Can anyone help to identify these aircraft, in terms of aircraft carrier or squadron? I am not at all knowledgeable on Fleet Air Arm aircraft codes, so would appreciate any information or pointers.
The aircraft in both photos are Grumman Hellcat II(NF) (F6F-5N to the USN) of 892 Sqn FAA on HMS Ocean in 1945/46. There is radar radome on the outboard starboard wing. 892 reformed on 1 April 1945 with 16 aircraft and after training at Drem in East Lothian, Scotland, and deck landing training on Premier in July, went aboard Ocean in December. Together with 1792 Firefly NF.1 sqn it constituted the first Night Air Group in the RN. Ocean herself had completed in August 1945 but after ship trials and the first deck landing trials of the Sea Hornet and Vampire jet went back into dock for conversion to a night carrier. One mod was replacement of the British Type 277 radar on the bridge with a US SM-1 set which was considered better for fighter direction. After conversion she and her squadrons went to the Med until April 1946. Both squadrons disbanded on return to the U.K. The outcome of these trials was that the 2 seat Firefly was proved to be the better night fighter (since it had a dedicated radar operator) but instead of a dedicated night carrier, “black” night fighter flights were attached to Firefly squadrons in the carriers. 892 changed its squadron codes several times. On formation it’s aircraft used single letters. Later, including when it first went on board Ocean, it used O5 plus an individual aircraft letter, as in the first photo. Later it used 5 plus an individual aircraft letter, as in the second photo.
Correction. The Sea Hornet trials were in Aug 1945. Then Ocean went for her NF refit. Then in Dec 1945 the Vampire trials took place
No. 3 Dec 1945 saw the landing of the first pure jet (the third prototype DH Vampire) on a carrier deck by Eric “Winkle” Brown. The USN had the month before unintentionally landed the dual piston/jet powered Ryan FR-1 Fireball after it suffered engine failure and managed to use the jet to land, but it ended up in the crash barrier. The flexible or “rubber” deck trials took place on Ocean’s sister ship Warrior between Nov 1948 and March 1949. The aircraft used were undercarriageless DH Sea Vampire F.21. Again “Winkle” Brown was the pilot responsible for the tests.
Groan!!!! Clearly you felt you had to!!! Some film of the trials. Not as violent a landing as you might think when compared to a normal arrested landing. And some film of the Dec 1945 trials from about 1.15
Of course the Koreans tried launching aircraft using rubber bands, even named their capital after it, Pyong yang!!!
If you are going to persist then we need a groan emoji!!! The curious thing was that the flexible deck trials were deemed a success. What killed the scheme was the purported cost of providing the necessary equipment at the land bases from which the aircraft would also have to operate. I can see how it could have worked for low tempo operations for protection of Atlantic convoys, but not for carrier strike warfare with the need to launch and recover many aircraft in a short timespan. But getting aircraft on and off a deck remains a problem even today. Anyone remember the Skyhook plan for Harrier in the 1980s? Side Arm or Sky Hook, you decide - Think Defence
