navyao
Registered User
A little NAVAIR history from WESPAC...A4's, Shnugg and anyone else who was there feel free to chime in. I spent some time at Cubi but never in the O' Club.
If you were a South East Asia Navy, Marine or USAF pilot . . chances are you've heard about the Cubi Point Officer's Club 'Catapult.'
Cubi Point Naval Air Station in the PI was a place where war-weary Navy and Marine Corps Aviators, Marines and Sailors could let off a little steam after flying combat missions over Vietnam or spending weeks aboard ships on the gun-line on Yankee Station. The Cubi Point Officers' Club, was forever tasked with devising new and challenging ways of keeping the warriors entertained.
Enter Cmdr. John L. Sullivan and the now famous Cubi Point Officers Club 'catapult.' The unique catapult at the Cubi Point Officers' Club came into existence in 1969. The escapades of Navy and Marine pilots at the Cubi Point O'Club, are legend stuff.
One of these escapades involved 'night cat shots' catapulting a blind-folded squadron mate down 8 or 9 stairs clinging to castor-geared office chairs from the upstairs bar onto the dance floor. . . far below.
[ Two at once . . were dubbed : OUT OF CONTROL . . night F-4 . .'cat' shots. ]
Rarely did a pilot make it down the stairs then successfully scoot along the dance floor upright. Most arrived on the dance floor in a crumpled mass of legs and arms.
The practice often ended with disastrous results . . broken bones, severe strains, small concussions, and numerous other injuries that would sometimes ground the experienced combat pilots. Because of the number of injuries, Subic Bay's admiral suggested catapulting occupied chairs down the stairs should be reluctantly done away with.
However, to 'come up with' an interesting and safer alternative an extension to the club was in progress giving an opportunity for a significant change. 'Red Horse' Sullivan's scavengers headed off to the surplus yard, liberated a banged up refueling tank and had metal smiths' convert it into something resembling the fuselage and cockpit of an A-7 Corsair.
The 'aircraft ' was 6 ft. long with shoulder harness and belt. It had a stick that when pulled back sharply would release an arresting hook preventing it from plunging through a hole in the O'Club wall into a newly constructed 4 ft. pool of water outside.
The projectile's propulsion was provided by pressurized nitrogen tanks hooked up to a pressure manifold. The arrangement was powerful enough to propel the vehicle to 15 mph in the first two feet . . or an acceleration from zero to 15 m.p.h. in that distance.
In their efforts to successfully engage the hook with an arresting wire, each pilot had 6inches of control stick movement to play with. The vehicle was named 'Red Horse One' in honor of the Skipper. A few successful pilots were held in high esteem, their names were inscribed in gold letters on the Cubi O'Club 'Wall of Fame.'
Reaction time needed to be quick, the trap wire was only 14 feet from the nose of the projectile. Since the water in the pool was the only force stopping the vehicle, engineering minds and the Cubi Point Aircraft Repair Team designed it to enter the water as quickly. As deeply as possible.
The vehicle was retrieved from the water by a winch connected to a hook eye welded on the rear end of the 'A-7-like projectile.'
The first night the catapult was in operation it attracted a huge crowd. After it was declared safe, Rear Adm. Isaman was the first to ride the projectile. The Admiral manned the cockpit, saluted and was launched. A split second too early, he dropped the tail hook. We all waited a probable quick 'skip and catch' of the hook.
Didn't happen.
Instead the hook caught the rubber we had attached to the steel bumper at a point just short of the arresting wire. To the disappointed howl of the JO's the hook tore the rubber guard off the bumper and caught the arresting wire. Hmmm...no wet Admiral. Instead, Isaman became the first pilot to successfully 'trap' in the projectile.
After being presented with a bottle of champagne, Isaman's name was enshrined in gold on the 'Wall of Fame.' Later that night, some forty [ 40 ] disgruntled carrier jocks blasted down the catapult before another pilot successfully trapped. Word of the cat quickly spread throughout Southeast Asia even attracting Air Force F-4 pilots from Clark Air Force Base.
The Clark jocks all came swaggering in loudly claiming they were equal to the task. Much to the delight of the Navy onlookers . . none of them were quick enough to catch the wire.
Enlisted men operated and maintained the catapult during their off time and they were compensated from funds taken in for the operation of the 'Cat.' It cost nothing to ride the 'Cat' providing they successfully caught the wire. However, it cost five dollars if the 'pilot' penetrated the pool.
Of the many dignitaries, who attempted to ride the 'Cat,' was Navy's Under Secretary John Warner (Virginia's Senator). He had heard of the Cubi CAT and requested to ride it. Word spread rapidly that Secretary Warner was going to try his luck. The club was soon packed shoulder to belly.
Before launch the Secretary was outfitted in white linen coveralls and embossed on his back were bright red letters 'Red Horse Cat House.' Amid cheers the Secretary bravely launched and promptly catapulted through the hole in the wall into the water outside. He was catapulted five more times, but each time the Secretary had to be 'fished' out.
Making it easier for the Secretary to catch the trap wire each time, the Skipper surreptitiously adjusted the bumper plate about an inch aft each time. While Warner never noticed it . . ALL of the spectators absolutely NOTICED !
After his fifth trip into the pool, Mr. Secretary shouted : "Red Horse! This just can't be done!"
By this time, the bumper mechanism had been adjusted rearward an additional foot from the wire. Now it had become an easy arrest for a carrier pilot with a trap or two under his belt.
Red Horse, in his spotless tropical whites strapped in to show Mr. Secretary that indeed, it could be done by a skilled aviator. Without Red Horse's knowledge, prior to his launch however, a fun loving [ non-career ] JO kicked the bumper adjustment back to its original and more difficult position.
Red Dog launched and missed and to John Warner's total delight, the Skipper in his splendid whites shot through the O'Club wall and settled ignominiously on the pool's bottom.
The Secretary was so pleased with his experience he wouldn't remove his 'Red Dog' coveralls and wringing wet, both of them sat down to lunch with their comfortably dry colleagues. Several hours later, still wearing his red lettered white coveralls, the Secretary boarded his aircraft.
The 'Cat' and the 'Wall of Fame' are fond memories of men whose ingenuity who's hard work and hard play made the scenario a reality. Now only artifacts and memories remain of the Pacific Fleet legend at NAS Pensacola's Naval Aviation Museum.
source unknown
If you were a South East Asia Navy, Marine or USAF pilot . . chances are you've heard about the Cubi Point Officer's Club 'Catapult.'
Cubi Point Naval Air Station in the PI was a place where war-weary Navy and Marine Corps Aviators, Marines and Sailors could let off a little steam after flying combat missions over Vietnam or spending weeks aboard ships on the gun-line on Yankee Station. The Cubi Point Officers' Club, was forever tasked with devising new and challenging ways of keeping the warriors entertained.
Enter Cmdr. John L. Sullivan and the now famous Cubi Point Officers Club 'catapult.' The unique catapult at the Cubi Point Officers' Club came into existence in 1969. The escapades of Navy and Marine pilots at the Cubi Point O'Club, are legend stuff.
One of these escapades involved 'night cat shots' catapulting a blind-folded squadron mate down 8 or 9 stairs clinging to castor-geared office chairs from the upstairs bar onto the dance floor. . . far below.
[ Two at once . . were dubbed : OUT OF CONTROL . . night F-4 . .'cat' shots. ]
Rarely did a pilot make it down the stairs then successfully scoot along the dance floor upright. Most arrived on the dance floor in a crumpled mass of legs and arms.
The practice often ended with disastrous results . . broken bones, severe strains, small concussions, and numerous other injuries that would sometimes ground the experienced combat pilots. Because of the number of injuries, Subic Bay's admiral suggested catapulting occupied chairs down the stairs should be reluctantly done away with.
However, to 'come up with' an interesting and safer alternative an extension to the club was in progress giving an opportunity for a significant change. 'Red Horse' Sullivan's scavengers headed off to the surplus yard, liberated a banged up refueling tank and had metal smiths' convert it into something resembling the fuselage and cockpit of an A-7 Corsair.
The 'aircraft ' was 6 ft. long with shoulder harness and belt. It had a stick that when pulled back sharply would release an arresting hook preventing it from plunging through a hole in the O'Club wall into a newly constructed 4 ft. pool of water outside.
The projectile's propulsion was provided by pressurized nitrogen tanks hooked up to a pressure manifold. The arrangement was powerful enough to propel the vehicle to 15 mph in the first two feet . . or an acceleration from zero to 15 m.p.h. in that distance.
In their efforts to successfully engage the hook with an arresting wire, each pilot had 6inches of control stick movement to play with. The vehicle was named 'Red Horse One' in honor of the Skipper. A few successful pilots were held in high esteem, their names were inscribed in gold letters on the Cubi O'Club 'Wall of Fame.'
Reaction time needed to be quick, the trap wire was only 14 feet from the nose of the projectile. Since the water in the pool was the only force stopping the vehicle, engineering minds and the Cubi Point Aircraft Repair Team designed it to enter the water as quickly. As deeply as possible.
The vehicle was retrieved from the water by a winch connected to a hook eye welded on the rear end of the 'A-7-like projectile.'
The first night the catapult was in operation it attracted a huge crowd. After it was declared safe, Rear Adm. Isaman was the first to ride the projectile. The Admiral manned the cockpit, saluted and was launched. A split second too early, he dropped the tail hook. We all waited a probable quick 'skip and catch' of the hook.
Didn't happen.
Instead the hook caught the rubber we had attached to the steel bumper at a point just short of the arresting wire. To the disappointed howl of the JO's the hook tore the rubber guard off the bumper and caught the arresting wire. Hmmm...no wet Admiral. Instead, Isaman became the first pilot to successfully 'trap' in the projectile.
After being presented with a bottle of champagne, Isaman's name was enshrined in gold on the 'Wall of Fame.' Later that night, some forty [ 40 ] disgruntled carrier jocks blasted down the catapult before another pilot successfully trapped. Word of the cat quickly spread throughout Southeast Asia even attracting Air Force F-4 pilots from Clark Air Force Base.
The Clark jocks all came swaggering in loudly claiming they were equal to the task. Much to the delight of the Navy onlookers . . none of them were quick enough to catch the wire.
Enlisted men operated and maintained the catapult during their off time and they were compensated from funds taken in for the operation of the 'Cat.' It cost nothing to ride the 'Cat' providing they successfully caught the wire. However, it cost five dollars if the 'pilot' penetrated the pool.
Of the many dignitaries, who attempted to ride the 'Cat,' was Navy's Under Secretary John Warner (Virginia's Senator). He had heard of the Cubi CAT and requested to ride it. Word spread rapidly that Secretary Warner was going to try his luck. The club was soon packed shoulder to belly.
Before launch the Secretary was outfitted in white linen coveralls and embossed on his back were bright red letters 'Red Horse Cat House.' Amid cheers the Secretary bravely launched and promptly catapulted through the hole in the wall into the water outside. He was catapulted five more times, but each time the Secretary had to be 'fished' out.
Making it easier for the Secretary to catch the trap wire each time, the Skipper surreptitiously adjusted the bumper plate about an inch aft each time. While Warner never noticed it . . ALL of the spectators absolutely NOTICED !
After his fifth trip into the pool, Mr. Secretary shouted : "Red Horse! This just can't be done!"
By this time, the bumper mechanism had been adjusted rearward an additional foot from the wire. Now it had become an easy arrest for a carrier pilot with a trap or two under his belt.
Red Horse, in his spotless tropical whites strapped in to show Mr. Secretary that indeed, it could be done by a skilled aviator. Without Red Horse's knowledge, prior to his launch however, a fun loving [ non-career ] JO kicked the bumper adjustment back to its original and more difficult position.
Red Dog launched and missed and to John Warner's total delight, the Skipper in his splendid whites shot through the O'Club wall and settled ignominiously on the pool's bottom.
The Secretary was so pleased with his experience he wouldn't remove his 'Red Dog' coveralls and wringing wet, both of them sat down to lunch with their comfortably dry colleagues. Several hours later, still wearing his red lettered white coveralls, the Secretary boarded his aircraft.
The 'Cat' and the 'Wall of Fame' are fond memories of men whose ingenuity who's hard work and hard play made the scenario a reality. Now only artifacts and memories remain of the Pacific Fleet legend at NAS Pensacola's Naval Aviation Museum.
source unknown
