| In the harbour in San Diego floats the aircraft carrier Midway.
This one was built during the Second World War but was completed too late to
take part, but saw service in Vietnam
and the Gulf. It has now been retired and turned into a museum staffed
mainly by ex crew members. It was originally built as a straight deck but
was rebuilt several times with an angled deck. |  |
 | As we arrived for our
visit so did this Douglas Dauntless SBD fighter, a carrier-borne aircraft
from the start of WWII. It just predates the planes which flew from this
carrier. This one has spent the last sixty years at the bottom of Lake
Michigan. It will take some restoring! |
| This is a 5NJ primary trainer used in the early
training of navy pilots. It is a very 'forgiving' aircraft. |  |
 | I think this is a
Grumman F9F Panther from the late 1950s. One of the first carrier-based jets
used on the Midway. |
| One of the most important aircraft of the fleet was the COD
(Carrier Onboard Delivery) used for flying personnel, parts and MAIL. This
is a Grumman C1 Trader. |  |
 | Then we get to the
jet aircraft. The S3 Viking is anti-submarine aircraft, a type also used for
COD work. |
| This is a Vought Crusader flown until the late 1970s. |  |
 | The McDonnell Douglas
F4 Phantom fighter bomber was a mainstay of the US Navy's airforce during
Vietnam. |
| A McDonnell Douglas F18, one of the newer aircraft flown from
carriers. |  |
 | A Sikorsky SH-3 Sea
King helicopter used for air sea rescue and many other tasks. The big
helicopter is in use all over the world. |
| A helicopter flight deck. I think this was one of the older ones
like the one below. Too complex for something with the flying
characteristics of a house brick... |  |
 | The predecessor of
the SH3 for rescue. The Boeing Vertol H46 Sea Knight. |
| The most ungainly-looking aircraft on the flight deck, the
Grumman E2B Hawkeye with its huge radar aerial for monitoring aerial
activity over a huge area. |  |
 | The control tower and
bridge with their hundreds of aerials on top, but flying the flags just as
ships did in the days of Nelson. |
| Just behind the bridge on the tower is the control room where
commands are sent to the engine room. |  |
 | Navigation was
crucial particularly for the aircraft. This is an early computer used for
working out the ship's position. |
| Down in the engine room we have the engine controls. Well, this
was engine room three, there are four altogether! |  |
 | No engine room would
look right without a maze of pipes. This is no exception. |
| And to feed the 5000 crew we have the kitchens with the pans for
stew. They made 10 tons of food a day. The recipes were just mind bending
with measurements in hundreds of pounds. |  |
 | And a reminder that
in war people get hurt. This model demonstrates one of the operating
theatres in use. They also have a dentist's surgery and X-ray machines.
Behind this area is a complete mechanical workshop to mend the planes. |
|