CAG-5
Sat May 03, 2008 8:52 pm
LCDR Jimmy Flatley CAG-5 in his F6F-3 #00 ready to launch from the USS Yorktown for the Marcus Island raid on 31 August 1943.
BTW this is a very early -3 with the fairing over the inboard .50s
BTW this is a very early -3 with the fairing over the inboard .50s
Sat May 03, 2008 9:18 pm
A modellers weathering delight! It's been awhile since it was washed.
Sat May 03, 2008 9:39 pm
great shot of the teakwood deck. i never understood why the navy used flammable wood for a carrier deck surface. yes, teak can take the ravages of weather etc, but wood burns to well. i forget what the royal navy used on their landing deck surface.... steel?? stainless steel??
Sat May 03, 2008 9:50 pm
Geez, and there's that lazy Crew Chief, sleeping under the wing again too. Kinda looks like the pilot's asleep as well. 
Gary
Gary
Sat May 03, 2008 10:22 pm
I think the wood decks were primarily to save weight, and they were also easily repaired if they did get damaged.
Now wouldn't it be great if one of the bigger private museums like Fantasy of Flight, or the Fighter Factory fabricated a carrier island structure like that adjacent to their museum? They could fashion the apron as a faithful reproduction of the flight deck of their favorite WWII carrier and it would be a phenomenally unique backdrop for airshow photos.
Naval fighter reunions anyone? 
Now wouldn't it be great if one of the bigger private museums like Fantasy of Flight, or the Fighter Factory fabricated a carrier island structure like that adjacent to their museum? They could fashion the apron as a faithful reproduction of the flight deck of their favorite WWII carrier and it would be a phenomenally unique backdrop for airshow photos.
Naval fighter reunions anyone?
Sat May 03, 2008 10:53 pm
I dunno Gary, it kinda looks like this is a faked photo , that pilot appears to be talking on a Cellular telephone........
, that pilot appears to be talking on a Cellular telephone........
Sat May 03, 2008 11:05 pm
I think that if Jimmy was ready to launch he would have at least switched the engine on...
Sat May 03, 2008 11:14 pm
Hey!
Crew Chiefs NEVER sleep! Pilots sleep, Co-Pilots sleep, even flight engineers sleep, but not us poor hard working never thanked, exhausted Crew Chiefs!!!!!!!!!
Thirty seconds after the bird is down the rest of the Crew is eating, sleeping or using the bathroom! WE spend the next two hours cleaning, shutting down and, more likely as not, pulling a 20 hour inspection.
When we are done the food is gone, the water cold and all the bunks taken.
Then we have to get up two to three hours before the rest of the crew to daily the bird.
Ok, Rant over!
Joe
Crew Chiefs NEVER sleep! Pilots sleep, Co-Pilots sleep, even flight engineers sleep, but not us poor hard working never thanked, exhausted Crew Chiefs!!!!!!!!!
Thirty seconds after the bird is down the rest of the Crew is eating, sleeping or using the bathroom! WE spend the next two hours cleaning, shutting down and, more likely as not, pulling a 20 hour inspection.
When we are done the food is gone, the water cold and all the bunks taken.
Then we have to get up two to three hours before the rest of the crew to daily the bird.
Ok, Rant over!
Joe
????
Sat May 03, 2008 11:50 pm
I think that if Jimmy was ready to launch he would have at least switched the engine on...
Strapped in and highly motivated to go out and kill something.
He's freaking ready
Sun May 04, 2008 1:57 am
Rob Mears wrote:I think the wood decks were primarily to save weight, and they were also easily repaired if they did get damaged.
Now wouldn't it be great if one of the bigger private museums like Fantasy of Flight, or the Fighter Factory fabricated a carrier island structure like that adjacent to their museum? They could fashion the apron as a faithful reproduction of the flight deck of their favorite WWII carrier and it would be a phenomenally unique backdrop for airshow photos.
The Naval Aviation Museum at Pensecola, Fla. has a carrier deck simulated with an island for some of their aircraft:
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/getd ... -Deck.aspx
Robbie
Sun May 04, 2008 2:25 am
If only that was a private museum!Robbie Roberts wrote:Rob Mears wrote:Now wouldn't it be great if one of the bigger private museums like Fantasy of Flight, or the Fighter Factory fabricated a carrier island structure like that adjacent to their museum?
The Naval Aviation Museum at Pensecola, Fla. has a carrier deck simulated with an island for some of their aircraft...
Sun May 04, 2008 2:42 am
bdk wrote:If only that was a private museum!Robbie Roberts wrote:Rob Mears wrote:Now wouldn't it be great if one of the bigger private museums like Fantasy of Flight, or the Fighter Factory fabricated a carrier island structure like that adjacent to their museum?
The Naval Aviation Museum at Pensecola, Fla. has a carrier deck simulated with an island for some of their aircraft...
I've thought of this idea as well. If you were in a sense, create a runway that was replicated to be a carrier deck. Tower included. Or even better yet! What if a private group was allowed to operate an old class carrier and could operate aircraft from it? Now that would be a place for many of our tail-hooked warbirds to go.
Sun May 04, 2008 3:08 am
It must have been an almost 'non event' as EVERYONE in the photo is either polishing the railings with their shirts or batting the breeze with who ever is standing around, all at taxpayers expense.........
As to the engine not running, how do you know? could be really fast film and a really tight f stop, or the pilot is practicing what he was taught about cruise control management.....
As to the engine not running, how do you know? could be really fast film and a really tight f stop, or the pilot is practicing what he was taught about cruise control management.....
Sun May 04, 2008 7:21 am
Weren't these guys a lot of times on "alert" so they had to wait in the birds so as to be launched ASAP?
Just my guess.
Just my guess.
Sun May 04, 2008 7:25 am
jmkendall wrote:Hey!
Crew Chiefs NEVER sleep! Pilots sleep, Co-Pilots sleep, even flight engineers sleep, but not us poor hard working never thanked, exhausted Crew Chiefs!!!!!!!!!
Thirty seconds after the bird is down the rest of the Crew is eating, sleeping or using the bathroom! WE spend the next two hours cleaning, shutting down and, more likely as not, pulling a 20 hour inspection.
When we are done the food is gone, the water cold and all the bunks taken.
Then we have to get up two to three hours before the rest of the crew to daily the bird.
Ok, Rant over!
Joe
Yes, I'm vaguely familiar... http://warbirdinformationexchange.org/p ... php?t=9395
Sorry to have gotten you all wound around the axle. Poor attempt at humor on my part I reckon.
Gary