hanger used one might be able to get like 55 to 60 planes, if you add a completely theoretical deck park maybe 75 to 80. Again probably about what you'd see in a Yorktown or the big twin hanger carriers. Midway operationally carried about 130 for a few years before growing size and post-war draw downs reduced air group size.
Protection: Midway had a slightly asymmetrical belt to help balance her island it was 193mm on one side and 178 on the other. Shinano was more complex it retained full thickness plate in a few areas near the projected magazine that was already installed, but was reduced to 160mm elsewhere below that it had another bit of armor that started at about 200mm and tapered off below. Regardless as this shows for large portions of the waterline length Midway was as well to even slightly better protected. Deck protection was similar Midway had a 89mm flight deck, a 50mm hanger deck, and a 50mm third 'protective deck' directly over the machinery. Shinano had a 75mm flight deck and a second deck that varied in thickness some areas where the full thickness planned for Yamato (7.5 to 9 inches), but others had been thinner down to around four inches. Overall the result was that Midway hanger was a bit better protected, while Shinano engines and magazines by and large were about as well to noticeably better protected.
Torpedo Defense system probably favored Midway, Shinano already had the somewhat flawed system of her sisters by the time conversion began (a fact that would contribute to her sinking). Midway was designed with a conventional but effective system, and freed of the requirement to transit the canal she had a huge beam like the Yamatos (actually about 2 feet greater). Midway frankly probably had the slightly better underwater protection scheme.
AA: I don't think I need to explain this Midway was built with 18 new 127mm 54 caliber guns in enclosed powered mounts, 84 bofors barrels, and an afterthought of 28 Oerlikons. Shinano had 16 127mm 40 caliber guns in open mounts and 105 25mm barrels, and I guess technically some stupid AA rocket barrage things, but these were useless and aren't modeled on the upgraded Shoukaku (which is basically Zuikaku at the time of Leyte) or the totally theoretical post turkey shot Taiho with 40mm guns in game.
Speed and Handling: Midway could do 33 knots Shinano 27. Shinano would have a slightly tighter turning radius owing to shorter hull, but given the artificial nerfs CV eat they'd both be whales.
Detectablity: Midway was a somewhat larger ship so would probably have worst detectablity.
It's the aircraft that really kill it though, once you stack them side by side you see that even an Ahistoical maximized Shinano is a turd compared to Midway. The level of historical distortion needed to change that would produce something that would basically be Shinano in name only and the endless bitching that would cause. Better to just take a theoretical design with vague enough documentation that you can skew it into a viable counterpart if you squint hard enough rather then mangle and existing ship.
If Shinano ever showed up it would have to be as a Premium IMO I can almost see her working as the T7 counterpart to Saipan if you just buffed her capacity to a not entirely unreasonable 48 late war planes. She'd be trading ponderous handling and a hugely increased detection range compared to Saipan for an crazy health pool for the tier and very heavy armor for a CV, with reasonable AA given the sheer number of guns on her.