Forum: General F-35 Forum

HII Unconcerned About Minor Ship Delivery Delays By Michael Fabey August 13, 2012

http://www.aviationweek.com/Article.asp ... 485233.xml

"The LHA-6 USS America amphibious assault ship and USS Somerset (LPD-25), a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, are running a bit behind the initial delivery schedule to the U.S. Navy, but shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) sees no reason for concern.

HII had been looking at delivering the Somerset this year and the America early next year....

...The next-generation America, the Navy says, is optimized for aviation, capable of supporting current and future aircraft such as the tiltrotor MV-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Some of the special aviation features, compared to previous amphibious assault ships, include an enlarged hangar deck, realignment and expansion of the aviation maintenance facilities, a significant increase in available stowage for parts and support equipment, and increased aviation fuel capacity...."

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LHD 01 Departs Spain, Australia Bound
By Australian Department of Defence on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012

http://www.defencetalk.com/lhd-01-depar ... und-44290/

"Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced the departure of the hull of the first of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) new amphibious ships from Ferrol in northern Spain.

Mr Clare said the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) 01 hull will be transported to Melbourne, Australia, by the Heavy Lift Ship, Blue Marlin. The hull was built in the Navantia shipyard in Spain.

“The trip is expected to take approximately seven weeks depending on weather conditions,” Mr Clare said.

The Canberra Class LHDs are bigger than Australia’s last aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne. When completed they will be more than 230 metres long, 27.5 metres high and weigh around 27,500 tonnes.

Mr Clare said each ship can carry a combined arms battle group of more than 1100 personnel, 100 armoured vehicles and 12 helicopters and features a 40-bed hospital.

“On arrival in Australian waters the ship will transit to Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne and then on to the Williamstown dockyard for consolidation of the superstructure and installation of the combat and communications and navigation systems. This will be followed by sea trials,” he said.

The vessel is scheduled to be delivered to the RAN in early 2014.

The hull of LHD 02 was launched on 4 July from the Navantia shipyard in a ceremony attended by the Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs. When complete, LHD 02 will be commissioned as HMAS Adelaide.

Additional Information
Launched in Spain, in February 2011, the Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) Canberra has been loaded on to the heavy lift ship the MV Blue Marlin for the voyage to Australia.

The MV Blue Marlin is a semi-submersible heavy lift ship designed to transport very large semi-submersible drilling rigs above the transport ship’s deck. Blue Marlin is operated by the Dockwise group that provides specialty heavy marine transport services.

The Canberra class vessels are 230.8 metres long overall, with a maximum beam of 32 metres, and a maximum draught of 7.18 metres. At full load, “Canberra” will displace 27,851 tonnes, making the new LHDs the largest ships to serve in the RAN.

The ship is due to arrive in Victoria in November and will be fitted out by BAE Systems at the Melbourne Williamstown Shipyard before being accepted into service in 2014, followed by her sister ship “Adelaide” (LHD02) the year after."

Sorry if I'm late to the party on this question - Why does that helicopter transport have a ramp on the bow deck?
Unless my crusty eyes deceive me (coffee is still brewing...)

[quote="archeman"]..Why does that helicopter transport have a ramp on the bow deck?..quote]

The Canberra class is based on the Spanish Juan Carlos. "Juan Carlos I (L61) is a multi-purpose warship in the Spanish Navy (Armada Española). Similar in concept to the American Wasp class LHDs, it has the addition of a ski jump for STOVL operations. The ship will be equipped with fighter jets of the AV-8B Harrier II type and will primarily be used as an aircraft carrier. The vessel is named in honour of Juan Carlos I, the current King of Spain."

Does that inspire more questions??? Laughing

Spaz should be able to start a new thread on the Aussie ramp alone.
Wink

The ship was designed for the Spanish Navy, which operates Harriers and may eventually operate F-35s. It probably would have added costs to delete the ramp, and the RAN swears up and down that their copies will only carry helos; but who knows what they're really thinking. Here's hoping.

Realize that helicopters benefit too from rolling starts.

madrat wrote:

Realize that helicopters benefit too from rolling starts.

I don't think helicopters benefit from a ramp on a rolling takeoff.

1st503rdsgt wrote:

The ship was designed for the Spanish Navy, which operates Harriers and may eventually operate F-35s. It probably would have added costs to delete the ramp, and the RAN swears up and down that their copies will only carry helos; but who knows what they're really thinking. Here's hoping.

I'm hoping too. Otherwise the ramp is just wasted deck space thought it would cone in handy should they want to race go-carts. Very Happy

Last edited by popcorn on Aug 24, 2012 - 01:10 PM; edited 3 times in total

1st503rdsgt wrote:

The ship was designed for the Spanish Navy, which operates Harriers and may eventually operate F-35s. It probably would have added costs to delete the ramp, and the RAN swears up and down that their copies will only carry helos; but who knows what they're really thinking. Here's hoping.

..

If 'popcorn' is 'hopingX2' then I'm hoping also. He forgets that the LHDs can be a spare deck in emergency for Harriers/F-35Bs as required or just for cross-decking to 'encourage dem Ozzies' to purchase a bunch of F-35Bs in the far future (perhaps with a different extra flat deck). No correspondence will be entered into on the last point (because it has been done to death here) but... I just make the point that the ski jump is useful to others who can use it when needed.

spazsinbad wrote:

Having read the page at the URL about USS America (abuilding) we can see that this is an all purpose (JSF-B & Helo) carrier

At 45,000 tons, I wonder that it's not a nuke boat. There's lot of fuel required to keep that ship moving.

count_to_10 wrote:

madrat wrote:

Realize that helicopters benefit too from rolling starts.

I don't think helicopters benefit from a ramp on a rolling takeoff.

Try thinking a little harder. There are plenty of books out their specifically on helicopter flight dynamics. I am sure a whirlybird jockey can find a way to make it work. Don't be surprised to see them using it.

Last edited by neptune on Aug 24, 2012 - 11:55 PM; edited 1 time in total

That 13 deg. ramp will be used for F-35Bs......for the Spanish Armada.!! Wink

12 deg. on the Brits and 12 deg. at Pax!
14.3 deg., Russ., Ind., Chin.

I hadn't connected the dots to the Canberra. Exclamation

Shirley the Aussie's wouldn't thnk of that...... Laughing

Shirley 'neptune' you must be joking or have WizenHeimer's Manuvers! (a silly dysfunction). People have been banging on about F-35Bs on LHDs since this thread started butt allllll concerned are glad we are alllll over it now. Very Happy

Maybe one day in a galaxy far far away.... The concept was mentioned by SLDinfo recently. They will keep the fires burning, especially when LHAs with F-35Bs are exercising with LHDs and crossdecking for dem media. You will hear about it. I doubt the CVFs with F-35Bs will make it East of Sewers - too hot dontcha know. Very Happy

madrat wrote:

count_to_10 wrote:

madrat wrote:

Realize that helicopters benefit too from rolling starts.

I don't think helicopters benefit from a ramp on a rolling takeoff.

Try thinking a little harder. There are plenty of books out their specifically on helicopter flight dynamics. I am sure a whirlybird jockey can find a way to make it work. Don't be surprised to see them using it.

The ramp is useful to fixed wing aircraft because it gives them a higher angle of attack on launch and a little bit of vertical velocity, which means they have more time to accelerate to flight speed before they hit the water.
Helicopters use rolling starts mostly because it gets undisturbed air under their rotors. Tilting them back at an angle just causes the rotors to thrust the wrong way.

Forum: General F-35 Forum

Possibility small STOVL carrier USN/USMC