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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1123.PDF
710 re—precursor of the Sea Vampire—touches down on HJAS. Ocean during its initial deck trials. Deck Landing A Comparison between British and American Methods By Roger Gordon SINCE 1917, when the first aircraft was landed andbrought safely to rest on the deck of a ship at sea,the basic technique of deck-landing has remained practically unchanged. Alterations and improvements to the arrester gear and flight decks of aircraft carriers have, of necessity, followed closely on the heels of naval aircraft design, but the method of "landing-on" has remained very much the same. The object of any system of deck-landing is, quite simply, to bring the aircraft to rest on the flight deck with the minimum amount of strain both on pilot and aircraft— in other words, to land the aircraft in a predetermined area Two phases of the approach of a D.H. Sea Hornet fighter (two Merlins) to HJAJS, Triumph during deck-landing trials in 1946 at the lowest speed compatible with safety and ease of handling. Clearly, this object can best be achieved—per- haps can only be achieved—by means of a power-assisted approach followed by a three-point landing. It is evident, therefore, that all tried and proved techniques—such as those used by the Americans and ourselves—must be funda- mentally the same and will differ only in detail. At first sight, the small differences might appear to have little significance, but on looking into them it becomes apparent that a comparison merits further attention. In using the British method, the aircraft is flown to within a few feet of the deck at a constant rate of descent, and at an air speed of 4-5 knots above the stalling speed. This is achieved, from an altitude of approximately 400 feet, by a power-assisted glide with the aircraft in the three- point, or landing, attitude, the rate of descent being governed largely by use of the throttle. The '' batsman,'' or Deck-Landing Control Officer, who is stationed about one-third of the way up the landing area, directs the aircraft to a position abreast himself and a few feet above the flight deck. He then signals the "cut" and the pilot immediately closes the throttle and, the air- craft being in the landing attitude, holds the control column steady, so allowing the machine to drop on to the deck. U.S. Navy Technique In the American method, although air speed and attitude are to all intents and purposes the same as in the British system, the "constant rate of descent" which is implicit in the latter procedure is replaced by a " constant altitude " final approach. Circuit altitude is approximately 200 feet, and from this height the aircraft descends gradually to within approxi- mately fifteen to twenty feet above the deck. The final approach is then flown level at this height with a power setting sufficient to maintain an air speed a few knots higher than the stalling speed. Small corrections in height are made by use of the control column, throttle movement being unnecessary since the aircraft need only " step down or up, as the case might be, and then continue level flight with the original power setting. The batsman is stationed well aft on the deck, as near to the round-down (the curved-over after-portion) as
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