New images of CVF FR (PA2)
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Eureka!
Great timing-- Main Building can get their colour laser printers running over time printing out an elevation of it, mount in on some marine ply, laminate it, and mount in on some rigid raiders and sail up and down the DPRK coast!! 
(Actually, does look good. And even better without silly skijumpy thing for proper carrier ops. Do we know if this is PA2 only?
At least since they screwed up with CdG, presumably the French know how much stopping space an E-2C takes up... 
)
S41
(Actually, does look good. And even better without silly skijumpy thing for proper carrier ops. Do we know if this is PA2 only?
At least since they screwed up with CdG, presumably the French know how much stopping space an E-2C takes up... )S41
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Bomb - HERE......
The front part of the deck looks remarkably devoid of markings and fixtures & fittings. Are there a couple of catapults and/or blast deflectors there, or are they going to just rely on waist catapults and only use it as a deck park?
The front part of the deck looks remarkably devoid of markings and fixtures & fittings. Are there a couple of catapults and/or blast deflectors there, or are they going to just rely on waist catapults and only use it as a deck park?
One cat down the port side of the bow, one in the port waist - shedloads of space for a recovery - looks like a sensible arrangement to me.
Shame it's only an artists impression. I wonder how much of teh systems design has been done......
Shame it's only an artists impression. I wonder how much of teh systems design has been done......
Blame My Parrot
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I have it on good authority that, due to the twin island design, Commanders (Air) will have to pass a stringent fitness test prior to taking up their appointments - this is so that they can descend 4 decks, sprint forward through 12 sections and then ascend 5 decks every time the Captain screams "WINGS - BRIDGE - AT THE RUSH"!!
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Have they got BAe written on the forward tower and THALES written on the rear tower?
Can you see the glue where've they joined the two halves together?
After all, BAe are building the front bit and THALES building the rear bit, aren't they?
Can you see the glue where've they joined the two halves together?
After all, BAe are building the front bit and THALES building the rear bit, aren't they?
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Originally Posted by VitaminGee
I have it on good authority that, due to the twin island design, Commanders (Air) will have to pass a stringent fitness test prior to taking up their appointments - this is so that they can descend 4 decks, sprint forward through 12 sections and then ascend 5 decks every time the Captain screams "WINGS - BRIDGE - AT THE RUSH"!!
I expect the fisheads will just string up a light jackstay or something for him to be pulled back and forth!
PS - Which ones the Admiral's bridge/viewpoint? And more importantly, where the hell do goofers stand eh? Or are we to watch t/off's/lndg's over a TV like on Nimitiz class carriers?
Ah yes. I see it now! Perhaps the multiplicity of decks at 01 and above sent me silly!
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Vital Features of an ice runway site must include:
1.. An alignment of the aerodrome with the wind
2.. The runway should definitely conform to the longitudinal and side slope to both the aircraft's and Civil Aviation Safety Authority's limits
3.. You should build it on a reasonably smooth surface.
4.. And finally no melt through the ice layers, or weaknesses will occur. I.e the plane will fall through the ice.
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movadinkampa747,
Thanks for your well informed advice on site selection for ice runways however, as you'll appreciate the construction is far more complex. I would chose the following method:
An ice runway for a C 130 for example could be constructed with a 14G laser-guided grader, a snow blower, a snow plane, a bulldozer,
two towed rollers, and a load cart (that is, a cart equipped with
C-130 or C-141 wheels and loaded with sufficient weight to
simulate the pressure of a taxiing C-130 or C-141 aircraft) to
test the runway surface. The grader is used for initial
preparation to remove bumps or waves in the runway surface, but
the overall slope of the surface does not need to be modified. A snow blower
can then be used to clear snow so the surfaces can be prepared, to
remove ice removed by the grader, and to cover the prepared
surface with snow to prevent formation of melt ponds during the
warmest parts of the season. Construction of the runway requires
six people full time, and about the same size crew is required to
maintain the snow cover during the November-January period.
Maintenance of the runway is basically a snow
management problem. Because of the particular requirements of
the glacier-ice runway, both snow drifting and activities
that reduce the albedo of the ice or snow surface must be
carefully controlled. To minimize snow drifts, only the minimum
of facilities, primarily fuel tanks, and sanitary and emergency
facilities needed to support the 4 to 6 people working at the
site would be located there during the warm part of the season.
During the austral winter, when the runway is not in use, all
structures and navigational aids would need to be removed.
In addition to constructing the runway surface, shelters
would be moved to the site to provide support facilities for the
site. These shelters, including an emergency shelter, a
heated rest facility, and a toilet facility, would initially be
portable or temporary facilities. The use of portable structures
would reduce long-term problems with drifting snow. If more
permanent facilities are needed in the future, they would be
elevated above the surface to minimize snow drifting.
Fuel could be temporarily stored on site to refuel
aircraft, and all wastes, with the possible exception of grey
water which might be piped through the ice into the sea below,
would be taken to a suitable contractor. Initially, no precision
radar or TACAN would be required, as it is unlikely that power would be generated
on site. Testing would probably only require a flagged runway.
Should the site be used to extend the season, runway lights would
be needed in addition to other navigation aids similar to those
used at other sea-ice runways. If the runway
proves successful and the facilities take on a more permanent
nature, radar installation and power generation also would be required.
Otherwise, you could wait for the ice to melt and use one of those floating airfields (I think they're called aircraft carriers).
Thanks for your well informed advice on site selection for ice runways however, as you'll appreciate the construction is far more complex. I would chose the following method:
An ice runway for a C 130 for example could be constructed with a 14G laser-guided grader, a snow blower, a snow plane, a bulldozer,
two towed rollers, and a load cart (that is, a cart equipped with
C-130 or C-141 wheels and loaded with sufficient weight to
simulate the pressure of a taxiing C-130 or C-141 aircraft) to
test the runway surface. The grader is used for initial
preparation to remove bumps or waves in the runway surface, but
the overall slope of the surface does not need to be modified. A snow blower
can then be used to clear snow so the surfaces can be prepared, to
remove ice removed by the grader, and to cover the prepared
surface with snow to prevent formation of melt ponds during the
warmest parts of the season. Construction of the runway requires
six people full time, and about the same size crew is required to
maintain the snow cover during the November-January period.
Maintenance of the runway is basically a snow
management problem. Because of the particular requirements of
the glacier-ice runway, both snow drifting and activities
that reduce the albedo of the ice or snow surface must be
carefully controlled. To minimize snow drifts, only the minimum
of facilities, primarily fuel tanks, and sanitary and emergency
facilities needed to support the 4 to 6 people working at the
site would be located there during the warm part of the season.
During the austral winter, when the runway is not in use, all
structures and navigational aids would need to be removed.
In addition to constructing the runway surface, shelters
would be moved to the site to provide support facilities for the
site. These shelters, including an emergency shelter, a
heated rest facility, and a toilet facility, would initially be
portable or temporary facilities. The use of portable structures
would reduce long-term problems with drifting snow. If more
permanent facilities are needed in the future, they would be
elevated above the surface to minimize snow drifting.
Fuel could be temporarily stored on site to refuel
aircraft, and all wastes, with the possible exception of grey
water which might be piped through the ice into the sea below,
would be taken to a suitable contractor. Initially, no precision
radar or TACAN would be required, as it is unlikely that power would be generated
on site. Testing would probably only require a flagged runway.
Should the site be used to extend the season, runway lights would
be needed in addition to other navigation aids similar to those
used at other sea-ice runways. If the runway
proves successful and the facilities take on a more permanent
nature, radar installation and power generation also would be required.
Otherwise, you could wait for the ice to melt and use one of those floating airfields (I think they're called aircraft carriers).