emals

Need for speed? How coasters are getting faster and scarier

On some of the newest roller coasters, there is no long, steady climb up a track before the screaming begins. The screaming starts right away when rides are launched using electromagnetic technology, called linear synchronous motor or LSM, that can catapult a coaster from zero to up to 100 miles an hour in just seconds.

The technology and speed allow for near vertical climbs and drops, gravity-defying stunts and record-breaking roller coaster designs. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom ride supervisor Charles Laureano says the electromagnetic technology, which was first installed on coasters in 1996, has improve dramatically. "It's a … Read more

Whoosh! U.S. Navy F-35C gets electromagnetic launch

The U.S. Navy said today it has demonstrated the successful integration of two of its key next-generation sea-based strike programs--the carrier version of the Joint Strike Fighter, and the all-new electromagnetic aircraft launch system.

Both the F-35C fighter and the EMALS launch technology are expected to see service eventually aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy's next-generation aircraft carrier, as well as other Ford-class carriers.

The F-35C is the carrier variant of the controversial Joint Strike Fighter, a $1 trillion military program that has been the subject of cost overruns and a wide range of other problems. … Read more

Navy takes electromagnetic tack for carrier launches

For the U.S. Navy, the age of steam may finally be almost over.

Over the weekend, the Navy made its first-ever launch of an aircraft, an F/A-18E Super Hornet, using a cutting-edge electromagnetic apparatus. The test operation of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) is a significant, though still preliminary, achievement in the Navy's planned shift away from the steam catapults that have been in use on aircraft carriers for more than a half-century.

"Saturday's EMALS launch demonstrates an evolution in carrier flight deck operations using advanced computer control, system monitoring, and automation for tomorrow'… Read more