carrier launch without cat?

I was done doing traps for the day and decided to try a carrier launch without a cat. From a dead stop at the cat shuttle. It worked. I dropped to about 30-40 feet, then built up enough airspeed to climb.

~4500lbs of fuel, 2 9Ls. I may or may not have had two AIM7s, and a center tank. LANDING FLAPS, NO TAKEOFF TRIM.

is this possible with the real plane?

How much wind over the deck?

with winds <100 kts I highly doubt it is possible IRL when starting from the bow cats.

A full deck run from the fantail to the bow with a light Hornet and deck wind ~50 kts, it might be possible. But I speculate here and have no takeoff performance data to prove it.

Hey, have you read the book ‚Fight Fight‘ by Kevin Miller (ex Hornet driver)? In that book the carriers cats are all destroyed and they deck-run the entire air wing off of the carrier! So it might be possible... :smilewink:

it was a custom mission. no wind.

right after my last trap, I taxied to the launch shuttle, but missed. rather than circling back around, I hit wheel brakes and full afterburners, released when the brakes gave out.

I think this may be related to the massive pitch-up @>180kn when flaps deploy.

I do this all the time when practicing traps. Trap, roll back with counter steer so nose goes right, unhook, full brakes and full AB throttle, starts roll, wait till AB kicks in, let go of brakes. Saves time. BTW I seem to be able to see the ball better now since whenever and noticed I have to be high ICLS to be on the ball. Weird. I think it's wind.

Some fun doing a CATLESS take off.:thumbup: