By David Axe
On July 28, 2017, a U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter became the first fixed-wing airplane to land on and launch from the Navy’s new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.
The Super Hornet belonged to Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23, based at Patuxent River in Maryland. Lt. Cmdr. Jamie Struck, call sign “Coach,” flew the two-seat fighter on the historic sortie.
The launch in particular is significant because, until recently, the Navy wasn’t sure Ford‘s catapult would work properly. The July 28 takeoff could help to restore some confidence in the system. “I get chills when I think of the millions of hours of work it took to engineer, develop and manufacture this ship and its revolutionary systems,” Struck said in a Navy release.
Ford is the first carrier to feature an electromagnetic catapult instead of a traditional steam catapult. The Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System is more compact, reliable and flexible than the older-style catapult design is.
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