The United States Navy’s been having a lot of problems getting its electromagnetic catapult system, known as EMALS, to work reliably on its new aircraft carriers. But just because things aren’t reliable from the get-go doesn’t mean their testing doesn’t look neat as hell.
Carrier launches are notoriously violent, with fighter jet pilots blasting from a dead stop to 160 miles per hour in under two seconds. Obviously, you can’t test out a brand new system with an actual, live human being without a guarantee you won’t kill them, so the Navy does it with these unpowered trucks.
And damn does it look fun. Just look at them shoot like a scared squirrel off the deck of the new Ford-class carrier.
Oh, I’m sorry, sir would like a GoPro-shot first-person view, showing what it’s like to be strapped to one of these things?
We aim to please.
Ya know, if this whole “warfare” thing doesn’t work out for the Navy, they can always make a couple of really good log flume rides.
Contact the author at ballaban@jalopnik.com.
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