The Airplane Thread

[Llarry]

Two more examples of the old Navy designation system:

A Marine Corps GV-1 (G=refueling, V=Lockheed) refueling two Marine A4Ds (A=attack, 4th model, D=Douglas). The GV-1 was redesignated KC-130F in 1962 and the A4D was redesignated A-4. The GV was the only aircraft to ever use the G = refueler designation.

A Navy ZPG-3W blimp used to carry early warning radar in 1960. In this case, two letter function Z=lighter-than-air plus P=patrol and manufacturer G = Goodyear. 3rd model of this blimp and modified for airborne early warning. The next upgraded model blimp from Goodyear would've been ZP2G but the blimps went away in 1962.

[Ledesc]

Awesome to see these great pictures and explanations.
Thanks!!!

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Most of the pilots were enlisted.

The Canadian Army used enlisted pilots Warrant Officers as artillery forward observers flying the Birddog L-19 in the '60s and early '70s.

I believe that the US Army is the only branch now using Warrant Officers flying helicopters. Correct?

[chassis]

B747-8

“heavy”

What a huge wing!

Relish flights on these big birds, the last one left the factory, an end of an era.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

I believe that the US Army is the only branch now using Warrant Officers flying helicopters. Correct?

I'm not sure. Certainly the Army uses large numbers of warrant officers as pilots. The Navy has established programs for flying warrants, then (I think) disestablished them -- can't make up their mind. Mind you, though, that warrant officers in the U.S. forces are considered officers, not enlisted, unlike the Commonwealth nations.

The last few enlisted naval air pilots from the earlier era retired in the early 1970s; mostly they were transport pilots and the like.

[Llarry]

Back on the subject of old Navy designations, here are a couple of notable aircraft:

-- A Lockheed WV-2 Warning Star (W = early warning, 1 isn't used, V = Lockheed)

-- A Lockheed R7V-1 Constellation (R = transport, 7th model, V = Lockheed.) The predecessor of the Military Airlift Command through the 1950s was not all Air Force; the Navy contributed several squadrons to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS.) I believe MAC became all-USAF well before the time it was renamed in the mid-1960s.

The new designation of the WV-2 was EC-121P and that of the R7V-1 was C-121C I think; I can't find my WV/R7V book at the moment.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Back on the subject of old Navy designations, here are a couple of notable aircraft:

-- A Lockheed WV-2 Warning Star (W = early warning, 1 isn't used, V = Lockheed)

-- A Lockheed R7V-1 Constellation (R = transport, 7th model, V = Lockheed.) The predecessor of the Military Airlift Command through the 1950s was not all Air Force; the Navy contributed several squadrons to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS.) I believe MAC became all-USAF about the time it was renamed in the mid-1960s.

The new designation of the WV-2 was EC-121P and that of the R7V-1 was C-121C I think; I can't find my WV/R7V book at the moment.

The Connie was one of the most beautiful aircraft to take to the skies!

[chassis]

Four heavies back to back:

Atlas 747
Lufthansa 747
Atlas 747
British A380

[Llarry]

Here's another interesting pre-1962 Navy designation situation: In 1943-44, the Navy's standard scout/dive bomber, the Douglas SBD, was replaced by a Curtiss design: the SB2C Helldiver. By this time, war production was going gangbusters and the Navy wanted more Helldivers than Curtiss could build. The solution in this case was to produce the planes in two Canadian factories: Canadian Car & Foundry and Fairchild (Canada.) The resulting airplanes were mixed in the units; most were Curtiss-built SB2Cs, but a unit might have a mix of all three, including CC&F SBWs and Fairchild SBFs. All the same plane and interchangeable in the fleet. Here's a late-production SB2C-5; an SBF-5 or SBW-5 would look exactly the same.

[eluded]

….at 721 feet agl, the PF disengaged the autopilot and called for flaps 30…. the report’s implication is that the PM moved the wrong lever the first time….

[Llarry]

More Old Navy oddity -- the Navy had its own aircraft factory. The Naval Aircraft Factory was located at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Pennsylvania and had design and construction capabilities.

The Navy used the NAF to check manufacturer's cost estimates and built various aircraft from 1918 to the 1940s.

The most numerous product was the NAF N3N (N = training; 3rd design, last N = NAF) trainer, of which 817 were built from 1936 to the end of World War II. Most Navy pilots started training by flying the Stearman N2S (N= training, 2nd model, S=Stearman), but a significant number used the N3N.

The N3N also holds the distinction of being the last biplane used by the U.S. Navy. A number of N3Ns equipped with floats were used to introduce midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy to aviation until 1960, when they were finally retired.

A note on the designations of trainers: The letter "T" was reserved for torpedo planes, so the Navy chose another letter for trainers: "N". It could be used by itself, as in N3N or N2S or could be used along with another letter to denote type of trainer. Two excellent examples: the Beechcraft SNB (later C-45) and the North American SNJ (AKA AT-6 or Harvard) advanced trainer. In both cases, designation SN = scout trainer. (The SNJ never got a new designations; it was retired in the 1950s.) After WWII, when torpedo planes went away, T was used for trainers.

A brief personal note: When I left home in the Philippines to go to Marine Corps OCS in 1966, my father flew me from one base to the other in the station's UC-45J (new designation of SNB) and I got to fly the thing for a few minutes -- totally awesome!

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by ezaircon4jc

The Connie was one of the most beautiful aircraft to take to the skies!

It was also known as the best three engine airplane by line pilots. True story.

[ezaircon4jc]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

It was also known as the best three engine airplane by line pilots. True story.

To paraphrase Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks...

3 out of 4 engines are working and 3 out of 4 ain't bad!

[Lady Jane]

The RCAF used the Beech-18 known as the C-45 Expeditor to train Navigators and Bombardiers.

The bomber trainer version had a plexiglas nose.

[Dang3r]

[Llarry]

The U.S. Navy's new airborne refueling aircraft is a drone: The Lockheed-Martin MQ-25. Coming soon to carrier decks.

[Llarry]

A pictorial history of U.S. Navy helicopters:

Sikorsky HO3S of around 1950 (used during Korean War); an aircraft carrier typically embarked a detachment of just two

Sikorsky HO4S of mid-1950s; not only on carriers, but commonly assigned to Naval Air Stations as search & rescue aircraft; some were used in early helicopter anti-submarine (ASW) operations

Vertol HUP of later 1950s; like the earlier Sikorsky birds, assigned to carriers for SAR and utility duties in small numbers

Sikorsky HSS Seabat; the first really capable ASW helicopter; assigned to ASW carriers in squadron strength

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King; the first turbine-powered ASW helicopter; also used for recovery of space capsules etc.; long-retired from the Navy but continues in service as the 'Marine One' VH-3D presidential helicopter, soon to be replaced.

Kaman SH-2 Seasprite; smaller turbine-powered helo assigned to cruisers and destroyers for ASW and utility work. Note the ASW torpedo just behind the landing gear.

Sikorsky SH-60B; replaced SH-2 on surface ships; now retired

Sikorsky SH-60F; replaced SH-3 on carriers; unlike SH-60B, equipped with dipping sonar

Sikorsky MH-60R; the current ASW helo on both carriers and surface ships; also has dipping sonar (not pictured)

Sikorsky MH-60S; the other common fleet helo; used for logistics resupply, search and rescue, etc.

Sikorsky MH-53E: A very large helicopter used for mine clearance and logistics resupply; getting old and no replacement in sight

[Llarry]

U.S. Navy helicopter pilot training: The USN trains pilots for the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard as well as several foreign countries.

I believe that Army and Air Force helo pilots start their pilot training on a helicopter; the Navy does not but gives the student pilot almost 100 hours of flight time in the T-6B turboprop trainer (equipped with ejection seats) before starting training in the Bell 206-derived TH-57C. The TH-57C is in the process of being replaced by the new Leonardo TH-73A.

[Llarry]

My Navy helicopter historical survey omitted a very important helicopter: The Boeing-Vertol UH-46. The UH-46 was assigned to underway replenishment ships and would shuttle cargo and weapons from there to surface ships and carriers at an incredible rate -- far faster than the old-fashioned way of winching loads from one ship to another while underway alongside. The skill of these UH-46 pilots never ceased to amaze me as they shuttled the short distance between two ships, picking up and dropping loads in rapid succession. The photo is of a UH-46D assigned ashore as a search and rescue helo.

The UH-46 has now been replaced by the MH-60S in the vertical replenishment role.

[Lady Jane]

Embraer EMB 314 Super Tucano Similar to the Pilatus PC-21.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embrae...4_Super_Tucano



Short Tucano of the RAF built under license in Belfast. Similar to the Pilatus PC-9

[3.0L]

Originally Posted by Llarry

Back on the subject of old Navy designations, here are a couple of notable aircraft:

-- A Lockheed WV-2 Warning Star (W = early warning, 1 isn't used, V = Lockheed)

-- A Lockheed R7V-1 Constellation (R = transport, 7th model, V = Lockheed.) The predecessor of the Military Airlift Command through the 1950s was not all Air Force; the Navy contributed several squadrons to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS.) I believe MAC became all-USAF well before the time it was renamed in the mid-1960s.

The new designation of the WV-2 was EC-121P and that of the R7V-1 was C-121C I think; I can't find my WV/R7V book at the moment.

The triple-tail design allowed the Constellation to fit in existing hangars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockhe...eading%20edges.

[Jbrown7403]

When I was little kiddo in the 70s, I remember being fascinated by the Sikorsky Sky-crane CH-54. Saw one flying in Arizona about a year ago and it still amazes me.