Google is your friend: the original steam catapult was trialled on HMS Perseus from 1950-52. Many navies operated carriers using bridle launches up to the 1980s/1990s, but from the 1960s carriers steadily became equipped with bridle catchers which retained the bridles for 30 launches, after which they were removed from the catcher and dispatched with the launch.

I remember the Coventry incident well!. Unusual to see bits falling off/out. Wasn't quite sure what was happening. The aircraft was not allowed to fly in the show the next day if I recall. Sad fatal crash of the Ryan Monoplane the next day, or was that a different show.? Remember seeing both incidents.

Yes, same show in May 2003.

The Ryan accident was on Saturday 31st, the first day of the two-day show. Most reports suggest that the Sea Vixen incident was on the same day, with the result that it couldn't display on the Sunday.

The Vixen incident was caused by the loss of a panel in the Stbd upper wing boom used to store tools, in this case the tools fell out after the panel departed the aircraft along with a roll of Kimwipe which fluttered to the ground gently unwinding! A relacement panel was robbed from a Vixen at Bruntingthorpe to enable the aircraft to fly back to Bournemouth . The Ryan incident occured right in front of us as we taxied in at the end of displaying the Canberra, not what you like to see at a display.

I've seen a source that said that, too, but I thought that had been disputed in a previous post, which identified an existing hatch (rather than a panel) just behind the radome on the port side.

The fact that a replacement was sourced from another aircraft and fitted, albeit temporarily, would strongly suggest that it was something designed to open. Just not in flight. :O

Whatever the amount it does rather pale in to insignificance when one thinks of the amount of allied shipping down there.
I wonder if they’ll ever find the snowcat dumped in Grytviken Harbour from 2000’ ?

We get a TV show on Discovery over here called "Expedition Shipwreck" (worth the watch if you can access it on your side of the pond - last week they explored the wrecks of the Hood and Prince of Wales). Anyway, last night part was about Truk Lagoon - the wrecks of 40(!) Japaneses ships sunk back in 1944 by a US Navy multi-day carrier raid. The wrecks are rapidly deteriorating, and there is great concern that they are about to breakup and release large amounts of oil and Diesel into the lagoon (at least five of the ships were tankers).

Come to that, many aircraft have gone over the side of carriers across the years - some unintentionally but also a fair few with the help of a push:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4b79b335a4.jpg

Makes a grown man want to cry Dave, all for the making of a safety film.

Post WWII I wonder at the numbers of brand new aircraft with only factory test flight hours on the clock taken out to sea and dumped, not to mention all the others ex combat use.

Quote:
Deficiences in the Buccaneer S.1's Gyron Junior engines led to the type's career coming to an abrupt end in December 1970.[12] On 1 December, an S.1 attempted to overshoot from a misjudged landing approach but one engine surged and produced no thrust, forcing the two crewmen to eject. On 8 December, an S.1 on a training flight suffered a massive uncontained engine failure. The pilot successfully ejected, but due to a mechanical failure in his ejection seat the navigator was killed. Subsequent inspections concluded that the Gyron Junior engine was no longer safe to fly. All remaining S.1s were grounded immediately and permanently.

The photo above was taken on April 14, 1974.

DaveReidUK
There are in fact four hinged hatches on the inboard side of each boom. I only recall spare cracker boxes and the canopy cover being put in two of them.

More information available at https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/157090

Jack