Proving that defence kit boffins are really just big schoolboys at heart, FutureProof gets wind
of the Pentagon awarding half a billion dollars to develop a radical new electromagnetic
catapult, intended to toss navy jets off future aircraft carriers.
The Electro Magnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) could replace Cold War-era steam
catapults after it was announced that General Atomics has won $573 million ceiling-priced
contract to build one for the next planned US fleet carrier, CVN 78 or USS Gerald R Ford.
Here's the low-down: "General Atomics, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $573,000,000
ceiling priced, undefinitized contract action for the production of the Electromagnetic Aircraft
Launch System (EMALS) CVN 78 Shipset. EMALS is the catapult launch system on CVN-
78 class aircraft carriers, replacing the steam catapults used on prior generations of aircraft
carriers. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., (49 percent); Tupelo, Miss., (19
percent); Mankato, Minn., (12 percent); Waltham, Mass., (4 percent); and various locations
across the United States (16 percent), and work is expected to be completed in September
2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year."
As for its application in civil air transport, a
irfield power devices assist take-off and landing
allowing aircraft to use less installed
power and less energy is nothing
new.
One idea from the Out of the Box
European think tank whose Gallery of
image ideas can be found here
would be to use a maglev propulsive
rail to allow the aircraft to take-off from
virtually a flat surface.
A floating airport at sea could also be
considered with international super-
hub airports located in international
seas.
Being floating structures these could
be turned into the wind to maximize
capacity.
And as for landing the aircraft, what
about water-borne landings or
parafoil-assisted descents?
