We're still missing the fundamental problem with SRVL here. FCS is an issue but not a show-stopper. The real problem with SRVL is that once you're committed to touch down, you are totally reliant on the brakes. The throttle will have to be brought to idle, otherwise you're p1ssing away your braking power. If you spool the engine down, there is unlikely to be sufficient time to get sufficient power back on to do anything - that's why boltering is not an issue - if something bad happens you just can't do jack-sh1t about it. I may be missing a trick here and it may be possible to spool up again in the 200m or so between touch-down point and the bow (inc ramp), but then you're into a number of undesirables, like ramp entry speed, a further margin of fuel to allow a (very) abbreviated go-around with consequent impact on the bringback issue that we're trying to fix, and the huge swathe of deck 280m x 18-ish that would then have to be kept clear. Plus, if "something" does go wrong, it is likely to involve lateral forces which will tend to make the cab go anywhere but straight ahead. With VL, the relative velocity is unlikely to make you hit anything, with CV, you're pointed away from the deck park and going so fast that if something does happen you're still unlikely to cause any unpleasantness (except to yourself). SRVL doesn't appear to allow either of those.
Once again, I have no doubt that SRVL can be done - and with a "reasonable" interval between something going wrong. It's just that when the "something" is aboard an operational deck crammed with bombed up, fuelled up aircraft, it might end in tears.
Last edited by Not_a_boffin; 9th Sep 2008 at 19:04.