Jig Saw A Cs and the Catchers Mitt

Jonny Reb

Active member
As threatened I will give my ideas on future A Cs. They are far fetched ( after all I'm getting no money for them ) they are posted simply to stimulate the mind for this reason there is little detailed engineering discusion - solve the problems yourself. There are two variants:
(1) Jigsaw A Cs
What is usually required is a small Flat Top from which you can launch and recover Helicopters and Vertical Take Off Fighter/bombers. A Electromagnetic launch rail for when the VTF is fully loaded would be useful. I am assuming a side lift which can be deployed from the Aircraft Bay, also a retractible Control Tower. The drive is Dieselgenerator into cables which power an uder hull motor. I also assume that the bay is equal in size to the Flat Top with the hull underneath.
Comes the time when real aircraft are called for - you've guest it a number of such A Cs are brought together directly camped at the top and struts run out from the bottom of each hull to the nighbouring hulls. The varios bays form one complete bay. The Flat Tops form one large landing area with the EM rails joined and an arrester cable added. Only one of the control Towers is used and a limited number of side lifts. The DG cables are joined and only the rear props used.
That's that makeof it what you will.
(2) The submarine A C
This uses a rotated over the side (90 degrees) platform catapult consisting of EM rail and carriage and a reinforced trackway of the width of the undercarriage with a supporting strut at the end connected by swivel joint to the hull. The EM rail/carriage is used thru out for craft transport ie there is no taxing under reduced power the jet motors are off except when taking off and landing. There are no lifts the planes go down and come up by enclosed ramps using the EM rail/carriage, thru double safety doors ( burning aircraft ) below in the bay the rail branches out so that a flight can be assembled.
Now the Catcher's Mitt. Yes in theory you could have a 'net' to catch the craft , obviously there will have to be 'bumper' extensions connected to reinforced parts of the airframe which like the undercarriage are extended during landing. There would have to be two 'sliders' swung over the side, with damping EM rails and carriages ( to which the 'net' is attached to ) to absorbe the energy and return the plane to the vessel where ican via EM rail and Ramp returned below.
But I don't like this I would like areal SF solution. Imagine a series of giant enclosed fans fed by the full power of the generators so that a directioal blast of >200mph is produced over the sea . THe speed is just above stalling at the point of production. The plane approaches at just over stalling ( flaps down ) ,into this blast provided that no extra thrust is given then the craft rapidly loses velocity but does not stall. In the end the plane is virtually stationary with its weight supported by the blast. It can be manoeuvred over the landing spot. The blast can be reduced to below stalling speed ( with the pilot reducing thrust accordingly ) the plane gently drops and is held the Jet motor can be switched off and the craft moved away via a side door in the fan surrounds by EM rail and ramp to below.
As the vessel is a sub the Aircraft bay must be isolated from the rest of the vessel with its own air supply, fires can be tackled by the available pressurised sea water ( as long as there is sufficient compressed air to clear the compartment afterwards. )
The idea is that the A C undetected will surface near the war zone release its craft, dive, surface when the craft are returning ( not necessarily in the same place ) reitieve, dive and move on.
 
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