Interesting to see Phantoms aboard Eagle. Due to the Ark swallowing the entire budget for the two carrier upgrade to operate Phantoms, Eagle never got the required refit, but did the testing and proving while the Ark was recovering from yet another breakdown.
Eagle got one catapult (the waist) and one arrestor wire (the third) that were to the full Phantom spec at her 1966 refit, so she could operate them for trials in 1967/68. It would have been fairly cheap and simple to refit the other cat and wires using those systems designated for Ark Royal, but the fitting of water cooled jet blast deflectors was more complicated and time consuming. They would have kept her in refit too long for her last commission. Eagle's last commission was a favour to the Americans, doing the SEATO work covering Indonesia and threats in the Indian Ocean from Singapore. She replaced a USN carrier that was needed for work off Vietnam, after the 1967 fire aboard Forrestal upset the planned rotation schedule. The fire aboard Enterprise in 1969 caused Eagle's deployment to be extended into 1972. Fitting her with the water cooled JBDs would have caused her to miss this appointment. So she deployed with Sea Vixens and the Phantoms designated for her fighter squadron (899) were the fist to be sent to the RAF. There was a plan to fit the cats and wires meant for Ark Royal, and build a pair of self propelled water cooled JBDs that looked like half barricade, half truck. These would have sat on the flight deck and been driven behind each jet, thus removing the need to cut into the flight deck and fit the expensive static systems. Believe it or not this was rejected so the money could be spent on the conversion of HMS Blake. Otherwise she could have deployed in 1968 with Phantoms and Buccaneers.
These ships look too small to take the F-4 type aircraft... I have watched other videos where its all about the landing and the amount of wave-offs and back to shore that has been required to not crash th airplane... guess its lucky the Brits never had to operate them 'in anger' as did the Americans... .. granted they had the money to build the correct size ships ... UK Labor Govt cost-cutting circa 1964...
This is a proper Aircraft carrier.
Great footage of the good old Eagle
Gosh but those Phantoms love that colour-scheme.
What a fine and powerful Navy we once used to have - those magnificent machines...
Interesting to see Phantoms aboard Eagle. Due to the Ark swallowing the entire budget for the two carrier upgrade to operate Phantoms, Eagle never got the required refit, but did the testing and proving while the Ark was recovering from yet another breakdown.
Eagle got one catapult (the waist) and one arrestor wire (the third) that were to the full Phantom spec at her 1966 refit, so she could operate them for trials in 1967/68. It would have been fairly cheap and simple to refit the other cat and wires using those systems designated for Ark Royal, but the fitting of water cooled jet blast deflectors was more complicated and time consuming. They would have kept her in refit too long for her last commission.
Eagle's last commission was a favour to the Americans, doing the SEATO work covering Indonesia and threats in the Indian Ocean from Singapore. She replaced a USN carrier that was needed for work off Vietnam, after the 1967 fire aboard Forrestal upset the planned rotation schedule. The fire aboard Enterprise in 1969 caused Eagle's deployment to be extended into 1972.
Fitting her with the water cooled JBDs would have caused her to miss this appointment. So she deployed with Sea Vixens and the Phantoms designated for her fighter squadron (899) were the fist to be sent to the RAF.
There was a plan to fit the cats and wires meant for Ark Royal, and build a pair of self propelled water cooled JBDs that looked like half barricade, half truck. These would have sat on the flight deck and been driven behind each jet, thus removing the need to cut into the flight deck and fit the expensive static systems. Believe it or not this was rejected so the money could be spent on the conversion of HMS Blake. Otherwise she could have deployed in 1968 with Phantoms and Buccaneers.
Under Sail by John Adorney, instrumental album The Touch Stone, and all because the Royal Navy always travels first class...
Amazing to see thank you for the video.
Served 2 years on Eagle as a Radio Operator
Did you know a cook called Roy Clare’s on the eagle
so did i in the engineers store pincher martin
that video quality...
No Sound ?
why its quiet?
To avoid detection of enemy submarine.
These ships look too small to take the F-4 type aircraft... I have watched other videos where its all about the landing and the amount of wave-offs and back to shore that has been required to not crash th airplane... guess its lucky the Brits never had to operate them 'in anger' as did the Americans... .. granted they had the money to build the correct size ships ... UK Labor Govt cost-cutting circa 1964...