title: Navalised aircraft
text: # Navalised aircraft
  
  A navalised aircraft (or navalized aircraft) is an aircraft that has been specifically designed for naval use, in some cases as a variant of a land-based design. An aircraft based on an aircraft carrier is called carrier-based aircraft.
  
  ## Characteristics
  
  A navalised aircraft typically differs from its land-based equivalent by:
  
  * The airframe, engine and avionics are marinised against salt water corrosion.
  * It is designed to be used on a flight deck. For a fixed wing aircraft this typically means catapult attachment points, a tailhook and strengthened undercarriage. Naval helicopters usually have wheels rather than skids and may have mechanisms to attach to the deck.
  * It is designed to occupy minimum hangar space – for example the wings, tail-boom or rotors may fold.
  * There is enhanced protection against water ingress (including that from hosing down with fresh water to get rid of salt water).
  * Equipment such as sensors and weapons are optimised for naval roles.
  * The avionics is compatible with the complex electronic equipment of a warship, and that there is no electromagnetic interference between the two.
  * There is provision for ditching at sea.
  * Helicopters may have provision for receiving fuel through the cabin while hovering adjacent to a ship.
  
  For safety reasons, the aviation fuel provided by ships may be different (e.g. AVCAT) from that provided by airfields and tanker aircraft.
  
  ## Examples
  
  The T-45 Goshawk is a navalised version of the BAE Hawk jet trainer. Differences from the Hawk include changes to the undercarriage for aircraft carrier compatibility and a strengthened airframe. The engine design was also modified for the aircraft's role at sea. A proposed navalised version of the Alpha Jet would have had similar design modifications.
  
  Other examples of navalised variants of land-based aircraft include:
  
  * Bell AH-1 SuperCobra
  * British Aerospace Sea Harrier
  * Dassault Rafale M
  * Hawker Sea Fury
  * Hawker Sea Hurricane
  * Mikoyan MiG-29K
  * North American FJ-2 & FJ-3 Fury
  * Sukhoi Su-33
  * Supermarine Seafire
  * Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawk
  