HMS Eagle - Flight Deck Operations 1- 1966

[n74jw]

Did the RN lose one of those cable assemblies each time they launched a Buccaneer?

[Grahampk73]

@n74jw Yes they lost the cables into the sea

[n74jw]

@Grahampk73 No wonder the RN went with the Harrier

[magna59]

So every time the launched a plane the lost a chunk of cable ?

[evilintel]

@magna59 Yup. Which is why the USN switch to the nose gear towbars starting with the A-7, and A-6.

[1militarymike]

It's criminal that the armed forces have been reduced, this nation once had a great Navy, Army and Air force, but now we have only a token force.

[tomburley]

@1militarymike Ah yes but don't forget that reducing to a 'token' force means more money to give to illegals, and lazy non working people and also government pensions etc. You know - the types of "investment in people" that generates money for us all and stimulates domestic manufacturing jobs which generates export sales and global investment in our countries future - not to mention enabling politicians to own second homes, use generous expense accounts etc. !!!!!

[Planetar17]

What galls me is that Britain gives billions in aid to countries that hate it, like Pakistan. Save that money and complete and commission those two new flattops instead, or give money to India who're are building up defenses against Pakistan and China.

[mig25pd]

Now, that's a Navy!!!!

[mig25pd]

Now that's a Navy!!!!

[Cyberwwwizard]

My Dad was on this ship.

[MrFrank1948]

wonder how many bridles the ship had onboard?

[windbreck]

my uncle jim was on that ship!!

[mvpgrisom]

What a waste of good cable...

[KALEIDOSCOPEN]

love the background machine

[anthrax2525]

The Blackburn Buccaneer... the only aircraft which would take off from a carrier literally popping a wheelie...

[Grahampk73]

The government are looking at reducing our armed forces. The new carriers might be scrapped even before they are built. Britain will be reduced to a third rate power that as no power projection in the world. Once again British politicians are putting money in front of lives. I hope that we get the carriers because we need them !

[RattlerMorgan6E1Mess]

I served on the Eagle 1965-66, as an Electrical Mechanic, I joined her in Singapore via Cyprus, Bahrain and Gan, after a wonderful 36 hour RAF Transport Command flight in a De Havilland Comet on my 18th birthday, we used to spend a full year (seatime) commission abroad in those pre educated modern navy days. My vhs copy of Warship Eagle got chewed up, always meant to transfer it to dvd, never got round to it, I need a replacement. I'd give a years pension to spend a week on her with my oppos.

[Motoguzzi750]

Just have to say mate - that is a GREAT VIDEO!!! And the days of the FAA from 1945 to 1970 were the days of its greatest glory, and maybe, in a few years time I'll look out my kitchen window in South Devon (right near Plymouth) and instead of seeing a few frigates, or HMS Ocean, I'll see the new carriers and that will look GREAT! It was a sad day when the RAN gave up HMAS Melbourne (I'm an Aussie but have lived in the UK 10 years) but she was totally worn out, and we were skint!

[Aestheticpassion]

is this old footage HMS eagle

do youtube search singapore changi naval ship

[transonicbuoy1]

Just finished the Tamiya 1/700 version. Gannet and Spits on the deck. Aye.

[Aircrewboy]

My first lieutenant said everytime it flied,it cost the Royal Navy 25 pounds, being the cost of the steel cable at the catapult.

[Greenhornet270]

GREAT Post...I am totally amazed the UK still flew these out of date aircraft this late in the 60's; can you imagine what a Mig-21 would have done to any of these aircraft?

[Cyberwwwizard]

@Greenhornet270 - Mig21, ha ha ha, it would get no where hear. Remember these are british pilots - best training in the world.

[matapan50]

@Greenhornet270 they would not have had to fly the Sea Vixen if their gov'mt had not spent so much time trying to sabotage their own navy. Even so, I'd still bet on the UK pilots

[SuperAncientmariner]

@matapan50 At the time of this film, the Sea vixen had only been in service since 59 so it was'nt an out of date aircraft and the Biccaneer had only beesn in service since 62 so was even newer.

[matapan50]

damn that Buccaneer taking off was awesome. Is it true that UK is actually going to have big conventional carriers again?

[Cyberwwwizard]

@matapan50 - Yes, big carriers nearly the size of US carriers. 60 aircraft, 65,000 tons. The aircraft will all be vstol plus helicopters.

[matapan50]

Glad to hear it! Brit carriers at sea again; please dont let your gov'mt find a way to sabotage this. We need help out there and who better to be out there with us than the people who invented carriers in the 1st place!

[Cyberwwwizard]

@matapan50 - thanks for that. Our current government is severely corrupt as is proved by the intended mass illegal immigration that they forgot to put in their original manifesto plus the expenses problem - they care for themselves but not the British public so they will all go and hopefully justice will follow. The next government will hopefully be a bit more right wing so we can expect the carriers to continue production and into service. GB invented carriers, angled flight deck etc...

[matapan50]

I'm with you!! My late mother was from Southampton she put her heart & soul into her new country USA but never let me or my 7 bros & sisters forget we were part english & that UK was our ancestral home. re; angled deck etc, your'e absolutely right the brits were 1st in practically everything having to do with aircraft carriers. Go Britain!!!

[gilburton]

I was on Eagle 67/68 (800 sqdn Buccaneers) and I believe it was found that if the wire strop was reused it used to break so they reverted back.The "pointy" bit is a shock absorber and was only fitted to Ark Royal and was only used on Phantoms and can be seen on U.S. carriers today.If you look at videos of Ark Royal the Buccaneer is still using a strop.

[dutchy805]

Been there, done that..... HMAS Melbourne (CVS21)in:

'65/6 as an ORDNAMAE with Gannet, Sea Venom(frightfully British),

'69/70-NAMAE- 805Sqn Skyhawks ,

'72/3-LAMAE-805Sqn Skyhawks and

'78-POAMAE(Mechanician)-805Sqn Skyhawks.

Even had the 'T'shirt. Those were the days my friend, We thought they'd never end!

[bigbadredsox]

I love the Buccaneer bombers. Good design, some of them are still in use today.

[bluebabe2000]

I watched

this i went to a lad in the band his huse

[BritishFalklands]

...breath it in....real man's navy right here folks! Thanks for posting. I hope we can get a real Navy back together before the country goes completely to the dogs.

[glen6769]

another great British invention the steam catapult

[GrahamB64]

Christ! That looks dangerous. Imagine it at night!

[freightdog777]

Rum, sodomy, and the Lash made the Royal Navy "great." ....or so I've heard....

[adwasono]

What about with that catapult wire? just dropped like that? anyway, cool rare footage guys! When RN were using really big carrier not just a STOL/VTOL aircraft carrier.

[PenzancePete]

That's the coupling bridle. Every time an aircraft was launched it was one bridle less. Eventually a system was developed that retained it.

[gav1w]

The wire used to drop in to the sea. They went through loads and had to re-stock all the time. Expensive! In the end they fitted a mod that caught it as it went over the end. That's the pointy bit sticking out the front in the future

[wscott8987]

All hail the mighty Buccaneer, forged from solid steel by the Gods themselves :) :)

[SONOR4]

Were the wire strops lost after every catapult launch? I always thought they were caught and re used. Great footage. When we had a Navy.

[Solidboat123]

At first the strops were lost, but later a system was invented to catch them as they fell away from the aircraft

[Longs81]

Yeh such a shame about the rape of the fleet :( Still fingers crossed we should have 2 proper aircraft carriers again in a few years.

[matapan50]

damn i hope so. Big hello / best wishes to all Brits from Southern California.

[matapan50]

Yeah whats up with that? Why doesnt your government understand that your Navy is the most vital of your armed forces. Please everyone I am not insluting RAF or Army, but your'e an island. You need a navy that can, like in days gone by, kick the crap out of an enemy. Is UK still going to build carriers?

[Bassmaster86]

The Royal Navy invented the steam catapult!!

[Longs81]

and the angled flight deck!! and the optical landing system!!

[BasicModelling]

..and the steering wheel.. :)

[granskare]

no, it was the swedish navy that they invented :)

[Cyberwwwizard]

@Bassmaster86 - and the angled flight deck as well as the mirror landing system, since updated to lights and comms.