Last Arrest Gear for HMS ARK ROYAL

I agree, it sounds good! The one thing to note is that, in effect, if does now what the British system could have been going 40+ years ago! It’s just a real shame Britain dropped out of proper carrier ops, in favour of Hairdryers (Harriers). 🙁

And then when they finally gave themselves the opportunity to get back in the game they ignored it!:(

I agree, it sounds good! The one thing to note is that, in effect, if does now what the British system could have been going 40+ years ago! It’s just a real shame Britain dropped out of proper carrier ops, in favour of Hairdryers (Harriers). 🙁

Yes, AFAIK the new CVN-21 class will use not only EMALS catapults but also a turbo-electric Advanced Arresting Gear. Judging by General Atomics’ description it apparently strives to accomplish what the British waterspray system did inherently:

The motor will actively reduce cable tension peaks during the dynamic phase of the arrestment, and will accurately control both the hook load during arrestment and the final stopping position of the aircraft.

Minus the corrosive water 🙂

Although not specifically relevant here I think the potential of the EMALS system is quite exciting as the loads on the launch aircraft will be much less. You can also be sure that a similar system that assists with landings can’t be to far away either. The ability to programme the deceleration of an aircraft via a laptop to reduce the loads by varying an electric current is very interesting and will lead to lighter designs for naval airframes or increased airframe service lives depending on the doctrine that they choose to apply.

Thanks for the information

With the limited flight deck real estate on the old Ark being able to fit an arrester gear system which can be set to have the same run out regardless of aircraft is a real benefit.

Before they extended her flight deck the hawkeyes had to be towed back if they catched the last wire on the Charles de Gaulle.

Much easier on both airframe and aircrew, prolonging the service life of both.

Not necessarily true.

Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but the limiting factor for both systems should be deckspace, i.e. the need for the heaviest conceivable aircraft configuration to come to a halt with an acceptable safety margin. If we assume that said deck and aircraft are the same for both arrestor systems then the g-load should be the same in either case. However, with the British system, lighter aircraft will have the same run out distance available which reduces their g-load to the minimum required to stop them within the maximum safe stopping distance. The American gear OTOH will deccelerate such an aircraft with the same load as the worst case scenario, for a much shorter run out.

In practice, the difference probably is that deckspace and the maximum landing mass that is to be arrested are NOT going to be the same between a British and an American carrier 😉 So it’s likely the case of the USN with its large decks being able to afford a system where even the worst case g-load is still acceptable.

“Also it can halt all aircraft regardless of weight or landing speed in the same run out distance.”

Not necessarily a good thing.
Stopping a fighter going 130kts+ in the same distance as a E-2 going ~100kts… a lot harder on the fighter airframe and pilot.

The Mk13 is designed to halt all aircraft regardless of weight or landing speed with the same g-force, regardless of run out distance.

Much easier on both airframe and aircrew, prolonging the service life of both.

Dear Member,

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!

Jack E. Hammond

Folks,

I know this forum does not publish AEROPLANE, but does anyone remember reading that article in a past (about year back) where it describes the new arrest gear system the RN came up to handle the massive forces generated by the new Phantom F-4K? It is the system where a piston moved through a tube and displaced water through opening to another tube mounted to its side. If anyone remembers that article I would appreciate a comment. Unfortunately I mentioned the last system fitted to the ARK ROYAL and forgot I had loaned that issue out (one of these days I will learn not to loan magazines out). Again, i would really appreciate it.

Jack E. Hammond

Here is a link to an article on Beedalls Navy Matters site about the CVA-01 carrier, it has all you want to know about the arrestor gear system eventually fitted to the Ark Royal:

http://navy-matters.beedall.com/cva01.htm

Some things worth noting is that the DAX-2 water spray arrestor system built by Mactaggart Scott is half the weight and a third of the cost of the current American MK.13 arrestor gear engine. Also it can halt all aircraft regardless of weight or landing speed in the same run out distance.

Makes you think…