anthony@uunet.UU.NET (Anthony Lee) (03/05/90)
From: munnari!batserver.cs.uq.oz.au!anthony@uunet.UU.NET (Anthony Lee) All the RN carriers have takeoff ramps for their Sea Harriers. What the about the USN, do they have ramps on their ships for their Harriers ? -- Anthony Lee (Humble PhD student) (Alias Time Lord Doctor) ACSnet: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz TEL:+(61)-7-371-2651 Internet: anthony@batserver.cs.uq.oz.au +(61)-7-377-4139 (w) SNAIL: Dept Comp. Science, University of Qld, St Lucia, Qld 4067, Australia
shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (OFV) (03/06/90)
From: Mary Shafer (OFV) <shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov>
Anthony Lee (munnari!batserver.cs.uq.oz.au!anthony@uunet.UU.NET) writes:
All the RN carriers have takeoff ramps for their Sea Harriers.
What the about the USN, do they have ramps on their ships for their
Harriers ?
No, the US Navy doesn't. But the Spanish Navy does, on at least one
ship (the name translates as the Princess of Asturia). The sea trials
were reported at the 89 SETP (Society of Experimantal Test Pilots)
symposium, so thay took place fairly recently.
What the Royal Navy and Spanish Navy have are "Harrier Carriers."
They're smaller and purpose-built or modified just for Harriers. I
don't think the USN is willing, politically, to do this; hence, no
ramp.
--
Mary Shafer shafer@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASAterryr@ogicse.ogi.edu (Terry Rooker) (03/06/90)
From: terryr@ogicse.ogi.edu (Terry Rooker) In article <14467@cbnews.ATT.COM> munnari!batserver.cs.uq.oz.au!anthony@uunet.UU.NET (Anthony Lee) writes: > > >All the RN carriers have takeoff ramps for their Sea Harriers. >What the about the USN, do they have ramps on their ships for their >Harriers ? Actually the USN has no Harriers. The cynical view is that they would threaten the existence of those large supercarriers. More pragmatically, why mess around with a sub-sonic VSTOL aricraft when you have supersonic Hornets and Tomcats? The Mairnes operate the AV-8B which is an improved version of the original Harrier. They can operate them off of USN helicopter carriers (i.e. amphibious assault ships). There is no reason they couldn't operate off the larger carriers, other than you'd be giving up Tomcat/Hornet deckspace for them. Since the aircraft belong to the USMC, they aren't permanently assigned to the LPH/LHAs, so there is little rationale to install ramps. -- Terry Rooker terryr@cse.ogi.edu
msf@rotary.East.Sun.COM (Michael Fischbein) (03/06/90)
From: msf@rotary.East.Sun.COM (Michael Fischbein) In article <14467@cbnews.ATT.COM> munnari!batserver.cs.uq.oz.au!anthony@uunet.UU.NET (Anthony Lee) writes: >All the RN carriers have takeoff ramps for their Sea Harriers. >What the about the USN, do they have ramps on their ships for their >Harriers ? No. None of the currently operational USN ships have ramps. The ships with deployed Harriers were generally designed for helocopters, where ramps are useless. The CV's (designed for fixed wing ops) have catapults. mike Michael Fischbein, Technical Consultant, Sun Professional Services Sun Albany, NY 518-783-9613 sunbow!msf or mfischbein@east.sun.com These are my opinions and not necessarily those of any other person or organization. Save the skeet!
fgbrooks@crash.cts.com (Fred Brooks) (03/06/90)
From: fgbrooks@crash.cts.com (Fred Brooks) In article <14467@cbnews.ATT.COM> munnari!batserver.cs.uq.oz.au!anthony@uunet.UU.NET (Anthony Lee) writes: > > > >All the RN carriers have takeoff ramps for their Sea Harriers. >What the about the USN, do they have ramps on their ships for their >Harriers ? >-- I was on a LPH when the USN was testing harriers for that class. No they do not have ramps. They would lineup on the flight deck about 400 feet from the bow, then at full power direct the vector thrust to start them rolling. At about 100 feet to the bow it looked like they rotated the thrust down to lift off the deck. It worked but I don't think the pilots enjoyed it. Of course they practiced vertical take-offs but that really reduced the range if you had any ordnance. fb
zimmer@cod.nosc.mil (Thomas L. Zimmerman) (03/06/90)
From: zimmer@cod.nosc.mil (Thomas L. Zimmerman) > > All the RN carriers have takeoff ramps for their Sea Harriers. > What the about the USN, do they have ramps on their ships for their > Harriers ? Nope. Harriers are normally used only on LPH's or Assault Carriers, in combination with helicopters. I have been on several LPH's and have never seen a ramp. The ramp is helps get a heavier plane into the air with less fuel use. US pilots must do some combination of 1) flying lighter or burning more fuel during a vertical launch or 2) using more "runway" to get more lift from the wings and less from vectored thrust. Its just a guess, but an LPH - while a small US carrier - may have more flight deck than the British carriers, making option two desirable. Lee Zimmerman Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego zimmer@nosc.mil