In a way, landing on an aircraft carrier is more controlled crashing than actual landing. Obviously aircraft such as helicopters and STOL/STOVL (such as the Harrier or F-35) do not need these arresting wires, as they can simply land (semi) vertically.īecause of the limited length of the landing area and the harsh landing, the aircraft used for landing on a carrier (carrier aircraft) also have very robust landing gear to withstand the high rate of descend. The aircraft catches one of these arresting wires with the use of the hook built into the airframe, after which the aircraft slows down rapidly (though quite harshly). To allow aircraft to land in a much smaller space, a number of wires (typically 4 or 5) are strung across the landing deck. The catapult is then set to the appropriate amount of power and the aircraft can be subsequently launched.Īlthough more expensive (maintenance costs) to operate than the comparative ramp system, the catapult system allows you more flexibility in operating it: you can increase the amount of power on the catapult for heavier aircraft (more fuel/ordinance), as well as being able to hookup and launch multiple aircraft in quick succession by using multiple catapults. This shuttle also holds back the aircraft, so that the engines can be run up to full (afterburning) mode before launching. The pilot can selectively lower the launch bar with a switch in the cockpit to hook up to the catapult (shuttle). Up to the Cold War most aircraft used a length of reinforced rope (called a bridle) to attach to the catapult shuttle, but in all aircraft after the Cold War the shuttle instead connects to the nose gear of the aircraft via the launch bar. The aircraft catapult is a launcher to which an aircraft is hooked up, which is then launched using external power from the carrier (either steam or electromagnetic power). Rather than implement the STOBAR ramp system, the United States (whom pioneered the system) and most NATO countries instead use the CATOBAR (Catapult Assisted Take-Off But Arrested Recovery system. Also, because the ramp takes up valuable space on the carrier (you can't park aircraft on the ramp), you can typically bring less planes aboard and you will not be able to launch as many planes from a STOBAR carrier (as they all have to use the same ramp to launch). weight) ratio to be able to safely launch (although you will typically top up on fuel after launching from any carrier). The drawbacks of using STOBAR is that you get to bring less overall weight, so less weapons and fuel to maintain the amount of power versus weight (also called the thrust vs. On some (Russian) aircraft a thrust override (carrier takeoff) switch can be set to provide even more engine power, to be used when an aircraft is heavily loaded or in bad weather conditions. no full thrust from the get go), so the use of these chocks is pretty vital. Jets take a few seconds to spool up to full power (i.e. Removable wheel chocks are used to hold the aircraft in place whilst you run up to full power (in the designated spots): the JBD (Jet Blast Deflector, a big piece of metal behind the plane that can be raised) is used to prevent the exhaust from the airplane preparing to take-off from blowing away other aircraft lined up behind it. Launching via STOBAR is done by lining the aircraft up to go off the ramp, go full thrust and launch by running off of it. lot of power, little weight) on your aircraft to launch aircraft off of the carrier. For this you only need a ramp (angled bit of deck) and you will need a high power to weight ratio (i.e. The procedure of using a ramp to launch aircraft is called STOBAR ( Short Take-Off But Arrested Recovery ) and is a simple (cost effective) manner of launching aircraft from a carrier. IFLOLS Used to guide aircraft into landing (recoveries) Catapults Used to speed up / launch aircraft 3. Arresting gear Used to slow down / landing aircraft (recoveries) 2. There are various types of key equipment used on a carrier:ġ. Whereas normally a runway would net you somewhere in the ballpark of 6000 - 12000 feet of usable space, having a total length of 1100 feet is already quite spacious for an aircraft carrier. These include items such as how does a carrier work, what does a carrier look like, and what sort of key features should you pay attention to when you cannot make out left from right when operating on a busy carrier.īecause of the limited length of an aircraft carrier some special equipment is used for launching (departure, taking off) and recovering (landing) aircraft. Before we dive headfirst into the procedures and rules associated with carrier air operations, we will first go over the various basics that come into play when operating on a carrier.
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