fleet air arm

I've caught papacavy's "What If" disease, but this is purely for interest rather than literary purposes. As we all know, the Fairey Battle was an airplane which, once tested in combat, did not imbue its crews with any confidence that they would come home from attacking defended targets. Let's...

This is posted in the alternative history and future speculation section. So it is not history, but it is close to history. What if.....what if the P1154 is proceeded with? How does that happen? And what are its effects? ............. It could happen partly by not merging RN and RAF...

Just wondered why this amazing aircraft doesn't enjoy such a reputation as compared to TSR2? Thinking back to the sixties would it not have made sense to take up the Yorkshire suggestion rather than one from a neighbouring county? After all a supersonic Bucc would have saved developmental...

I know this is a well covered subject but I was wondering if there is anywhere an RN document from 1965 or 1966 showing what its planned 1975 or so carrier fleet was supposed to look like. Based on what has been posted here already here is a stab at what I think was intended Fleet Carriers...

Anyone have a three view drawing of the Blackburn B.29 torpedo bomber? prior posting: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,4519.msg35771/topicseen.html#msg35771

Let us consider the following. Suppose that CVA-01 and her two sisters are built as originally planned*, entering service in, say, '72, '75 and '78 respectively. The CAG would have been, iirc, 36 jets, 18 Phantoms and 18 Buccaneers on each ship. Given that the FAA replaced these aircraft with...

One of the joys of this site is the quantity of info available on unbuilt aircraft projects. Particularly tantalising are the various projects in the 70s and 80s for a supersonic VSTOL to replace the Harrier. The Bae 1216 has been the best covered thanks to Michael Pryce. Various US designs...

The F4 Phantom might have failed to materialise as the wonderful plane which the RAF and RN used to fill various gaps from the 60s onwards. In a Phantomless world would P1154 have been developed as planned in 1963 for both RAF and RN or would the Lightning have been developed in its swing wing...

Think Defence have posted a couple of interesting articles lately, with great pictures, on the more unusual bases used for Harriers in the Falklands. http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2012/04/the-atlantic-conveyor-falklands30/...

The next PTP I am writing, on Harrier Projects, is about 50% written. It will feature some things already known about, but tell their full story, such as: as well as revealing wholly new stories, such as the full saga of the Harrier III, the proposed Sea Harrier FRS.3 and some weird and...

. I don't know where this really belongs (if at all) anyway, out of interest, Air Britain have (?) released a new book on RAF unmanned aircraft / target drones / recon drones called "Sitting Ducks and Peeping Toms" - I do NOT know if any projected models are included :-...

Anyone got anymore info on this pair. A 3-view of each would be really nice, but ain't holding my breath on that.

Greetings and salutations my friends. A friend told me the original plans for what became the Fairey Barracuda depicted an aircraft with a low wing similar to the Battle and Fulmar. This was before the suits demanded a shoulder high wing and the design was changed. Is this true or is my...

I’m particularly interested in the navigation and attack capabilities of the early Harriers, in particular Falklands era. However research on the net has only led to a partial understanding of this subject. It’s the same story with published works. I’m aware that some members of the forum are...

This YouTube video has some really good footage of Harriers, plus some other aircraft (Sea Vixens - yay!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjRdNwcWsZE I especially like the Sea Harrier in nuclear strike configuration (WE177 and tank) preparing to launch at 20:37 and the 'Captain Pugwash'...

On page 241 of "The Decline of British Seapower" by Desmond Wettern, the then Minister of Aviation (Julian Amery) told a Business Dinner on 9 September 1964 that the Government were considering building an ocean-going "hovership" for the RN. His Ministry and the MOD would make preliminary...

Who can flesh this lot out? 1954: Sperry/UK, licence from Sperry/US: intended for (to be) Blue Streak. Bracknell clean room. Abandoned for: 3/57: Elliott licence from Bosch Arma (ATLAS kit). Rochester clean room. B Streak died 13/4/60 but INS work continued for Blue Steel. 1957: Ferranti...

Hi all, I search for drawing of some Hawker fighter projects. Hope you can help: 1) Hawker Henley Escort fighter conversion 2) Hawker Henley Close Support Bomber 3) Hawker Typhoon with Turbo-Supercharger 4) Hawker Tempest with Bristol Centaurus 5) Hawker Tempest Mk.I with Sabre IV 6)...

Today it is 50 years since the first Hawker P.1127 hovered, on 21st of October 1960. Despite the recent news that the UK is retiring its fleet the US Marine Corps, Spanish Navy, Italian Navy and Indian Navy continue to operate it, and it is likely that the Harrier will still be in service for...

Found a couple of notes on Invincible class from my Aviation & Marine International magazine collection September 1979: April 1976: