Hi there,
I was taxying around on the carrier in Flanker 2.0 a couple of days ago, and i noticed that the ground speed readout was up to about 45kph or so. I know that inertial reference systems have inherant errors, so I didn't worry about it too much. But what it was reading became very obvious when I taxied (quickly!) towards the rear of the carrier - Not surprisingly, the GS readout decreased down to near zero ...
When we initialise the INS in my 747-200 (The ratty ol' Delco boxes, FWIW) we are required to maintain the aircraft dead stationary, until we select 'NAV' on the mode selector.

So, I was wondering just how the INS/IRS systems are initialised on carrier borne-aircraft? I assume that there must be a platform leveling stage, then the military nav systems must allow you to feed in a (sort of) general lat/long, then as the alignment is refined you can quickly feed in the actual position.

Regards,
Bill Sherwood.
750 hrs 747-238
~2000hrs Citation 2
~2000hrs Metro 2

Another quick question, before I forget - I have a friend who was in the German Airforce, and he said that they tried a rocket on the back of the F-104 to basically see how fast the darn thing could go.
It all sounds like the various amounts of BS that you often hear in the bar's at airports, but normally this guy is pretty straight.
He said that they took everything out of the F-104 that wasn't required for flight, eg, all radar gear, etc, and polished the airframe skin to a high mirror finish.
They (apparently) then took off, ran it with full AB until it got to about M2.1 or so, then hit the rocket, which then took it to M4 (!!!!!!!) He also said that the Canadians did the same thing.
Like I said, it all sounds like BS to me ...

Bill

I don't know what the INS alignment procedures are on a carrier. I would expect them to be similar to what you mentioned.

As for the F-104 story...I've never heard that one before. I taught the Germans in the 104 and don't recall anything like that. They did put a rocket pack on a 104 to use for a zero launch capability.

I'm not sure what the basic 104 airframe would do at Mach 4. The airframe limit was a function of engine compressor inlet temperature. Our airspeed limit was 800 KIAS and I've flown the jet out to that a number of times...but never past it.

Bottom line for me would be the question of why do it in the first place? I don't see the point.

Andy

Yeah, like I mentioned, it sounds like a bunch of BS ... As for why you'd want to do it - Heck! Why not? It's darn fast!

I also doubt that the airframe would be able to do those sorts of speeds, not only for the inlet air temp, but for the dynamic air pressure on the nose area, which I reckon would cause it to become laterally unstable.

FWIW, I'd love to have a fly of an F-104 one day - It's just the sort of aircraft I like; wing loadings that can be measured in units of tons per sq inch!