admin answers:

While airplanes can turn quite fast (30 deg/sec) ships are much more limited. There is also a problem as to an absolute minimum turning time (i.e. Dodging a torpedo) versus a practical turning time (conducting flight ops with jets on board, etc). Few people will notice 1 degree per second which is easy to do at 30 kts, so 180 degrees would take about 3 minutes and operations could continue. This is a very realistic answer as the carrier must counter sea currents which may need 1 degree/sec of rudder. If nothing is loose on deck, MUCH more agressive turns can be taken as the deck will tilt 30 degrees into the turn. Anything not tied down will roll off into the ocean, i.e. Equipment, airplanes, people, etc, and no planes could land or take off with such a turn in progress. These turns are done on first sea trials to prove that the rudder can handle the stress of a tight turn at max speed. Here I would estimate a full U turn (180 degrees) in well under 60 seconds, probably 30 seconds, but you’d want to hold onto something. Realize that in 24 hours an aircraft carrier can be 700+ miles away – that is a totally unrealistic figure just to turn around. Future ships with bow thrusters will be even more manuverable.

admin answers:

You migh see one in Bremerton, but I doubt it, the fleet is based out of San Diego,Ca

admin answers:

Well you have no idea as to where or what ship you will get I am curious as to who you mean by family?? If you mean wife etc then she should have access to your account and from there pay bills etc etc and you will have a agreed amount that you can spend each pay day while on deployment.

If you mean other family, why would you need to send anything but a bit here and there [in your 1st few years you will not have a great deal to spare after your BASIC needs are met] but you can either set up an allotment that they get every pay direct into an account that they can get into OR you can send it via your bank [email access is easy when on ship] and just transfer it from your account to theirs.

As a mother can I just say to you PLEASE do NOT leave your self with little to no money, you work hard for it and earn every penny of it, do NOT do as we saw many young men send it all home and then you pull into some exotic port and do NOT have enough to get a drink and a postcard.

admin answers:

Everybody has good points on this one. As said, the Harrier is a Marine aircraft and doesn’t meet the Navy’s mission. It was designed as a ground attack fighter, it is realitivley slow, and it’s payload is rather light. The harrier was designed to operate from the ship to a forward deployed unprepared point. It still does this, except for the unprepared part since the jet likes to suck up tons of debris which trashes the motor. The F-35 is due to replace it, which should make the VTOL more practical. It is dangerous to land and takeoff from carriers, but Navy and Marine pilots are very thourghly trained to mitigate the risk, as said by the PR. Pilots go through carrier training at advance flight school(T-45), Fleet Replacment Squadron(platform training), and continuously in the squadron. Then when they are due for the boat, they complete work up training as well. Finally, at the boat the continue to train.

admin answers:

I also spent time on a carrier in my hay day. However, the answer above didn’t mention how “far” but he said how fast. Anyways, the catapult as it’s termed is 300 ft long, or the exact length of a football field. It sounds big, but it’s really not.

It can shoot an F-14, F-18, or any other airplane from 0-150 in 3 seconds!!!!! So the pilots rev up the engines to full throttle, full flaps down and away they go off into the wild blue yonder.

In regards to the answer above, the ideal takeoff speed for an F-14 is not 85 knots. That would only be around 95 MPH. There’s no way in hell an F-14 would fly anywhere but straight into the water at that speed.

Air craft carriers face into the wind when launching airplanes. The extra wind over the deck will give the planes better lift and help them take off better. So when they are getting thrown at 140-150 mph by the catapult, the extra wind fromthe headwind could actually simulate another 20 knots of air over the wings.

Anyways, in Top Gun, while Tom Cruise is getting ready to go into the danger zone, he’s about to get catapulted off a 300 foot runway!!

Oh by the way, there are approximately 4 catapults on a carrier.