DZ
Just because it was done on a trials crane at Dunsfold (no I didn't see it) does not make it feasible operationally (hence my linking it to RVL). I'm in no way trying to denigrate what the Harrier community did - far from it - but the bottom line is that much of what was dreamed up was largely to overcome the either the shortcomings of SHAR or the limited number of a/c (5) that CVS was "supposed" to operate, rather than a rational way to take aircraft to sea. Herr Frick would not appear to have flown operationally from ships and if he had, he may have had a different opinion - just because one can do something, does not make it a good idea. Even Eric Brown fell victim to that with the Flex-deck - an attempt to cure an issue that increased thrust, better aero dynamics and bigger ships would solve and which if implemented would have dramatically reduced the flexibility of naval airpower.
There are many good reasons why the Vosper Harrier Carriers and for that matter the USN "air-capable" Spruances, never made it beyond a concept, largely because there are much more efficient and cost-effective ways of operating aircraft at sea.
The point both Navaleye and I have been driving at is that such an arrangement is not a "bolt-on" - it fundamentally compromises the topside design of the ship, which leads inevitably to a new design. You would not believe just how much nausea people are going through, just to try and add a couple more boats (weight 2-3 te each) to T23 - again, stability is only a minor concern, there are much harder things to crack. Ballast tanks btw are not a feature of modern DD/FF, certainly not enough to correct the hundred or so tonne-metres of moment one would have to apply. Current warships are also built of much thicker plate than the racing-snake destroyers and frigates of old - Lloyds naval ship rules sees to that.
Finally, RV Triton (currently chasing Indonesian fishermen in Australian waters) was not aimed at that sort of problem. She was trying for a particular niche that was overtaken by events as ship size increased, largely driven by accommodation standards.
As I said, not having a pop, just trying to point out the realities of ship design.
Last edited by Not_a_boffin; 4th Apr 2010 at 19:36.