- Jul 24, 2007
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It certainly is! If the Nimitz and Ford-class carriers today had flight decks full of Super Tomcat-21s, that would be amazing!That is a gorgeous picture.
I notice that some of the modern aircraft carriers have sloped flight decks. Easier to take off?
View attachment 324026
I recall that those ski jumps are often used for STOVL aircraft, like the F-35B Lightning II; here are two photos:That is to help in takeoff, yes. It looks scary to me.
That shroud/door is indeed over the lift fan, which gives the jet its vertical lift. I believe you're right about the hinges being very strong! I'm not sure how fast the jet is moving in those photos, but the acceleration isn't as fast as with a catapult launch, so the hinges on that door don't have to deal with those massive stresses.When I see that picture of the F-35B taking off, I'm surprised the shroud (over the vertical engine?) doesn't blow off. It most have some very strong hinges!
Those are stunning photos! I just wish there were still F-14s on US carriers:I was looking at some articles in the National Review today and came across these beautiful photos of Flight Ops on the USS Nimitz.
USS Nimitz Flight Ops | National Review
USS Nimitz conducts flight operations in the South China Sea.www.nationalreview.com
Hopefully everyone can see them, some parts of the NR website are behind a paywall. (Not that I paid, I was at the public library )