Posted on 05/12/2017 3:22:45 AM PDT by Krosan
Thought some of you guys might know.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_Aircraft_Launch_System
EMALS is not the problem.
The procurement system is.
Just another attempt by press to demonize trump.
They’re trying to make him sound like a fickle loose canon insisting on things outside of his expertise.
They carefully ignore or hide the possibility that he was given sound advice by relevant experts that the new tech was a big mistake he should fight against.
I am not some personality cult worshiper of trump, I just have so little trust in what I read from the press
Would you care to elaborate, please?
Looks like a good idea. Very similar to rail-gun technology I believe. How did that work out? Do we have operational systems?
Would you please give us some idea of what the debate is?
Amusement parks are now using the new technology and in reality have been at the forefront for a while now. It is actually much easier and less resource intensive than the steam. Although steam is readily available, especially on nuke carriers because to the steam required for the turbines to create energy for the screws, the piping and maintenance of those lines and controls is far more intensive that the ELMS. Both take their energy from the same source, the steam generated power for the entire carrier.
https://www.cnet.com/news/need-for-speed-how-coasters-are-getting-faster-and-scarier/
Ford class carriers were going to have it, but recent news is that Trump didn’t like it and said to redesign it for steam.
It all looks strange and the media might be reporting it in a biased way so that is why I put a keyword “navy” and asked for opinions.
Ford class carriers were going to have an electric catapult, but supposedly Trump didn’t like it and ordered them to be redesigned to have the traditional steam catapult. Some people say it was a very bad decision.
Here is an article and the relevant part - http://time.com/4775040/donald-trump-time-interview-being-president/
“On the future USS Ford-class carriers
You know the catapult is quite important. So I said what is this? Sir, this is our digital catapult system. He said well, we’re going to this because we wanted to keep up with modern [technology]. I said you don’t use steam anymore for catapult? No sir. I said, “Ah, how is it working?” “Sir, not good. Not good. Doesn’t have the power. You know the steam is just brutal. You see that sucker going and steam’s going all over the place, there’s planes thrown in the air.”
It sounded bad to me. Digital. They have digital. What is digital? And it’s very complicated, you have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out. And I said–and now they want to buy more aircraft carriers. I said what system are you going to be–”Sir, we’re staying with digital.” I said no you’re not. You going to goddamned steam, the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it’s no good.”
How irritating that they call it “digital”. It uses an electromagnetic force rather than a steam-on-piston force.
Newer versions of both systems are undoubtedly controlled and monitored with digital equipment.
The word “digital” can be dropped from descriptions now because that’s all there is any more (for good reasons).
Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System(EMALS) allows for a “soft launch” which saves wear and tear on an aircraft’s nose gear. Steam catapults violently jerk an aircraft at launch which leads to an abundance of maintenance issues on the air frame. EMALS should reduce the money spent on air frame/nose gear repair and catapult piping overhaul saving billions over the life of the carrier.
I thought the “steam vs electric” debate in the Navy ended 70 years ago or more...
Digital? What? It’s an electric-magnetic propulsion system. It might be controlled by digital computers, but EM is not digital.
Between a press that deliberately wants to mislead and distort what is reported and a press ignorant of technology, the hope of actually gaining useful information out of anything they report approaches zero.
Trump has no idea how much money it would take to redesign Kennedy and Enterprise, the next two carriers, for steam. The reactors would need to be redesigned, the fresh water desalination plant greatly increased in capacity, much of the deck and below space redesigned, etc. Instead of saving money, it would cost even more to revert to steam for these next two carriers.
Futures carriers reverting to steam is about as credible as Trump pricing out some Boeing F/A-18s to replace F-35s.
EMALS may also allow for more launches per hour verses steam. EMALS also requires a lot more electrical generation (bigger steam driven generators), whereas steam catapults already have a source from the boilers.
These newer ships (including the USS Zumwalt) are designed to have the excess electrical capacity to run these types of things.
I believe the issues with EMALS are completely different issues from those with rail guns, InterceptPoint.
My understanding is due to the high muzzle velocity at which projectiles leave a rail gun, there is abnormal wear and tear on the rail portion of the delivery system to the point it causes a wide spectrum of issues, most specifically accuracy, range, and safety. It is actual mechanical wear and tear in a very short period of time due to the extreme speed of the projectile as it leaves the gun.
I don’t see where that same kind of issue would rear its head in an EMALS setup.
Boy, exactly. That would be a MAJOR design undertaking. Not going to happen.
I believe this is the least of worries. They will get this stuff ironed out.
QUESTION:
Why can’t the launch valve open a bit more slowly?
Less stress on the aircraft, etc......?
I served on CVA-42, ‘60-’62. I was in catapults and operated a console that launched the aircraft.
The hold-back on the rear of the aircraft prevented a violent jerk on the front of the aircraft when the shuttle launched the aircraft.
NOTHING was attached to the nose gear and there was wasn’t a violent force on the gear. There was a bridal attached to two hooks under the nose of the aircraft and around the shuttle, as well as two cables to retain the bridal on the boom (horn) when the aircraft lifted off the deck.
We had a squadron of A-3D Sky Warriors, weighing about 55-60 thousand lbs. with a nuclear load, and had no problem launching them.
That old CVA (FDR) was a sister ship to the Midway and Coral Sea carriers. ...I’m confident that modern CVNs can generate the steam power to launch today’s aircraft. EMALS appears to be a very expensive and unproven alternative, but I welcome any improvements.
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