Funky '50s jet carrier trials

PRB

PRB

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This is some amazing stuff. Carrier trials of the Demon, Cutlass, Skyhawk, and Skyray, on a straight deck Essex! Note the different "experiments" they did. Offset landings, indeed! I'm lucky if I can hit the deck in FSX, but these guys made landing "8 feet left of centerline" and "10 feet right", etc., to see how the plane handled under these conditions. They also made "offset launches", but I don't know what is meant by this. The bridal was hooked up offset on purpose? Offset to the wind? Not sure. Very interesting footage.

 
One thing I find interesting about this footage is how "soft" these planes appear to land on the deck. It looks like there is a lot of travel on the oleo struts on these planes, and it makes them look as if they're landing on pillows, which is a strange way to describe a carrier landing. They also seem to be approaching at closer to WW-II plane speeds than 1980 era speeds, and that may be adding to the visual effect of soft and gentle landings, to me anyways. As for "ca-jones", yeah, they launched 'em at a variety of "less than optimum" speeds, to make sure "it would work"... Some of those launches looked a bit "hairy"...
 
Seeing the A-4 made me think of the "good ol' days" on the Lexington.
 
I find it a bit unreal that they'd be doing Car Quals on FOUR TYPES simultaneously. A propaganda cruise, perhaps?

- H52
 
hawkeye52 said:
I find it a bit unreal that they'd be doing Car Quals on FOUR TYPES simultaneously. A propaganda cruise, perhaps?

- H52
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Perhaps they were using the other three types against the Demon, to see how it would fare compared to types already in service. I bet the thrust response on those jets gave the pilots a scare or two back then...

:USA-flag:
 
Fascinating! Some of those military power t/offs looked a bit 'will she won't she'.
I love the Demon, they look like baby F4's.
 
stansdds said:
Test piloting is not for the faint of heart!
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Tru dat!

One of my aviation heroes is the legendary (and I use that word advisedly) Eric "Winkle Brown; Captain Brown flew 487 types throughout his career and hold's the world record for the greatest number of carrier landing (2407 if anyone is interested).

You look at the likes of Yeager and Brown these days, and it is difficult to imagine some of the things they have seen and done; and then they start talking about it and you know these are guys who truly have (in the words of Tom Wolfe) the Right Stuff! :salute:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlV968Jf7Xc
 
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