back to article V-22 Osprey, stealth jumpjet 'need refrigerated landing pads'

It's now official. The new generation of high-tech hovering aircraft - namely the famous V-22 "Osprey" tiltrotor and the upcoming F-35B supersonic stealth jump-jet - have an unforeseen flaw. Their exhaust downwash is so hot as to melt the flight decks of US warships, leading Pentagon boffins to look into refrigerated landing …

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  2. hugo tyson
    Thumb Up

    Harrier roll

    Maybe Harriers roll forward because they immediately shift the exhausts to back (from down) in order not to cook the deck/itself, and to get max weight on wheels, and thus can't help but roll forward a bit before the engine spools down to ground idle? Just guessing, causation could be that way round?

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Flame

    Aluminium* Foam

    *pronounced æl.j ʊˈmɪn.i.əm

    i've seen a sheet a couple of centimeters thick resist two blowtorches aimed at the same spot...

    would probably count as ablative armour too. Now, how to make it smooth and retain the heat resistant characteristics.

  4. dracotrapnet
    Alien

    Why not deploy a mobile deck

    Why not deploy a mobile deck. A mechanical deck that toddles off the side of the ship that only supports the belly and landing gears of the plane and not the outboard engines. Might make it a cradle so the landing could be easier or set up an automated landing mechanism may be required for targeting such a small spot to land on.

  5. Richard P. Scott

    This space left intentionally blank

    Why not a composite material like Chobham armour? Already in production and very robust.

  6. Martin Budden Silver badge
    Grenade

    @Safety

    "All these ideas about flooding the flight deck with water are good, however, the deck is coated with non-skid which gets quite slippery when wet. You'll have avionicsman slipping all over the place, and non-skid is not very forgiving on the skin."

    Must be terrible when it rains... maybe they all stay indoors with a nice hot cup of cocoa.

    Also... am I the only person who thinks that slippery non-skid is an oxymoron?

  7. Mr Mark V Thomas

    Re:This thread

    You do realise that if the U.S Navy gets it's way, then this problem will not exist, as the U.S Marines will be flying the non V/Stol F/A-35C variant from U.S Navy Aircraft Carriers...

    As for any British F/A -35B's that may exist, then they won't land vertically, but use a high angle of attack approach, using the lift fan, & rear exhaust, & use this to carry a Stol "Rolling" landing on their carrier...

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