Path: utzoo!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!uwm.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: jln@leland.stanford.edu (Jared Nedzel) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Carrier Aircraft Message-ID: <1991Mar15.040811.10442@cbnews.att.com> Date: 15 Mar 91 04:08:11 GMT References: <1991Mar8.021800.7056@cbnews.att.com> <1991Mar13.003857.8136@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (william.b.thacker) Organization: AIR, Stanford University Lines: 36 Approved: military@att.att.com From: jln@leland.stanford.edu (Jared Nedzel) In article <1991Mar13.003857.8136@cbnews.att.com> john@ssd.Kodak.Com (John Hall (726-9345)) writes: >From: john@ssd.Kodak.Com (John Hall (726-9345)) >In article <1991Mar8.021800.7056@cbnews.att.com> jeff@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu (JEFF NANIS ) writes: >| "Converting an advanced tactical fighter candidate into a carrier-based A-12 replacement is more complex than suggested... >But certainly possible. The land-based BAE Hawk has recently been >modified to be a carrier-based trainer for the USN. Yes, it is possible. But if you look at the USN Hawk trainer program, you'll see that it has been a major problem. Some of the problems that they've encountered: (from my faulty memory -- check AWST for the details, I may be misremembering some of them) 1) the plane needed a more powerful engine to allow for go-arounds after bolters, 2) to allow for the tail-hook, the air-brake had to be moved; the airbrake now causes a significant pitch input when deployed, which required an airbrake-elevator interconnect, 3) the plane needed new landing gear (of course), which have different aerodynamic qualities, which resulted in unacceptable handling on approach, 4) the plane had unacceptable stall-spin behavior, ..... After all they've gone through trying to get the Hawk to work, you have to wonder whether they would have been better off with a purpose-designed plane. It seems that that's what they're ending up with anyway, after all the mods. to the Hawk :-/ -- Jared L. Nedzel --------------------------------------------------------------------- e-mail: nedzel@cive.stanford.edu jln@portia.stanford.edu