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By: - 2nd October 2008 at 23:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Some of you may have seen this but it is quite interesting footage
http://www.creativefission.com/Frame_MOV_Carrier320x240.htmlRichard
A dead calm sea, you'll notice. In the 'real' world,with the deck rising and falling 30 feet or so, arrival would have been infinitely more interesting. Presumably the idea behind the trials was possible emergency recovery during a mission?
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 07:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Amazing footage indeed.... that's something I never thought the U2 was capable of - it just looks too fragile to cope with arrestor hook landings like that :eek:
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 08:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
If you can get a copy of "Dragon Lady" by Chris Pocock (out of print and silly money on the WWW) it has lots more detail.
Not seen this footage (at work and the mod squad don't like it when we check video etc) but in the stills I have seen, for a secret test the carrier island looks very crowded!
I think that some operational missions were flown (need to check later) - am by no means an expert but onto a calm deck, with the slow gentle decent, I guess it could have been done - as long as they cleared the C-130 away that also was tested !
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 10:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks very much for posting this video, I have been hunting for an online resource of the U-2 trials.
As near as I can tell the U2 was used once but only once for a operational reconnaissance mission.
The carrier-based U-2 evidently wasn't in high demand. In fact, it is known to have flown only one operational mission, as part of Operation Seeker. It occurred in May 1964. Ranger launched a U-2G spyplane to monitor nuclear tests carried out by France at Mururoa atoll, a Pacific test site in French Polynesia. U-2G photographs indicated that France would be ready for full-scale production of nuclear weapons within a year.
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 11:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Even though these trials are known about, that is great footage. Actually the U-2 looks suprisingly carrier compatible in the film, more than one would think.
Don't forget the USN did use larger Lockheed Neptunes as carrier borne nuclear bombers in the 1950s.
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 14:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Don't forget the USN did use larger Lockheed Neptunes as carrier borne nuclear bombers in the 1950s.
It was the North American AJ Savage that was the nuclear strike bomber.
It had a wingspan of 75 ft, and length of 63ft.
The Neptunes were primarily land based ASW assets and did not operate regularly from carriers.
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 15:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I know all about the AJ Savage thanks, I am referreing to the fact the USN had a fleet of 11 Neptunes dedicated for the use of carrier borne nuclear attack.
However, I think these were intended to recover to the mainland or possibly do a one way trip in the event of war.
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 16:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I know all about the AJ Savage thanks, I am referreing to the fact the USN had a fleet of 11 Neptunes dedicated for the use of carrier borne nuclear attack.
However, I think these were intended to recover to the mainland or possibly do a one way trip in the event of war.
You're correct on all counts...the P2Vs weren't set to land back on the carriers...I assumed you were referring to landing aircraft.
As long as we're on the subject of big carrier aircraft, let's not forget the A-3 Skywarrior....that must of had a span close to the U-2.
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 16:50 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Since you’re talking about nukes, I thought I’d point out that there was a proposal to modify the U-2 to possibly carry a nuclear anti-ship missile.
Lockheed, ever hopeful of an enlarged U-2 program, also proposed the 315B design, a two-seat variant that would carry Condor anti-ship missiles under its wings. Development of the Condor missile-which was to have carried a conventional or W73 nuclear warhead-was canceled before becoming operational. Yet another "payload" envisioned for U-2s in this period was a pair of drones that would be released to serve as decoys for missiles fired against the U-2.
By: - 3rd October 2008 at 20:15 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
As long as we're on the subject of big carrier aircraft, let's not forget the A-3 Skywarrior....that must of had a span close to the U-2.
33ft shorter on the Skywarrior, which in turn is only a foot greater than that of the Savage - which surprised me a bit.
By: - 14th October 2008 at 00:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
P2V and AJ carrier deployment
Kenneth Wooster's pages on the Hatwing program are excellent...I think he flew both types....
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By: REF - 2nd October 2008 at 22:41
Some of you may have seen this but it is quite interesting footage
http://www.creativefission.com/Frame_MOV_Carrier320x240.html
Richard