C-47's on a Carrier Flight Deck

[Unit19]

Anyone have any info on this? Think they were flown off or were just being transported and off-loaded with a crane somewhere?

USS Bon Homme Richard CVA-31

[jimz66]

If it were a short trip I would say just a ferry mission. This has been done before. But it would severely impact and maybe even prevent flight ops. Not sure I can be of more help. I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it for myself. Odd picture. Thanks for posting it. I have seen some pics of P-47 being ferried over to Europe in WWII as well as the well known shot of the Cobra's on the Vinson or the TR in the last few years going into combat. I forget which ship it was and when it was and where they were going but I can distinctively remember four of them on the bow of the carrier. HTH?

[Steve N]

I sincerely doubt they were flown off the deck. One off the types evaluated by Jimmy Doolittle for the Tokyo raid was the B-23 Dragon, which had the same basic wing as the C-47. One of the reasons it was rejected was because the wings wouldn't clear the island during launch. I'm not a ship guy, but I don't think the Essex class was that much bigger than the Hornet.

SN

[GreyGhost]

Interesting picture ... :wacko:

Thanks for sharing that and the link ...

Gregg

[majortomski]

... which had the same basic wing as the C-47. One of the reasons it was rejected was because the wings wouldn't clear the island during launch.

SN

On the contrary, in Operation Highjump 6 R4D-7's launched off the Essex class carrier Philippine Sea (CV-47) they used rato to get off but they fit on the deck.

[Unit19]

Really illustrates how large the SkyRaider is sitting next to the C-47's.

[jimz66]

Really illustrates how large the SkyRaider is sitting next to the C-47's.

Yeah the Sandy was a big bird. I have never seen one but have seen people around it so I can kinda get an idea of the size of it.

[Cadfael]

Another pic of BHR arriving off of Pearl Harbor Dec 1952 after her second Korean War cruise with 3 R3D's aboard.

USS Bon Homme Richard

[Steve N]

On the contrary, in Operation Highjump 6 R4D-7's launched off the Essex class carrier Philippine Sea (CV-47) they used rato to get off but they fit on the deck.

Interesting..I'd never heard that one. I know they recovered and launched a C-130 from a carrier (Forrestal?) They basically proved it was possible, but not practical.

SN

[Hawkeye's Hobbies]

Interesting..I'd never heard that one. I know they recovered and launched a C-130 from a carrier (Forrestal?) They basically proved it was possible, but not practical.

SN

Not practical in the sense in that the carrier had to have a clean deck, and it suspended air ops while aboard. It was in part to prove that a larger aircraft could be used for emergency resupply or be recovered. Until the arrival of suitable COD aircraft, one needed a way to evac wounded in mass, as if a ship was attacked or a major accident occurred one expected high numbers of wounded or worse. We in the midst of the Cold War, anything was possible and had to be planned for.

[jimz66]

Not practical in the sense in that the carrier had to have a clean deck, and it suspended air ops while aboard. It was in part to prove that a larger aircraft could be used for emergency resupply or be recovered. Until the arrival of suitable COD aircraft, one needed a way to evac wounded in mass, as if a ship was attacked or a major accident occurred one expected high numbers of wounded or worse. We in the midst of the Cold War, anything was possible and had to be planned for.

Remember that they did launch a Herc off the Forrestall in 59, I think it was 59. It was a bigger ship as well as a bigger plane though.