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Aviation History
1952
1952 - 0761.PDF
28;'March 1952 34i Attackers of No. 800 Squadron together provide a pictorial sequence of carrier operation. (Top left) The flight-deck parties in their "team colours" are about to disperse to their various duties in preparation for flying-off both Attackers and Firebrands. The aircraft are next seen taxying and lining-up against the port catapult barriers, and then during acceleration and take-off. Note that the ship is steaming 10 degrees out of wind; that the catapult is toed-in; and that the pilot's enclosure is open for take-off and landing. (Below, opposite) An attacker pilot has just been given the "cut" by the batsman, and, in the second picture, is firmly hooked and arrested. "Flight" photographs starting end. The Attackers taxi up under their own power until the wheels come up against the first barrier and the aircraft is then resting upon a powered conveyor-track which can move it athwarr- ships for lining-up. Two fore-and-aft folding guides are also provided for the tailwheel. When the aircraft has been jerked into the lined-up position, the first barrier is retracted and the fighter rolls forward to the second barrier, which marks the starting-point. It is here that the hold-back strop and bridle are attached. When all is ready, the pilot opens-up to full thrust and signals with his hand that he is ready to go. At this moment the catapult-control officer has his green flag raised; then, having received the pilot's signal and satisfied himself that all is ready, he drops the flag and within a matter of seconds the catapult is operated. In approxi mately 40 yd the aircraft is accelerated to just over 100 kt and takes off, leaving the catapult trolley a few feet in which to slow down before reaching the end-stop. The bridle falls away as the Attacker leaves the bows of the ship. During flying-off and landing-on, the cockpit enclosure of the aircraft is always open, and as soon as the pilot has given his signal of readiness to be catapulted he holds the stick central with his elbow tucked in and braced against his hip so as to keep the elevators steady during the period of acceleration. As soon as the Attackers had been catapulted off and had formed- up, the five Firebrands flew off under their own power, seemingly with great ease, and the ship's gunners prepared to receive warning of the simulated rocket-attacks and, later, the co-ordinated torpedo and rocket attack by the two squadrons. The guns are radar-laid, and I would not have fancied the chances of the Fire brand pilots. The Attackers, which were not visible until they began their attack, came in from about 6,000 to 8,000ft in a steep dive, roughly in line astern. After the exercise had been completed, and following a very neat formation fly-past, the Attackers prepared to land-on. The bats man took up his position, and the arrester wires were all checked. No safety barriers are as yet available for the jet aircraft. The Attackers approached fairly widely separated, from well astern and at a very shallow angle. The pilots told me that their speed when they come under the control of the batsman is about 105 knots. The "cut" from the batsman having been received, the sound of the turbojet starts to die immediately but the aircraft does not drop quite so quickly as is the case with an airscrew type. Never theless, none of the Attackers engaged higher than the seventh of the fourteen arrester wires, and all were taxying ahead to the for ward lift within seconds of touch-down. Rough timing showed that less than a minute elapsed, on an average, between touch-down and the time when the aircraft had been struck down to the hangars and the lift had returned to the flush position in readiness for the next machine to land. Although almost everyone is a little startled to see their first jet hauled to a standstill by the arrester wires—as, in fact, they are to see their first jet thrown off by catapult—by the time one has seen five make safe and unspectacu lar landings the performance can be regarded as one to inspire surprised confidence, rather than otherwise. One could not help remarking upon the tremendous advantage of having power-folding for the wings and power-retraction of the hook. Whereas the Attackers each landed, disengaged their hooks, folded their wings and taxied on to the lift virtually unaided, the piston-engined types have usually to be disengaged from the arrester wires by two men and lined-up on one side of the deck prior to having some dozen men fold each wing manually. The engines have, of course, to be stopped in the meantime, and so a tractor or manpower must be used to position them back on the lift. It was also noticeable that, in preparing for take-off, a great deal of delay was involved in warming-up and running-up the piston-engined types before the signal could be given for take-off. The jets, nevertheless, would profit from a sell-contained starting system. During my final hour in Eagle, as she steamed back towards Portsmouth and her anchorage at Spithead, I was able to see some thing of the engine room, damage contrcl, internal communica tions system, and the general layout of this remarkable ship. Her bulkheads are so arranged that one must be remarkably fit to traverse the length of the ship, necessitating as it does a great deal of up-and-down work in addition to sheer distance. She is said to be virtually unsinkable. Her manoeuvrability and smoothness were well demonstrated during the afternoon's programme, when, in calm sea, it was necessary to look down at the racing water to detect any motion. By early summer, when the present and a second working-up period have been completed, the pilots and flight-deck parties will be more experienced and even quicker in their work than they are now. Two complete squadrons will have been embarked, and Eagle will be ready for any commission which comes her way. If the need should arise, she could probably accommodate four or even five squadrons.
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