Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: zimmer@cod.nosc.mil (Thomas L. Zimmerman)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Harriers on US ships, have they got takeoff ramps ?
Message-ID: <14506@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 6 Mar 90 04:22:32 GMT
References: <14467@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Lines: 21
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: zimmer@cod.nosc.mil (Thomas L. Zimmerman)

> 
> All the RN carriers have takeoff ramps for their Sea Harriers.
> What the about the USN, do they have ramps on their ships for their
> Harriers ?

Nope.  Harriers are normally used only on LPH's or Assault Carriers, in
combination with helicopters.  I have been on several LPH's and have
never seen a ramp.  The ramp is helps get a heavier plane into the air
with less fuel use.  US pilots must do some combination of 1) flying
lighter or burning more fuel during a vertical launch or 2) using more
"runway" to get more lift from the wings and less from vectored thrust.
Its just a guess, but an LPH - while a small US carrier - may have more
flight deck than the British carriers, making option two desirable.

Lee Zimmerman
Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
zimmer@nosc.mil