HMS ILLUSTRIOUS - TAXYING AND LANDING TRIALS 25/5/40 (sic) [Main Title]

Reel contains titled film of taxiing and landing trials of Swordfishes and Albacores on HMS Illustrious and rushes of experimental take-offs from ship and shore by Fulmars and Walruses.

I. Slow-motion shots of Fairey Swordfish and Albacore planes landing on the deck of HMS Illustrious and picking up the arrester wire are separated by titles indicating the aircraft's serial number, weight, wind speed over deck, pull-out distance, distance of aircraft off centre, which wire picked up and whether airborne when entering wire. Swordfish P4221 makes two landings and Albacore L7080 makes four.

II. Camera near island of HMS Illustrious records Fairey Fulmar floatplane landing into net and being catapulted off.

III. Swordfish and Fulmar are catapulted off carrier within sight of land.

IV. Several shots of a Walrus seaplane being catapulted off the deck of a ship anchored within sight of a large harbour protected by a barrage balloon.

V. Albacore is catapulted off, and a Fulmar lands on a carrier at sea.

VI. Various shots of rocket-assisted take-offs by Fulmars at Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough on 14/3/1941.

35mm