Test Pilot Justin Paines talks about F-35B development work with the VAAC Harrier, including carrier trials and landing aid development.
The Forces TV report from Warton the other day.
Like many carrier aficionados, I have a copy of
Wings On My Sleeve by Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown, a man who knew a thing or two about naval aviation. One of the appendices is a 1967 article about CVA-01, the big deck carrier planned and scrapped in the sixties. Two parts of this stand out to me:
It has always been the obvious idea to have parallel and separate lanes for landing, for take off, and for parking, but somehow over the last 20 years there seems to have grown up a reluctance amongst carrier designers to pursue this ideal. Contentment seems to have set in with the advent of the partial benefits obtained by the angled deck. This latter idea has been an eminently successful development, but it has two major drawbacks. First, the angled deck layout isolates, on the port quarter, a deck area of considerable dimensions with is virtually unusable during landing operations. Such real estate on a flight deck is much too valuable to be wasted, and the parallel deck design removes this area from the port to the starboard quarter when it can be fully used. Second, during landing in conditions of low cloud or poor visibility, the pilot's first view of the deck occurs very late, so that with the high approach speeds of modern aircraft, he has little or no time to make a correction in line. Errors in lining up with the centre line of the angled deck are numerous and often led to accidents or missed approaches, particularly at night.
Interrogation of a cross section of naval pilots confirmed that the first thing a pilot sees on making a carrier approach in bad weather is the ship's wake, which is considerable from such a ship doing 30 knots, and at night is usually brilliantly phosphorescent. However, the wake coincides with the centre line of the ship, but not that of the angled deck, so is of no use as a line up datum. With a landing lane parallel to the centre line of the ship the wake is a useful line up reference.
He then explains CVA-01 was to have landing runway with an angle of 2.75 degrees to the centre line, a totally parallel deck being impossible to fit. The angled deck was needed so if aircraft landed and missed the wires, they could could open the throttles and go around again. However, the angled deck is harder to line up with.
Vertical Landing with Sea Harrier/Harrier (and F-35B) eliminated this problem. SRVL solves both problems. Not only does the landing aircraft stay parallel with the ship's centre line, but it lands with much reduced speed. I imagine there are some heavy duty mathematics and algorithms involved not just in getting the aircraft onto the deck, but stopping it once there. I think I am correct in saying the brakes and their controls are designed and built in Britain.
The other thing that stands out is:
The actual numbers of aircraft that CVA-01 was to carry cannot be revealed. Two thirds of the total total aircraft complement could be housed in the hangar and two thirds on the flight deck. The spare for the 'extra third' was to be available for for a reinforcing squadron of either carrier aircraft or land based aircraft such as the V/STOL Kestrel (P1127) strike fighter.
In other words V/STOL (ie F-35B) means you can embark on a carrier without needing constant practice, and since the UK has always intended to operate a joint RN/RAF force of F-35, it makes sense.
Aside from F-35B, the carriers have an important Anti Submarine Warfare role, by carrying a number of Merlin HM2s, which can work with the towed array equipped Type 23 (Type 26 in future) frigates to provide long range ASW for a task group.
Maritime Merlin Force Getting Ready For Carrier Strike
With the versatile Merlin Mk2 helicopter very much in demand across Defence, the decommissioning of 829 NAS, leaving two deployable frontline Merlin Squadrons and one training unit, is the first of several changes being made at the RNAS Culdrose to help the Air Station deliver all that is required of it.
Commander Mike Currie, Head of the Merlin Helicopter Force at RNAS Culdrose said: “With several key roles to deliver, including Anti-Submarine and Anti-Surface Warfare, our versatile Merlin Mk2 helicopter is integral to the Maritime Task Group and an essential part of Carrier Strike.
“The addition of Airborne Surveillance and Control, through Crowsnest in the future, will increase the capability of this already very capable airframe.”
“The Merlin Mk2 is in high demand with a number of strategic tasks to fulfill. Whilst we will continue to deliver to Operations across the Globe, we must also train and prepare for the future too.
“We have been looking at how my Force is organised to create a Squadron structure to not only deliver capability to the new Aircraft Carrier, but also sustain our current tasking.