Hi Pile,
Its nice to hear from a carrier buff. I am also one. Since I have never been good at dog fighting and never will....I have perfected the art of carrier landing NON tailhook planes. I do them in dogfight rooms (stationary carriers), with NO wind mods with clear settings. The carrier of my choice, is the Lexington class, because it has the longest deck. Some of my favorite challenges (no tailhook), are the P51, P47, B25, Me262, YP80, F86 Sabre, Me109, Go229, P38, Spits, Hawkers, and the most difficult FW190. The Bf109's are one of the easier planes to carrier land. As with anything, there are things you can do to help make yer landing a successful one. I do not use my guns to stop, so I drop all ammo to lighten the aircraft. Also, fuel down to 25%. Always open to full radiator, and full up elevator trim, as I have found this to lower the stall speed of planes, slightly. The best approach is low, long, and flat. This should be done while holding the aircraft at just above stall speed. Once you perfect flying low (just above the height of the carrier deck), and on the edge of a stall, most of the battle is over. Now all you need to do, is touchdown at the fantail/ beginning of the aft deck, to give as much room for slowing the aircraft down to a stop. I have my brakes on at the moment the gear touch. Once down, hold full up elevator (with full up elevator trim set), and beat the rudder back and forth to cause a slight to moderate Zig-Zag, down the deck. This will help to bleed off speed. In planes with tail wheels, you must be ready to let off the brakes when you start to sense the plane nose begin to drop. The moment the tail wheel is back on the deck, apply full brakes again. This braking procedure may have to be repeated twice. If you have to let off the brakes, it can only be for a moment, if you are going to stop in time. And now we come to the stopping part. With the planes who's brakes are less effective, you must perform a 180 degree skid, at the correct time. If your speed is to high when you perform the "skid", you can kiss yer landing gear "good-bye". Each aircraft has a speed at which the "skid" can be performed safely. Once you know the "safe skid speed".....the moment you reach it, hold full right rudder, and of course full brakes. Some planes, if the skid speed is slow enuff, you can even drag a wingtip on the deck, to slow the plane down to a stop.
Over the years, I have recorded hundreds of tracks of my landing attempts, which I have studied, in order to become successful. I will be happy to send my good tracks to anyone who can use them. Even landing the B24 and B17 on a stationary carrier, is possible.
Of course, the information I have presented above, is not many pilots Cup-O-Tea. For me, the challenge of making a successful carrier landing with a plane that don't belong on a carrier deck, I find to be very rewarding. To each, their own, eh.
My Grandma lands taillhook planes all the time.....an she's blind in one eye.
It's better to camouflage your mail address by writing it as you say it, so "email harvesting bots" don't get it. Better edit you post to say "gerax44 at aon dot at". Just a small tip. 