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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 2209.PDF
530 FLIGHT International. 27 September 1962 B R I T A I ' S HMS "Centaur" in a turn (top picture) with some of her complement of Sea Vixens, Scimitars and Gannet AEWJs on the flight deck. Above the superstructure can be seen the vessel's radio and radar array. The lower picture is of HMS "Albion," recently converted as the second Commando carrier, during her post-commissioning trials SIX aircraft carriers are now deployed operationally by the Royal Navy—Her Majesty's Ships Hermes, Victorious, Ark Royal, Centaur, Bulwark and Albion. All of them are illustrated on the two opening pages of this four-page feature, and they have been named in the foregoing order so as to define their individual functions more clearly. Hermes is currently flagship of the Aircraft Carrier Squadron. Modernizing of Victorious, taking seven years (October 1950 to January 1958) to complete, made her competent to handle all the current generation of Naval jet aircraft. This capability she shares with Hermes, Ark Royal and Centaur; and all four carriers have Scimitar and Sea Vixen squadrons embar ked, in addition to Gannet AEWJs for airborne early-warning duties and Whirlwind helicopters for rescue and land-sea com munications. Hermes, the most up-to-date British carrier, is equipped to operate anti-submarine helicopters as well as the Royal Navy's new family of strike and fighter aircraft. From early next year, Ark Royal is to embark the first squadron (801) of Buccaneers. She is the largest operational ship in the Royal Navy and was the first carrier to be fitted with steam catapults. Both Victorious and Hermes are equipped with all the latest British aids to seaborne aviation—Type 984 volumetric radar, providing simultaneous information on the height, range and bearing of aircraft contacts; angled deck, which reduces the number of arrester wires, makes barrier space unnecessary and increases parking space; mirror landing sight; and parallel-track steam catapults. These refinements were built into Hermes during her long (1944-59) gestation—originally as the Elephant. She is not, like Victorious, a modified version of an older operational carrier. Hermes, Centaur, Albion and Bulwark were originally laid down as Light Fleet Carriers. The role of the two first-named vessels is still that of fixed-wing aircraft operations; but Bulwark and Albion are both now Commando carriers. The former was commissioned in this new role in January 1960 and subsequently went out to the Far East, to operate with Singapore as a base. She carries men of 42 Commando, Royal Marines, and her aircraft are Whirlwinds of 848 Sqr. Her sister ship Albion has only recently commissianed in the commando role and is at present working-up; at the end of this month her trials programme is due to be completed, and plans are for her to go out to the Far East Station in November to relieve
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