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Posted on 04/25/2008 8:38:09 AM PDT by American Quilter
Carrier launches are astonishing events. The plane is moved to within what seems like a bowling alley's length of the bow. A blast shield larger than any government building driveway Khomeini-flipper rises behind the fighter jet, and the jet's twin engines are cranked to maximum thrust. A slot-car slot runs down the middle of the bowling alley. The powered-up jet is held at the end of its slot by a steel shear pin smaller than a V-8 can. When the shear pin shears the jet is unleashed and so is a steam catapult that hurls the plane down the slot, from 0 to 130 miles per hour in two seconds. And--if all goes well--the airplane is airborne. This is not a pilot taking off. This is a pilot as cat's eye marble pinched between boundless thumb and infinite forefinger of Heaven's own Wham-O slingshot.
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
>>Been googling USS Princeton (CV/CVA/CVS-37, LPH-5) and cannot find any mention of this. Not doubting your word, just want to know more about it!
It happened in 1960, off the coast of Formosa. A big SEATO ops, 88 ships in all. Don’t think that you will find an embarassing thing like this on Google. Anymore likely that you’ll find out about the shi’s Captain who managed to run Princeton aground off Okinawa. Sorry, I won’t put his name out there: “Respect the dead, they can’t defend themselves.”
Absolutely right. A big BZ to all of them!
Great Read!
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A little more info on launch procedures (from ("Super Carrier") - I believe the shear pin varies in thickness depending on the maximum thrust of the plane to be launched; that is, it is designed to hold the plane in place at full thrust, then shear when the catapult load is added - this allows the pilot and ground crew to assure full power if available before launch...
Yeap, only Captain I could find for the USS Princeton was Raymond N. Sharp and that was in 1952 when she was CVS-37.
Sounds like you have some interesting sea stories to tell... 
I'll supply the beer!
Found another: Captain Paul J. Knapp, in late 1964.
Christ Almighty - that was awesome. Thanks for posting that excerpt. BTTT.
LOL. P.J. sure has a way with words.
A guy that used to work for me was previously a reactor officer on 688 boats. He felt the same way.
It's a good thing that Huckabee or Romney or Giuliani isn't the nominee. He wouldn't have been able to use that neat ending.
Did you find this?
Andrew Toppan’s site is the place to start for anything naval, if you don’t have Jane’s subscription ($$$$).
http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/cv37.htm
I was on a 688. The RO’s road in the back of the bus.
America’s Big Stick Plankowner *ping*
Say hello to the imagery
One must assume that grounding in Okinawa was not like the Big Mo's in 1950. Then "...the only U.S. battleship in commission, Missouri was proceeding seaward on a training mission from Hampton Roads early 17 January when she ran aground at a point 1.6 miles from Thimble Shoals Light, near Old Point Comfort. She traversed shoal water a distance of three ship lengths from the main channel. Lifted some 7 feet above waterline, she struck hard and fast. With the aid of tugs, pontoons, and an incoming tide, she was refloated 1 February." From hazegray.org
Nowadays, can you imagine the glee the MSM would have it if an American carrier was torpedoed or grounded?
pj ping
After grounding her off Red Beach in Okinawa, Princeton had to put in to Yokuska Naval Shipyard for repairs. After a week in drydock, they had replaced a bent shaft and patched two holes in the outer hull. We then proceeded to Formosa for our first vertical envelopment operation. HMM(then HMR)-362 and 3/1(Reinforced) for Ops.
But that’s another story.
Play it again, Sam.
I want to hear the music, and the harmony.
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