HMS Queen Elizabeth almost complete. [3600x2400]
![HMS Queen Elizabeth almost complete. [3600x2400]](/api/ImgurImages?id=sxjE8Y3.jpg)
Posted May 26, 2017, 3:57 PM UTC
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Why no catobar?!?!? So strange. Now they are shackled to STOVL planes with lower take-off weight.
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CATOBAR would likely also require an upgrade to the power systems from diesel to nuclear, which would add considerable tonnage and also cost to the ships. In an ideal world, yes, CATOBAR would have been used, but it's probably a better use of money to purchase more carrier escort ships so that they can actually be deployed.
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I think you have a good point on the propulsion systems. QE II uses gas turbines as far as I remember, and there is probably no easy way to produce the necessary steam (and electro-magnetic catapults likewise requires big spikes in electricity).
So there probably is a reasonable design decision behind the skyjump/STOVL decision. Nice, because it seemed so irrational at first glance.
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Why? Short-term political budget thinking.
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Yeah. Sad.
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RaMp
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Still a shame they couldn't manage catapults.
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No there isn't.
This is a persistent myth. The only time they could be reconfigured to cats and traps was during the design phase. There is actually no way to give them cats now without carving the ship in half. It was made very clear when they tried to change to cats during the build of QE that the costs were prohibitively enormous to even attempt it. Doing so once they're actually built is all but impossible.
To be honest I doubt the RN mind very much. They've historically been big fans of STOVL and have based their carrier doctrine on it for years, and it still allows considerable interoperability with the Americans, just with the USMC rather than the USN.
Yes, the range and payload of the aircraft will be lower, but I imagine they'd rather have two STOVL carriers than a single CATOBAR one, which is all the money would have allowed for.
The f-35b, like the harrier before it will definitely help
I was reading that the harrier was far more useful during desert storm compared to the A-10, whilst supporting USMC operations. This is a key reason why the marines pushed for the f-35b in the first place.
I think its because it can return to the carrier, land, rearm and go back out on another sortie far quicker then a fixed wing aircraft.
Yeah, honestly we're all pretty excited to see what the F-35 can do once it's frontline. At least when speaking for the WAFUs.
You'll have to forgive me for my pessimism, but I'm doubtful that I'll ever materialize.
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No it's not.
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I'm fairly certain the RN will be quite satisfied with the F35, it's a stellar aircraft.