RATOBAR?

Actually the whole thing is based on two points, one which is covered already: Could the Hawkeye handle the stress of a rocket launch- answer= not really.

It’s not so much the stress on the airframe you have to consider but rather the stress on the supports holding the radar on to the frame. These attachment points are actually kinda weak compared to the rest of the aircraft. The question of weather the electronics could handle the stress is another point stemming from this question.

The other point I wish to make here is cost. Having these rockets is ok but they do cost a fair bit, here is a break down of their standard operation and then I’ll let you work out the costs involved:

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As you can imagine, Rockets do become cost prohibative after a few uses.

It’s a nice idea but feesably unrealistic.

There’s also the question of whether an E-2 can cope with a rocket-assisted ski-jump launch. Not much point getting off the deck if you have to ditch because your landing gear is knackered.

Use a dropable tri-cycle 😀

And put this as ass-engine. There is space behind the aft bulkhead. :dev2:
http://scaled.com/projects/tierone/data_sheets/html/ox_tank.htm

There’s also the question of whether an E-2 can cope with a rocket-assisted ski-jump launch. Not much point getting off the deck if you have to ditch because your landing gear is knackered.

Not unusual for auxiliary and merchant carriers. Spit/Seafire cat start. And the Japanese did it, but not for take-off, but to increase dive speed during Kamikaze 😀

The U.S. Navy did it in the late 1940’s, with the Neptune as the first USN nuclear bomber, based on Midway class carriers.

Doing it with a CTOL AEW platform on VTOL carriers might not be so out of this world, but I’d rather install a liquid rocket engine instead of these dirty RATOs.

The major issue with this is deck safety. Touching off powerful, jettisonable, rockets on a flight deck is something that would be frowned upon in most naval services.

This is mainly as the chances of a rocket detaching itself and charting its own course across a flight deck, occupied by all sorts of expensive and flammable equipment that would react badly to being struck by an errant RATO unit, are very significant. The problem being its a difficult thing to go through risk-reduction on….unless you clear the decks for every RATO launch….which could be an major limiting factor in a flying programme.

For something like a large HALE UAV that may be aloft for 20hrs there is some merit in the concept. One RATO deck event, or sequence of events, every 18hrs or so could likely be absorbed without too much in the way of disruption, but, any higher frequency than that is likely to be a real non-starter.

Dumb question time! 🙂

So having seen much of CATOBAR, STOBAR, etc., is RATOBAR (rocket assisted take off …) not considered practical?

I’d think that a six-pack of jettisonable amraam-style first-stage clean-burn boosters would give enough of an additional kick to launch an E-2 from Vikramaditya’s deck. The jet-blast deflectors already installed should be enough to protect the crew.

Or, do you want what I’m smoking …?

I’ll have some

Dumb question time! 🙂

So having seen much of CATOBAR, STOBAR, etc., is RATOBAR (rocket assisted take off …) not considered practical?

I’d think that a six-pack of jettisonable amraam-style first-stage clean-burn boosters would give enough of an additional kick to launch an E-2 from Vikramaditya’s deck. The jet-blast deflectors already installed should be enough to protect the crew.

Or, do you want what I’m smoking …?

Well, I’ll join you asking the same dumb question, ‘cos I thought about asking it too. You got there first ! 🙂

Dumb question time! 🙂

So having seen much of CATOBAR, STOBAR, etc., is RATOBAR (rocket assisted take off …) not considered practical?

I’d think that a six-pack of jettisonable amraam-style first-stage clean-burn boosters would give enough of an additional kick to launch an E-2 from Vikramaditya’s deck. The jet-blast deflectors already installed should be enough to protect the crew.

Or, do you want what I’m smoking …?

Would you like French fries with your Charred and Melted flight deck? or Are you happy with just the warped deck?