Why Do Aircraft Carriers Have an Angled Runway?
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- Опубліковано 11 тра 2023
- Why is it that the flight deck on some aircraft carriers is built at an angle while the ship is straight? This is seen in contrast to the Queen Elizabeth Class ships which have a straight deck. The answer has less to do with how aircraft land on these carriers and more to do with how they are launched.
We begin with a journey back to the 1940s, where we examine the birth of the angled flight deck amidst the tensions of the Cold War. Discover how British naval engineers overcame the challenge of quickly launching and recovering fighter planes, giving birth to the angled flight deck design.
Next, we delve into the numerous advantages of the angled flight deck. From efficiency in operations and improved safety, to flexible flight operations and optimal use of deck space, we explore how this design has revolutionized naval aviation.
We'll also compare prominent aircraft carriers from around the world, highlighting the global recognition and acceptance of this design.
You'll also learn about the critical role of the flight deck crew, the importance of training and simulations, and the innovative technologies that enhance flight operations on angled decks.
Furthermore, we'll discuss the influence of angled flight decks on popular culture and civil aviation, revealing how this military design has permeated other aspects of our lives.
Finally, we invite you to speculate on the future of angled flight decks and the technologies used on aircraft carriers. Are there other designs that might surpass the current angled flight deck? #aircraftcarrier #usnavy #sailors
In the early 80's, I served aboard the first US "super carrier", which included the first built (not retrofitted) angle deck, the USS Forrestal CV-59. Rode her through her last Med/IO cruise in 82 before going into the Philly shipyard for SLEP (Service Life Extension Program) in 83 (Philly, the place to be in 83...). And big part of the work done during that SLEP overhaul was an expansion of the angle deck to accommodate flying F14s. Along with major upgrades to electronics, overhaul main engines, etc.
Given the Forrestal class was the first class of US carriers built with an angle deck, seems like a bit of an omission to never mention them at all.
We were flying F4s during that 82 cruise, and lost two of them (with their pilots, as I recall). One was a failed catapult launch that basically just dropped off the bow of the ship, the other was a night recovery that came in low and hit the round down at the aft end of the flight deck. Lost a total of 5 people that cruise, as I recall. And they deemed that a "safe cruise". I guess 5 out of 5000+ over six months on a floating airport isn't too bad of a record. Of the others, one was a heart attack, one fell several decks down a shaft.
That ship is now history, having been scrapped years ago. It was built in the mid-50's. I was born in the mid-50's. I'm retired, but not yet scrapped...🙂
ok
Sustained, high-tempo operations are much safer and easier to coordinate with an angled flight deck. The forward catapults can be used for launching readied aircraft continuously while landing, refueling and re-arming incoming aircraft. The system is genius and the US navy has honed it to a fine science.💙
Ok nerd
Thank you, the UK for the brilliant idea! 🇬🇧🙂👍🇺🇸
I agree with all your comments with regard to the angled deck. However, I would put landing safety as number one. I have over 200 landings day/night flying the A-4 Skyhawk 50 years ago off Essex Class converted WWII carriers. In WWII, with a straight deck and 16 wires and a barricade you had to land!! With the angled deck and 4 wires, you can bolter and go around. For example, one incident I witnessed was a hook separation on arrestment and the a/c was able to fly off since our protocol is to go to max power on landing. I was the next a/c on the ball and was waved off. We both returned to home base to assess the situation prior to resuming operations.
As an ex-Navy "AT" who was in a squadron that deployed to carriers, (Forrestal, and Kitty Hawk), I can attest to all of the things discussed in this video.
It's amazing to a young kid fresh out of "A-School" to fly out to the fleet and land on a carrier deck, and then go to work maintaining our squadrons aircraft and systems.
Big recognition and kudos and thanks to all of the dedicated people involved in daily carrier operations, making it all happen out there!
Thanks!
Safety!!!
God be with you Navy 💖🙏 Thank you all for serving💙💯
To launch & recover simultaneously.....
To allow for Launch and Recover Aircraft at the Same Time. Launch Aircraft on Cats 1 and 2. While Recovery.
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How do pilots line up for landing on this kind of angled flight deck? Turn towards runway heading just prior to touch down?
Did you notice, he repeats himself over and over, often changing the phrasing or wording of the statement but it is in effect the same thing.
An angle-deck carrier heads into the wind, along with catapults, so planes off the bow (or port side) can have a higher air speed. But the carrier can also steam in any direction necessary to offset a crosswind and the relative wind can always be head on, regardless of which deck is being used just by changing the heading of the ship.
Good videos
All of these advantages are true but the real driving reason for the development of the angled deck was safety. Two forms of safety are involved. First if a aircraft misses an arrestor cable it can take off again and come around for another attempt, no harm just a foul for the pilot. Second it protects the other aircraft on the deck from being run into if there is a problem with a landing like a missed wire. All the other items listed are benefits of having an angle deck but were not the reason for their invention. With a straight deck from WW2 when an aircraft missed an arrestor cable it had to be stopped by a barrier similar to the emergency barrier the angle deck carrier can rig for catching damaged aircraft. This barrier did not always work allowing parked aircraft to be damaged and could cause damage to the aircraft that was landing when it did work. The pilot only got one chance at landing. Modern aircraft carriers like the HMS Queen Elizabeth that have straight decks are designed to work with vertical take off and landing aircraft. The ship does not have catapults or arrestor cables and the flight deck is easer to operate. Drawbacks to this are the aircraft can not carry as great a load of weapons at take off and the ship can not carry as many aircraft.
Simple answer, because the length of the runway would interfere with that of the launch area & if you happen to overshoot you won't be struck by the prow you'll be offset to the port side & thus avoid the propellers as~well. Not that difficult to figure out with a bit of sensibility. No one wants to think anymore they desire to just be told the answer, "google, save my life plz."
💙 I served aboard the USS Saratoga CV-60.
Launch and aircraft retrieval at the same time. Also safer for aircraft taking off again if they miss the arresting wire.
The Queen Elizabeth class of aircraft carriers, does not have an angled flight deck. They have a straight deck with a ski-jump bow to operate STOVL aircraft.
Những chiếc máy bay ném bom đáp xuống Hàng không mẫu hạm tuyệt vời 🇺🇸👍
Thanks to all. 💙
I heard recently that modern American carriers had an angled flight deck. I’ve been wondering how much of a slope.
I honour the brave men and women's working on the aircraft's carrier I pray God keep them safe always ❤
The reason they have an angled runway, is just to give the engineers a huge structural and center of mass themed headache.
Too bad you didn't talk about the conversion of the Essex and Midway classes. That's a great story.
You should have mentioned the very first conversion to an angled deck of a US aircraft carrier, the USS Franklin D Roosevelt cv-42. I served on the Rosie, on her last two med cruises, before she was decommissioned. My father was a plank owner on the Roosevelt.
The angled flight deck on the USS Midway (CV 41) caused a lot of problems with stability.
@jeffreyknowles6265......No, it was USS Antietam (CV 36) in 1953.
And yet they still move things around on a tabletop "Ouija Board" (with 1/16th scale aircraft models and gadgets like thumbtacks, nuts and bolts, wing nuts, and washers to indicate armaments, etc.) to control deck operations. Sometimes the simplest solution is also the best.
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To launch and recover aircraft simultaneously. Also, to avoid risk of colliding with the superstructure, perhaps?
When we had that F4 hit the round down, there was debris and spot fires scattered all across the flight deck, from the island aft. I saw the immediate aftermath, I was a radar ET and the radar shop is up in the forward part of the island, just below the bridges. Just as it had happened, someone ran into our shop, told us about it, and we all ran out onto "vulture's row" to look.
As I recall, this happened while we were down in the IO, which meant one of our few lines of communication back home was via mail, which came aboard via the COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery), a cargo plane designated for that sort of purpose. It was usually parked just aft of the island. I remember one of my shipmates later recalling that he'd watched the crash on TV (closed circuit TV video from different cameras of flight ops) and freaked when one of the pieces of debris was spinning its way towards the COD (it missed).
So, I suppose if that hadn't been on an angle deck, more of the debris would have headed for the island, but avoiding that would be a bonus benefit of the angle deck, not a purpose. During ongoing flight ops, it was not uncommon to have them launching from the bow cats while doing recoveries as well.
They also practice that bolter action in what are called 'touch & go's. Just like a recovery, but they just touch down and keep on going, just like they'd missed the arresting gear. They will fly in loops doing this over and over again. So if/when there really is a case they miss the arresting cable, they've done it before.
When one EMALS cat on the Ford went down, it took the entire system off line. I beleive it took about a week to bring it back on line. The only flights were the helos.
Does anyone know what the angle of ngled flight deck is
To ensure that pilots are ways current on crosswind operations. 😊
Hàng không Mẫu Hạm USS của Mỹ quá hiện đại. Hải quân Mỹ vượt trội...🇺🇸👍
Navy abbreviations just like other armed forces mean something. What is "EMOLS"??? Electromagnet Aircraft Launch System I.E. EMALS and no its not a typo he pronounces with an O
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EMALS, not EMOLS, already been noticed. @10:10 the Queen Elizabeth do NOT have an angled deck. Also, several times, the images are not consistent with the text.
Double angled Flight deck? 🤷♂️
With all these positives why doesn’t all carries do this?
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There are not "many navies" around the world who have Aircraft Carriers of any kind.
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9:38
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No, it's jus art.
💙 USS George Washington
CVN 73
Simple physics.
It's space
Been there done that
Green energy when you're talking about military aircraft/vehicles is dumb.
I support all those who work at McDonald's.
The military is just a job. No different than any other. You want special privilege's for doing your job. Get over yourselves.
Sustained, high-tempo operations are much safer and easier to coordinate with an angled flight deck. The forward catapults can be used for launching readied aircraft continuously while landing, refueling and re-arming incoming aircraft. The system is genius and the US navy has honed it to a fine science.💙
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