http://www.combataircraft.net // October 2018 05
NO ROOM FOR ERROR
Y
OU’D STRUGGLE TO
nd a more unforgiving
operational environment
than an aircraft carrier
ight deck. It’s noisy,
dirty, demanding and
dangerous. The F-14 Tomcat was
renowned as a real handful to ‘trap’
aboard the boat — it su ered from
some notable design aws, not least
underperforming engines in the
A-model. Despite its legendary status
in US naval aviation, many Tomcat
crews had terrifying experiences in the
big ghter.
In contrast, the Super Hornet is a far
more forgiving aircraft to y around the
carrier. Poor safety records are far lesspalatable in the current era, and as well
as improved handling characteristics,
technology has evolved to augment
the pilot’s inputs in the nal phase of an
approach to the deck. These are factors
that have served to dramatically improve
the process of operating from an aircraft
carrier. Naval aviators love the ‘Rhino’.
The advent of the F-35C for the US Navy
will take this safety drive further still.
Attrition rates in the days of the Tomcat
were no less acceptable, but each and
every expensive and stealthy Lightning
II is seen as a national asset. It’s the rst
front-line single-engine US Navy carrier
jet since the A-7 Corsair II. While engine
technology has improved dramatically,
the nature of the F-35 demands a strongrecord in blue-water operations. As this
type permeates through the carrier air
wings it will be fascinating to see how
the record of this comparably unpopular
ghter stacks up against the hair-raising
but cherished Tomcat.
To keep track of the latest breaking news
and analysis in the world of military air
power you can visit our social media sites
and our website: http://www.combataircraft.net
You can also sign up for our free e-mail
newsletter by going to
http://www.combataircraft.net to register.Jamie Hunter,
Editor
E-mail: [email protected]CARRIER AVIATION
IN THE 21st
CENTURY BOOKPAGE 95
CLOSING DATE NOVEMBER 9, 2018WIN!