AviationBanter - View Single Post - Maximum aircraft weight a carrier catapult can launch?

**Dave Bowles** · April 26th 11, 07:41 AM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval

In article ,
says...

On Mon, 21 Mar 2011 02:59:18 -0700 (PDT), J
wrote:

This ignorant civilian would like to know if there is a maximum
aircraft weight that an aircraft carrier's catapult can launch?

Background:

I am currently reading "On Yankee Station" by Nichols and Tillman
(1987). In the last full paragraph on page 102, the authors write:

"[snip]...Then the exhilarating rush as the steam-powered cats flung
airplanes off the desk. Whether it was the A-4 grossing 20,000 pounds
with fuel and ordnance biting into the air or a huge KA-3 tanker
weighing 73,000 pounds lifting off, the procedure never failed to
fascinate me: from zero to 160 knots in three seconds."

Thanks . . . J

Don't know what it is today, but there is certainly nothing as big or
heavy on a KA-3 on a carrier these days.

The cats haven't changed much over the years. The A-3 was about the
biggest thig to ever get catted off the pointy end, and that 73,000
pounds was approaching the max. I recall 80,000 pounds from a chat many
years ago. An article on an NAS Lakehurst site tells of shooting a
79,000 pound sled, so that's about right.

Dave in Sandy Eggo