Kitty Hawk Class Aircraft Carriers

[jmbiii]

Believe me you could smell the stack gas in #273.

[PhantomTweak]

Pardon my ignorance, Mr. jmbiii, but I thought the plane guard was normally on-station off the port side, just above flight deck level.
Or is that only during Flight Stations?
I'm just wondering, as it looks like the chopper in the picture is aft the boat, and above the flight deck level.
Or is this a normal, "patrol" sort of situation? Keeping an eye out for guys who decide to go swimming?

Like I said, I'm ignorant, I guess.

Have fun all!
Pat☺

[expat]

Update is an scb-125 Essex class is done, far superior to oriskany, and good to go.

Best news in months Gary! Nice to have Intrepid, Hancock and Bonnie Dick, or even the option to swap names/numbers on an scb-125 model (respecting the fact that IRL no two Essex boats are the same).

[Mike71]

Pardon my ignorance, Mr. jmbiii, but I thought the plane guard was normally on-station off the port side, just above flight deck level.
Or is that only during Flight Stations?
I'm just wondering, as it looks like the chopper in the picture is aft the boat, and above the flight deck level.
Or is this a normal, "patrol" sort of situation? Keeping an eye out for guys who decide to go swimming?

Like I said, I'm ignorant, I guess.

Have fun all!
Pat☺

The plane guard helo flies a right hand pattern on the starboard side of the Carrier during launch and recovery; it is referred to as "Starboard Deeee" (for Starboard DELTA, or starboard holding). It is (or was in my day) at about 100 ft MSL and at max endurance for the SH-3 series. If something happened, the helo would respond to the Air Boss or Air Ops instructions for a rescue, etc.

Often more than one helo launches during a cycle - they do have other missions of course. It is not unusual to launch one as a dedicated plane guard, then it recovers immediately after the launch/recovery cycle. (always the last to land, of course). It all depends on the situations at hand.

[expat]

Funny, I have always been unsure about whether it's port or starboard. I think in FS you tend to see screenies of the guard on the port side. This may be because, for example, the SDB Enterprise shipped with a plane guard (SH-3) set on the port side. Also, Sylvain ("Parouty") from the RFN I think has set in his great RFN gauge configs for plane guards that position the helo on the port side.

That said, to me at least the starboard side make much more sense as the port side has a far greater danger of collision, for example, with a bolter or early wave off. Thanks for clarifying.

Will chuckle if another vet comes back contradicting this!

[jmbiii]

In all my deployments on the Intrepid (CVS-11), Wasp (CVS-18), Yorktown (CVS-10) and Essex (CVS-9) during air ops we flew plane guard on the starboard side (right hand side looking forward). (Made it easy to pick up the pilot of an A4 who got 'cold-catted' one day. He was only in the water about 5 minutes. We had to wait for him to get out of his chute, etc. or it would have been a bit quicker pick up.)



During UNREPS we would station to the rear as in the first pix I posted. Also usually there was a DD/DE about 1000 yards to the rear of the carrier.

[expat]

Great photos - thanks. Cold cat shots I know risk the boat driving right over the splashed pilot and plane so on launch the pilot will bank off to the left or right. But it would seems there often might not be enough time to do so. Were your pickups always clear of the boat?

[jmbiii]

Yep. He was on the starboard cat. Rolled right, and punched out. The seat took him farther to the right and forward of us. We pulled up and waited for the chute to deflate and then dropped the 'horse collar'. Never did see what happened to the A4 or exactly how the ship maneuvered; too busy rigging the hoist.

[Mike71]

The immediate turns after a cat shot are not to avoid getting run over in the event of a cold cat - they are called "clearing turns". It is to just sort of fan out the launch pattern, avoid wake turbulence or possibly a midair by overrunning a plane in front of you. At night or IFR, planes launch straight ahead, but cat shots are timed at longer intervals, and pilots are under positive radar control by Air Ops.

In addition, it is more likely that a plane in the water will be shoved off to one side and bounce along the hull of the Carrier rather than being run over. Unfortunately this also starts the plane tumbling and filling with water immediately, hastening sinking, if it was floating at all.

[gray eagle]

This is an outstanding view of the Fighting Hannah, pictured aft,
with one of the ever faithful Plane Guard Destroyers following right behind.






Plane guard DD following USS Hancock on Yankee Station

[PhantomTweak]

And I wager the pilots felt reassured seeing that DD, as well as the Plane Guard helicopter aloft, as they climbed into a plane. From what I understand, they both saved a LOT of pilots that had to jettison the aircraft, or even just climb out when it was in the drink, as they say.
From what I read, too, if the plane stayed relatively upright, even under a few feet of water, the pilot could eject to get out of the plane and back to the surface. Having said that, I've read of a few pilots who, after the carrier ran their plane over, pulled the magic handles, and wound up smashed into the hull of the boat. Not a pretty end. But are there any, really?
The military is a dangerous business, no matter what part of it you are/were involved with. Just the nature of the beast.
I read a lot. Does it show?
But there's nothing like sea stories from those who've "been there, done that" to "tell it like it is". I'd rather listen to 1 sea story that read a dozen articles.
Thanks for the info to ALL!
Pat☺

[expat]

I would like to tweak the deck color of the Kitty Hawk class boat to make these a bit darker - more like the very good freeware 1975 Midway also here at the SOH. Has anyone done this or can suggest which texture(s) to play with?

[TARPSBird]

There have been a number of Naval Aviators whose planes have gone into the water ahead of the ship and they have survived being "keel-hauled" under the ship and through the screws. Others have had accidents on recovery and ended up with their planes dangling in the water off the angle deck and being "flushed" out of the cockpit by rushing water. When you survive stuff like that I think you should be granted immortality.

[CIMOGT]

some time ago I modified a free model of the cvn-63 for my use, basically because the original was a fps killer in the sim, the result was this, it is not a small file, increase in mdl size but moves quite well in the sim, the scheme of the aircraft is from his last deployment

[PhantomTweak]

the scheme of the aircraft is from his last deployment

I don't mean to nit-pick, but in American parlance, a ship is SHE. Thus, it should be "from HER last deployment".

Sorry, I just wanted to help...
Pat☺

[expat]

CIMOGT,

Really nice work with the CV-63 mods and aircraft. Looks great.

[Mike71]

I don't mean to nit-pick, but in American parlance, a ship is SHE. Thus, it should be "from HER last deployment".

Sorry, I just wanted to help...
Pat☺

"SHE" is certainly correct, always has been, always will be (until the "PC Police" step in) --

[JosefK]

Where would somebody find the below? Please tell.

some time ago I modified a free model of the cvn-63 for my use, basically because the original was a fps killer in the sim, the result was this, it is not a small file, increase in mdl size but moves quite well in the sim, the scheme of the aircraft is from his last deployment

[strykerpsg]

CMOGT, outstanding update good sir! Really love the new aircraft! This will work with P3Dv4 too, correct?

I am starting to lean towards installing P3Dv4 vs FSXSE, especially with my new desktop arriving in a few weeks. Starting to get excited to fly again and with no OOM or other potential issues common to FSX in 32 bit.

[CIMOGT]

CMOGT, outstanding update good sir! Really love the new aircraft! This will work with P3Dv4 too, correct?

I am starting to lean towards installing P3Dv4 vs FSXSE, especially with my new desktop arriving in a few weeks. Starting to get excited to fly again and with no OOM or other potential issues common to FSX in 32 bit.

Thanks yes, there should be no problems, I use it in p3d v3 without any issue

[strykerpsg]

Thanks yes, there should be no problems, I use it in p3d v3 without any issue

Thanks for the quick reply CIMOGT.

Off topic, but related, are these beautiful ships, including the Russian cruisers, could they be tac-packed of sorts, in other words, added to FSX@war (or whatever it's called now) and have a viable shooting platform?

[CIMOGT]

Thanks for the quick reply CIMOGT.

Off topic, but related, are these beautiful ships, including the Russian cruisers, could they be tac-packed of sorts, in other words, added to FSX@war (or whatever it's called now) and have a viable shooting platform?

Here you can find information of how to do that


http://www.isoliti4gatti.it/warbirds/Tacpack.htm

[PhantomP]

Hi CIMOGT,I was just curious about how you got the aircraft tug in your ship scenerys,I would either like to purchase it,or download it,thanks for your awesome work on these ships,and thanks,also to lazarus too.

[CIMOGT]

Hi CIMOGT,I was just curious about how you got the aircraft tug in your ship scenerys,I would either like to purchase it,or download it,thanks for your awesome work on these ships,and thanks,also to lazarus too.

hi, I have compiled several models of objects and personnel, I add all this, in the 3d model in sketchup or 3dmax

[PhantomP]

Any plans to release this tow vehicle in the future,it looks really cool?