Planes, Trains and Automobiles

[St. Helens]

That is a gorgeous picture.

 

[jacks]

I notice that some of the modern aircraft carriers have sloped flight decks. Easier to take off?

 

[St. Helens]

That is to help in takeoff, yes. It looks scary to me.

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

That is a gorgeous picture.

It certainly is! If the Nimitz and Ford-class carriers today had flight decks full of Super Tomcat-21s, that would be amazing!

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

I notice that some of the modern aircraft carriers have sloped flight decks. Easier to take off?

View attachment 324026

That is to help in takeoff, yes. It looks scary to me.

I recall that those ski jumps are often used for STOVL aircraft, like the F-35B Lightning II; here are two photos:

 

[jacks]

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!

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

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!

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.

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Here's a photo of a VF-103 Jolly Rogers F-14B Tomcat in formation with two Croatian Air Force MiG-21 Fishbeds:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Screenshot from Top Gun: Maverick, showing the F-14A Tomcat and the Su-57 Felons, just before the dogfight:

Top Gun: Maverick Rogue Nation F-14A Tomcat (I think this is an Ace Combat image):

F-14 Tomcat in silhouette at sunset:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Blue Angels and Thunderbirds F-4 Phantom IIs:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Two F-35C Lightning IIs launching from two separate Nimitz-class carriers:

I think that the Lightning in the background launched from one of the background carrier's waist catapults, as both bow cats appear to have aircraft parked over them. The foreground Lightning, however, may have launched from one of the foreground carrier's bow catapults, as there seem to be parked aircraft on only one of the bow cats (the Lightning may have launched from one of the carrier's waist cats though).

F-14 Tomcats and other aircraft on carrier flight deck with a double rainbow:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

The Darkstar hypersonic aircraft from Top Gun: Maverick being brought out for display (the aircraft is actually a very realistic prop/mockup):

Darkstar with a real SR-71 Blackbird:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Here are some F-14D Super Tomcats:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Here are some Su-57 Felons:

 

[Leaf473]

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 )

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

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 )

Those are stunning photos! I just wish there were still F-14s on US carriers:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Blue Angels F-14 Tomcats ("what if" images from Digital Combat Simulator):

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Screenshot of the F-14A Tomcat in Top Gun: Maverick performing the split-throttle manouevre:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

F-14A Tomcat on-set for Top Gun: Maverick:

 

[Aquila Super Tomcat]

Images of the Top Gun: Maverick Rogue Nation F-14A Tomcat in flight: