Since the beginning of the 20th century, the United States has been launching planes off the top of aircraft carriers. At first the planes would take off simply from their own power, but as time passed and the loads of the aircraft got heavier, a more complex and powerful system was needed. The solution was a system of pulleys and weights, also known as a catapult. The design and workings behind the catapult have been changed and improved since its introduction, but the main idea still holds the same: to launch aircraft off a carrier with a limited space. Today, engineers and mechanics experts are currently working on a new system to be used in the Navy that will allow for even more efficiency of aircraft takeoff. In order to launch fixed wing aircraft off aircraft carriers, the Navy uses catapults. The first recorded attempt at launching an aircraft off of a deck was in 1903 by Samuel Langley. Langley used a spring-operated catapult to launch his models and his, what would be failed attempt at a full scaled launch. In the following year, 1904, the Wright brothers had begun creating their own style of catapult to launch planes in a short distance. Their catapult was more of a derrick style, which was a pulley, cable, and weight. The weight would drop, which would in turn pull the cable attached to the launching gear of the plane. This system allowed for shorter launching areas, and more successful and longer flights (Track & Derrick). Almost a decade later, LT Ellyson became the first person to successfully launch from the Navy’s new catapult system. The system used compressed air, which could be monitored safely to ensure that the right amount of pressure was being applied to the launching system. No more than thre... ... middle of paper ... ...ence.howstuffworks.com/aircraft-carrier3.htm>. Skerrett, Robert G. "Our Navy Has the Best Seaplane Catapult." The New York Times 2 Apr. 1916: n. pag. Our Navy Has the Best Seaplane Catapult - New Invention of Captain Washington I. Chambers Makes It Possible to Launch Aircraft from a Warship's Deck at Sea - View Article - NYTimes.com. Web. 09 Nov. 2013. . "Track & Derrick." WW1 Aero - The Journal of the Early Aeroplane Nov.182 (2003): 5-21. 1904 - TRACK & DERRICK. Web. 09 Nov. 2013. . Wright, Tim. "How Things Work: Electromagnetic Catapults." Editorial. Air & Space Magazine Jan. 2007: n. pag. Airspacemag.com. Air & Space Smithsonian. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. .
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
The earliest model was the trebuchet. It started by using a large weight on one end of a pivoting arm. The arm was pulled back the missile was placed and then let go. The weight went down, the arm went, and the missile launched. The later model gained its power from a tightly wound skein of rope, hair, and skin. the skeins were twisted incredibly tight and then had a wooden arm up to sixty feet long placed in between them. The arm was pulled back using pulleys and rope, the missile was placed in the wood cup and then the arm was released. The arm sprang to a 90 degree angle where it was stopped by a large padded piece of wood. The arm was then brought back down and fired again.
First the energy of conservation. The setting of the trebuchet before firing is shown in Fig 1. A heavy counterweight of mass (M) (contained in a large bucket) on the end of the short arm of a sturdy beam was raised to some height while a smaller mass (m) (the projectile), was positioned on the end of the longer arm near or on the ground. In practice the projectile was usually placed in a leather sling attached to the end of the longer arm. However for simplicity, we shall ignore the sling and compensate for this omission by increasing the assumed length of the beam on the projectile’s side. The counterweight was then allowed to fall so that the longer arm swung upward, the sling following, and the projectile was ultimately thrown from its container at some point near the top of the arc. The far end of the sling was attached to the arm by a rope in such a way that the release occurred at a launching angle near the optimum value ( most likely by repeated trials) for the launch height. The launching position is shown in fig.2 where we have assumed that the projectile is released at the moment the entire beam is vertical. In the figures: (a)=height of the pivot, (b)= length of the short arm, (c)= length of the long arm, while (v) and (V) are the velocities of (m) and (M), respectively, at the moment of launching.
For almost as long as civilizations began they have been fighting against each other. Often times these wars come down to who has the better military equipment. When one army creates an elite war machine another army is sure to soon copy or improve it. For example the U.S. Army Signal Corps purchased the first ever military aircraft in 1902 (Taylor). Two years later the Italians were also using aircrafts. The trebuchet catapult is no exception; it was one of the most destructive military machines of its time (Chevedden, 2000). A trebuchet works by using the energy of a falling counterweight to launch a projectile (Trebuchet). In this research paper I intend to explain the history and dynamics of a trebuchet catapult.
In an attempt to better understand the components of the trebuchet and to permit the viewer a better idea of the manner in which the firing of a trebuchet occurs, a trebuchet constructed entirely of K-nex was built this past week. The counterweight consisted of 5000 steel bb's wrapped in plastic and duct tape, while the sling itself was made of duct tape and twine. The remaineder of the trebuchet, including the throwing arm, were constructed purely from K-nex.
History Wing Introduction." Home Page for the Wright Brothers Aeroplane Company and Wright-brothers.org. 1999. Web. 10 Apr. 2011. .
The specific inventor of the trebuchet is unknown, but it is believed to have been invented in 300 BC in China. During the Middle Ages, around 500 AD, the trebuchet reached Europe where the design was adjusted. The trebuchet was the first war machine that used leverage and gravity instead of tension and torsion to throw an object. The purpose of the trebuchet was to create a more accurate and powerful version of the catapult. One main use of the trebuchet during battle was to knock down and damage walls.
The Mark 140 is suitable for fast attack ships, while the Mark 141 is suitable for larger ships. The Mark 141 weighs 1.81 Tonnes more than the Mark 140. Regardless of their weigh differences, both are capable of launching missiles at equal speeds. In order to prevent recoil, and damage the platforms are inclined at an angle of 35 degrees, and the entire launching system is faced forward (Fuller, 19)). Each System is also equipped with four containers to increase firing capability (Craig, 53). The Mark 141 contains a shock resistant walls, with a support structure. Within the frontal tube are clamping frames, which hold the harpoon prior to launch. The central, and rear ends are held by stacking frames which allow multiple missiles to be stacked together. These frames provide armor protection against corrosion, and the elements (Craig, 37). The Mark 140 is similar to the Mark 141 except for its composition, and operational cycle. The Mark 140 has aluminum launchers designed for 15 refurbishment cycles . These containers are also held together by stacking frames, but are made with stronger metals. Submarine-launched harpoons are held in unpowered, buoyant capsules. These are structurally composed of a nose cap, the main body, and aft body. The nose cap has pressure sensors, explosive bolts, and a nose removal rocket (Fuller, 20). The main body utilizes shock isolation rails to guide missile out during the exit phase. The missile is combined with a sabot assembly at the nose to provide support and protection. The sabot straps are discarded during the exit phase. The aft body is combined with the rear of the missiles by pyrotechnic bolts. Each submarine has up to four
The catapult history started when men thought of the idea of shooting a missile at a target. And then it became more advanced. For example the theory of the sling shot operated the same.
plane and a boat's sail lifts and pushes it forward. Imagine the sail of a boat
As aviation Ordnanceman, we were tasked with loading and arming all weapons and bombs for our squadron aircraft. We were just one part of an entire system that supported flight operations. As ordnance, we would be around the fifth process prior to flight. As we loaded the bombs in the bomb racks, other members tightened the bomb down, and we had a fuser. His responsibility was fusing the bomb and attaching the arming wires to the bomb racks. After that was completed and inspected, then explosive charges were installed, and the safety pins inserted. After the pilots completed their pre-flight checks and got strapped into the ejection seat, the squadron plane captain would turn our plane over to the handler who would direct the jet across the flight deck to the designated catapult for launch. Once the jet was at the catapult, the jet was turned briefly over to the gunner who would oversee the removal of all safety pins from the weapons. At this point, nobody could be directly in front of the jet in case a rocket fired or any other type of stray voltage event. Finally, the jet was turned over to the shooter and the final checkers. Here the pilot would test all controls and set the jet engine to takeoff power, with the pilot rendering a salute to say ready, the shooter gave a salute back and authorized the launch. In two seconds, the plane goes from zero to one hundred sixty five miles per hour and
The trials and tribulations of flight have had their ups and downs over the course of history. From the many who failed to the few that conquered; the thought of flight has always astonished us all. The Wright brothers were the first to sustain flight and therefore are credited with the invention of the airplane. John Allen who wrote Aerodynamics: The Science of Air in Motion says, “The Wright Brothers were the supreme example of their time of men gifted with practical skill, theoretical knowledge and insight” (6). As we all know, the airplane has had thousands of designs since then, but for the most part the physics of flight has remained the same. As you can see, the failures that occurred while trying to fly only prove that flight is truly remarkable.
What is a catapult? A catapult is a machine that launches an item several yards. We used catapults in war because of their speed and their launching distance. The way a catapult looks is it looks kind of like an arm. The way it looks is even kind of human like. Catapults are used for allot of things now in this modern day. Like I mentioned before they are used in
Aircraft carriers are the largest and most powerful warships. It has a large flight deck that enables planes to take off and land on the runway. They have radars that detect incoming planes and any missiles. The aircraft carrier is about 1000 ft. long and can carry 85 to 95 planes. They can also reach speeds of 30 knots.