Friday, June 17, 2011

Carrier Operations: why a 65.000 tons CVF does carry "just" 36 planes?

Carrier Ops: a look into the CVF capacities, and a comparison with US Navy practice


US Navy carrier ops: 1 - Readying for launch, navigation; 2 - Launch phase; 3 - Landing phase. Note that the movements of aircrafts parked on deck is continuous and very complex. This allows to park (and thus carry) more planes, but it requires more training, more complex procedures, and a much larger crew. The CVF design considers parking space on deck only the areas that can be filled with parked planes without hampering launch and recovery operations. The RN is also traditionally keen on carrying few airplanes exposed on deck, as it is used to the unfriendly Atlantic conditions, which make Hangar storage much safer. 


2 comments:

  1. good stuff and remember the UK only had 8 harriers in the Falklands campain which was enough to handle all Argentina could throw at it inc the latest French Mirage fighters

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    1. The Sea Harriers were definitely more than 8, and they were later joined by some RAF Harrier GR3 for ground attack as well.
      Up to 20 Sea Harriers left Britain with 800 and 801 NAS on Hermes and Invincible, and a third squadron was stood up later, 809 NAS, getting a further 8 airplanes which made it down south on the Atlantic Conveyor and transfered to the carriers before the ship was attacked and sunk.

      Almost all Sea Harriers then in service went to the Falklands for the war. 28 out of 31, indeed, if i remember correctly.
      The RAF added 10 GR3s.

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