Military AircrewA forum for the professionals who fly the non-civilian hardware, and the backroom boys and girls without whom nothing would leave the ground. Army, Navy and Airforces of the World, all equally welcome here.
Not only that, it would appear they are lobbing it off the blunt end of the boat and the coal hole has mysteriously moved across to the port side of the "Sea Vampire"
Perhaps that is why they introduced the ramp on the pointy end of the boat, to show them which end they should use
Must be all that Rum, Bum and Baccy has muddled the old brain cells.....
Awwww, you can even send it as an ecard to really show the Navy at it's finest
Back end of your boats are the blunt end, pointy end goes through water easier.......... thought they would teach you that!
Tut, tut, Nuts! You really must try harder, since "boats" is an expression that applies strictly to submarines in the relevant context, where the converse is true. Bit like most fish really, or indeed most aircraft!
Aircraft recognition in the Royal Navy has always been good. If it looks like an aeroplane, it probably is an aeroplane so you must shoot at it. During live firing exercises they were notorious for shooting at the target tug instead of waiting until the target came along. Out at Changi, 1574 TFF had a few patches in the tail ends (blunt ends for Nuts) of their Meatboxes from hits scored by naval gunners.
I think that aircraft carrier skippers lock all their gunners in the hangar when they conduct flying operations.
During WW2 Churchill and other military advisors were going to the US by battleship. First night out and the VIPs were having dinner when all the AA guns started firing.
A short time later a junior officer poked his head around the door and said "captains compliments sir, nothing to worry about, it is one of ours we are shooting at".
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 20,196
The photo is laterally inverted and shows the de Havilland Test Pilot Jock Elliot conducting flight deck evaluation trials with HMS Albion in September 1954 in WG240, a DH110 prototype. This aircraft did not have wingfold capability nor was the undercarriage strengthened for carrier deck operations. It did, however, conduct a few touch-and-go landings on Albion.
In 1955, XF828 the semi-navalised development 'Mk20X' aircraft flew and conducted full deck trials aboard HMS Ark Royal in April 1956 after successful trials at RAE Bedford.
XJ474, the first actual 'Vixen flew in 1957 and the type entered naval service in 1959 as the FAW.1 - later followed in 1964 by the improved FAW.2.
And 2 years later I was lucky enough to get a trip in the 'coal hole' of an early FAW.2 with 892 Sqn!
You are assuming that aircraft always launch from the pointy end (Its called the Bow) but you may be surprised to learn that in general aircraft like to launch into wind. Now the clever thing with a ship is that it can move its bow so that it is pointing into wind. However, on occasions it may not be possible to move the bow and so the other clever thing is that aircraft can launch the other way...towards the Blunt end (Its called the stern).
Never assume anything other than an NBCD state
Anyway, what ever this aircraft is, did it carry any missiles..?
Location: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
Posts: 20,196
vecvecwhatever, don't they teach naval history these days? Or did it stop with the rum ration.
Anyway, pull 'ee up a barrel an' have a twist o' rough shag while I tell 'ee a tale, ah-harr me heartie!
The Sea Vixen FAW.1 was a radar-equipped strike fighter which carried four Firestreak AAMs, two Microcell unguided 2 inch rocket packs and either 4 x 500 lb or 2 x 1000 bombs. The later FAW.2 could also carry the Red Top AAM, SNEB cans and the useless Bullpup air-to-ground missile. It also carried more fuel, but 1000 lb bombs were no longer be carried.
A proper naval aircraft from the days when the UK had real carriers and organic fixed wing aircraft.
Ah-harr. Now cut along an' ask the chief stoker to show 'ee the golden rivet....
GBZ. Had a prompt, polite apology with a thank you for the correction from their Web thingy. Good on 'em.
As a sprog, one of the Culdrose Ground School instructor observers had completed one tour on Vixen Mk1s and two on Mk2s. I regret that I did not realise at the time just what a true survivor that made him. He deserved serious respect!!
For BEags. Didn't the Mk1 have a nasty retractable rocket launcher underneath the nose that made returning onboard with a hang up almost lethal?
