A bunch of the guys look like they're watching a movie?
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A plane being catapulted from the hangar deck catapult on the carrier Yorktown (CV-10) off Trinidad, Jun 3, 1943.
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On the flight deck of USS Saratoga (CV-3). Nov 1943.
Was just looking at the above photo of the Yorktown catapulting the Hellcat on its way and the thought occurred to me "Uh, why?'
I mean why would that be a thing? Isn't there a big, flat space on top to launch aircraft?
Seems a little odd to me and have not seen this before.
I mean why would that be a thing? Isn't there a big, flat space on top to launch aircraft?
Seems a little odd to me and have not seen this before.
My father-in-law flew fighters off of aircraft carriers in the Pacific during WW2. He explained once that flattops were not actually that big. Often times, multiple waves of planes were in use at the same time. Torpedo bombers might be being retrieved at the same time that dive bombers were being launched. The flight deck was not large enough to have all of the planes landing and taking off at the same time. So some planes might be catapulted for launch when, at the same time, other planes might be landing.