Aircraft Carriers II (Closed to posting)

bd popeye said:

For Obi Wan & other RN supporters..some day soon this will be a reality!

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Jeff Head said:

Absolutely GREAT pics Popeye. Those are keepers!

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Obi Wan Russell said:

I did post larger versions of these pics on the previous page...

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Ambivalent said:

Ooooh, here is an excellent comparison of the French and UK versions of their respective new carriers.

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What I see as the major, indeed huge, drawback of the French ship is that both catapults intrude into the landing area. Similtaneous take offs and landings will not be possible, limiting the daily sortie rate.

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http://www.sinodefenceforum.com/world-armed-forces/aircraft-carriers-ii-7-3125.html#post63048

This all seems possible on paper but it just does not work that way. I was on CVA-19 and CVA-41. Also CVA-67 & 66. And the mighty Nimitz.. A person would think that "well our ship has four cats and that little old Hancock has only two ergowe can out launch them". Nope. Does not work that way. In my experience CVA-19 & 41 could launch aircraft faster than any of those other ships with 4 cats. Why? Superior flight deck crew in the case of the Hancock and a simple case of the A-4's being so reliable. If an A-4 was on the cat it was going off the bow. Period. And A-4's being smaller were easier to handle.

On the Midway the case was a superior flight deck crew as on the Hancock. . The Midway's flight deck was unique. It was as large as a CVA-59 class but had only two cats. When you respot with only two bow cats on a deck that big no need to worry about blocking the angle. The respot is much faster. Just leave room for the helo.

There are all sorts of factors that occur when you have 4 cats. Say an aircraft breaks down on the port bow cat. You have to re-spot it somewhere. And believe you me when you do you will disrupt those waist cats. If that happens with two bow cats you just turn the aircraft around and spot it on the angle or elsewhere without mucch disruption of the launch.

During "Desert Storm" in 1991 the Midway , with only two cats, launched more stories than the other 5 USN CV(N) on station. I.E. Kennedy, America ,Ranger, Roosevelt & Saratoga.

I wish I could meet all of you in San Diego and take you aboard the Midway. It is now a museum. And demonstrate what I am posting about.

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