Re: What makes a Carrier? (ftfb)

On Wed, 10 Jun 1998, Oerjan Ohlson wrote:

> Sure. But unless the launch catapults are very powerful (a lot more
than
> the fighter engines, too), the direction the launch catapult is facing
> out from the carrier is not important - only the direction of travel
of
> the carrier is. 

As I said...

> Hm, I don't have the post I replied to above any longer... Not sure if
> you were talking about carriers being able to launch fighters in more
> than one direction (as aircraft carriers generally are not, while
space
> fighter carriers could be) or how a carrier should maneuver just prior
to
> launch :-/ I'm talking about the former :-/

A bit of both, actually. With modern catapult, RATO etc. technology, 
carriers could be built to launch into several directions if they saw
the 
need  (they did see the need to launch and recover at the same time -- 
which actually does give two launch directions if really needed). I
don't 
think even Harriers are launched en masse even though they technically 
could be.

But I guess carrying the largest possible amount of the best possible 
aircraft is a higher priority than chucking them all in the air 30 
seconds faster.

Then again, a wet navy carrier wouldn't be caught dead in the same
"gaming
table" with an enemy warship if it could help it, quite unlike FT
carriers. 

-- 
maxxon@swob.dna.fi (Mikko Kurki-Suonio) 	   | A pig who doesn't
fly
+358 50 5596411 GSM +358 9 80926 78/FAX 81/Voice   | is just an ordinary
pig.
Maininkitie 3C14 02320 ESPOO FINLAND | Hate me?    |	      - Porco
Rosso
http://www.swob.dna.fi/~maxxon/      | hateme.html |