So, I just discoverd Carriers! CVT-16?

[FlyingsCool]

Agree - great work across the board.

However LEX as the P-Cola AVT for the Naval Air Training Command as well as several fleet replacement "RAG"s (A-4 / A-7 / A-6 in particular) would be a great addition since so many people in FS get started with TRACOM planes like the T-28C, T-2B/C and TA-4J as well as the new TF-9J.

(Ten characters)

 

[gp183601]

Hi Gary,

Hopefully you didn't think I was complaining you did it. Just seems lately every time I think I'm gonna do something, I end up coming across something I don't know enough on how to complete it

Sorry people can be such dicks. Thanks so much for the work you did release!

No offence taken matey was just outlining why I did what I did

might be be able to do you a freebie CVT-16 if no one else has for my original model

cheers

 

[expat]

Gary,

I cannot express how much I have enjoyed for many hours your Oriskany and Midway carriers. Truly grateful for your skill and generosity sharing this fine work with others. It is a shame and frankly selfish if someone has taken your freeware and is selling it, and understandable you no longer wish to share your creations.

With best wishes,

expat

 

[gp183601]

Dug out the very old Oriskany model this evening - didn't take long to change the deck textures and make the pennant number changeable. This is a very old model so I won't spend too much time on it - maybe tidy up the hull add a rotating radar and moving blast deflectors will let you know when it's done and available for use.

That's about all i'm prepared to do on it no fancy moving elevators or anything like that as this mdl doesn't deserve the attention.

I have another Essex class which is much further on than this and about 100 times better - i'm still pondering what to do with it but it deserves more of my time than this old creation but if you need a CVT-16 for free I can do the necessary mods and i'll park my experimentation in submarines for now

Cheers
Gaz

 

[delta_lima]

Hi Gaz,

I've been watching your various carrier projects closely, and have enjoyed what you've done thus far.

Whether this or that other more advanced Essex - know that they would be immensely appreciated and enjoyed. I have never monkeyed with elevators on any carrier that had them - I fly on and off them, period. So while I'm all about any eye candy topside, I never go down below.

Just one person's opinion, of course - but your work is very much appreciated on my sim.

Cheers,

dl

 

[Mike71]

Dug out the very old Oriskany model this evening -----
That's about all i'm prepared to do on it no fancy moving elevators or anything like that as this mdl doesn't deserve the attention.
I have another Essex class which is much further on than this and about 100 times better - i'm still pondering what to do with it but it deserves more of my time than this old creation but if you need a CVT-16 for free I can do the necessary mods and i'll park my experimentation in submarines for now --- --
Gaz

Thanks for th effort.

These beat up 27Cs in their later lives wouldn't operate elevator number 2 (end of angled deck) very often anyway because it would too often have problems, get hung up and need repairs - negating recovery at the wrong time.

 

[tgycgijoes]

Please Continue

Please continue the work. Again, I'm totally pleased with this one and tweak and finish it up and many thanks.

R

 

[FlyingsCool]

Dug out the very old Oriskany model this evening - didn't take long to change the deck textures and make the pennant number changeable. This is a very old model so I won't spend too much time on it - maybe tidy up the hull add a rotating radar and moving blast deflectors will let you know when it's done and available for use.

That's about all i'm prepared to do on it no fancy moving elevators or anything like that as this mdl doesn't deserve the attention.

I have another Essex class which is much further on than this and about 100 times better - i'm still pondering what to do with it but it deserves more of my time than this old creation but if you need a CVT-16 for free I can do the necessary mods and i'll park my experimentation in submarines for now

Cheers
Gaz

Hi Gary,

Beautiful! I've been perfectly happy using the Oriskany, but if you've done the work that would be awesome. I've been working now for a couple of months creating scenery around Pensacola to recreate what it looked like in the 50's and into the 60's, and do plan to do the work to release it for public consumption someday soon. A CVT-16 would be an awesome compliment to that. Really fun to take off and do "bounce" flights in various trainers. Just picked up the RAZBAM Buckeye and TA-4J, and already have Ant's T-28C, and of course Dino's T-45.

Started with Saufley and it's grown from there. I've done that and Summerdale, Magnolia, Wolf, started doing some work on Whiting to get it back to the 50's 60's (there's a more modern one available).

Tom

 

[tgycgijoes]

T2 Textures

If you search the Warbird Library here you will find the 3 custom textures I did for the Buckeye for one of the members here of TRARON 23. Just checked and you can find them by just typing in "Buckeye" and hit search.

 

[FlyingsCool]

Great! Thanks!

Sadly, I have hit my limit for the moment for downloads : (

But, as soon as they let me, I'll be there : )

Wow, just did a flight from Meridian to the Gulf, they've got a long way to go for carrier trials from Meridian.

What I've been working on the last week or so; I've found a way to convert models from SolidWorks into 3DS models, so now at least creating the solid is super easy for me now (texturing and animating and grouping etc, ouch, got a long way to go there to figure out that part). So I've been modeling the Collings Foundation Hangar and American Heritage museum, and I've been searching for tanks and other artifacts to put in the buildings in FS. Someday, I'll have the Collings airfield modeled along with them, and you can explore the whole place in FS : )

(Yeah, a lot of stuff on my plate).

The Solidworks Model (roof removed) of the American Heritage Museum

the Model in GMax

Showing the facets

The Collings Foundation Hangar in Stow, MA

Here's what I was working on last night, a paint for the SOH F-100D (is it a C or D?) of the Collings Foundation F-100F (yeah, wrong model, but there's no good F with a VC as far as I can tell, and, heck, that SOH model is an awful nice bird to fly : ) ). Well, I can't really say it's my paint. I just took the 56-3206 paint in the model, changed the markings and fixed up the nose paint a bit. Next up will be a MA ANG version.

 

[FlyingsCool]

If you search the Warbird Library here you will find the 3 custom textures I did for the Buckeye for one of the members here of TRARON 23. Just checked and you can find them by just typing in "Buckeye" and hit search.

P.S. Turns out I had already downloaded them

Thanks again.

Here's a pretty cool site on the Buckeye http://rickmorganbooks.com/t-2-buckeye.html

He blogged about a bunch of interesting planes, actually.

 

[Mike71]

Great! Thanks!

----- Wow, just did a flight from Meridian to the Gulf, they've got a long way to go for carrier trials from Meridian. ---------------------.

TRACOM CQ dets usually flew in to NAS Pensacola a day prior, then sortied out from there to LEX for CQ. Also made divert easier, all the maintenance and line det people from the various VT squadrons involved were pre-positioned there.

 

[FlyingsCool]

TRACOM CQ dets usually flew in to NAS Pensacola a day prior, then sortied out from there to LEX for CQ. Also made divert easier, all the maintenance and line det people from the various VT squadrons involved were pre-positioned there.

Ah, ok, that makes sense. Is it also why you'd see a mix of squadrons in the pics of the Lex?

I was reading a story today about a cadet who was doing his first CQ with 7 others from his squad on Lake Michigan in 1942; 3 cadets lost their lives that day (they were each attempting 8 traps in one day). Dangerous work!

 

[gp183601]

Used an image of Lexington from the 1980's to see what she roughly looked like. Tidied up/replaced some textures, did some minor tweaking to the model (stern, pri-fly). Just need to do the animations now (JBDs, radars). Nothing fancy just enough to make it a bit less rough around the edges compared to Oriskany

Cheers
Gaz

 

[FlyingsCool]

Gorgeous! That's so awesome! Thank you!

 

[awstub]

That looks great!

My hope is that we'll eventually have all of these SCB-125 Essex class ships available.

CVS-9 Essex
CVS-10 Yorktown
CVS-11 Intrepid
CVS-12 Hornet
CVA-14 Ticonderoga
CVA-19 Hancock
CVS-20 Bennington
CVA-31 Bon Homme Richard
CVS-33 Kearsarge
CVA-34 Oriskany
CVS-38 Shangri-La

They would be great for multiplayer scenarios.

 

[Mike71]

Ah, ok, that makes sense. Is it also why you'd see a mix of squadrons in the pics of the Lex?

I was reading a story today about a cadet who was doing his first CQ with 7 others from his squad on Lake Michigan in 1942; 3 cadets lost their lives that day (they were each attempting 8 traps in one day). Dangerous work!

LEX was "run hard and put away wet" in her later years as the dedicated TRACOM CVT/AVT. She was stripped of any combat capability so as not count in the Navy carrier force structure. Berthed in Pensacola she worked the Gulf of Mexico coastline to host the day CQ requirements of basic and advanced flight students. Qualification required satisfactory completion of (at least during my career up into the 90's):

All TRACOM qualifications were DAY ONLY
- 2 touch and goes
- 6 traps
- The T-28s / TS-2s got 6 deck launches
- T-2/F-9/TA-4 students got 6 cat shots.

Depending on the weather and other operational scheduling, LEX would transit westward towards Corpus Christi and operate near the coastline to service monthly qual periods for the advanced jet squadrons at NAS Beevilee and NAS Kingsville as well as the advanced prop squadrons and their TS-2s at NAS Corpus Christi. This saved those squadrons the effort of packing up monthly detachments to Pensacola, which was somewhat disruptive.

T-2 squadrons at Meridian did not perform CQ ops in my day. Students finishing up basic jet in VT-7 and VT-9 were transferred to a dedicated CQ/air to air gunnery squadron at Pensacola for basic jet CQ in the T-2. The squadron was VT-4. VT-5 at Whiting Field outside Pensacola was a T-28C squadron that served the same purpose for basic prop CQ.

Newly designated Naval Aviators got their first night qualifications at the end of their initial "type training" in various dedicated squadrons called "Replacement Air Groups" or "RAGs". Qualification in any type required

- 2 touch and goes
- 4 day traps / cats
- 6 night traps/cats

These were spread across 2 days, a limit of 6 traps a day was a rule. On LEX, your shoulders were falling off your spine after 6 traps in a jet. Arresting gear runout was only about 200 feet.

LEX was frequently busy past midnight working A-4s, A-7s, A-6s., S-2s, or E-1s and perhaps a few EA-1 "left handed Spads" She could not handle the F-4, E-2, or F-14s.

Staying close ashore in the Gulf allowed easy transit for various planes to/from the ship during CQ periods so the ship did not have to have too many planes on deck at one time. That could get to be a real problem with too many nervous and excited students trying to bang into each other despite the flight deck directors' best efforts. planes usually were on deck only for a "hot pump" refueling, pilot change or down for maintenance. The ship had very limited maintenance capability other than minor equipment swapouts and general servicing. Anything major that was wrong with a plane often required it to be off-loaded pierside at Pensacola by crane for fixing there.

More seasoned aviators returning to squadron duty after disassociated assignments also went through a RAG before rolling back to a fleet squadron. They may even be flying a totally different fleet plane then their previous experience (A-4 to A-7 as an example), or things in planes change over time - bigger engine, better weapons systems, etc so that was necessary.

 

[FlyingsCool]

LEX was "run hard and put away wet" in her later years as the dedicated TRACOM CVT/AVT. She was stripped of any combat capability so as not count in the Navy carrier force structure. Berthed in Pensacola she worked the Gulf of Mexico coastline to host the day CQ requirements of basic and advanced flight students. Qualification required satisfactory completion of (at least during my career up into the 90's):

All TRACOM qualifications were DAY ONLY
- 2 touch and goes
- 6 traps
- The T-28s / TS-2s got 6 deck launches
- T-2/F-9/TA-4 students got 6 cat shots.

Depending on the weather and other operational scheduling, LEX would transit westward towards Corpus Christi and operate near the coastline to service monthly qual periods for the advanced jet squadrons at NAS Beevilee and NAS Kingsville as well as the advanced prop squadrons and their TS-2s at NAS Corpus Christi. This saved those squadrons the effort of packing up monthly detachments to Pensacola, which was somewhat disruptive.

T-2 squadrons at Meridian did not perform CQ ops in my day. Students finishing up basic jet in VT-7 and VT-9 were transferred to a dedicated CQ/air to air gunnery squadron at Pensacola for basic jet CQ in the T-2. The squadron was VT-4. VT-5 at Whiting Field outside Pensacola was a T-28C squadron that served the same purpose for basic prop CQ.

Newly designated Naval Aviators got their first night qualifications at the end of their initial "type training" in various dedicated squadrons called "Replacement Air Groups" or "RAGs". Qualification in any type required

- 2 touch and goes
- 4 day traps / cats
- 6 night traps/cats

These were spread across 2 days, a limit of 6 traps a day was a rule. On LEX, your shoulders were falling off your spine after 6 traps in a jet. Arresting gear runout was only about 200 feet.

LEX was frequently busy past midnight working A-4s, A-7s, A-6s., S-2s, or E-1s and perhaps a few EA-1 "left handed Spads" She could not handle the F-4, E-2, or F-14s.

Staying close ashore in the Gulf allowed easy transit for various planes to/from the ship during CQ periods so the ship did not have to have too many planes on deck at one time. That could get to be a real problem with too many nervous and excited students trying to bang into each other despite the flight deck directors' best efforts. planes usually were on deck only for a "hot pump" refueling, pilot change or down for maintenance. The ship had very limited maintenance capability other than minor equipment swapouts and general servicing. Anything major that was wrong with a plane often required it to be off-loaded pierside at Pensacola by crane for fixing there.

More seasoned aviators returning to squadron duty after disassociated assignments also went through a RAG before rolling back to a fleet squadron. They may even be flying a totally different fleet plane then their previous experience (A-4 to A-7 as an example), or things in planes change over time - bigger engine, better weapons systems, etc so that was necessary.

Awesome info, Thanks!

Here's a cool account of training for two pilots from the 50's and 60's

https://airfactsjournal.com/2018/10/doing-it-the-old-school-way-carrier-qualification-in-the-1950s-and-60s/

P.S. Now you've got me on a hunt for a TS-2 repaint. Saw a pic, cool looking plane....

 

[Mike71]

Awesome info, Thanks!

Here's a cool account of training for two pilots from the 50's and 60's

https://airfactsjournal.com/2018/10/doing-it-the-old-school-way-carrier-qualification-in-the-1950s-and-60s/

P.S. Now you've got me on a hunt for a TS-2 repaint. Saw a pic, cool looking plane....

Reading through the T-2 material reminds me of how the instability of DoD funding decisions impacts the whole system. All the changes in squadrons and locations (Meridian, Kingsville, Beeville, etc) were driven by base closure decisions (and individual influence of state Congressional delegations) that dictated re-alignment. It is even more so today with a great deal of joint service flight training syllabi, which I personally feel is correct. Spinning off to unique service training can be done at a later point.

 

[Navy Chief]

Very interesting, Mike. Thanks!

I wish Corpus wasn't such a long way from Pensacola, or I'd go visit the Lex. Really is a shame that Pensacola wasn't chosen as the final home for her. NC