Originally posted by Roxane.
My understanding is that only US build catapult
What! Are you sure we can't build our own?
I'm sure we used to build our own in the old days of HMS Eagle, Ark Royal etc.
just had a quick google.. I guess as we invented the steam catapult we sould be able to still build one. I found this:-
Catapults had been around since the 1930’s (when they were fitted to the carriers Glorious and Courageous) however these early devices were powered either by compressed air or cordite. It was Commander C C Mitchell RNVR who first suggested taking steam from the ship’s main boiler to power the catapult. Trails on HMS Perseus during 1950-1952 showed an aircraft weighing 30,000lbs could be launched with a speed of over 90 knots, which was a considerable increase over the air hydraulic catapults then in service. The steam catapult also proved to be considerably more reliable. By the time the RN's last fixed wing carrier was retired in 1978 (HMS Ark Royal), the steam catapult was regularly launching aircraft weighing over 60,000lbs at 110+ knots.
It is only now that the Americans are looking to replace Steam Catapults, on their next generation carriers, with electromagnetic catapults.