Programs, movies and memories. (USA version )

[khyndart in CA]

I was told that if it had 4 wheels, had heaps of grunt and made lots of noise then I could post it on TRS.

F/A 18F Super Hornet. (Hyndman photo )

This may not be proper but I wanted to share some things of the wonderful privilege I had of being captured and captivated by the US Navy for a few days last month. Known as a "Tiger Cruise" it is where family members are invited aboard for the final few days of what had been an around the world tour of duty for the nuclear powered Nimitz class US aircraft carrier USS Stennis.
Thanks to Sean's invitation I joined up at Mayport, Florida, and sailed 3 days up to Newport, Virginia where the carrier will undergo a very expensive 4 year overhaul.



(K H photos.) Leaving Mayport,Florida. May 14. 2019.


" Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) is a process for refueling and upgrading nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the US Navy. The nuclear reactors that power some aircraft carriers typically use up their nuclear fuel about halfway through their desired 50-year life spans. Because carriers can last so long before being retired, they are refueled and refurbished with an RCOH to extend their usable lifetime. At the same time a ship is refueled, it is given a complex overhaul in which broken, worn or obsolete parts are repaired or replaced and systems are modernized. The modernization typically includes an upgrade of ship’s combat systems and warfighting capabilities, its internal distribution systems are upgraded, and allowance is made for future upgrades over the ship’s remaining operational service life. Given the size of an aircraft carrier and the number of systems and subsystems it has, an RCOH is extremely complex, costly (several billion dollars), and time-consuming. Each RCOH is planned to take 46 months." (Wikipedis.org info.)

(Ken H ) ..More to come if allowed ?)

[Roger Dowding]

Re ; " (Ken H ) ..More to come if allowed ?) "
just chuck a couple of cars in one shot and all will be well. after all taking off from a carrier is a bit like drag racing - they have 'chutes too !!

This photo has nothing to do with the story ;



It is from the TRS Facebook page
;
Have 5 models of these Zakspeed Capris ; 4 seen here with BMW's also from the DTM series and others !!

[khyndart in CA]

This may not pass the test but it is my only car shot from this trip.
After the carrier docked at Norfolk and we all came to the gate to get back on the road again. The navy police were there to keep an eye on things and their car I believe was an Australian built Chevrolet Caprice.
The rear-wheel-drive car is assembled by GM's Holden subsidiary in Australia and shipped to an outfitter in California.The Caprice sedan shares a platform with the Chevrolet Camaro and the discontinued Pontiac G8 sedan. The program started in 2011, the police preferred the rear- wheel- drive cars over the front -wheel- drive Chevrolet Impala. They had both V-6 or V-8 engines.


Leaving the USS Stennis under the watchful eye of the U.S. Navy Police.
(Ken H photo )

[khyndart in CA]

The F18 fighter jets on board were powered by the "General Electric" F 400 series engines with turbo fans and afterburners. These engines can produce over 30000 pounds of thrust when needed.





That white hook arrangement between the two engines is all that stops the plane from plunging into the ocean when landing, a very important part !)






(Ken H photos..)

[khyndart in CA]

The jets get all the glory but for the airshow to take place it needed the trusty Northrup Grumman E2C "Hawkeye" to be launched so it could be like an flying control tower that monitored the weather and any boats or aircraft etc. that may be around. We sailed about 50 miles off the coast of the Georgia and the Carolinas so they did not want to interfere with any commercial flights etc !
I liked these aircraft as they sat with their wings folded and then as they approached the launching catapult the wings would swing into place and then the launch would take place with the twin- turboprops roaring as it flew away for the rest of the day.

"The Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye is an American all-weather, carrier-capable tactical airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft.
Variants of the Hawkeye have been in continuous production since 1960, giving it the longest production run of any carrier-based aircraft. " (Wikipedia info )








(Ken H photos..)

[khyndart in CA]

Then it was time for the F 18s to put on an airshow and I was warned that as I was the lone Kiwi that if I misbehaved I would be set adrift in a inflatable raft and used for the target practice display ! I was a good boy and was enthralled with all the action, especially watching the deck and catapult teams in action.




Note the two guys on the right in front of the planethat signal when the catapult is all set to launch and how little protection they have as the wing goes right over their heads!)


About to launch and the afterburners are coming into action.


And away it goes.
(K H photos..May 14 2019.)


(Some say it is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. It is amazing watching these young men in action plus the noise level can split eardrums ! )
(Navy News photo.)

(Ken H )

[Paul B]

Great pics Ken, Wouldn't you love to have a blast in one of those!
Cheers

[khyndart in CA]

Does anyone need a Spitfire to restore ?
(Heaps of potential..Shipping and Handling not included !)




(Ken H)

[John McKechnie]

Rather restore a Mosquito or ME 262....thanks anyway Ken

[Roger Dowding]

Does anyone need a Spitfire to restore ?
(Heaps of potential..Shipping and Handling not included !)




(Ken H)

Get a 2.5 PI [ not in the USA ] or TR250 / TR6 and an overdrive gearbox, make that Spitty - Fire .. Could put a roof on too !! .
This for the bodywork styling


Moss Motors for the engine and bits - you know where to go Ken and who to talk too!!.