New Era for Navy: Cat-launched X-47B

[famousdayandyear]

The X-47B successfully completed it’s first shore-based tests of whether the aircraft is structurally sound and aeromechanically capable of getting airborne using the U.S. Navy’s current steam catapult system.  The drone cat shot took place at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Southern Maryland.

“The X-47B shore-based catapult launch we witnessed here today will leave a mark in history,” said Vice Adm. David Dunaway, NAVAIR commander. “We are working toward the future integration of unmanned aircraft on the carrier deck, something we didn’t envision 60 years ago when the steam catapult was first built here.”

Here’s a video of what the Navy called “the start of a new era for Naval Aviation”:

http://www.military.com/video/aircraft/pilotless-aircraft/x-47b-ucas-catapult-launch/2000694296001/

[Chieftain]

The real future of Naval Air is under construction at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock in Newport News, Virginia, in the form of the USS Gerald Ford, the lead vessel that will eventually replace the Nimitz hulls.

The Ford Class will not have steam catapults at all.  Instead they are being outfitted with EMALS, the ElectoMagnetic Aircraft Launching System that has been under development and is installed at NAEC Lakehurst NJ.  EMALS gives a more even and controlled acceleration to aircraft and is infinitely easier to control for aircraft just like the X-47B as well.

Think about how much weight you take off the hull by removing the steam catapults and replacing it with electrical load instead.  The Nimitz reactor plants were built to put out high volumes of hotel load steam for the cats and the ship propulsion system.  The Ford Class reactors are smaller and built to produce high volumes of electricity, both for the EMALS systems and the main propulsion which will be driven by electric motors instead of steam powered turbine and gear reduction systems.

Revolutionary design on the Ford, and worth checking out some pictures about....





 

 

[Rapunzel]

steam catapult system????

[ABX]

steam catapult system????

[Chieftain]

steam catapult system????

yep...they have the pressure down to around 500 PSI but the loading on airframes is erratic and spikes to extremes.  Composite aircraft like these stealthy planes cannot handle the launch loads imposed by the old steam catapults, and the electric rail gun will provide a programmed and controllable acceleration that does not overstress the airframe like the steam catapults do.

That's a good drawing AbaraXas, and that design has not changed significantly since the fifties when it was invented.  We made it bigger and better but it is still a shotgun approach to launching aircraft....and it is fun as all hell too...hard to top shooting fighters in full blower at night......


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuMK2dIDJE

[Atomic Cow]

You can see CVN-79 under construction on Google Earth and similar programs/sites.  Most of the images are a year or so out of date.  If you look @ the Google Earth image, the one with the U.S.S. Enterprise in it, CVN-79 is in the dock just north of Enterprise.

[mystery-ak]

[Chieftain]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6snTm9IRYE

[famousdayandyear]

yep...they have the pressure down to around 500 PSI but the loading on airframes is erratic and spikes to extremes.  Composite aircraft like these stealthy planes cannot handle the launch loads imposed by the old steam catapults, and the electric rail gun will provide a programmed and controllable acceleration that does not overstress the airframe like the steam catapults do.

That's a good drawing AbaraXas, and that design has not changed significantly since the fifties when it was invented.  We made it bigger and better but it is still a shotgun approach to launching aircraft....and it is fun as all hell too...hard to top shooting fighters in full blower at night....

And it must be fun as all hell too for landing one on a pitching, rolling deck at night

[famousdayandyear]

Don't think this one needs a cat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki86x1WKPmE

[GonzoGOP]

Don't think this one needs a cat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki86x1WKPmE

No but you do end up with five tons less weapons load, and a 500 mile shorter maximum range than you do with the catipult launched F-35C variant.  STOVL is cool, but it comes at a very high cost, both in terms of performance and tax dollars.