Carrier Trap...

[forthbridge]

Out of interest, just after some 'wind' tips. I normally set the wind at carrier heading to 16 knots to simulate the carrier steaming forward. Was/is there a set speed the carrier goes when on recovery? Also, I'm struggling to get this one.... assuming 20 knots is the recovery speed, would the carrier steam at 15 knots into a 5 knot headwind, or am I totally off the mark?

I've had a look around, but it's surprising how many folk set wind at 36 knots....

[DaveB]

Hi JIm,

I think Seaking is best disposed to answer this question. I never served on Ark Royal and by the time I'd joined Hermes ('74) she'd had her fixed wing aircraft removed and become a Helo Platform for the Royal Machines :-(

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Nigel H-J]

Jim, had only a brief look around on the web but could not find anything in relation to a carriers' speed when recovering aircraft, to be honest, I would think it all depends greatly on operational requirements and also the swell.

What I have found may be of interest to those who wish to improve their skills on recovery is this site:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier4.htm

I know it doesn't give the full amount of info but never-the-less it gives a bit more of an understanding of the American way!! Sorry you guys, only joking!!

By the way, with all this discussion on recovery and how to do it, has any-one tried a night-time landing?

I tried one and if it were in real life then the whole ships' company would be watching from the lifeboats!! :brick:

Nigel.

[forthbridge]

Cheers Guys

Well, in the absence of a specified procedure speed, I can get away for the time being with a 36kt headwind - that should help a bit considering most of the time I'm worse in daylight than Nige seems to be at night :flying:

[DaveB]

Hi Jim..

The important thing is that you keep your IAS correct on approach and this won't really change whatever wind is coming over the deck. According to a transcript I have here written by exSVixen crew, finals were run in at 138Kias and the model flies lovely onto the deck at that speed ;-)

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[petermcleland]

One thing I do remember about the Kuwait operation in about 1961 when General Kasseem of Iraq laid claim to Kuwait...Was that the British Carrier or carriers needed to get 22 knots of wind over the deck to LAUNCH and on several days because of the very high temperature during the day the Carrier itself had a reduced power and was unable to steam fast enough to achieve this speed of wind over the deck and launches were not possible. So we in our Hunter FGA9s very rarely saw a Navy aircraft.

However, I believe that modern catapults can launch with zero wind speed over the deck.

BTW...I have set 8 knots of wind down the deck for all my practices.

[forthbridge]

Cheers Guys. Time for a little more practice....

I must admit I have just been toying around with NO wind, on the basis that if I crack that then adding a few kts on the nose will make it a doddle....

That's the theory anyway. :tab:

[DaveB]

Yes.. I can see where wind over the bow at launch would need to be critical :o

Jim..
You should be able to get off without problem and no weather set. This is often how I fly the Vixen off Ark in the channel as real weather can't be used.. Ark points in the wrong direction for our prevalent winds. You can of course add wind as appropriate for the channel Ark which isn't a problem if you're only doing carrier ops. However.. fly off the Ark for a landing on the Alpha Enterprise (not many miles away as the jet flies), you'll then see wind in the wrong direction. Be nice for carriers to turn into wind wouldn't it!

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[Techy111]

Anyone tried the C130......? :flying:

*runs away in shame*

Tony

[SkippyBing]

Ark did have aircraft parked either side of the landing area during recovery. If you install the models with aircraft on deck I placed them according to a DVD I've got called Hands to Flying Stations which was made in the 70's as some sort of information film by the RN (may not have been a DVD originally!). Basically your wingtips shouldn't go outside the white lines either side of the landing area. As for lineup, apart from the big red line down the centre of the landing area it may be easier at dawn/dusk when the deck lights come on. This gives you a line of red lights down the centre of the strip which continues down the stern, because of this if you're off centre you get a kink in the line of light pointing in the direction you need to correct.

As for the wind over the deck, there's a reason these things can do 30+ knots! However with the limited catapult length on British carriers, and hot weather ops etc. this wasn't always enough on launch, and I know for Vixen ops the aircrew frequently worked out how many feet they'd drop at the end of the cat before climbing away (which I think may be why they launched with full flap as they'd need all the lift they could get). Embarrassingly I never noticed the Ark in the Channel is heading the wrong way for our prevailing winds, in my defence this isn't something you worry about landing on a Frigate as they only take a couple of minutes to get on flying course, once they've worked out what it is.

I got the DVD from http://www.eavb.co.uk/ although they appear to be sold out at the moment.