P-47s launched from a carrier

[Thorlifter]

Ok, was this common for the P-47 or are my eyes failing me and I'm having the worst case of dumba$$ ever.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuSYH0Cl6Sw

Watch from 1:30. These are Thunderbolts, right?

 

[Marshall_Stack]

This was how some of the USAAF P-47s were delivered to islands in the Pacific. They were catapulted from jeep carriers and then they flew to the island. It was only a one way trip....

 

[Airframes]

F*****g hell! That looks hairy!!!

 

[antoni]

This was covered a few months ago here:

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/aviation/p-47-carrier-capable-13506.html

 

[parsifal]

The first and last 5-10 seconds of any carrier based take off/landing are the most dangerous.

This footage is relatively benign. The earlier footage of the Hellcats, Helldivers etc sugests that some of the A/C are not using the catapult, indicating light loads on takeoff. At a guess I would say they on a training mission, with the carrier "parked". This suggests ideal headwind conditions

Compare this with what the RN was expected to do in the Atlantic. On the Arctic runs in particular (which the USN could not do, their aircraft could not risk the conditions), it was not uncommon for the swordfish to take off and landing in seas that boasted 60 foot rollers. That meant the manouvres had to be very carefully timed, usually on the upward roll so as to avoid a massive dunking for the aircraft