The Ark Royal Page Part 2

Images from Ark Royal's Sixth Commission - Page 2

All images on this page © the author. Camera used: Minolta SRT-101.

Port: This picture demonstrates clearly the height of the Phantom F4K with its nose undercarriage leg at full extension for a launch. Testing the pneumatic emergency shrink on these at sea was an interesting experience. This test was not for the faint of heart, the leg shrank so rapidly that the aircraft nose became momentarily poised in the air. The aircraft would then drop onto its nose with such force that the main undercarriage would bounce up off the deck. For this reason all lashings, except for one very loose one on each main undercarriage strut, would have to be removed to prevent damage. Quite interesting having a 50 ton aircraft almost devoid of lashings in the restricted hangar space at sea. The event was also 'interesting' for the groundcrew member who sat in the cockpit to select Emergency Shrink.

Starboard: Heavy swell on the tail of a hurricane off Cape Hatteras, January 1972. This shot taken from the upper deck of the 'Flyco' bridge wing extension. Because of wind strength a safety line was required. My squadron colleagues thought that I was crazy going up there.

Port: Harrier GR1 of No 1 Squadron RAF, May 1971. The comments of the RAF ground crew using our senior rates messdeck on 2 deck under the waist catapult were interesting, particularly when an aircraft was launched. ;-)

Starboard: Chay Blythe and British Steel, about 300 miles south-west of Lands End, 28 July 1971.


Above: Apollo 15 & Saturn V Launcher on the launch pad at Cape Kennedy (Canaveral), June 1971.	Above: The Hans Christiansen, Tall Ships Race winner 1970 at Oslo Sept 28 of that year.

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