Wild_Bill_Kelso
Senior Master Sergeant
- 3,231
- Mar 18, 2022
LolWut?
Did I have a stroke? What am I looking at here
Did I have a stroke? What am I looking at here
P-47 from a carrier?
- Thread starter Wild_Bill_Kelso
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GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The Navy transported Army aircraft aboard carriers and when they got near their destination, they'd fly them off.
It was much faster and efficient than transporting them crated aboard freighters.
It was much faster and efficient than transporting them crated aboard freighters.
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Wild_Bill_Kelso
Senior Master Sergeant
- 3,231
- Mar 18, 2022
yeah never seen it done with P-47s, and the caption was making wild claims
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
P-47 carrier capable?
Anyone knows something about this, what version of P-47 that is, when and where it happend?
ww2aircraft.net
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Many times people have seen the Operation Torch P-40s flying off the USS Ranger and assumed they were carrier capable, too.
33k in the air
Staff Sergeant
- 1,354
- Jan 31, 2021
Were they piloted by Army or Navy pilots? If the former, did they get extra training in order to take off from a carrier? Seems to me a carrier take off would be something quite unusual for an Army pilot.
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
The Army aircraft were piloted by their own pilots.
They were briefed on what to do, but essentially it would be the same proceedure as taking off from a short field: flaps sets, brakes set, run the RPMs up, brakes off and go like hell.
I should also add that they didn't have a full loadout, which helped with their takeoff.
The 77 P-40F of 33rd FG flew off the CVE Chenango during Operation Torch. During that Operation, Ranger was fully operational with her own carrier air group.
Earlier, on 22nd April 1942, Ranger had loaded 68 P-40E destined for the American Volunteer Group in the CBI, which were flown off to Accra on the Gold Coast in West Africa, to be flown across Africa, the Middle East and India to reach their destination. Then on 1 July she took 72 P-40F of the 57th FG to be flown off to Accra. These aircraft were then flown across Africa to become operational in Egypt.
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Wild_Bill_Kelso
Senior Master Sergeant
- 3,231
- Mar 18, 2022
Yeah I knew all about the P-40s, I didn't know about the P-47s. Thanks.
GregP
Major
The P-47s were given just enough fuel to get to their new base, and had no ammunition in them ... they were LIGHT ... at least, for a P-47 they were light. The carrier would steam into the wind at 30+ knots and they could make it off, but could not land back aboard.
The P-47D flown off carriers to the Marianas were flown off the Manila Bay and Natoma Bay. These were 19 knot Casablanca class escort carriers.
Edit. They were catapulted off the carriers
Last edited:
special ed
2nd Lieutenant
- 5,662
- May 13, 2018
The first Army delivery flown off was long nose P-40s to Iceland.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Just fill 'em up. Ethyl.
- Thread starter
- #15
Wild_Bill_Kelso
Senior Master Sergeant
- 3,231
- Mar 18, 2022
Escort carriers can make 30 knots?
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
Downhill
With rockets
GrauGeist
Generalfeldmarschall zur Luftschiff Abteilung
Have a small boat following in the distance playing banjo music, that'll make them paddle faster 
:
DarrenW
Staff Sergeant
That's about the only way you'd ever get the average P-47 off a carrier and into the air, no matter what class you're talking about:
Essex class carrier length: 888 feet
P-47D-10 take-off run at combat weight with full flaps and maximum combat power: 1650 feet
Now even though that take-off distance was to clear a 50 foot obstacle in a "no wind" condition, under similar circumstances (but without combat power) the F6F could easily cut that distance in half but even they occasionally required catapult assistance depending on deck position (i.e. those up front).
As you can see the take-off distance was cut in half with the aid of a head wind, but even if we did this for the Thunderbolt the take off distance would still be the entire length of the largest carriers of the war (while under the most favorable circumstances conceivable).
