How Many Scouts did WWII Ships Carry?

I saw the "news from Trumpeter" at the Cybermodeler site and was curious about if they only carry two or not as Trumpeter was offering a 12 pack of 1/700 Kingfishers. Seemed like an awful lot of planes unless you are upgrading your exisiting kits...

If the carried replacement planes, where were they stored and how were they loaded back onto the catapult?

thx - Craig

Reply to
crw59
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crw59> I saw the "news from Trumpeter" at the Cybermodeler site crw59> and was curious about if they only carry two or not as crw59> Trumpeter was offering a 12 pack of 1/700 Kingfishers. crw59> Seemed like an awful lot of planes unless you are upgrading crw59> your exisiting kits...

crw59> If the carried replacement planes, where were they stored crw59> and how were they loaded back onto the catapult?

We're clearly talking USN here. Kingfishers were carried on BBs, CAs, CLs and I heard a few with wheels on CVs sometimes as liaison, although I may be confusing with the RN and their Walrus here...

OK, so prewar USN heavies were designed for 3 or 4 scouts IIRC, at that time they would have been I supose Seagulls. Probably same number of Kingfishers could be carried. Same with BBs. All carried in hangers and lifted out (in case of stern hangers) or up (in case of amidships hangers) by cranes onto catapult. Retrieval was done by landing next to the ship, swinging out the crane and the observer attaching a hook from there to the top wing (Seagull) or I guess some attachment on the fuselage (Kingfisher).

Reply to
Gernot Hassenpflug

Retrieval was done by landing next to the ship.

Underway, the mother ship put a net mat over the side and the aircraft taxied onto the mat. The main pontoon had a downward and rear pointing spike that engaged the mat. The aircraft was then towed at the speed of the mother ship, then

swinging out the crane and the observer attaching a hook from there to the top wing (Seagull) or I guess some attachment on the fuselage (Kingfisher).

Reply to
Byron Lane

Photos show a single short cable with an "eye" attached to the fuselage just behind the pilot's headrest. Can't tell if it's retractable or just stowed when not in use.

I haven't seen any photos with more than three Kingfishers on a ship (not counting seaplane tenders). Two sitting on catapults and a third "reserve" on a deck cradle. I'd be very surprised if any "Kingfisher ship" had a hanger below deck.

Kingfishers on carriers? Maybe for a visit, but there ain't no tailhook. Besides, if you're got a flight deck, why fool around with a seaplane? Seaplane were for ships without flight decks.

A 12-pack seems like too many. A few Seagulls and Seahawks would have been more useful.

Greg Reynolds, IPMS

Reply to
Greg

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