Gerald R. Ford carrier's ($40 B) new aircraft catapult system launches first live Super Hornets

[unhappycamper]

Gerald R. Ford carrier's new aircraft catapult system launches first live Super Hornets
January 03, 2011|By Peter Frost, [e-mail] | 247-4744

The oft-maligned new aircraft-launching equipment that will be installed on the U.S. Navy's new class of aircraft carriers successfully catapulted four F/A-18E Super Hornets off a land-based runway late last month, the Navy and the equipment's manufacturer said.

The launch of live aircraft from the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS, temporarily puts to rest fears that the emerging technology wouldn't be ready in time for installation on the Gerald R. Ford carrier, which is under construction in Newport News and due to be delivered to the fleet in 2015.

Under development for more than a decade, the new launch system uses motors that send a series of electric pulses through a line of electromagnets that thrust a jet down the track, much like the technology used in roller coasters.

It replaces the steam-driven catapults that have been used in carriers for the last 50 years.

The Navy said EMALS will reduce maintenance and personnel costs on new carriers and the aircraft the flattops launch.



unhappycamper comment: Too bad the Navy can't reduce the $40 billion dollar price tag for this new carrier.

Just FYI:

Nimitz-class carriers cost around $4.5 billion dollars sans people and aircraft.

The last Nimitz-class carrier, the G.H.W. Bush sans people and aircraft, cost $6.8 billion dollars because of lots of overtime.

[Turbineguy]

1. $40 Billion

Would replace the entire US Flag Merchant Marine with 272 new ships.

And they would pay for themselves.

You could show the flag in 272 places at once.

[EstimatedProphet]

2. There's a Gerald Ford aircraf carrier?

Can it sail and chew gum at the same time? I bet it trips upon launch.

[SidDithers]

6. And Chevy Chase is going to drop the bottle at the dedication ceremony...nt

Sid

[Lint Head]

3. That's what humanity needs. More streamlined killing machines.

[Statistical]

4. Where do you get this imaginary $40B from?

You undermine your arguments with bogus claims.

The R&D for Ford class is roughly $5 billion. The first in the Ford class (the Ford) has a cost of roughly $9B. Navy estimates are $6B for subsequent ships.

Now those are insanely large numbers. No need to use some made up nonsense.

[Historic NY]

5. they went ahead with this even if it failed with no plans for reliable steam....

wow. Just what happens when the bells & whistles fall off....oops.

[Statistical]

7. Reliable steam? ROFL.

The steam catapault system is one of the highest maintenance cost items on the carriers. It is horribly obsolete, requires tremendous manpower to keep it running, is bulky, overly complex, and prone to breakages. The system is massive. It is only roughly 4% efficient (4% of steam energy is converted into propulsion). It also has two major issues. The first is it can't launch light aircraft (all current and future planned drones are too light). The second is that it is prone to transients which over accelerate aircraft creating dangerous conditions and damaging airframe (due to exceeding launch specifications). This all adds up to cost in airframe maintenance.

It is a 1950s era invention. There is a reason almost nothing in the world is powered by steam anymore. If we had the material science to build an electromagnetic catapult in the 1960s we never would have used steam.

[Motown_Johnny]

8. If I don't attack this, do I get flamed?

It is a pretty good bet but I will try to withstand the onslaught.



Not that I support more military spending, I don't. I also don't see why we are designing something to launch Super Hornets when the Joint Strike Fighter (which is a miserable failure) is supposed to be the future for all branches of the military.



The technological advancement represented here is another story. This is the stuff that makes mag-lev trains function. It also holds potential for science fiction style rail guns and the ability to launch small payloads into space.










P.S. With respects to Chevy Chase, Gerald Ford was most probably our most athletic President (present company included).

[FSogol]

9. Too bad he he compromised his principles and pardoned those GOP crooks.

He started a long trend of not holding the GOP accountable for its actions.

[Statistical]

10. The electromagentic catapult is designed to be able to launch all current and future aircraft.

This includes the JSF (F-35C) and UAVs. The steam catapult has a minimum weight requirement which far exceeds all current and future planned drones. The super hornets are very heavy (relatively speaking), have similar takeoff characteristics as the JSF and aren't going away anytime soon.

If the catapult can launch the Supers it can launch anything the Navy has. The electromagnetic nature of the catapults means a launch profile can be programmed for each aircraft & loudout to optimize launch and minimize excess stress on the airframe. The JSF will eventually replace the Super Hornets but we are talking a decade plus time frame. In the interim the Ford will be able to launch both types of aircraft.