A C-130 can actually approach at a slower speed then an F-15 and then slow down much much much faster once it's on the deck. It's amazing what reversing the pitch of the prop blades will do..
This is off the Forrestal CVA 59, it's pretty damn small compared to todays CVN's lol. And they did it in rough sea's. Granted, that aircraft only weighed 85,000 and the C-130 can weigh in at 155,000 for cargo carrying without being in war time or needing a letter authorizing it. Still, I would check my form F a few times at 155,000 :)
Here is a link to a little essay about that take off and landing and at the bottem is the video , enjoy :)
C-130 Lands on carrier
As for an F-15 landing on a CVN in real life, I am sure I would rather eject then try it , the gov'ment can buy a new F-15 cause I am not all that sure about this reincarnation jazz. I will happily take my chances with the parachute opening and the sharks in the ocean.
However, I am sure that an F-15 or nearly anyplane that can come close to slowing down in the length of a carrier deck and has a small enough wing span can do it.
Landing gears breaking apart? Why? Why can't you land with the same decent rate as you do on land runways? Takes more skill I am sure, but you don't have to do your typical carrier landing.
The wires across the deck don't have as much give as the Airforce ones on land runways? I think you can set it for the weight of the aircraft. Many different types of planes at far different weights land there all the time, ther has to be a way to set the pull on the cables for the variance. I realize though, that they would use a totally different weight chart for the F-15. Maybe one that even allows the F-15 to stretch the cable well past the control island.
It's even a fun game to play.
F-15's in LoMAC do not have folding wings. Maybe you should have been better read before claiming such things. The only plane in the whole series so far that has folding wings is the SU-33...I guess it kinda looks like an F-15 to some people.
It would be the anomaly, because it would not be a simple thing to do, the whole deck needs to be used and it would not be something that is even useful, but sure, it can be done and done without destroying the airframe. The planes not made to land on the carrier can do it, but uses nearly the whole boat to do so. The planes actually made to land on the carrier, uses a small portion of the boat.
Would you argue that a cessna can't land on the carrier? I mean, man, the landing gears on the cessna's are pretty fragile as well and if it landed at the decent rates the navy pilots use, no way that plane stays intack. If any non-navy planes landed at the decent rates the navy uses for carrier landings, they would at best need a hard landing inspection and at worst maybe break apart. It doesn;t even have to be on a carrier, just need to descend like you think you have the landing gears of a carrier plane.
Truth of the matter is, the carrier deck is just another runway that is elevated and not very long. Adjust for the elevation and come in at a speed slow enough to stop before you go off the end, it's that simple. Sure, a rolling pitching deck will probably damage the landing gears no matter how lite you touch down, hell I have seen helicopters damage thier landing gears landing on a boat in the bearing seas.
Anyway, can't wait till they put an F/A-18 in LoMAC, till then, I will have to entertain myself by occasionally landing an F-15 on the CVN :P