Lakehurst began as a remote ammunition proving ground for the Russian Imperial Government in 1915.

Acquired two years later by the U.S. Army, Lakehurst continued as a test site for ammunition and poison gas until 1921 when it was commissioned as an air station for the U.S. Navy.

The mission of NAWCAD Lakehurst is to conduct programs of technology development, engineering, developmental evaluation and verification, systems integration, limited manufacturing, procurement, integrated logistics support management, and fleet engineering support for Aircraft Platform Interface (API) systems.

Many interesting goings-on here, in addition to the famous one that has already been placemarked.

If you're going to bet lives and warfighting capability on aircraft carrier catapult launchers, you've got to test them.



The Steam Catapult Complex.

The Test Catapult Complex is composed of the TC13 Mod 0 and TC13 Mod 2 Steam Catapults, and a high pressure steam plant, located at the threshold of a 12,000 foot long runway. This test facility is used to simulate the launching of naval aircraft from the flight deck of US Navy aircraft carriers. These test catapults are capable of launching both aircraft and deadloads, thus allowing both manned and unmanned testing.

Both catapults at the test complex are capable of launching weights up to 100,000 pounds and producing endspeeds up to 185 knots. The steam plant is capable of 138,000 pounds per hour. A unique feature of the test site is the capability of launching deadloads.

Recessed guide slots are used to maintain stability of the four wheeled vehicles, and a friction brake brings the vehicle to a stop after release at the end of the power stroke.

Although used primarily for testing catapult performance, the site can be used as a linear acceleration/deceleration force platform for testing such things as drop tanks, cargo slings, aircraft fuel tanks, and fuel cells. The object under test can be oriented to obtain programmed forces in the X, Y or Z axis, and loads up to 15 G�s when required.

� Launch Energy:
TC13 Mod 0: 62 million ft-lbs
TC13 Mod 2: 99 million ft-lbs

� Launch Stroke:
TC13 Mod 0: 250 feet
TC13 Mod 2: 310 feet

� Cycle Time:
45 seconds both cats

� End Speed (F-14 heavyweight):
TC13 Mod 0: 120 knots
TC13 Mod 2: 145 knots

� Max Acceleration:
TC13 Mod 0: 6 G�s
TC13 Mod 2: 5 G�s


C13 Mod-2 in-ground low pressure steam catapult

What goes up, must come down. Launching from a short deck using a catapult is fine, but how are those planes going to land? Well, here is the U.S. Navy's Arresting Gear test facility. (Located just down the field from the catapult test facility )

The U.S. Navy Jet Car test facility, Lakehurst.



THE TRACKS. The three operational tracks range in length from 7,500 to 9,150 feet.

Hope the clear-space down track #4 is ample enough for the Douglas A-3 Skywarrior mounted on the Jet Car!



THE TEST VEHICLE. A Jet Car powered by four J57 jet engines pushes weighted deadloads down the track to simulate aircraft operating conditions. The car develops 42,000 pounds of thrust and attains energy levels in excess of 140 million foot pounds.



COST EFFECTIVE AND SAFE TESTING. Tests of arresting gear and barricades are conducted with little risk to aircraft and personnel and at substantially lower cost than similar runway tests using manned aircraft. These tests may be conducted using weighted deadloads to simulate various aircraft landing conditions or they may use the airframe itself as in the nylon barricade tests conducted to qualify fleet aircraft. Site based data acquisition capabilities include measurement and recording of dynamic loads from both arresting gear and test vehicles. Ground based and telemetry data streams are monitored and recorded at the ground stations located at the recovery end of the JCTS1, JCTS4 and JCTS5. The measurement system consists of data acquisition and analysis workstations organized in a LAN. High speed motion picture and closed circuit TV is also used.

The jet car develops 42,000 pounds thrust - employs airframes or deadloads up to 100,000 lbs - can attain energies in excess of 140 million ft lb and speeds up to 250 kts.

The remote location provides a safety and noise buffer. Runaway deadloads have harmlessly wandered off into the woods. (Hint: Don't tresspass on military property )

The site has been used by the Air Forces, FAA and foreign governments.

The primary Navy use is wire rope acceptance tests, barricade testing and arresting gear evaluation and verification.

Hangar 1



NAVAIR Lakehurst employees form human characters in front of famous Hangar 1. (17 June 2003)



...and the NAVAIR logo! (One year prior, 17 June 2002)

The rest of the story:

• Hangar 1 construction completed in 1921 at a cost of $4 million.
• Home for every rigid airship in the Navy. The Hindenburg just fit in the hangar with 18 in clearance bow and stern.
• 211,000 sq ft of floor space. (Interior Dimensions:807 ft. X 262 ft.) The hanger is 224 ft. high
• National historic monument.
  

With the Hindenburg tethered outside.


With the Hindenburg tethered inside.

With terrain on, there appears to be one heck of an obstruction to the left of the runway..

Largest free-standing single arch structures in the world, built entirely of wood - each has 241,000 sq. ft. of floor space. (Interior size: 1,026 x 235 ft.) The hangers are 183 ft. high.

According to the LTA page, each is made from 2.7 million board-feet of lumber and 143 tons of bolts, washers, ring connectors and miscellaneous structural steel.

The "High-Mast" was used by the USS Shenandoah and USS Los Angeles during their years at NAS Lakehurst. It was from this mast that the former made her spectacular January 16,1924 "breakaway flight" in a gale, and the latter provided one of the most interesting "photo ops" of the rigid airship era by standing on her nose on August 25, 1927.



Subsequent development of the "stub" mast sealed the fate of the 160-foot steel tower, Los Angeles made the last mooring to it in 1929, and it was cut down in 1934-35. The house at the base of the mast was moved a few hundred yards and converted into a residence, but helium, water, steam and electrical connections remained at the site, located about 3/4 of a mile directly out from the west doors of Hangar No. One.

The site itself consists of concrete pads which supported the mooring tower, about a dozen steel "dead men" in concrete boxes with crumbling wooden covers, and a concrete pit containing the utility connections and a 4-inch helium line cut-off somewhat below ground level. The various valves and caps are still there, together with the electrical and telephone service boxes, etc. In the 1920's, there was apparently an underground fuel storage tank at the site, no signs of which exist today.



Tie-downs at the perimeter of the site (several hundred feet from the center) consist of eye-hooks secured to concrete blocks. The attached placemark identifies the trio that contains this hook.

It would be difficult to stand or taxi behind an F14/F15/F18 at high thrust awaiting a catapult launch were it not for the Jet Blast Deflector that elevates to direct the jet exhaust plume skyward. As with other aircraft carrier components, Lakehurst has a test facility for the JBD as well. (Note the 50+ degree angle of the exhaust plume in the following photo. There also appears to be a cable or latch connected to the front gear.)



According to the base press release, This is only site in the world that can conduct aircraft acceptance tests that demonstrate compatibility with the JBD.

Here are a pair of Jet Blast Deflectors in use on the USS Constellation (CVA-64), which was decommissioned on August 7th, 2003 after nearly 42 years of service to the nation. During the Constellation�s commissioned service, she completed 21 deployments and most recently completed combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom:



Notice the yellow and green uniforms? Here is a guide to the rainbow of colors one may find on the flight deck.

Rotary-wing aircraft handling characteristics are quite different when close to the ground (the so-called Ground Effect, which offers greater resistance to air pushed down by rotor blades.) To test various operations without ground effect, the Lakehurst facility provides this Elevated Fixed Platform.