HMS Hermes as Sea Control Ship

[orlovsky]

Yeah. The S-3 was 29'6" by 49'5" when it it's wings and tail were folded. She was a big girl.

And I misspoke a little earlier. Max catapult weight for the S-3 was 52,539 pounds. It's normal cat weight was 43,449 pounds. So end run speed is probably around 107 knots. Still that does, barely, give you the 5 knot margin to launch in zero wind conditions. And luckily for Hermes, her deck and arresting gear are already good enough to recover the Viking (max trap weight is 37,695 pounds).

Yes, the short low pressure BS5 was about 25 kts weaker than the C-11. So @ 45k lbs, which looks like the usual mission weight from the SAC, ~10 kts WOD.

Arresting @33k lbs should be possible around 0 kts.





I do not think the S-3 from Hermes makes much operational sense, but it would be nice as I have a weak spot for the Viking. It looks like the bastard child of a fighter jet and a panda bear.

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

SACLANT asked the RN to look at operating S3 Vikings from her in addition to the Seakings.
Retaining the waist catapult would also allow the Hermes to retain Gannet AEW and COD aircraft to provide information for its T42 and County class escorts.
By 1974 Hermes had recommissioned as a combined Commando and ASW ship. 8 S3K Vikings on loan from the US joined the ship and the Gannets from her last fixed wing commission.

Do you happen to have more information about this loan?

 

[SSgtC]

Do you happen to have more information about this loan?

I think that's pure AH in this scenario. AFAIK, the Viking never flew from any British carriers

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

I think that's pure AH in this scenario. AFAIK, the Viking never flew from any British carriers

Makes sense, thanks for the info. I may have gotten a bit carried away with that.

 

[Odysseus1980]

Indeed is possible to fit S-3 Viking in Hermes lifts.

As I understand it, a high pressure BS4A would be able for 50,000lb/106 kn.

 

[The Skipper]

The saga of HMS Hermes is well known. But it might have been different if the RN had followed the US example and kept her as an ASW carrier or interim Sea Control Ship.

The US were introducing the S3 Viking on to their attack carriers but were keen to get as many to sea as possible.
HMS Hermes began its conversion to a planned Commando Ship role replacing Albion. SACLANT asked the RN to look at operating S3 Vikings from her in addition to the Seakings.
Retaining the waist catapult would also allow the Hermes to retain Gannet AEW and COD aircraft to provide information for its T42 and County class escorts.
By 1974 Hermes had recommissioned as a combined Commando and ASW ship. 8 S3K Vikings on loan from the US joined the ship and the Gannets from her last fixed wing commission.
The Labour Government ordered Sea Harriers for Hermes and the new Invincibles.
The loan of S3 aircraft came to an end in 1976 when NATO urged the RN to buy them outright. However, the RAF had a surplus of Nimrods withdrawn from Malta and the S3 were reluctantly returned to the States.
The Gannets remained. And when the new Sea Harriers joined the ship they added greatly to her capabilities.

Hermes never had a waist catapult; she had two bow catapults, one port one starboard.

 

[uk 75]

I stand corrected Thank you.
Not sure what I had in mind back in 22. Often post from my phone without my books to hand.