Carrier Launch's & landings

[Ryee]

Hi There

I've only had flaming cliffs & the game itself for a couple of days .Can anyone be kind enough to advise me if you can do carrier landings & launch's in the F15. The tail hook doesn't seem to be coming down.

Cheers

[GGTharos]

The F-15 is not a carrier capable aircraft.

[FWT]

Only the Su-33 has the ability to do carrier takeoff and landings as well as the tomcat and hornet mod which replaces the Su-33.

[Ryee]

The F-15 is not a carrier capable aircraft.

 

 

I thought that may be the case. Having a look outside the aircraft it does look like there is a tailhook

[GGTharos]

Yes, it does - it is used for emergency landings on airfields, using a wire that can be pulled much farther than the one on a carrier - so the deceleration is slower :)

[159th_Viper]

Tailhook stowed between the engines on the F-15

The reason these Air Force planes are fitted with a tailhook is not so that they can land on an aircraft carrier. The hooks are instead used during emergency landings when the aircraft's brakes have failed or it has suffered structural damage that may make it difficult to keep the nose pointed down the runway during landing. The tailhook is also used during aborted takeoffs if there is any concern that the plane cannot stop on the length of runway remaining. Most runways at Air Force and other military bases, as well as some civilian fields, are equipped with crash barriers towards the end of the runway or sometimes in the middle. These barriers usually consist of thick cables similar to those used on Navy aircraft carriers.

The barriers are typically kept flush with or recessed into the runway surface until needed to keep the runway smooth for normal flight operations. Should the barriers be needed, the pilot will usually call "cable, cable, cable" instructing the airfield to raise the barriers into position for an emergency landing. Unlike Navy aircraft that can lower the hook in the air, Air Force aircraft can only do so while the plane is on the ground since the runway surface is the only positive stop to prevent the hook from swinging too far forward.

 

 

 

F-16 tailhook about to snare the cable of a crash barrier

Tension is applied to the crash barrier cables using a number of methods. Low-tech solutions include attaching heavy chains or other dense objects to the ends of the cables that drag behind the aircraft to slow it down. More sophisticated techniques include water pistons or even using brakes from large aircraft like the B-52 to put tension into the cable.

The tailhook is held in place on the underside of the aircraft by a safety pin. Once the pilot depresses a button in the cockpit to deploy the hook, a pressurized pneumatic system forces it downward to disengage the pin and push against the airflow rushing past the aircraft. The pneumatic pressure pushing the hook down is balanced by a spring that pulls it upward and holds the hook about six to ten inches (15 to 25 cm) above the ground. This height is ideal for catching the cable while preventing the tailhook from bouncing back upward and missing the crash barrier.

F-16 being decelerated by a crash barrier cable

Thanks to the tailhook and arresting system, pilots are able to stop their aircraft under conditions when they may not be able to do so otherwise. Landing conditions that may require a tailhook landing include hydraulic failure, other mechanical problems with the braking system, or a forced emergency landing on a short runway. The tailhook may also be used during an aborted takeoff. If the plane is at high enough speed and far enough down the runway, it may have insufficient braking power to come to a stop in the remaining runway space. Lowering the tailhook and calling for the cables allows the pilot to slow the plane and save it from running off the end of the runway.

Landing or takeoff emergencies requiring the tailhook are generally rare, but perhaps a more common use for the tailhook is during routine engine testing on the ground. Many Air Force bases feature facilities called hush houses and trim pads where planes are tied down to the ground while the engine is throttled up for post-maintenance checks. The tailhook is often used to secure the aircraft to the ground and prevent its motion during these high power tests.

 

Tailhook being used to hold an F-16 in place during an engine test It is a common misconception that the tailhook could allow an Air Force plane like the F-15 or F-16 to make a landing aboard an aircraft carrier, even if only under emergency conditions. However, this is not possible since the landing gear of these aircraft are simply not strong enough to survive the intense forces of a carrier landing. Such an attempt would likely cause the gear to collapse or at least do considerable structural damage to the plane requiring extensive inspection and repair.

 

 

Link

[GGTharos]

I think, Viper, the latter is more true: The landing gear would be come stressed and/or damaged, but it would not necessarily collapse. Rather, it is simply not suited for repeated hard landings of the carrier variety, and I think the hook itself might only be able to stand yay much stress. You -could- do it, but the planes aren't really made for it, and the pilots aren't trained for it either.

 

And you wouldn't be flying that plane again ... at least not until it was offloaded to shore for inspection and re-certification.

[FWT]

Yeah i remember hearing about some jaguars being fitted with them because of short landing strips.

[X_Man]

With out proper training - it takes a lot more than a couple of tries on the ground even before a stationary carrier then on to a moving carrier in calm water then onto a pitching deck. That said - only naval pilots can land an aircraft on a carrier and this is with navigational, instrumental and other "must have" requirements of a carrier certified aircraft.

Not to mention the fact that naval crews train for months to dial in aircraft weight correctly into the arrestor cable system (which if not done correctly will rip off the hook or snap the cables).

Nor the fact that naval aircraft have much better low speed handling characteristics for carrier landing approaches than conventional land based aircraft.

Or the fact that even if by some miracle the pilot did get say an F-15/F-16 on a carrier deck - the landing gear will definitely collapse on contact.

[Force_Feedback]

Yeah i remember hearing about some jaguars being fitted with them because of short landing strips.

 

There were even tests with Jaguars catapulted off real carriers, I believe there are some videos on the subject. And then you have the U-2 landing on the Forrestal. It can be done, but not with heavy loads or high speeds or sinkrates.

[FWT]

Are you talking about French Jags cos ive seen some tests for it too on PA.

[S77th-konkussion]

There were even tests with Jaguars catapulted off real carriers, I believe there are some videos on the subject. And then you have the U-2 landing on the Forrestal. It can be done, but not with heavy loads or high speeds or sinkrates.

 

..and the C130 trap on that same ship. I think the pilot got a DFC..

[britgliderpilot]

There were even tests with Jaguars catapulted off real carriers, I believe there are some videos on the subject. And then you have the U-2 landing on the Forrestal. It can be done, but not with heavy loads or high speeds or sinkrates.

 

"The" U2 landing? ;)

 

 

They actually operated one from a carrier for a limited amount of time for a specific mission.

You'd need some talent for that job . . .

 

The Jaguar M was a prototype built to test the principle of adapting it to a carrierborne strike aircraft - not a normal Jaguar. Same for the F-111B.