Posted on 10/15/2010 4:00:48 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The Royal Navy looks set to have two new carriers capable of supporting planes as well as helicopters, Ministry of Defence sources have confirmed. There had been speculation the second of the two carriers ordered by the Navy - the HMS Prince of Wales, due to enter service in 2018 - would be either be scrapped, downgraded, or moth-balled following the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR). Originally conceived as a Queen Elizabeth class carrier capable of supporting the American-built F35 Joint Strike Fighter, it had been rumoured the MoD would alter its specifications to that of a helicopter carrier. But it would appear pressure from the Royal Navy has prevailed over financial concerns. With just two days remaining before all SDSR decisions must be finalised, further horse-trading between the Army, Navy, Air Force and National Security Council could see these plans change. Cabinet Office sources have told Sky News the negotiations are likely to continue "until the last possible moment", but indications are the aircraft carriers as initially envisaged will survive the cuts.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
As for the boomers, they may “program slip” them (retain Vanguard for longer) or they may replace them with cheaper alternatives. It depends if the commitment is to nuclear armed submarines or an independent deterrent. They could replace them with bombers or (my preferred solution) cruise missile subs.
That will be interesting. The Harrier has nozzles that can rotate to angle with the ramp whereas the F-35 Aft nozzle rotates to a straight down position and the lift fan blows directly down. Not sure if this makes a difference but the F-35 shouldn’t need a ramp.
The catapults will be ... interesting. I'm assuming that they wouldn't go with steam, because that would require major plumbing changes PLUS a source for steam (since the ships will be gas-turbine powered). That leaves hydraulic or, more likely, electro-magnetic of the variety being put into CVN-78. Electro-magnetic catapults will require LOTS of additional electric power, however. I'm assuming that the ships are designed to be upgraded for the extra required capacity ...
Yes, I know it would take a whole lot more refit than just "add arresting wires and drop in a catapult." That's why I ended with "and..."
Today's Aviation Week Ares Blog says that the first carrier will be a helicopter ship, the second will be built with arresting gear and EMALS catapults, then the first ship will be retrofit with arresting gear and EMALS during it's first refit.
The Rolls-Royce LiftSystem can rotate the rear nozzle at any angle from 5 to 95 degrees, plus rotate left-right 12 degrees for yaw control. When not in use, it locks to zero degrees. So the only angles it can't do are 1 through 4 degrees.
Also, the front lift fan has variable area vane box nozzle that controls flow and vectors thrust from 42 to 105 degrees.
In any case, the Harrier doesn't angle it's nozzles to "angle with the ramp." It rolls forward using nozzles rearward, then just before it hits the ski jump it rotates the nozzles down about 45 degrees or so. The ski jump allows the Harrier to convert some of it's forward motion into vertical motion, allowing it to take off with a larger load when compared to an equal length takeoff run on a flat surface. The same will hold true for the F-35B.
For reasons best know by the service, the Marines never used a ski jump on their ships for their AV-8B Harrier IIs, and don't plan to use one with their F-35Bs.
Not any more. The carriers will be modified with the angled deck after the UKs Strategic Defence Review yesterday. The UK has made the decision to buy F-35C instead of F-35B.
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