Re: More Fighter questions

In a message dated 7/10/99 11:26:51 PM Central Daylight Time, 
john_t_leary@pronetusa.net writes:

<< storage areas, other than that the ships are the same.
 On turn one, two of the three 'stored' squadrons on my ship are 
	      moved into hanger bays.  
 On turn two, the two are armed/fueled and the third is brought
	      to the hanger bay.
 On turn three, the two are launched and the third is fueled/armed.
 On turn four, the third is launched.	
  >>

Why not simply increase the number of hangar bays? The flight deck and
the 
hanger deck on a wet navy carrier are used equally for fueling and
ordnance. 
As many aircraft as are possible to cycle on to the deck are up there.
The 
launch is conducted as additional aircraft are brought onto elevators
and 
deck spotted for the next launch. Strikes tend to be assembled on the
deck 
and launched, then because of fuel restraints the aircraft form up an
dmove 
on with subsequent launches forming subsequent strikes. But in reality
if you 
launch tankers first, then the first launch aircraft can hang around and
top 
off while the subsequent aircraft are spotted and launched. Slower
strike 
aircraft can launch first and the fighter cover can launch second and
form up 
as the slower strike aircraft move out on their strike route. The whole
thing 
is - if you got it assign it to missions, and if it is available to
assign to 
a mission it is not a "stored" aircraft or a "cargo" situation it is
part of 
the Carrrier Air Group and is not a "spare" in any real sense. Carriers
tend 
to carry aircrew in about a 20% excess for aircraft available, so air
crew 
can rest while the strike elements are rolled out for another mission.

The air group conducts all air operations whether it be CAP, S&R,
Strike, 
Reconaissance, ASW, EW and ECW or tanking or running back to shore to
pick up 
fresh lobsters for the admiral. All the aircraft aboard are functional
and 
ready for service. There aren't any stored in little mothball containers

waiting to replace losses. And that's what you seemed to be saying. That
they 
were stored for use if needed. To most that would imply that they are
spares, 
not meant for immediate operations and without maintenance and flight
crews 
to assign to them until strike craft are expended in some way.

It seems to be a waste of assets to make storage areas rather than other

hangar bays and launch facilities so the strike craft can be cycled
through 
maintenance, ordnance and launch like they should be. A carrier design
would 
gain nothing by having sighters aboard that cannot be used right NOW.
And if 
they can't be used right now they are not part of the fleets assets
during 
any particular action (scenario) thought they might be brought on line 
between scenarios in a campaign sense. Why bother to waste that space
aboard 
the carrier when your fleet train or logistical bases can do that for
you?