The Low Speed Approach and Catapult Launch Problems in High Performance Naval Aircraft

Extract

In the first half of the paper some of the basic aerodynamic engineering and piloting problems that have been encountered during the design and development of modern naval deck landing aircraft are enumerated and described. Such aircraft, of basically swept-wing configurations and high transonic or supersonic performance, have to be capable of being flown comfortably under full pilot control at the low speeds expected for carrier deck landings.

In Part II, the many devices of aerodynamic and engineering design will be described which have been evolved in an attempt to overcome or minimise the problems.