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Naval Flight Operations - An Evaluation And Critique By Ray Hill Throughout the history of flight, naval aviation has always been far more challenging than land operations. The naval flight spectrum, taking account of the need of any marine arm, has operated a broad spectrum from landplanes, seaplanes, shipborne catapult launches (e.g. from cruisers and CAM merchantmen), rotary wings, from almost anything that floats (civil as well). Finally of course there are the aircraft carriers. I will ignore the nasty flying things that come out of submarines these days. The X-Plane platform offers some access to this type of flying, although in my opinion, they could offer customers far more, even as a $20 cost option. Out of the box we get the Nimitz and the Perry, plus an oil rig, and sometimes even a sloop enjoying a life of leisure. In their own right they are all reasonable enough; the Perry and oil rig are equipped for rotary operations, maybe even VTOL (I remember a P1127 practising landings on our old cruiser HMS Tiger). Nimitz of course is well equipped for CATOBAR operation, but the downside is that there is no option to set up a non catapult launch for something like a Harrier/AV8 Osprey or F35, unless you land it on the deck first and then save it as as a .sit file. Those simmers not familiar with aircraft landings, will have immense difficulty landing on Nimitz because the special situation for the 'carrier landing' does not offer enough time to get the aeroplane into a stable situation. Why oh why if you use Shift+4, does it stupidly give you a front view? A workaround for some of these problems is to take off from a shore based strip and then find the carrier. X-Plane is pretty smart, in that it will always put Nimitz somewhere near to your start position (you can open the map to find it). If you want to do a water start for a seaplane (in the UK we seem to get Loch Lomond as our default), you could equally take off from Southampton airport, land in Portsmouth Harbour and then save it as a .sit file. Landing on a carrier involves a moving runway at roughly 20 kts, and if the carrier is heading into a 15 kt headwind, we get 35 kts. If our jet has a stall speed of maybe 160 kts, we can hit the deck at around a relative 105 kts groundspeed. In a high sea the deck of the Nimitz may pitch through a range of more than 50 feet, so if we are on approach and the rear deck is down, we may overshoot the arrestor wires, and likewise, if it is pitched up, we may well slam into the stern. Not sure if there is any truth to this, but apparently someone mentioned that the US Navy could never have carried out the Falklands operation as they would have been unable to fly high speed jets in heavy sea states; whereas VTOL planes (used by the RAF), are more adaptable - that is not to say it is easier however. Anyway, whether this is old wives gossip, I cannot possibly comment further. Be careful of possible wind effect from the bridge; a good skipper will hold the ship dead into the wind, but it may shear. However I am unsure if .obj files for ships have any actually simulated aerodynamic value; it may be just a spook from a wobbly hand. Apart from Nimitz and Perry, there are a few other alternative carriers (freeware), in which to try your hand at landings: Queen Elizabeth, a new build recently published by MRL: hms_queen_elizabeth.zip One of my own: future_royal_navy.zip Operational testing done in X-Plane 11.30. With MRL's Queen Elizabeth loaded up, I thought I'd send my 'spy plane' out for a clandestine visit. On the way back, I used the XCARR (Nimitz) approach scenario. The build of this carrier is exceptionally good, possibly as good as Nimitz. It is however, rather let down by some problems which probably have more to do with the limitations within X-Plane, rather than the skills of the talented author. For starters, the bow wave is too far forward, and the stern wave cuts off too sharply. In my opinion, it should be staggered and broken up a bit. It also requires a Cat Shot for take off, but Queen Elizabeth will never have one, and if you load the 'Cat Shot' situation, your plane is rudely dumped into the sea. My analysis makes me think that the ramp start for the cat shot is set close to the bow wave, so ultimately only dimensioned for Nimitz (if Laminar have features to fix this, they should publish them). I suspect if MRL set his ship up so the bow wave was at the stern, it may go some way to fixing this issue - at the expense of the stern wave being a long way back. Conclusions The default carrier, Nimitz, provides a realistic platform for USN operations. However, since all ops are built on that default model, Laminar really ought to improve carrier handling. With that in mind, here are some ideas about how they could possibly go about it. 1. Provide a naval operations menu option, complete with a drop down list of carrier choice. 2. Provide carrier builders with a framework of rules, so they can put it into something like a .prefs file. For example, this would need to contain basic parameters: Ship length, against which, software can position both bow and stern wakes Cat on/off Deck height Ramp start position Arrestor wire position Catch net position (we don't want to write off £800,000 of F35 parked on the deck of a modern carrier) The ability to import a custom catapult, e.g. for a cruiser/battleship or armed merchantman CAM ship. Nice to have a Kingfisher launched from the back of USS Missouri or a Walrus from HMS Belfast. 3. Geographical start co-ordinates so we con override the default location; this could also be applied to seaplanes. If enough people start taking about this, maybe Laminar will improve matters, or maybe it's possible to write a 3rd party plugin? I just love the Brit' calling the "Ball Bar" & "Wave Orft". Happy landing shipmates. Ray Hill www.rayhillwrites.com -
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Flight Around The World, Navy Style By L.N. "Cale" Yarbrough, USN (3 March 2005) The Story As I crawled into the cockpit, the sky was perfect, my hand sweated nervously knowing this was neither my first nor last flight. I hadn't filed a flight plan, I would simply steer 125 degrees from LAX enroute to San Diego. The 20 foot prop began to spin slowly as I requested instructions to taxi for takeoff with departure to the south. Ground control cleared me to 25R as I pushed the throttle forward and began zig-zagging my way to hold short at the runway. "Navy 704 cleared for take off, departure to the south approved" crackled through my headset and the airport suddenly appeared to stop and watch my take off roll. As the tail lifted I could clearly see the runway for the first time. Easing the stick back the F4U Corsair gracefully left earth. The ocean began to fill my view as I banked left toward San Diego. Glancing down at the compass I smiled, rolling the canopy back knowing I would simply follow the coastline as those before me. After all, this was my last leg of my Flight Sim 'Round the World Trip. Barrel rolling over Pelican Point, Air Traffic Control cleared me through the "Bravo" airspace as I leveled at 7 thousand feet, giving me a clear view of both ground and sky. Air Traffic Control passed me traffic reports and as aircraft approached, they gestured by waiving their wings in my direction as I passed over the coastal cities. The Aircraft McDonnell Douglas MD-83: The MD-83 entered service in 1980 as a quiet, fuel-efficient twin jet powered by Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 engines enabling the aircraft to cruise at 576 mph with a non-stop range of 1500 to 2700 statute miles. Its maximum passenger capacity is 172 seated personnel making it an excellent personnel transport. It's also excellent converted to a medium range MedEvac carrying medical litters. As one of the largest space and defense contractors, McDonnell Douglas produced five versions of the MD-80 series that featured commercial aviation's first digital flight guidance systems. Lockheed P-3 Orion: As an anti-submarine patrol aircraft, it became operational with the United States Navy in April 1961. Powered by four Allison turboprop engines, its maximum speed is 473 kts, cruising speed of 378 kts at 25,000 feet and a crew of 10 personnel. The Orion is equipped with a Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) boom, sonobuoys and various weapon configurations. The Orion also serves as a long range Surface Surveillance and Coordination (SSC) aircraft keeping a watchful eye on maritime operations. Lockheed S-3 Viking: The Viking began service in August 1969 as an anti-submarine search/strike aircraft. Powered by two General Electric turbofan engines in underwing pods its first landing was onboard the USS Forrestal in November 1973. Equipped with both active and passive sensors, along with Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR) and Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD), its maximum combat range is approximately 2900 statute miles. The Vikings' weapon compliment includes torpedoes, bombs, and mines. It cruises at 426 mph at a service ceiling of 40,000 feet. With a crew of four, its role today is that of a tanker and Surface Surveillance Coordination (SSC) platform. Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Bell 204): Powered by twin Lycoming engines, its missions include rescue and training operations at Naval Air Stations. "Hueys" are considered to be the most widely used helicopter in the world with more than 9000 produced from the 1950s to present and flown by more than 40 countries. It can carry up to 12 personnel with two crewmen, or as a MedEvac carrying six stretchers and one medical attendant. The Iroquois was delivered to the US Navy in 1968 and supported Operation Deep Freeze. Vought F4U: The Corsair began delivery in 1942 going to VF-12 and making its first carrier landing on USS Sangamon in September 1942. The aircrafts' speed differed from various versions ranging from 450 mph and cruising at 220 mph at a ceiling of 38,000 feet, with a combat range of 1010 miles. The Corsair had distinctive features such as its inverted "gull" wings along with a three bladed 20 foot diameter propeller. The Corsair was the longest production US fighter of WWII with a 11:1 ratio of kills to losses against Japanese aircraft and was the last piston engine fighter produced for the US Navy. Grumman E-2C Hawkeye: The Hawkeye is an Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft utilizing Airborne Tactical Data System (ATDS) which was delivered in January 1971. Powered by four Allison turboprop engines its maximum speed of 374 mph cruising at 310 mph at a service ceiling of 30,800 feet. With a crew of 5 the range of the Hawkeye is 1605 statute miles while maintaining an eye in the sky for the US Naval fleet. Grumman A-6 Intruder: The Intruder was delivered in April 1963 as a low level long range strike aircraft. It was powered by two Pratt & Whitney engines. It was later fitted with antennae used to detect, locate, classify, record and jam enemy transmissions while cruising at 482 mph at 35,000 feet. The Intruder employed Digital Integrated Attack Navigation Equipment (DIANE) and supported US forces in Vietnam initially from the USS Independence. F/A-18 Hornet: The Hornet is a multi-mission fighter/attack aircraft that can operate from either carrier or land bases with air superiority. Its duties include fighter escort, suppression of enemy air defense, reconnaissance, forward air control, close and deep air support, as well as day and night strike missions. The Hornets' first carrier qualifications began in October 1969 onboard the USS America. The Hornet is powered by two General Electric turbofans enabling a top speed more than 1.8 mach and intermediate power settings of over mach 1.0 with a combat ceiling of 50,000 feet. Navy Beech King Air (T-44) Pegasus: The Pegasus is multi engine trainer, pressurized, fixed-wing monoplane built by Raytheon Aircraft Company (formerly Beech Aircraft). Delivered to the US Navy in 1976, the Pegasus is powered by two Pratt and Whitney PT6A-34B turboprop engines with a primary mission of advanced maritime flight training and passenger transfer. The Pegasus' maximum cruising speed is 315 kts with a range of 1960 nm with four passengers and two crew personnel. Pegasus flight training was accomplished at both Corpus Christi and Pensacola Naval Air Stations. Navy Cessna T-41 Mescalero: Delivered in 1963, the Mescaleros' top speed is 124 kts, cruising at 122 kts, with a range of 440 nm. The Mescalero is a short range, high-wing military trainer aircraft version of the Cessna 172 with a primarily mission for pilot candidate screening. The T-41 often saw arduous duty as a Close Air Support platform (CAS) for ground troops in Vietnam. Aircraft were chosen for flights due to range/airport facilities available. The Territories Territories covered: United States, Canada, Greenland, United Kingdom, Europe/Asia, South Korea, Japan and Russia. The Water Waterways overflown: Labrador Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, Arabian Sea, South China Sea, Sea of Okhotsk near the Kuril Islands and the Bering Sea to Alaska. During the flight over the North Atlantic, North Pacific and Bering Sea the USS George Washington carrier strike group was stationed nearby to assist with communications, navigation and should any in flight emergency arise. The Weather Prior to each flight a quick check of current weather in the area was accomplished by utilizing http://www.weather.com. If current weather was unavailable, area conditions were utilized at departure/arrival airports and the data was compiled and entered into FlightSim weather. The Flights And Sites During each flight I chose to take off and land the aircraft manually, however, upon gaining cruising altitude I enabled the autopilot, constantly checking the instruments for any required adjustments. While enroute I flew point to point Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) along with Global Positioning Satellite (GPS). The first section of flights took me from the United States to Newfoundland. You'll see sites such as Boulder Dam, Great Salt Lake, the Missouri and Ohio Rivers and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The P-3 Orion full moon snapshot was taken over Fredericton, New Brunswick where air traffic was scarce to none. Section two flew me from Newfoundland to Scotland giving me plenty of snow showers on departure and approach to Godthab, Greenland and Reykyavik, Iceland. The third section sent me from Scotland to Bulgaria with rain showers over the United Kingdom allowing me to view the famous cathedral stadium in Rome. From Bulgaria to Laos you'll cross the Tigres, Indes, Dhund, Yangtze and Mekong Rivers while making a stop at Bahrain International Airport. You'll depart Bahrain and find yourself flying over the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal and atop the Sandalia Range. Section five departs from Laos arriving in Russia with stops in Seoul, Pusan, Osan Air Force Base, crossing the Sea of Japan and Okhotsk, landing in Anadyr, Russia. The final leg will have you in awe over the Chickaloon River, Eagle and Wolverine Peaks, Battleship Island, Alaska, with Whale Rock and Duck Islands just ahead. Crossing the Bering Sea back to the United States you'll pass Three Tree Point, Enchanted Island, Swan Lake, watch Rattlesnake and Hog mountains pass beneath you then straight over Saddleback Mountain range and Condor Peak for your final approach into San Diego, California. Details of each flight are located inside the Flight Log folder. The Rules During each of these flights the following personal goals and restrictions were adhered to: Real weather and actual times within the area Taxiing, taking off and landing correctly Real flight time with no time compression Reaching each destination safely with no enroute errors Flights were terminated at an actual airfield Flights required no extra fuel to reach the destination ATC traffic was set at 100% The Facts Total mileage: 25,283.2 Total flying hours: 93.2 Shortest flight: .6 hours, Prince Edward Island to Sydney, Nova Scotia (Orion P-3C) Longest flight: 3.3 hours: Petropavlovsk to Anadyr, Russia (Orion P-3C) The Navy Taking each flight seriously, I often dreamed of what passengers and personnel would arrive to see "Team Navy" on its world trip. I envisioned active duty and retired naval aviators, United States servicemen, government officials, along with an occasional Admiral or two with great words of wisdom upon our arrival. Inspired future pilots, envious civilians, and Flight Simulator enthusiasts would gather at each stop ensuring full support of our mission. The Epilogue Lindberg Field appeared on the horizon as I banked west for a quick "fly by" of the familiar face of a Naval Strike Group steaming out of San Diego. Descending, I passed the carrier on the starboard side which I couldn't deny pulling up toward the sun into a full loop. Returning, all hands on deck shouted, waved, and gave cheer. Corsair over carrier strike group. Passing underneath the Coronado Bridge. Navy F-4U on rollout to downwind at Lindbergh Field. Traveling over Imperial Beach at 5 thousand feet the urge couldn't be resisted as I dove toward Naval Station San Diego for a "show" and then underneath Coronado Bridge rolling up into my left downwind for runway 27. Flight deck view of final approach to San Diego. Final approach to Lindbergh Field, San Diego. Navy F-4U on final approach to Lindbergh Field. On final approach I lowered the gear and flaps while watching buildings pass beneath me as I touched down "on the numbers" and taxied to Zulu 1 parking. Leaning the mixture out in front of Jims Air and the famous Windsock Bar (home of one of the famous Top Gun movie scenes) the engine slowly came to a stop. I knew I would return to the air again but on this glorious day I truly had "slipped the surly bounds of earth and touched the face of God". Navy F-4U over the runway. Navy F-4U on the tarmac at Lindbergh Field, San Diego. Navy F-4U at Jim's Aviation, San Diego. Flight Log Information These flights utilized only United States Navy military aircraft. The true "workhorses" of these flights were the Navy version of the MD-83, the Lockheed P-3C Orion, and the Grumman S-3 Viking. The MD-83 was utilized for larger airports along with the P-3C for range. The S-3 was utilized for airports with smaller runways where maneuverability was a necessity. To get information regarding each airport, I utilized the Huey UH-1B as a scout to get a "good feeling" of each airport prior to choosing which aircraft to fly. Whenever possible, I utilized the actual weather conditions for the area. Not all information was obtainable; however, I located the nearest weather data for that particular airport. Some of the actual times were changed. All flights were performed with ATC high altitude Instrument Flight Rules routes. Of the 71 flights, flights 43A -- 48A (#44 was deleted), indicate that a route change/deviation was necessary. If for some reason the flight could not be completed, it was re-flown or rerouted as indicated above. Specific landmarks were noted and logged using Abacus EZ Landmark systems. The aircraft carrier snapshots were made available by using Abacus Flight Deck III systems. The snapshots taken do not necessarily coincide with this trip and were taken using FSScreen that can be located under the file "FSScreen.zip" in the FlightSim file library. There is a blank form located at the end of the Flight Logs for those of you who wish to download it for use. I hope your enjoyed this story and snapshots of the aircraft involved. Want to try the flights yourself? Then download the complete flight logs using the link below. This flight is dedicated to all who have served. L.N. "Cale" Yarbrough CalesNavy@aol.com Download flight logs The Flight In Pictures Navy MD-83 on the ramp at San Diego. MD-83 on takeoff at Las Vegas. MD-83 over United States. P-3C tower view. Lockheed P-3C Orion. Lockheed P-3C Orion over Newfoundland. P-3C Orion. S-3 Viking on takeoff over Inverness, UK. S-3 Viking liningup at Newcastle, UK. S-3 Viking over United Kingdom. Navy S-3 Viking ready to go. S-3 Viking over water at sunset. A-6 Intruder on the ground at Dhaka, Bangladesh. A-6 Intruder takeoff. A-6E Intruder over the Pacific. E-2C over carrier strike group. E-2C lining up with USS George Washington. E-2C lining up for the trap on board USS Washington. Navy E-2C flight deck view of final approach to USS George Washington. T-44 turning on final approach. Navy T-44 Pegasus over California. From the T-44 King Air flight deck. Huey UH-1 on runway 36. Bell Huey UH-1 at Naval Air Station North Island. F-18 runway 23 at Gothab, Greenland. F-18 takeoff roll. F-18 over Greenland. F-18 enroute to Ireland. Navy F-18 over the Pacific at sunset. Cessna T-41 over Seattle. Cessna T-41 on approach to Seatac. -
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