Read the forum code of contact
By: - 21st November 2009 at 21:28 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
These were not Sea Hurricanes
You are talking of CAMship (Catapult Aircraft Merchantmen) aircraft.
Combat weary normal Hurricanes.
Moggy
By: - 21st November 2009 at 22:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
'Does anyone have any drawings or photos of the attachment points and bits for the Hurricanes that where fitted to merchant ships?'
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Hawker-Sea-Hurricane/1249808/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Hawker-Sea-Hurricane/1042771/L/
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Hawker-Sea-Hurricane/1111857/L/
Mk I One Hurricane Mk I conversion; Catapult spools and arrester hooks
Mk IA 50 Hurricane conversion; catapult spools only; specially produced for
CAM fighter scheme - launched from CAM ships
Mk IB 300 Mk I (merlin III) and 25 Mk IIA series 2 conversions; Catapult
spools and arrester hook (MAC-ship service)
Mk IC Hurricane Mk I conversion with four-cannon wings; catapult spools
and arrester hook
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/aircraft/seahurricane.htm
By: - 21st November 2009 at 23:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
These were not Sea HurricanesYou are talking of CAMship (Catapult Aircraft Merchantmen) aircraft.
The Shuttleworth collection Sea Hurricane has catapult spools.
By: - 21st November 2009 at 23:55 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think that from Mk1B onwards all Sea Hurricanes were fitted with catapult spools and arrestor gear.
Moggy
By: - 21st November 2009 at 23:58 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Does anyone have any drawings or photos of the attachment points...
Not sure.....are the red things either side of the radiator catapult spools.....anybody?
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 00:21 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Not sure.....are the red things either side of the radiator catapult spools.....anybody?
Yes, that's them.
There's also a spool midway down the lower quarter of the rear fuselage.
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 00:40 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I've always assumed they were but never been absolutely sure.
I think the Shuttleworth Sea Hurricane is Canadian-built and would have thought that that was a bit late-build for CAM ships and catapults weren't fitted to carriers so what were the spools for.....cruisers, battleships?
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 05:42 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
..catapults weren't fitted to carriers...
Actually they were, two very obvious ones on the Ark Royal, and you'll see one if you look for it on the Illustrious class.
Certainly the early-war British carried used the four-point flight position catapult set up - very slow, very inefficient. Don't know when the strop type came in.
Not many pics, here's a Swordfish on the Ark's catapult (or 'accelerator' as they were called, IIRC.)
And the Ark Royal's bow was that shape to allow the drop at the end of the flying off deck, but a straight end to the catapult runs.
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 06:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A Sea Hurricane and catapult on CAM ship
http://www.airventure.de/historypics/seahurricane1.jpg
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 14:38 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
close-up of the mount...
I'll add, this pic was taken aboard the CAM ship Empire Lawrence in October '41
The catapult was a rocket-propelled sled (13 small rockets) on a 70 foot long launch rail assembly.
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 15:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
... catapults weren't fitted to carriers ..
My frantic Googling on this subject indicates that they were fitted to the MAC (Merchant Aircraft Carriers) that were the next step on from the CAM ships in the bid to close The Gap, though these more usually operated Swordfish
Moggy
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 19:06 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thank you everybody. I have passed this onto the modeller and he says it will be very helpfull.
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 19:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Sea Hurricane catapult spools
Hiya Folks,
The Sea Hurricane Mk.IA (no arrester hook) and IB (with arrester hook)were equipped with catapult spools, ie the pair of red circular objects alongside the radiator and the `lugs' which stick out from each side of the fuselage near to the roundel, and they also had a padded head rest to protect the pilots neck whilst being `boosted' or catapulted from the ship.
After these versions (the Mk.IC with cannons seems to be a bit of a red herring and may not have entered service?), the Mk.IIB and IIC did not have this head rest as there were no catapult spools fitted, leaving only the arrester hook! This was because these later versions were mostly operated from escort carriers and used a running take off as the American built escort carriers were fitted with the American catapult system which was different to the British system that used the collapsible framework onto which the four spools were located.
Hope this makes sense and helps
Cheers
Tony
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 19:54 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A little more grist to the mill - this is how I did it!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/cam.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/camship.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/ralph1.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/cams.jpg
= Tim
By: - 22nd November 2009 at 20:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Tim,
Those photos are brilliant. Thank you.
By: - 23rd November 2009 at 12:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A bit of ooops there, Ollie - look back!
= Tim
By: - 25th November 2009 at 14:01 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great photos of the Hurricanes on the catapult, thanks for those who posted. I like the close up shots.
By: - 25th November 2009 at 19:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
By the way, Hurrilad - the off-loading sequence was in Dartmouth - or Halifax, splitting hairs? - expensive way of doing it but had to respect the memory of the explosion there. 13 rockets on launch make an awful racket!
This was the scene on our first night - first night lights in 2 1/2 years of blackouts - a different world! Wonderworld!! June '42.
We were allowed free drinks in the Club, & that delightful girl borrowed her - to whom I was later introduced - boyfriend's car to entertain. Hospitality with a capital H!!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/halifax.jpg
= Tim
By: - 25th November 2009 at 22:04 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A little more grist to the mill - this is how I did it!!
= Tim
No-one seems to have spotted the wording or the significance...
There cannot be many people about who were involved in any way with the CAM ships - please tell us more!
Adrian
By: - 26th November 2009 at 10:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Like what, Adrian? Unlike on the Russian & Gibraltar runs, we had little excitement on the Atlantic run. For which I'm now grateful!
For a start, here's the base - Speke. Quite pleased with the photo - taken through thick industrial haze with a x3 orange filter.
I think that the ground (training) catapult is the dark patch just left of the nearest hangar.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/RAF2/speke.jpg
- Tim
Posts: 2,392
By: ollieholmes - 21st November 2009 at 19:54
Yet another enquiery for a modelling freind. Does anyone have any drawings or photos of the attachment points and bits for the Hurricanes that where fitted to merchant ships? Where the catapaults of a standard design or not? Does anyone know if any drawings of the catapaults survive?