VIDEO: BONAVENTURE similar to, HMAS Melbourne Carrier Ops

[Luig]

BONAVENTURE was very similar to HMAS Melbourne except the angle deck looks to be marked slightly differently. The screenshot shows a BANSHEE with minimal 'hook to ramp' clearance on what looks like a very flat approach at "130+ miles per hour" approach.

HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22) - Majestic Class Aircraft Carrier

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmFD5bijrok...player_embedded

"Published on Apr 14, 2013
HMCS Bonaventure (CVL 22) was a Majestic class aircraft carrier. She served in the Royal Canadian Navy and Canadian Forces Maritime Command from 1957 to 1970 and was the third and the last aircraft carrier to serve Canada. The ship was laid down for the British Royal Navy as HMS Powerful in November 1943. At the end of World War II, work on the ship was suspended in 1946. At the time of purchase, it was decided to incorporate new aircraft carrier technologies into the design. Bonaventure never saw action during her career having only peripheral, non-combat roles. However, she was involved in major NATO fleet-at-sea patrol during the Cuban Missile Crisis."

Attached Image

[Brendan Cowan]

Nice one Phil,

That's part of an interesting series that could have me spending too much time on Youtube!

I noticed quite a bit of nose wheel castoring going on after the Banshees trapped aboard.

Cheers


BC

[Grumpy Cobra]

That is gold that video - poor Canucks are suffering quite a bit lately with their Seaking replacements the Cyclone turning into our Seasprites :o :P :lol: and their boats colliding on their way to the Sydney bash wot!

[Luig]

Brendan 'the nosewheel castoring' after arrest when the aircraft is being pulled back by the arrestor wire - so that the hook when raised will drop the wire - is very useful. I doubt that like the A4G the BANSHEE has nosewheel steering though. The A4G nosewheel also was freewheeling - when not under nosewheel steering. A real benefit on tight spaces on deck.

Anyway allowing that castoring means the aircraft is pulled back almost straight - inline - without the nosewheel slowing the process by making the nose go in a wide arc otherwise. Sloughing off the hook quickly is important. Even though it is less of a problem these days, back in those days and before, two hookmen would race out to ensure the hook was dropped by the pullback process; otherwise they would physically free the hook so that the aircraft is able to taxi quickly out of the landing area. The tight landing intervals meant that only a few seconds allowed this process to occur; otherwise the following aircraft would have to wave off. On MELBOURNE often the last aircraft to land would just be parked (temporarily) where it stopped after arrest.

Early A-4s did not have nosewheel steering and had to be minutely positioned on the catapult, for example, with a deck crewman weilding a tillerbar connected to the nosewheel, to get it tracking properly whilst the pilot DID NOT USE THE BRAKES; because that would send the poor tillerman for a SIX!

This post has been edited by Luig on Sep 7 2013, 11:26 AM

[Luig]

See the A4G nosewheel swivel during pull back by the arrestor wire after arrest in this video at this thread name with URL to the actual video:

AWM VIDEO RAN FAA Fixed Wing OPS, HMAS MELBOURNE over time

http://www.awm.gov.au/collection/F04987/ - A4Gs + S2Es Slow Motion Arrests & Catapults (see A4G nosewheel swivel after arrest during pullback)

[Brendan Cowan]

Thanks for the explanation Phil,

That makes a lot of sense.

Cheers

BC