Navy Tests Electromagnetic Catapult on CVN 78

Product Design and Development ^ | 5/19/2015 | PEO Carriers Public Affairs

[Rio]

Replacement for steam catapults, if it works well.

[al baby]

bet it sends the old school compass crazy

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

They will most likely get this right, but steam....is awfully reliable....and when you apply it, it has torque right f’in now.

[JoeProBono]

[USNBandit]

Having come from the days of steam catapults, electromagnetic should be a lot smoother. The heavy shots can definitely rattle your gourd

Not sure if I would want to sleep in a stateroom next to a cat track with that many trons running through it.

[arthurus]

Sort of rail gun for airplanes?

[Flick Lives]

Cool concept. basically a rail gun. Should allow for custom “tuning” the launch cycle for each aircraft type / weight.

[MarchonDC09122009]

Amen regarding the reliability of steam aircraft launch.
Also, we need to bear in mind the repercussions if a hostile EMP takes out essential electronic and electrical systems, as the US Navy found out last year when a Russian plane electronically disabled one of our ships.
Imagine a carrier not being able to launch any of its fixed wing aircraft because of an EMP disabled one of its under-shielded electronic / electrical command and control systems?...

[SampleMan]

They will most likely get this right, but steam....is awfully reliable....and when you apply it, it has torque right f’in now.

Steam shots used to be full charge, sort of ON or OFF. The initial load was crazy high, and put a lot of stress on everything. Then they moved to progressive catapults that increased the pressure down the stroke. This resulted in the same end speed without the high initial forces.

The electric catapults will also be progressive, increasing force down the stroke.

Not all the old catapults were gone when I started out, and those old ones were really a shot in the pants.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

What d'ya mean?

[Resolute Conservative]

I am waiting for them to rename the Ford the Soetoro.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

“Imagine a carrier not being able to launch ...because of an EMP disable”

Yeah, that would be a grim scenario, though most likely, the steam catapult has numerous electronic controls and position interlock doohickeys that would be equally disabled..? I have seen that mechanism on the Stennis; as a tourist, not in the svce. It’s primitive in its way, but there’s no arguing with it if it’s armed and they let it go.

[MNDude]

Would be interesting to see which superheroes could survive a direct hit from that.

[rednesss]

"as the US Navy found out last year when a Russian plane electronically disabled one of our ships."

Because the Russians said they did????

[miliantnutcase]

The new magnetic catapults take up a lot less room inside the ship than the steam systems use. I think that’s primary motivating factor.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Is that a true truth? The piston plus track didn’t seem like it took up much more room than the track itself, which I assume would be similar; and the pipes carrying the steam are pretty much there anyway. Meanwhile, the control center for the EM launch would be decidedly non trivial.

[rjsimmon]

The new magnetic catapults take up a lot less room inside the ship than the steam systems use. I think that’s primary motivating factor.

-Less maintenance
-No chance of a bad/weak Cat shot

[Former Proud Canadian]

"Also, we need to bear in mind the repercussions if a hostile EMP takes out essential electronic and electrical systems, as the US Navy found out last year when a Russian plane electronically disabled one of our ships."

Reference? Link?

[pabianice]

Now the bad news. The EMALS cannot be used to launch tactical aircraft fitted with external fuel tanks. Too much shear force. This is a serious problem that, until solved, will eliminate many longer distance tac flights of fighters and attack aircraft.

[mabarker1]

Gotta be sure to check anybody near the EMALS for any metal plates, etc in the Body. It’s no good waking up to your roomie stuck to the wall or ceiling. (Think Monty Python cats)