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jpak

(41,741 posts)
Fri May 12, 2017, 01:39 PM May 2017

Navy should return to 'goddamned steam' on carrier, Trump says

https://www.navytimes.com/articles/trump-says-navy-should-ditch-carrier-emals

President Trump says the Navy should abandon longstanding plans for electro-magnetic catapults for carrier aviation and return to the traditional steam-powered launch and recovery system, according to the president's interview with TIME.

In the interview, Trump was asked about the future of Ford-class carrier technology and he specifically addressed perceived differences between the antiquated steam-powered system and the Ford's new Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, also known as EMALS.

"You know the catapult is quite important," said Trump. "So I said what is this? Sir, this is our digital catapult system. He said well, we’re going to this because we wanted to keep up with modern [technology]. I said, 'You don’t use steam anymore for catapult?' 'No sir.' I said, 'Ah, how is it working?' 'Sir, not good. Not good. Doesn’t have the power. You know the steam is just brutal. You see that sucker going and steam’s going all over the place, there’s planes thrown in the air.'"

<snip>

"It sounded bad to me. Digital. They have digital. What is digital? And it’s very complicated. You have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out. And I said — and now they want to buy more aircraft carriers. I said what system are you going to be — 'Sir, we’re staying with digital.' I said no you’re not. You going to goddamned steam, the digital costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it’s no good."

<more>

21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Navy should return to 'goddamned steam' on carrier, Trump says (Original Post) jpak May 2017 OP
And the USPS should return to "goddamned pony express" on mail routes. Mrs. Overall May 2017 #1
maybe Trump wants to return to those yuiyoshida May 2017 #2
Bring back those coal jobs! Right now. The Navy needs them. nikibatts May 2017 #21
Trump should return to his 'goddamned tower', Navy says dalton99a May 2017 #3
Ha! (nt) JaneQPublic May 2017 #5
Is this satire?! I am asking a serious question obamanut2012 May 2017 #4
I don't think so...it's the Navy Times. Lochloosa May 2017 #6
JFC obamanut2012 May 2017 #11
Honest question: Did Kremlin Don back into the right question? JHB May 2017 #7
EMALS is operationally superior to steam. Adrahil May 2017 #12
Thank you. JHB May 2017 #14
The other thing steam cats do MyNameGoesHere May 2017 #18
Not a problem! Adrahil May 2017 #20
OK, OK, we'll return to steam. I see your point. Ensign, get the President some cookies and milk. TheBlackAdder May 2017 #8
Also, why aren't Air Force One and the President's motorcade steam-powered? struggle4progress May 2017 #9
I think we have an opportunity here to turn the Navy and Marines against drump. nt Ilsa May 2017 #10
Stealing a comment from a friend of mine... Adrahil May 2017 #13
Motherfucker just can't stop lying! MindPilot May 2017 #15
Donnie can have his "secretary" type up his edict on an IBM Selectric spiderpig May 2017 #16
The comments on that story are pretty good jmowreader May 2017 #17
Trump from 1956 jmowreader May 2017 #19

JHB

(37,128 posts)
7. Honest question: Did Kremlin Don back into the right question?
Fri May 12, 2017, 02:24 PM
May 2017

I'm not exactly well-versed on this subject. Was there really a need, or was it a case of sweet, sweet development dollars vs an old technology with little room for R&D?

Advantages and disadvantages? Capabilities vs vulnerabilities? vis a vis EMALS and steam systems.

 

Adrahil

(13,340 posts)
12. EMALS is operationally superior to steam.
Sat May 13, 2017, 04:25 PM
May 2017

Steam catapults must be warmed up 3 hours prior to flight ops. In addition, the steam pressure takes time to build up between launches. The steam pressure must be constantly monitored to ensure it is being maintenance properly.

EMALS is ready to launch within minutes. It needs far less time to charge capacitors between launches, meaning a higher launch rate. The launch parameters are adjusted simply by adjusting the commanded launch power, and finally the EMALS is FAR less maintenance intensive than the steam catapults.

 

MyNameGoesHere

(7,638 posts)
18. The other thing steam cats do
Sat May 13, 2017, 05:05 PM
May 2017

It takes massive amounts of fresh water. During round the clock ops sailers are restricted on water usage. If it were in the middle of a conflict screw the sailors, make fresh water for the cats only.

Oh and tRump is a fucking idiot.

 

Adrahil

(13,340 posts)
13. Stealing a comment from a friend of mine...
Sat May 13, 2017, 04:27 PM
May 2017

Wait till he finds out not all the planes use propellers.

 

MindPilot

(12,693 posts)
15. Motherfucker just can't stop lying!
Sat May 13, 2017, 04:42 PM
May 2017
http://breakingdefense.com/2017/05/trump-not-briefed-by-navy-on-ford-catapult-loves-goddamned-steam-anyway/

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump may have a clear preference for a “goddamned steam” catapult on the USS Ford and its successors, but his opinion is not based on any detailed Navy briefing about the ship, according to Sean Stackley, acting Navy Secretary. Trump may have derived his remarkably insightful observations about the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) from his March 2 visit to the Ford.

“I’m probably not going to get into a Q&A regarding comments the president’s made…. That was a good try,” Stackley told reporters yesterday afternoon. That said, Stackley went on, “We have not briefed the president on the Ford program. He did go down to Newport News and visited the ship, was onboard the ship… I wasn’t present for that visit.”


my comment:
That conversation never happened; nobody who would be in a positon to explain EMALS to the CiC would criticize it. One, because none of that shit 45 said is even remotely accurate, and two, all the Navy brass and elected officials—even those who are a hard sell like John McCain--who have actually seen it work are pretty enthusiastic.

spiderpig

(10,419 posts)
16. Donnie can have his "secretary" type up his edict on an IBM Selectric
Sat May 13, 2017, 04:50 PM
May 2017

Then he can pat her on her ***** and have her bring him a Dr. Pepper.

Clueless imbecile.

jmowreader

(50,447 posts)
17. The comments on that story are pretty good
Sat May 13, 2017, 04:57 PM
May 2017

It seems that a lot of sailors are not all that happy with their commander-in-chief.

jmowreader

(50,447 posts)
19. Trump from 1956
Sat May 13, 2017, 05:07 PM
May 2017

"You know the powerplant is quite important," said Trump. "So I said what is this? Sir, this is our nuclear reactor system. He said well, we're going to this because we wanted to keep up with modern. I said, 'you don't use coal anymore for power?' 'No sir.' I said, 'Ah, how is it working?' 'Sir, not good. Not good. Doesn't have the power. You know the coal is just brutal. You see that sucker going and steam's going all over the place, the ship's just crashing through the waves.'"

"It sounded bad to me. Nuclear. They have nuclear. What is nuclear? And it's very complicated. You have to be Albert Einstein to figure it out. And I said -- and now they want to buy more aircraft carriers. I said what system are you going to be -- 'Sir, we're staying with nuclear.' I said no you're not. You going to goddamned coal and you're going to have sailors put it in the boilers with a goddamned shovel, the nuclear costs hundreds of millions of dollars more money and it's no good."

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