Guadalcanal Fighter 1 as a Crash strip

B

bobhegf

Charter Member
I had always woundered why they called Fighter 1 a crash strip.After redoing my Fighter 1 scenery and putting in the correct location about, a qt of a nm from the main strip, it became clear not only why they called it what they did but how they used it.The fighter 1 strip to start with was nothing more than mowed grass,grass that stayed wet most of the time. The strip was about 2200ft long which was short when wet when trying to stop a fighter going about 80kts.I have personally seen what can happen on a 2200ft wet grass strip when an aircraft lands hot.This 172 didn`t make it. The main reason for the strip was so the fighters could takeoff togeather and to help ease the congestion on the main strip durring raids as well as to DP the fighters in an area that was not always under attack during raids from the air or water.Any badly damaged aircraft or pilots that were wounded would land on Fighter 1 while the remainder landed on Henderson main.Fighter 1 was not far from the main runway so it was no problem for the fighters to land on the main strip and taxy to fighter 1 to park.
 
I you were trying to land a F6-F at 80 MPH in the heat of Gualdalcanal your bound to stall. A safer speed would be 95 MPH.
 
Helldiver, very true.The aircraft I am using is the 1% F4F-4.The F4F-4 usually came over the fence at about 79kts.From the info I can find the F4F-3 and 4 had a hand crank to raise and lower the main gear.It was on the lower right side of the of the pilot so he had to switch hands to get the gear up or down.They would climb out at a steep angle to hold the aircraft below 120kts to raise the gear using there right hand to crank up the gear.Another interesting thing about the F4F-3 and 4 were the flaps.They were spring loaded inorder to keep new pilots from droping them at speeds that would cause damage.There were only 2 positions Full up or full down.The flap was operated through a vac. system connected to the carb. which when operated would cause the engine to cough.I also found some info that stated that thoes pilots that really new how to put the F4F on the edge when in a turning fight with a zero below 120kts would lower the flaps inorder to get inside of the zero.
 
I'm familiar with the F4-F Wildcat. My Uncle Sam flew one in the Marines. We still had them when I was in the Navy. The motion of cranking the gear up was translated to the stick and caused the airplane to jump up up and down with some pilots. You stll would use at least 90/95 MPH in the heat of Guadalcanal.
 
Helldiver you are right.I hadn`t thought about it in the real situation.I am so use to flying on an 8 yearold pc that having the weather the way it was kills my frame rates.Most of the time durring the time period I am working in it rained or was the rainy season which ment in this case ment the alt. density was way up.The takeoff run was longer because of the alt density and the mud.Landings could be cut short as well because of the mud or water collecting on the runway.
 
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