Carrier landings Decceleration & Pilots Head

[ex-fast-jets]

Time For Confessions!!

OK Spaz - yes, I was CQ'ing.

Having done so in the A-4M, I then went on to do it in the A-7.

On LEX, to get you around the deck in an A-4, they put a bar on the nose wheel with a competent matelot who steered you around. Simples!!

With the A-7, with refined nose wheel steering and a nose wheel launch bar rather than a strop, everything was controlled finely by a chap on the deck telling you what to do by wriggling his nose in the direction he wanted you to go. Add to that the pressure of having to fold the wings when moving, but lowering and locking them when behind a JBD (Jet Blast Deflector) with another aircraft at full power on the cat, and life got a little hectic. Certainly taxed my brain!!

So, after finally getting to the cat for my first shot, I wound the engine up to full power against the brakes, saluted the chap on the deck, and off I went. As I turned downwind ready for an approach to trap, the boat said "Didn't slow you down a knot, did it!!" I was concentrating on setting myself up for my second A-7 trap, so I didn't understand what that meant, and didn't have the brain cells to think about it any further.

Made a second trap, and went for another launch.

Then I noticed a pair of black lines down either side of Cat 1 - and realised that I had taken a shot with my wheel brakes fully locked.

Not my finest moment!!

But an example of the brain shutting down because of the stress of carrier ops.

I salute those who do it as a day - and more so, night - job on a regular basis with the added stress of real combat ops.

[SpazSinbad]

'BomberH' we are all lucky I reckon. Did the A-4M not have nosewheel steering? It was a lifesaver on the MELBOURNE small deck - don't leave home without it. A CarQualifier was sent home because of nosewheel steering malfunction. Quite difficult to set up straight on the cat track without it also - yes the deck crew could add the tiller bar but still a real trouble on small deck.

I would guess the A-7 did not have a wheel brake handle - relying on the pilot feet (same as A-4)? So you went down the track fully stressed feetwise? This is a serious problem for the T-45C with at least one fatality caused by subsequent problems. Anyhoo here is an A-4M (from a VX squadron for a fillum purpose) smashing USS Coral Sea in a film clip from 'The Right Stuff'. [apologies for earlier misdirect to USS Lexington]

You Tube

[ex-fast-jets]

Lovely Video Spaz!!

Could even have been me!!

I was on VX-5 when I CQ'd in both the A-4M and the A-7.

Brought tears to my eyes!!

[SpazSinbad]

Nice one. Here we have the olde schoole A-4 with P8A smokey burner cans (later upgraded to smokeless with the P8B) on good ole LEXINGTON. And a squizz at relative deck sizes to scale of MELBOURNE, LEXINGTON and those monstrous CVN decks + another olde worlde USS Lexington video.

You Tube

You Tube

[ex-fast-jets]

OK..........

So I had it easy!!

But I was a Crab, so give me some slack.................!!!!

[SpazSinbad]

Mentioned earlier in this thread was A4G Skyhawk Side Number 887 (ex RNZAF Kahu NZ6214 - now DRAKEN N144EM). A history of this aircraft in this 107 page 96.4Mb PDF at ScribD uploaded today. During Royal Australian Navy Fleet Air Arm service (RAN FAA) this aircraft landed on empty drop tanks twice, first time arrested on 300 gallon tanks at NAS Barbers Point and later on 150 gallon tanks at RAAF Amberley, each time due to an undercarriage problem. This PDF is a sub-section of the main 4.4Gb PDF history mentioned earlier also. The pages have info on the F-111B carrier trials as well as the AMBERLEY F-111 arrest (Have Hook - Can Arrest). The main PDF is always updated so there may be new added pages to this sub section now.

https://www.scribd.com/document/3422...-DRAKEN-N144EM

[SpazSinbad]

'BomberH' is this true (cannot find a free A-7 NATOPS PDF) so may be suspect:

"Anti‐Skid system A-7 Corsair II
The wheel brakes are equipped with an electrically controlled anti‐skid system. Use of anti‐skid minimizes tire‐skid damage, and stopping distances are reduced under all runway surface conditions."

I'll guess this is how you avoided tyre damage down the brake locked almost catapult? Probably the T-45C does not have anti-skid I'll guess hence dire warnings about this.

T-45C NATOPS has extensive info about the anti-skid system in use but too complicated for me - a non-user. The Sea Venom had an excellent Girling Anti-Skid brake system. It does warn about incorrectly positioned toes/feet on the rudder pedal brakes during catapulting - there be dragons.

[SpazSinbad]

Another A4G SLAM Dunk aboard with a PEDRO Wettex at the end (tears for fears)

You Tube

[SpazSinbad]

In one of the front pages of the A-4M NATOPS PDF there is this curious change notice - CRABS eh

Technical Directive Summary (A-4M NATOPS)
Service Change Number ----- Description --------------- Visual Identification
AVC 1130 ------------ Video Monitor IP-936/AXQ, ----- Pilot's Instrument Panel:
------------------------------ Modification of ------------- Addition of CRAB switch

[ex-fast-jets]

Must have been a NATOPS insertion at Sharkie's insistence, to reinforce his unshaken belief that Crabs and FAA pilots are born to different types of parents and have absolutely no understanding of each other!!

Fortunately, in 82, I was "on", OK, "in", HERMES and, thankfully - he was "in" INVINCIBLE, the junior carrier!!

Nevertheless, a "CRAB" button seems hugely sensible to me!!

Might have stopped my embarrassing catapult launch!!

However, the A-4Ms we took to the carrier in 79/80 had ARBS (Angle Rate Bombing System) which is why we went there as VX-5 for Operational Test & Evaluation - as best I can remember!!

The A-4M with ARBS was an amazing machine - even though it was then obsolescent in US military terms. I did a RED FLAG in 80 flying both the A-4M and the A-7E - the A-4M was a delight to fly, and performed extremely well in the RED FLAG environment.

[SpazSinbad]

'BomberH' the extra engine oomph must have been great (albeit with some extra weight all round). A lively aircraft during the carrier approach I'll guess?

ARBS - CRABS me likee....

[ex-fast-jets]

Spaz - the 408 engine made the A-4M a quite remarkable machine. The P-6/P-8 engines we had in our TA-4's were quite pathetic in comparison. The RED FLAG I did with the A-4M - 6xMk82's centreline - double bubble fuel on the inboards which gave us 1:30 low level at fighting speeds - an AIM-9L outboard on one wing, and a SHRIKE ARM on the other outboard. Internal ECM plus ARBS etc. Ingress at 540 kts, and egress faster once the bombs had gone. Not bad for an old and obsolescent little jet!! In 1979/80!! I loved it!! Even as a CRAB!!

[SpazSinbad]

The Kiwis thought about upgrading the engine for KAHU but did not have enough money etc. However a single seat A-4K with KAHU upgrade (like a mini F-16 of that era with air to air radar) with a wide angle HUD was a handful for opponents in our region. A TA4G was always a dog in comparison to an A4G.

[ex-fast-jets]

I enjoyed mixing it in an A-4 with the big boys at RED FLAG. They clearly thought we were an F-14 type a long way away - until they realised we were really quite little - with a big stick (AIM-9 L) - a whole lot closer. Made for some interesting de-briefs!!

Now, back to thread...............

[SpazSinbad]

On page 1 this thread the video Clark A4G Skyhawk 1st Arrest & Catapult HMAS Melbourne with CMDR Clark has a comment at the end from NOT him to the effect the catapult would be more fun than Luna Park - which is a Sydney equivalent to Coney Island. I have heard said that carrier aviation is the most fun youse can have with your pants on (except night carrier landings olde schoole). That CCA to one mile with the controller (thank goodness) still talking was more scary than the Haunted House for sure. MELBOURNE mirror was often TOO BRIGHT to see details at the start but then it got better. And our LSOs were good for sure - usually said nothing until debrief.

[SpazSinbad]

Ooops my bad - apologies - as screenshot from video indicates the VX-5 A-4M arrest is aboard USS Coral Sea.

Then an approach series of photos to USS Lexington

[ex-fast-jets]

Spaz - thanks for those piccies. Lexington looks a whole lot bigger than I remember it being!! Clearly the sign of an old and selective brain!

[SpazSinbad]

Heheh. My first ever deck landings were aboard HMS Eagle on a farewell tour of these parts back on 10 Aug 1971. Being a sprog I was not allowed to stop and start so only carried out 4 rollers (no hook down). My first impression upon seeing my first carrier from the air 'frickin' small' eh. A few weeks later I saw MELBOURNE from that vantage to adjust my 'frickin' small'. My thoughts on EAGLE deck were 'this is rough' I guess a combo of rolling over the wires and the general depressions in the deck. In A4G I was working harder than a one armed paper hangar that day.

Back in mid 1966 I had embarked in MELBOURNE (as a cadet middie) to watch a one and only Sea Venom arrest in Jervis Bay, however bad weather curtailed further ops. I thoughts to meself 'this is easy' - 'the deck is huge'. Yeah right.

http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery/v/n...ey+02.jpg.html



http://www.eacott.com.au/gallery

[ex-fast-jets]

I spent a week on EAGLE as a navy cadet in about 66/67. Looked quite big to me then - but that was on foot!!

[SpazSinbad]

Young & Impressionable eh. One of my few rides in a helo was being taken off that day in 1966 in an Iroquois from nearby NAS Nowra. The Bay had become so rough that we were unable to board the workboats to be taken back to CRESWELL. Getting airborne for the first time from that HUGE deck was awesome - I was sold - count me in. I was 17.5 years old at the time.