I was thinking more of an acceleration phase toward the ski jump.
What you’re saying makes sense though. If you have a catapult anyway, why bother with a ski jump?
Just spitballing.
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Ship Photo of the Day
- Thread starter Randy Daytona
- Start date
What you’re saying makes sense though. If you have a catapult anyway, why bother with a ski jump?
Just spitballing.
I think that would put a lot of stress on the nose landing gear after hitting the end of the stroke, then hitting the ramp.
The last battleship commissioned was USS Missouri BB-63. She and Wisconsin BB-64 have a few improvements such as thicker bulkheads than the first pair Iowa BB-61 and New Jersey BB-62. The last pair that was started, Illinois BB-65 and Kentucky BB-66 might have had some significant changes if completed: more welding instead of riveting saving several thousand tons as well as a rearrangement of the superstructure (King - Nimitz redesign). Famous for hosting the surrender of Imperial Japan, the flagship also had the good fortune to be christened by President Harry Truman’s daughter Margaret, whose home state was Missouri.
President Harry S Truman waves from the destroyer Renshaw(DD-499). The Missouri (BB-63) & New York (BB-34) are in the background and off the bow.
Battleship Division Two: In line abreast formation, 7 June 1954, in the Virginia Capes operating area, on the only occasion that all Iowa class (BB-61 / 66) battleships were photographed operating together. Ship closest to the camera is Iowa (BB-61). The others are (from near to far):Wisconsin (BB-64); Missouri (BB-63) and New Jersey (BB-62).
The Missouri (BB-63) joining the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-65), during a underway replenishment, 5 August 1989.
A Mark 7 16-inch/50 caliber gun is fired aboard the Missouri(BB-63) as night shelling of Iraqi targets takes place along the northern Kuwaiti coast during Operation Desert Storm, 6 February 1991.
President Harry S Truman waves from the destroyer Renshaw(DD-499). The Missouri (BB-63) & New York (BB-34) are in the background and off the bow.
Battleship Division Two: In line abreast formation, 7 June 1954, in the Virginia Capes operating area, on the only occasion that all Iowa class (BB-61 / 66) battleships were photographed operating together. Ship closest to the camera is Iowa (BB-61). The others are (from near to far):Wisconsin (BB-64); Missouri (BB-63) and New Jersey (BB-62).
The Missouri (BB-63) joining the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN-65), during a underway replenishment, 5 August 1989.
A Mark 7 16-inch/50 caliber gun is fired aboard the Missouri(BB-63) as night shelling of Iraqi targets takes place along the northern Kuwaiti coast during Operation Desert Storm, 6 February 1991.
Note K-Ship of ZP-12 from NAS Lakehurst as part of the Navy Parade, New York City, 1945.
Wings of Gold!
This is the Dirigible/Balloon pilot wing(s). It was issued to the pilot after what we now would refer to as Primary.
At this stage. flight time was in free balloons (helium).
Once the aviator became qualified in the L-Ship blimp he received his Naval Aviator wings and went on to his patrol squadron.
When I was young one would see helium free balloons, L-ships, K-Ships, and the N-class (Nan ships or ZPs).
The ZPG-3W was huge, 403' long, 120' high, and a volume of 1.5million cubic feet of helium.
Almost all were qualified in the NE-1 (J-3 Cub), SNB if assigned to the Wing.
Each squadron had one NE-1 assigned for logistical support.
Talking with a retired LTA O-5, he said that at NAS Santa Ana, they also would use the NE-1 to determine the top and bottom of the marine layer overcast (smog). From Santa Ana, you would take off, fly into the overcast (recording the bottom) and climb until reaching the top.
If returning from other locations, the NE-1 would go ahead of the blimp(s) and dead recon to overtop Santa Ana. You then note the altitude of the top, spin the NE-1, counting turns (400'/turn), and if not clear at 800', stop spin and climb until above the layer. Then you'd fly to Saddleback Mountain (familiar to anyone ever stations on SOCAL) and land in any small field you could find and wait an hour to try again. When the ceiling was 800' or better, the blimps would the fly to Santa Ana. Talk about solid basic flying skills!
And before anyone throws out the BS card, the O-5 I'm referring to is well known in the LTA community and he received the Harman Award in Aeronautics in 1955, presented by President Eisenhower.
Sorry for the hijack of a Ships thread.
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Not a hijack at all…LTA ops are a neglected piece of WWII and early Cold War aviation history and were considered critical to surface ASW and counter-mine work.
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My two primary historical focuses are military helicopter and LTA.
I don't see any specific LTA thread, so in a few days I'll start one.
I welcome all the closet helium heads to share the dwindling memories and pics they may have.
I'll put my thoughts about the thread in the opening post.
"Up Ship!"
I don't see any specific LTA thread, so in a few days I'll start one.
I welcome all the closet helium heads to share the dwindling memories and pics they may have.
I'll put my thoughts about the thread in the opening post.
"Up Ship!"
Looking forward to seeing some photos and history.
K-129 was a Soviet Golf II class diesel-electric ballistic missile submarine that sank for in March 1968, in the Pacific Ocean, roughly1500 miles northwest of Hawaii. Approximately 330 ft long and 2,700 tons, it carried 3 SS-N-5 ballistic missiles, each with a 1 megaton warhead. K-129 sank for unknown reasons, resting on the seabed at a depth of 16,000 ft.
The position was discovered and a plan was hatched to recover the submarine, its missiles and codebooks with the assistance of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes and the Hughes Corporation. A special ship, the Glomar Explorer, was constructed and under the cover story of mining the ocean, was successful in bringing back part of K-129 - an impossible engineering feat.
Note: 1968 was particularly deadly for submarines. In addition to the sinking of K-129, the US lost USS Scorpion, Israel lost INS Dakar and the French lost Minerve.
Golf II-class ballistic missile submarine K-129, hull number 722
The position was discovered and a plan was hatched to recover the submarine, its missiles and codebooks with the assistance of eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes and the Hughes Corporation. A special ship, the Glomar Explorer, was constructed and under the cover story of mining the ocean, was successful in bringing back part of K-129 - an impossible engineering feat.
Note: 1968 was particularly deadly for submarines. In addition to the sinking of K-129, the US lost USS Scorpion, Israel lost INS Dakar and the French lost Minerve.
Golf II-class ballistic missile submarine K-129, hull number 722