Brought back memories to this old salt..
Back in '56--57...onboard USS MIDWAY..CVA 41..
we had been in a yard overhaul up in Bremerton,WA...
I was assigned to the "retraction engines " for the arresting
gear...hydraulics. V2 Division as I remember..The angle deck had been added
to this old carrier.. Now that the yard period was over and everything had
to be tested..we put to sea for sea trials... Well...much to everyone's
surprise..the Captain..Blackburn..(WW2 fighter ACE !!) did not want to try
out his new steam catapults with a nice shiney new Banshee or another
aircraft...so he had gotten a "volunteer" Plymouth Staff Car......about a
"47 I think..
Out at sea..at full speed ahead..the vehicle was launched ahead...at over
100 mph....Sort of a record for a '47 Plymouth !! Flew
beautifully...straight to the bottom of Davy Jones Locker... Gene
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Nov 01 2000 - 21:37:49 PST