Welcome ta the Grassy Knoll--a not so stoopid thread 'bout con speer a see

[Texas Lawdog]

Moose and I toured the NASA facility south of Houston one time and I toured the NASA outfit in Huntsville, Ala. I got to take a tour inside of one the Shuttles which was interesting.  I wanna go to Charleston SC and tour the ships anchored in the harbor and tour Ft. Sumpter. I don't know which ships or how many are there other than the Yorktown.

[Ozark Tracker]

went to Charleston in about 92 on a bail bond jumper,  had a few hours to kill so I went on the harbor tour,  the little boat we were on went around the harbor and ships and out by Ft. Sumpter.  took the tour on land of the land side of the harbor, was really fun.  wisht I'd had more time to take the induvidual tours.

have a friend, went through all of school with him, including college,   that works for NASA down at Cape Canaveral,  hopin one of these days to be able to go down there and take the tour, 

here's a link to him,  Dennis Chamberland, his latest underwater project is set, right now to begin in 2011 or 2012, to set a record underwater,  He has invited Jackie and I to come down to Florida, if at all possible and take the dive to the habitat and spend a night with him and his wife in the habitat.  it would be the chance of a lifetime to do something like that, hope we're able at the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Chamberland

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, I got my Carriers mixed up the Enterprise was commissioned in 38 instead of 44. The 2nd Lexington was commissoned in 44. The first Lexington was sunk in the Battle of the Coral Sea in 42. The 2nd Lexingon was made into a Museum in Corpus Chrisit, Texas. The Hornet, the carrier that carried the 16 B 25s to bomb Tokyo was also sunk in 42 during the battle of Santa Cruz.

[Texas Lawdog]

A second USS Hornet was commisoned in 43 and was decommissoned in 70. It is anchored at Alameda, Calif. as a Museum.

[Leo Tanner]

I remeber seeing footage of the 25s taking off from the carrier for the first time.  It was somethin.  I think they used a lot of that real footage in 30 Seconds Over Tokyo.  I'll have ta find it and look at it again.


Leo

[Texas Lawdog]

Leo, They reorganized the Doolittle outfit after the Raid and assigned it to the 12th AF. Dad became a member of that Squadron. and he was at Eglin Field in Florida when the Raiders were training. It was all hush hush until they left for California. He watched them take off while they were practicing to fly off the carrier deck.

[Leo Tanner]

It's amazing they could do it at all.  The B25 is quite a bit smaller than other bombers of it's day, but it was a helluva lot bigger an heavier than a fighter.  The pucker factor as the end of the deck approached had ta be off the charts.
     Question fer ya though, did they ever try ta land one on a carrier, or were they all ground landings?  I outta know this, but don't recall.


Leo

[Delmonico]

As far as I know there was no attempt to land on one.  They would not be able to get back anyway, the plan was to land if possible in China beyond the Japs.

[Leo Tanner]

I knew the original missions were set of with just enough fuel ta get ta China, just didn't know if a deck landing had ever been tried.  I can imagine one of them 25s rippin the hook right outta it's mount an plowin through the net.  Some came up short on juice or were damaged an ditched inta the sea on the way ta China.


Leo

[Texas Lawdog]

They were training on the runways at Eglin. Dad told me that they had guys on the flight with brushes with white wash. The pilots would wind the engines up with the brakes on then release the brakes. They would mark the spot where the plane took off. They kept shortening the distance till it was the length of the carrier deck. As far as I know no bomber ever landed on a carrier deck.  Several years ago, a C130 landed on a modern carrier deck in an emergency. A C130 was never designed to land on a carrier deck.

[Delmonico]

They were training on the runways at Eglin. Dad told me that they had guys on the flight with brushes with white wash. The pilots would wind the engines up with the brakes on then release the brakes. They would mark the spot where the plane took off. They kept shortening the distance till it was the length of the carrier deck. As far as I know no bomber ever landed on a carrier deck.  Several years ago, a C130 landed on a modern carrier deck in an emergency. A C130 was never designed to land on a carrier deck.

And the $20 question was when they fixed it how did they get it back off.

[Texas Lawdog]

That's a good question Del, A C130 can take off and land on short fields, but I don't know about a carrier deck.

[Delmonico]

That's a good question Del, A C130 can take off and land on short fields, but I don't know about a carrier deck.

Well it don't have a hook for the caddy-pult, bet they had to take it to a port and use some sort of crane.   Of course they could always take it apart and reassemble it on shore.

[Texas Lawdog]

They used cranes to load the B25s onto the deck of the Hornet.

[Delmonico]

They used cranes to load the B25s onto the deck of the Hornet.

Depending what was wrong, I bet they also had to call NAPA for help, bet they don't stock many parts for a C-130 on a carrier.

[Leo Tanner]

The crew that brought in the C-130 mustin been holdin their breaths.  I would imagine it stayed on board til in a safe port.  It would be neat ta see a pitcher of that settin on the deck.


Leo

[Delmonico]

The crew that brought in the C-130 mustin been holdin their breaths.  I would imagine it stayed on board til in a safe port.  It would be neat ta see a pitcher of that settin on the deck.


Leo

Saw a picture of an A-10 that got shot up bad in the first Gulf War, the pilot said because of the "pucker" factor the seat cusion was never found.     Bet that C-130 lost them also.

[Arcey]

There are cranes at NNSB&DD that would pluck a C-130 without breakin' a sweat. Plop it on a barge 'n tow it 'cross the river to the base. Crane it up on dry land 'n tow it to a field. Ain't rememberin' the base havin' a crane high 'nuff ta pull one off the deck.

New carriers have close to or a l'il o'er a thousand feet of flight deck 'n a width plenty wide for a C130. Speed in excess of 30 mph, inta the wind, I'd think they could fly one off.

Speculation.

[Delmonico]

There are cranes at NNSB&DD that would pluck a C-130 without breakin' a sweat. Plop it on a barge 'n tow it 'cross the river to the base. Crane it up on dry land 'n tow it to a field. Ain't rememberin' the base havin' a crane high 'nuff ta pull one off the deck.

New carriers have close to or a l'il o'er a thousand feet of flight deck 'n a width plenty wide for a C130. Speed in excess of 30 mph, inta the wind, I'd think they could fly one off.

Speculation.

You might be right, TLD you homework is to find out how they got it off.

Also when you get that done find out how they make Pringles.  Do they use an injection moulder or do they make a large sheet and use a punch press.

[Leo Tanner]

Del, everyone knows that Pringles er made at Area 51 with technology the gubberment says don't exist.
     Sheesh, pull yer head outta the sand an get with the program.


Leo