Description
Object description
British civilian scientist worked on catapult systems for aircraft carriers and converted merchant aircraft carriers with Catapult Section and Naval Aircraft Department at Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, GB, 1939-1955
Content description
REEL 1 Recollections of period as scientist with Catapult Section and Naval Aircraft Department, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, 1939-1955: use of trolley to launch aircraft from aircraft carriers; principles of catapulting aircraft off aircraft carriers; development of Flywheel Inertia catapult; operating Flywheel Inertia Catapult; development of early catapults by Percy Salmon during 1920s.
REEL 2 Continues: development of E Type Catapult; development of Cordite Catapults; reasons why catapulting aircraft did not find universal approval on aircraft carriers; use of catapult trolleys in Mediterranean; decision to develop Rocket Assisted Take Off Gear (RATOG) take offs from converted merchantmen from 8/1940.
REEL 3 Continues: testing of trolley to fire off Fairey Fulmar; development of trolley to take Hawker Hurricane; attachment of rockets to aircraft; use of catapults on ships; use of rocket propelled trolleys for other experiments; visit by Royal Air Force Photographic Interpretation personnel from RAF Medmenham to see demonstration of catapult firing.
REEL 4 Continues: incident of firing Supermarine Seafire from elevated catapult where trolley took off with aircraft; German method of launching V1 and how this was detected by photographic interpretation personnel; development of Direction Control Track to launch bomber aircraft, 1940; damage to Direction Control Track and subsequent use; character of Direction Control Track take off trolley assembly; work on arrester gears.
REEL 5 Continues: method of generating pressure with arrester gear; difference approaches to pressure generating systems for arrester gears adopted by British and Americans; details of how arrester gear operates; character of barriers used on aircraft carriers; contrast in British and American barriers.
REEL 6 Continues: nature of the cavitation principle; testing catapult systems on HMS Pretoria Castle in Firth of Clyde; increase in speeds of Mark X and Mark XIII arrester gears; development of arrester gears post 1945; schemes for moving aircraft around in aircraft carriers.
REEL 7 Continues: catapulting radio controlled aircraft from ships; use of bombed medical officers' surgery to construct first catapult; financial restrictions; development of arrestor hooks for bomber aircraft; German development of field catapult; visit to Germany to see field catapult, 1945; Hawker Sea Fury's use of single bridle on catapult; hold back needed for catapult operations.
REEL 8 Continues: history of department during Second World War; work on DAX system; accident with De Havilland DH.100 Vampire during trials; incidents when metal chains broke during trials with jet aircraft.
REEL 9 Continues: initial development of Mark XIII arrester gear; subsequent problems of developing Mark XIII; question of using DAX system in aircraft carriers; initial trials on undercarriage less aircraft using De Havilland Vampire and flexible deck.
REEL 10 Continues: character of first landing on flexible deck; question of feasibility of using flexible deck; United States Navy trials with flexible decks; memories of test pilot John Underwood.