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Inital CQ Vid: F3H-2N, F4D, A4D, F7U
- Thread starter Wudgles
- Start date
Holy shit, we used to do CQ onto a Guided Missile Cruiser??? (http://navysite.de/cg/cg47.html)
(This is a wee bit of sarcasm in this post)
(This is a wee bit of sarcasm in this post)
One absolute dog, one jet with an unremarkable but successful career, an aviation legend, and the granddaddy of another legend, all doing carrier suit on the same deck. Cool.
The Demon looks to have had some crazy AOA during cat shots at mil. Maybe they only showed the lower-endspeed tests, but the Skyray looked to have a pretty hairy sink rate on launch. I also find it interesting that they differentiate between "taking a cut" and a "power-on technique," both being apparently valid options. A period of transition in Naval Air right before the angled deck and the meatball, it seems.
The Demon looks to have had some crazy AOA during cat shots at mil. Maybe they only showed the lower-endspeed tests, but the Skyray looked to have a pretty hairy sink rate on launch. I also find it interesting that they differentiate between "taking a cut" and a "power-on technique," both being apparently valid options. A period of transition in Naval Air right before the angled deck and the meatball, it seems.
Question for our more experienced members... Was the shift towards a 15-18 second groove length associated with the installation of the Fresnel lens?
Luckily, I never flew it.. but did 2 cruises with a Demon Squadron in the Airwing. An 'All-Weather' fighter, woefully under-powered, with an unreliable AIM-7 Sparrow A/A missile system, & an engine which tended to flameout in heavy clouds at altitude.
Word was that a number of overrun accidents occurred on takeoff when ferrying early, new production F-3Hs from MacDonnell at Lambert Field (STL). As a result, subsequent new production Demons were trucked/barged to various USAF bases with longer runways.
I recall that the CO, VF-53 on TICO in '61, CDR Nick Smith had suffered badly injured legs previously, on a failed takeoff at Lambert, in a new production ferry. He was in constant pain, walking with a marked limp. How he remained in flight status/passed flight physical, I'll never know...tough ol' bird!
*Nittany, the Demon AOA on cat launch was awesome, looked like a 'plan view' after rotation.. even in burner, SCARY!
BzB
<<< *Nittany, the Demon AOA on cat launch was awesome, looked like a 'plan view' after rotation.. even in burner, SCARY!
BzB
Thanks for the reminder, Hugh...LOL!!
First cruise in Saratoga w/CAG-3... 1963...VF-31 with us, Demon Drivers all...WTH did the Ensign know about F3s.
My first night hop...no big deal at all...I'm being hooked up to cat #1 in my Spad...Demon is on cat #2 just to my left...winding up to 100%...when I thought he'd just exploded, and we'd all be dead in one microsecond...that Alison J71 had a mighty impressive afterburner!! (Shot the hell outta your night vision, tho...)
Was in the Dog pattern one black-ass night waiting for the Demons to finish up so that I could get my initial night quals in the Gutless Guppy. I saw a series of three flashes on the ship. The first was when the Demon lit his burner. The second second was when the engine mounts failed on the shot and the third was his ejection seat firing. They fished him out, sent the other Lead Sleds home, and gave us a Charlie.
Maybe it's the camera angle, but it looks like the jets are yawing during the cat shot. What's that all about?
Ever notice that these three words so often appear in the opening paragraph of the hairiest "there I was..." TINS stories (usually experienced by JOPAE)?
BzB
Maybe former Neandrathal prop-drivers thinking they still needed beaucoup rudder on TO?
Maybe former Neandrathal prop-drivers thinking they still needed beaucoup rudder on TO?
Hmmm, that description fits RonDebMar! lol
BzB
Well, this former Neanderthal prop-driver was thinking along the following lines: if Ed Heinemann (of Douglas fame) felt his latest center-line thrust creation required the incorporation of a RUDDER...who was I to neglect operationally checking that equipment before becoming airborne...so I always managed to get it in during the cat shot...LOL!!