The new Royal Navy carriers, what's on the flight deck?

[PR19_Kit]

so that all 4 of them in flying condition, but thats 4 more fix wing aircraft than the navy got operational

Two of the Swordfish ARE the current Fleet Air Arm's 'Strike Wing', and their 'Fighter Defence Wing' is one Sea Hawk and one Sea Fury, the 2 seater Sea Fury being the 'Training Wing'.......

[scooter]

so that all 4 of them in flying condition, but thats 4 more fix wing aircraft than the navy got operational

Two of the Swordfish ARE the current Fleet Air Arm's 'Strike Wing', and their 'Fighter Defence Wing' is one Sea Hawk and one Sea Fury, the 2 seater Sea Fury being the 'Training Wing'.......

Well, Swordfish are probably rather stealthy anyway. 

[Gondor]

Well, Swordfish are probably rather stealthy anyway. 

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Well, Swordfish are probably rather stealthy anyway. 

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

But the Doppler Lock on most modern day radars would cancel out a Swordfish as it wouldn't show as a 'moving object'. 

[pyro-manic]

VF-1 Valkyries.

[McColm]

Saab Gripen, Sential, Maritime Jaguar, Sea Stallion.

[eatthis]

Well, Swordfish are probably rather stealthy anyway. 

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

But the Doppler Lock on most modern day radars would cancel out a Swordfish as it wouldn't show as a 'moving object'. 

[Mossie]

Swordfish

I'd love to see this really happen, all the preserved Swordfishes touchdown and take off from Bess or Charlie for some kind of anniversary.  Apologies for getting all serious!

I thought the second one is the Phillip ?

HMS Duke of Edinburgh was to be the second ship after CVA-01 Queen Elizabeth. HMS Prince of Wales is due to be the second CVF.  I suspect Philip has put his foot in it too many times to have such a high profile ship named after him now!

[kitnut617]

Swordfish

I'd love to see this really happen, all the preserved Swordfishes touchdown and take off from Bess or Charlie for some kind of anniversary.  Apologies for getting all serious!

I thought the second one is the Phillip ?

HMS Duke of Edinburgh was to be the second ship after CVA-01 Queen Elizabeth. HMS Prince of Wales is due to be the second CVF.  I suspect Philip has put his foot in it too many times to have such a high profile ship named after him now!

Right! got a bit mixed up thinking the 'P' designation for the second ship was for Phillip but it's for Prince isn't it

[Martin H]

I suspect Philip has put his foot in it too many times to have such a high profile ship named after him now!

More likely they are waiting for him to pop his clogs first...................as is usually the norm when naming ships after someone.

[Gondor]

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

But the Doppler Lock on most modern day radars would cancel out a Swordfish as it wouldn't show as a 'moving object'. 

Good point Kit, I had forgotten that the Swordfish would be almost a stationary target. 

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

But the Doppler Lock on most modern day radars would cancel out a Swordfish as it wouldn't show as a 'moving object'.  

Good point Kit, I had forgotten that the Swordfish would be almost a stationary target.  

Gondor

At an air show I attended in the 70s or 80s, I think it was at Finningley, when the FAA Historic Flight had just re-furbished their original Swordfish, coded 5A at the time, they took off and did the usual circuit. While on the downwind leg the wind started to rise and by the time they'd fought their onto the approach it almost exceeded the Vne of the aircraft!

Deciding that landing was a good idea the pilot bought her in over the threshold and just stopped! A bunch of matelots drove out underneath 5A and stood waiting while he throttled back and the aircraft did a perfect vertical landing whereupon the matelots just grabbed it! 

[jcf]

Well, Swordfish are probably rather stealthy anyway. 

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

Mmm, no, the airframe of the Swordfish is a fabric covered all-metal structure. The wings are
a combination of built-up steel-strip spars, steel drag-tubes and dural ribs, the fuselage is
steel tube. Very much a standard structure for the period, wood being superseded, for the most
part, in the 1920s.

[kitnut617]

Well, Swordfish are probably rather stealthy anyway. 

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

Mmm, no, the airframe of the Swordfish is a fabric covered all-metal structure. The wings are
a combination of built-up steel-strip spars, steel drag-tubes and dural ribs, the fuselage is
steel tube. Very much a standard structure for the period, wood being superseded, for the most
part, in the 1920s.

The Swordfish skeleton I saw one time at the Calgary Aerospace Museum (strapped down to a low-loader) was just a lattice work of steel tubes, with some sheet metal around the forward fuselage between the cockpit and engine, didn't see any wood framing anywhere --

[scooter]

Well, Swordfish are probably rather stealthy anyway. 

Unfortunately the spinning prop and the engine would make for rather a large target to modern radars even though the rest of the aircraft is mainly wood and fabric.

Gondor

Mmm, no, the airframe of the Swordfish is a fabric covered all-metal structure. The wings are
a combination of built-up steel-strip spars, steel drag-tubes and dural ribs, the fuselage is
steel tube. Very much a standard structure for the period, wood being superseded, for the most
part, in the 1920s.

Probably still less metal that most modern and/or stealthy airframes...like how this Gladiator is