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Navy Uses Railgun To Launch Fighter Jet

Phoghat writes "In 2015 the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will take to the seas and the plan is to use a railgun to launch planes, instead of steam powered catapults. From the article: 'The Navy developed its Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System as a replacement for the steam catapults currently used on aircraft carriers. The EMALS is a linear induction motor that's capable of accelerating a 100,000 pound aircraft to 240 miles per hour in the space of 300 feet. Compared to a steam catapult, the railgun catapult is much smaller, more efficient, simpler to maintain, gentler on airframes, and can deliver up to 30% more power. It's also capable of being cranked down a whole bunch, meaning that it can also launch smaller (and more fragile) unmanned drones.'"

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  1. Re:A linear induction motor is not a railgun. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Same accelerator concept though. Maybe what they have built is flexible enough to handle both roles.

    Linear induction motor that's capable of accelerating a 100,000 pound aircraft to 240 miles per hour in the space of 300 feet.

    One wonders how is that any easier on the airframe?

    Anyone know how you calculate G-forces in this kind of acceleration?

    The same way you calculate G-forces in any other kind of acceleration, dumbass.

    Did you imagine that there are separate equations for G-forces caused by gasoline engines, diesel engines, jet engines, and railguns? No. G-force is purely a matter of meters per second per second. Acceleration. That is all. Next time don't comment if you don't know what the fuck you're talking aboot and a 10-second Google search would easily answer it. It's a total waste of bandwidth. Dumbass.