Hellcat in trouble

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evangilder

"Shooter"
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Sep 17, 2004
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Here is a shot of a Hellcat, with a broken tailhook. He's trying to get back into the sky. As you can see, he is starting to stall and roll to the port side. This is from VF-35 off the USS Cabot (CVL-28) on September 9, 1943. The pilot was rescued, the Hellcat was claimed by the ocean.
 

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Thats called a torque stall, common with low time pilots and high horsepower engines. One of the reasons why the Corsair was called the "Ensign Eliminator." :dead:

RIGHT RUDDER! RIGHT RUDDER!
 
That's a bad one to, Wildcat! Yeah, torque stalls are bad, very bad, especially when you don't have altitude. They also called the Corsair the "Bent wing widow maker". They were good planes once you got used to them, but they can both be very unforgiving to an inexperience pilot.
 
evangilder said:
Here is a shot of a Hellcat, with a broken tailhook. He's trying to get back into the sky. As you can see, he is starting to stall and roll to the port side. This is from VF-35 off the USS Cabot (CVL-28) on September 9, 1943. The pilot was rescued, the Hellcat was claimed by the ocean.

Evan, the hook is not broken. It hung down like that when extended.

Cool shot. :)

Anyone see the pic of the Avenger with 1/2 of one shot off? Flew back and ditched beside a ship.
 
Nonskimmer said:
KraziKanuK said:
Evan, the hook is not broken. It hung down like that when extended.
But it looks like the actual hook at the end is missing. Or maybe it's just my eyes going on me. It's possible. ;)

Maybe. It looks like the tail is already over the edge of the deck to me.
 
I was going by the caption that was in the National Archives. It's hard to tell in the original if it is missing the lower half, or if it is below the edge of the side of the carrier. He may have missed the landing altogether. Hard to say. I was going by the caption that was provided, so I am unsure.
 

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