EM catapult

[scottcolbath]

Looks pretty slick.Seems like a shorter launch than steam catapults.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=euLsg_viWW0

S.C.

[jslugman]

Apparently a lot easier to maintain as well, but if they don't get the bugs worked out of it and fully functional it means a 1-year delay for the Ford to install old-school steam system.

[scottcolbath]

Hopefully that live test means they are past any showstoppers.

BTW, although an old article, it's informative.

http://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/electromagnetic-catapults.html

This quote is rather shocking:

"Each three-second launch can consume as much as 100 million watts of electricity, about as much as a small town uses in the same amount of time."

I assume the "rotors", as they are called in the article which generate the electricity, are just giant flywheels. Their rotation must be supported by power generated by the ship's reactor, yes?

And I wonder if this technology they are using for the catapult is somewhat related to rail gun technology.

S.C.

[Stephen Marshall]

This and Rail guns are identical from what I understand. Using electricity and magnets to propel an object.

I like it! Doesn't look too much shorter then conventional methods but I assume they could launch aircraft faster with this since they don't have to build up steam. And as said, easier to maintain as there must be far more moving parts in a steam catapult.

[jslugman]

I can almost imagine the conversation in a corner booth of the Club after a less-than-promising rail gun test and more than a few drinks.

"Not quite what we expected."

"Nope."

"Gonna' lose the funding if we don't make some progress."

"Yup."

"It just throws crap off the end of the rail, like, really fast. Once it's off the end it just flies any which way."

"Yeah, like them fighter dudes on those big ships."

Long awkward silence....... followed by the furious sketching on a cocktail napkin or two.   

[cpasley]

Hey even someone came up with the idea of putting peanut butter to chocolate or toilet paper on a roll.................

[wingsnstuff]

I read somewhere that the George HW Bush (CVN-77) was going to get them first with the Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) getting a retrofit, but I just check some shakedown write-ups on the Bush and she has 4 Steam Cats right now.  Looks like the EM cats weren't far enough along to install them before her shakedown.  The video of the testbed cats is very cool