Regarding the AEW / ski jump question, I can remember a lot of fuss being made locally during the Falklands war about the apprentices at Yeovilton getting an AEW Gannet from the museum back into working order in a hurry. They got it flying not long after the ceasefire and (I believe) it eventually ended up with Dowty Rotol for prop research
The question is - how was it intended to be used? I can see three options, none of which make sense
1) JATO bottles off a ski jump with a barrier capture
2) get Bulwark's catapults working again ( I understand there were plans to get Bulwark back into service if the war prolonged - but could the catapults be reinstated?) Or would Triumph have been capable of being reinstated at that time? I understand she was still waiting for the breakers torch then.
3) a ferry flight to the Falklands followed by flights from a make-shift strip.
None really make sense. How were they intending to use it?