Posted on 10/02/2011 10:08:53 AM PDT by Vroomfondel
The electromagnetic mass-driver catapults that will equip the next generation of aircraft carriers in the British and US navies are doing well in tests. This is important to both services, as their next carriers will be effectively useless without the new technology.
The latest milestone achieved by the shore-based Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) prototype at Lakehurst in New Jersey has seen the electric cat successfully hurl an E-2D Advanced Hawkeye into the sky. The twin-engined Hawkeye is the US Navy's version of an AWACS radar aircraft, and is big and heavy for a carrier plane - weighing as much as 26 tonnes fully loaded. However the EMALS shot it into the air without difficulties.
“These successful E-2D launches continue to reaffirm my confidence in the EMALS program,” said Captain James Donnelly, USN, in a statement issued by the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).
...
But Prince of Wales will be gas-turbine propelled, not a steamer as in days of yore (or a nuclear steamer like US carriers) and so she has no steam for traditional catapults. Thus the RN must take a punt on the newly-invented EMALS: if it doesn't work, nor will Blighty's next carrier. The Navy Times confirms that Britain will order EMALS from the States rather than reinventing the wheel at home, which is probably a good thing...
(Excerpt) Read more at theregister.co.uk ...
ping
no more steam...i suppose the screws are turned via electric motors too. Next step will be a steamless thorium reactor for their source of energy.
It’s the “Say No to Steam” movement, abberviated SNOTS!
Plane flingers up front and those screw push doohickies in the back...
Who wrote this article, a third grader?
Cool! Basically a railgun for launching aircraft.
The US Navy has to take a punt on EMALS too, as the next American supercarrier (CVN-78, aka USS Gerald R Ford) has been designed around it and is now too advanced in construction to be modified for steam cats. Should EMALS not pan out, the USN will be saddled with the world's only hundred-thousand-ton nuclear helicopter carrier.
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Sounds like it’s one step short of a rail gun. The Posleen are not happy.
Locomotives have been using diesel engines to run generators because using electric to run the wheels is far more efficient than steam.
I, for one, would like to welcome the military to the 20th century!
Using steam is stupid.
Virtually every powerplant in the world uses steam. I guess they are all stupid
Yep, four 20 MW (27,000 hp) electric motors.
Except when cross-decking the French Rafale M (54,000lb), the E-2D will be the lighest (fully loaded) aircraft (at 57,000lb) the EMALS will launch
maybe they are planning of getting some A-4 Skyhawks out of the Boneyard?
Actually, the newest, smaller powerplants are natural gas turbines. Only the older, larger ones still use steam.
Gas turbines?
The power plants don’t send steam to out houses, I guess they are stupid...
our houses, either...
In eastern europe they do...and in very large US cities they do...and in iceland they do
A civilian version could be used to replace Amtrak train stations with robotic commuter airplane mini-airports. That would be high-speed rail that would actually be cost effective.
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