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Aviation History
1949
1949 - 1912.PDF
678 FLIGHT, 24 November 1949 NAVAL NIGHT FIGHTERS . . . and Lt. T. C. S. Leece with McDermott. In addition to the 16 aircrew members, the squadron comprizes—as a self-con- tained mobile unit—about 84 P.O.s and ratings, so that the total personnel estab- lishment is of the order of 100. During these first months of the squadron's present (but third) existence, the working-up programme has been divided into three stages. Stage 1 comprised familiariza- tion with the aircraft; day and night formation flying; day and night all-weather flying, and day and night navigational exercises. Stage 2 comprised air-to-air camera-gun and gyro gun-sight training; air-to-ground cannon- and rocket-attack training, both day and night; ground strafing at night, and night intruding. Stage 3, which is now being completed, has been concerned mainly with day and night air-interception under G.C.I, direc- tion ; practice night intruding; straight night fighting against bombers (and these can be organized); carrier drill and addles (Airfield Dummy Deck Landings); stream take- offs and landings. When this last phase is completed, and the Deck Landing Control Officer and Flag Officer Flying Training are satisfied with the addles, the squadron will do actual deck-landings. In this connection, although all the squadron pilots have had carrier experience, none of them, at the time of our visit, had deck-landed a Sea Hornet. The sequence of squadron training has suffered in some respects by the number of air displays during the summer at which they were required to give demonstrations; it all provided useful training in formation flying and aerobatics, however, and we can testify from personal experience that 809 are by now thoroughly familiar with their aircraft. Lt. Cdr. Armour gave us a ride during formation r/ractice one afternoon, and extremely interesting it was. The busi- ness of ensconcing oneself in the observer's cockpit is some- thing which itself needs a deal of practice. Entry is gained through a trap-door in the floor of the fuselage, into which one levers oneself backwards to kneel whilst lowering the folding seat. Someone then hands up the dinghy pack which one places in the seat-pan, and then comes the ser- pentine sequence of twisting oneself up and turning round at the same time in order to sit on the dinghy. The dinghy is clipped to the parachute harness; Mae West inflation- tube connected; safety-harness secured; intercom, plugged in ; oxygen connected (if necessary); and that is that. For emergency exit the bubble hood can be jettisoned by pulling a handle beneath the port rail. The door in the floor can likewise be jettisoned by pulling a handle on the flank of the fuselage just above the door on the port side. In this connection, we were told that emergency exits had been made in 11 seconds. Youth is supple and anno domini takes its toll so that, whilst agreeing that fear can lend Serviceability is chiefly a matter of radar serviceability. * • , the most surprisingly powerful wings, we were glad that we were not called upon to try to get out in a hurry. For the benefit of John Yoxall (who was photographing us from a Firefly) the CO. laid on a little piece of demon- strative flannel. With "Doc" Price to starboard, " Grumpy " McDermott to port and " Dopey " Ducker in the box, we flew steadily at 170 kt I.A.S.; then the CO. ordered "Stand-by to feather one," and again, after a short interval, " Stand-by to feather—go." And each air- craft, except Ducker's, feathered an airscrew. Then after a few moments, Lt. Cdr. Armour feathered our starboard airscrew as 'well, and there we were, gliding smoothly at 150 kt I.A.S., without fans, whilst to the writer's some- what apprehensive eyes, Ducker's pair of I2ft-diameter airscrews were thrashing round twitchily close beneath. We were also able to spend a profitable evening at the G.C.I, post down on the coast, whilst the squadron were getting in some night-interception practice. Aircraft are told off in pairs for this and alternately operate as '' enemy '' and '' defender.'' The ground-controller takes them about 15 miles apart and then controls the defending aircraft on to the enemy according to the picture shown on the plan position indicator oscilloscope. In order to decrease the possibility of accident as much as possible, groups of aircraft are separated by 3,000-ft intervals, whilst a separation of 500ft is maintained between individual Aircrew, left to right: McDermott, Rouse, Burgess, Price, St.Vaughan, Musgrove, Furgeson, Leece, Dutton, Christie/, Roe, Ducker, Carter, Phillip, Armour, Maddocks. Groundcrew, with CO. As a self-contained mobile unit, theSquadron has a total personnel establishment of approximately 100, covering all requisite trades including cooks and stewards.
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