Double ended Seagoing paddle aircraft carriers

[sequoiaranger]

>Wasn't there a whole series of modern carrier ideas from the RN? I seem to remember the angled deck was another one and the mirror landing lights a.k.a. "meatball" was another.<

The "mirror landing system" was a Japanese invention prior to WW II. No WW II Japanese carrier used "Landing Signal Officers" to guide them in---strictly self-landing, as I recall.

[sequoiaranger]

Though I know the "rubber deck" was actually used, it sounds like it came from the same "boffins" that proposed rubber roads and concrete tyres for cars!!

[Joe C-P]

Lexington and Saratoga were able to sail and launch going aft.

[Weaver]

IIRC, quite a few early carriers could launch aircraft backwards. The idea was to enable flight ops to continue if the front end of the deck was damaged and/or covered in wrecked planes.

[Cliffy B]

IIRC CV-2 through CV-9 could all do it and so could some of the CV-9 class.  Not sure when they did away with the requirement but I want to say mid war.  The CV-9 class could go 32+ knots forward and 20+ backwards.  I've seen some shots of CV-10 conducting landing ops while steaming full speed astern.  One way to figure out if the ship could do that is to look for an LSO platform on the starboard bow as well as for arresting gear the entire length of the flight deck.

[Old Wombat]

I don't know about "double-ended" but the paddle-wheeler concept would be relatively viable for the WW1 time-frame or for a steampunk scenario.

I'd like to see either or both, actually.



Guy

[tigercat]

They certainly used paddlers in WW2 mostly I imagine because they  were there and shallow draft so I can see a WW1 era paddle carrier living on as a training carrier in WW2. Given the early carrier losses whether the RN would be forced to  use her operationally.....

[royabulgaf]

The two paddle wheel aircraft carriers that the US Navy had were originally large passenger and cargo ships that plied the relatively calm eastern Great Lakes.   These vessels were over 500 feet long.  I don't think there was anything similar in Europe.

[tigercat]

But what if we had . The sight of HMS Weasel , HMS Mink and HMS Pine Marten* steaming into action would  have been something to behold

(* named after the international naming convention of Paddle Wheel aircraft carriers of 1914)

[PR19_Kit]

 These vessels were over 500 feet long.  I don't think there was anything similar in Europe.

This is WhiffWorld, of COURSE there was! 

[sequoiaranger]

Though the Great Lakes can get pretty gnarly (ask about the Edmond Fitzgerald--er, don't), they are *LAKES* and "calm" water relative to the oceans of the world. I can't really imagine the paddle-steamers going to sea. Perhaps along the "inland waterway" along the US East Coast. I have such a scenario in "Furashita's Fleet":

http://www.combinedfleet.com/furashita/sable_f.htm

[Gondor]

Though the Great Lakes can get pretty gnarly (ask about the Edmond Fitzgerald--er, don't), they are *LAKES* and "calm" water relative to the oceans of the world. I can't really imagine the paddle-steamers going to sea. Perhaps along the "inland waterway" along the US East Coast. I have such a scenario in "Furashita's Fleet":

http://www.combinedfleet.com/furashita/sable_f.htm

May I kindly point out several very large ocean going paddle steamers built by one Isambard Kingdom Brunel !

Gondor

[jcf]

I do believe that Craig was specifically referring to the Sable and Wolverine, not large paddle steamers in general.

Photos of the Seeandbee (later Wolverine) on the ways and the Great Eastern on the beach show the dramatic
difference in draft between the designs. The 15.5 ft draft of the two big Lakes steamers could make for interesting seakeeping
on the deep ocean.





For a steam-punkish version I say go all in with the composite propulsion of the Great Eastern, paddles and screw,
with feathering props at both ends and whacking great walking-beam engines powering the paddles. The beams would
of course be above the deck inboard of the wheels and would therefore, force a twin-island design. 
 

p.s. the four Upper Lakes are considered a single Inland Sea.

[Old Wombat]

Thing is, I can visualise the Great eastern with a flight deck much more than I can the Seeandbee (a.k.a. Wolverine).

Think about her flying off Sea Camels & Sea Pups or Sea F.2B's & Sea.5a's ( ) in 1916-18!

Then being sold to Australia in 1920 as HMAS Hobart, launching Australia into the realm of serious naval aviation.



Guy

[royabulgaf]

Actually, that would be dubious naval aviation

The uppermost of the Great Lakes, Superior is by far the roughest of the lakes.