What happens to the Invincibles after QE/PoW?

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:47:33 GMT

When the CVFs are both in commission there will still be life in the three Invincible class. What happens to them? Does Britain sell them to Chile or other nations that generally like old-RN kit? Selling a carrier can significantly change the military balance of a region, so Britain will need to be careful, if they care that is. Will there be sufficient used Harriers for the Invincibles' potential buyers?

Seaplane Carriers as Commerce Raiders?

feeds@yuku.com (Joshua Kintner) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:38:05 GMT

How well would have Seaplane Carriers, in the service of the KM and IJN, have served in the commerce interdiction role? Take for example the Chitose class, comissioned in 1938, with twenty five seaplanes embarked, 29 knots speed, and a mixed 5" and 25mm armament. I don't recall off hand a discussion being had about using seaplane carriers for commerce interdiction, yet it seems like a good possible role for them to be used in.

Aircraft Carrier Race - 1937-42

feeds@yuku.com (Joshua Kintner) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 21:21:18 GMT

What-If Scenario - In an attempt to bring to parity the number of aircraft carrier hulls, the USN decides to convert while under construction three of their Brooklyn class light cruisers, the Phoenix, Boise, Honolulu into early CVLs, the Independence, Belleau Wood, and Cowpens. Completion date of these three carriers is about Jan 30th, 1937. In retaliation, the IJN dives into their shadow program and takes their new seaplane carriers, Chitose and...

Do the laws of physics apply in South America?

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:48:56 GMT

The Majestic class carriers, started out as a design with roughly 14,500 tons standard displacement, and something like a robust 5.5ft metacentric hight in load conditions.

They then of course, recieved a range of modifications, steam capault, angled deck, mirror landing aid, beefed up deck strength, catapult support, briddle catchers etc - many of which increased topwieght.

Yet another hypothetical RN carrier thread

feeds@yuku.com (Jim WH) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:33:08 GMT

Given a choice which one do people feel was the better carrier for the RN, the Malta class (the final open hanger configuration on order when cancelled) or the 1952 CV?

Bear in mind that owing to the state of the British economy in the post WWII environment the Malta class would have been delayed in completion at least as long as the Audacious class an would therefore almost certainly have gone through major revisions during construction making them probably very similar to Ark...

CVL Question

feeds@yuku.com (Joshua Kintner) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:39:36 GMT

How much in the way of size, displacement, and cost would it take to produce a modern day light carrier that could deploy up to eighteen fixed wing aircraft and six helicopters (including deck parking for 1/3rd of that capacity) for up to a month and a week (week being transit time) to any area within one quarter of the planet's oceans, with a minimal CIWS for defense and no real attempts with stealth technology, and conventional propulsion?

RN carrier engineering plants 1940-1970 fact check and quest

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:20:34 GMT

Fact check and questions, please feel free to expand/answer.

From what I can see, the RN in its WWII era ships used 400psi Admiralty three drum type boilers, equivalent to their late 1930's cruiser machinery. These went into the light fleets, the Hermes, the Ark Royals etc in various combinations and sizes. I have a statement from a RAN engineering officer that they used to run these up to 440psi while running...

Lets make a bridle catcher....

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:48:17 GMT

A Bristol Hercules Engined Carrier Fighter Concept

feeds@yuku.com (PFJN) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:10:28 GMT

Hi,
A couple years ago someone made a post enquiring about possible fighter options for the Royal Navy for the late 1930's (~1938/39 or so). At that time I was messing around with some new aircraft design software that I had recently picked up, so I tried using it to develop up a single-seat monoplane design, with a Bristol Hercules powerplant. Because I'm not an aeronautical engineer though, although I found it to be a very interesting learning experience I was never...

Organization Question

feeds@yuku.com (Joshua Kintner) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:11:25 GMT

If the USN completed and wanted to combine all of their carriers and battleships/cruisers built during WW2 into one giant carrier fleet, how would they go about organizing it? Would we see 3-5 CV/CVL groups with cruiser/destroyer support and a battleline AA screen like we did torwards the end of the war, or would they try to reduce the overall number of carrier groups and fit more carriers into each respective taskforce? Here is a listing of the ships in question -

CV Saratoga...

IJN Shadow Carrier Program

feeds@yuku.com (Joshua Kintner) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:33:23 GMT

I'm looking for sites or books that has detailed information about the IJN shadow carrier program, mainly about ships that were slated or could have been converted to carriers but weren't, and information on the program and it's origin in general.

In addition to that, I want to pose a question about what kind of an impact on operations would it have if Mizuho, Nisshin, Chitose, and Chiyoda had been converted to CVLs starting in...

Impact of early widespread RN adoption of escort carriers

feeds@yuku.com (Admiral Beez) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 06:49:36 GMT

The first escort carrier of the Royal Navy HMS Empire Audacity was commissioned on 17 June 1941. How is the Battle of the Atlantic impacted if Britain commissions four or five escort carriers in June 1940? These would be of the Audacity-type with lift and hanger, as opposed to the later MAC ships with hoist or no hanger at all.

FB-XX hypothetical naval fighter bomber

feeds@yuku.com (sciquest) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:57:19 GMT

I have been wondering about a naval from the ground up fighter bomber for USN carriers. It would be stealthy of course, carry it's load of eight 2500 bombs or fuel tanks displacing bombs of 2000lbs. capacity internally in the belley bay(s). There would be two stealthy wing pods that could carry the 4700lbs. GBU-27 bunker buster. The pods act as removable wing bomb bays/fuel tanks. As a bomb bay, the pylons would have doors to launch their weapons and be reusable unless tactical...

Maximum catapault weight aircraft takeoff

feeds@yuku.com (sciquest) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:18:12 GMT

I had read that in the 50s, catapaults were built to launch 100,000lbs bombers for nuclear weapons. This was the intent of the pre Korean War carrier United States that was cancelled. I believe the heaviest aircraft I knew of were the abortive F-11B naval variant and the A-5 Vigilante both in the 80,000lbs class. How much weight can a catapault with ship WOD and wing lift successfully put into the air. Swing wings help the situation or not? Are there fixed wings that can do the job? Just...

RAN Oriskany/CVA-01 staff paper costing, etc

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:18:03 GMT

I hadn't seen this much detail before on RAN 1960's attack carrier planning.

The document is available on line at;

Excercise: Ultra Large Future Carrier/Mobile Offshore Base?

feeds@yuku.com (sciquest) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:13:43 GMT

Dock 12 used by Newport News to build carriers and other ships simultanously is 2000 feet long which accomdates present day 1100 foot by 134 foot beam. The proposed Ultra Large Carrier was 1500 feet long by 180 foot beam not counting sponsons as present day carriers which by means of sponsons have a 250 feet wide flight deck. The ULC could be given a 250 hull beam and no sponsons needed save for weapon systems. My notional ULC is 1750 feet by 250 feet hull with perhaps two hangar deck levels...

How to run a carrier, USN style in 1948

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:00:22 GMT

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/SearchOld.asp?O=I&Number=768175

700 page document compiled by 3-4 senior RAN/RN officers on a cruise with Pacfleet in 1948 - essentially comparing RN and USN practices in engienering, carrier aviation, signals and gunnery.

One step closer... USS Ranger Museum.

feeds@yuku.com (bager1968) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:41:39 GMT

I just got an e-mail... good news.

News from USS Ranger Foundation‏

From:

USS Ranger Foundation (rangerinfo@ussranger.org)

Sent:

Wed...

Stall Speed/Carrier take off speed/CVL's

feeds@yuku.com (NewGolconda) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:47:04 GMT

I have a range of load and power off stall speeds from the A4-E SAC

Max Internal Fuel, No external fuel, zero war load take off wieght 15969, stall 113 knots
Max Internal Fuel, No external fuel, 2040lb war load, take off wieght 18,311lb, stall 121 knot.
Max Internal Fuel, 300G external fuel, 3600lb war load, take off wieght 22,392lb stall 138 knot.
Max Internal Fuel, 600G external fuel, 1710lb war load, take off wieght 22,797lb, stall 138 knot.
Max Internal Fuel,...

India to go CTOL ?

feeds@yuku.com (PK) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:10:48 GMT

An article in Aviation Weekly -here- says:

India Mulls Land-Based E-2D

Oct 19, 2009

Neelam Mathews/New Delhi
The Indian navy is reevaluating the design of its future aircraft carriers and showing interest in the U.S. Navy's Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (Emals), which...

Aircraft Carriers