Thursday, May 11, 2017

Trump is an idiot when it comes to Military equipment. Ok, he is just an idiot.

I recently read an article where Donald (Moron) Trump commented on the electromagnetic launch system on the Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers. He doesn't like it and wants to use steam catapults that prior Aircraft Carriers use. Here is the problem, The Gerald R. Ford class was designed around the use of the electromagnetic catapults.
The thing with steam catapults is that they require a massive amount of piping and other equipment which takes up space, not to mention bulkheads would have to be changed to facilitate routing of the piping. It would mean a redesign of the entire carrier to accommodate the changes. You cannot just throw in new piping here and there, you have to have the room and you have to balance the weight distribution.
Another drawback to steam catapults is that they require a lot of maintenance and people to maintain. The Gerald R. Ford class was designed to need fewer people to operate because of less need of catapults maintenance and more automation. A change to a steam catapults system would require increased manning and berthing space. Another redesign.
The electromagnetic catapults have advantages over the steam system in that it is a more controlled system. This new control over the catapult puts less strain on the aircraft and pilot. The reduced size stress put on the aircraft means less maintenance and longer service life. The pilots themselves would be subject to less force and possible injury. The new system means the carrier can launch aircraft once considered to delicate to be launched by the hard to regulate steam catapults. Yes there are some bugs to work out but that is true for all new class of ships.
Back to the steam catapults for a bit. The steam system uses steam which his generated by the carriers nuclear reactors. The Gerald R. Ford doesn't have to generate as much steam and those reactors were designed accordingly. Replacing the electromagnetic magnetic catapults with steam ones would require different reactors; another redesign.
Naval engineering is not the same as building a hotel, you cannot just decide to change something and expect someone to erase this and add that. No, it is complicated and only a moron would think you could shift the Gerald R. Ford to steam catapults without having to redesign the complete vessel. Trump is that moron.

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