Archive for the ‘Catblogging’ Category
Here’s a Cat with its pants down:
Taken a the 2000 Oceana Airshow and posted on a great site called Tomcat Sunset. The Tomcat Sunset Committee “is a nonprofit entity established to plan and execute the Official Farewell Ceremony for the F-14 Tomcat in September of 2006.” Check ‘em out at tomcat-sunset.org. It appears that they’re just setting up shop, but the galleries are already loaded with great stuff. (hat tip to regular reader James for the heads up on Tomcat Sunset)
Here’s an F9F Cougar, a swept-wing development of the F9F Panther (most recently Cat Blogged here) which served from 1952 until 1959.
Pic from Hyper Scale modelling page. The creator has background and additional images from his effort. You can buy a print of this and much more from his web page.
It’s going to be Tomcats every other week until the Roosevelt gets home.
Pic from Navy News Stand:
Persian Gulf (Dec. 13, 2005) – Chief Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Wilson Theodore directs an F-14D Tomcat into position for launch aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently underway on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Apprentice Nathan Laird (RELEASED)
Click for a bigger version. Follow the link to Navy News Stand for an even bigger version.
Special post-Pearl Harbor edition of Cat Blogging here on MO. Here are some Wildcats on Wake Island, photographed by the Japanese invaders after they captured the island:
The Japanese first bombed Wake on December 8th, and eight of the twelve Marine Cats were destroyed on the ground. Three days later, an attempted landing was repulsed before they even reached the beach. One Japanese ship was sunk by coastal artillery and another by the remaining Wildcats. On the 23rd, the Japanese tried again, this time landing and after a bitter battle they secured the island. 52 US military personnel were killed during the ordeal, plus at least 70 civilians. The Japanese lost around 700 to 900 men, the two destroyers, and 20 or so carrier-based aircraft.
A somewhat-controversial decision was made the day before the second landing when Task Force 14, based on the carriers Saratoga and Lexington and steaming for Wake as a relief force, was ordered to break off and return home. The first major sea battle of the Pacific War had been cancelled.
This pic from the Naval Historical Center’s F4F Wildcat page.
After a week off of cat blogging for the holiday, here’s one of the latest shots on Timmeh!’s photos:
I warned you that we’d be pretty Tomcat-heavy between now and the end of the Roosevelt’s cruise in a few months.
Although the Tiger had a short and pretty uneventful career as a combat aircraft, it has the distinction of having been the Blue Angels platform from 1957 to 1969. Also, it seems to be the only aircraft that shot itself down. This image is from BlueAngels.org.
From Home of M.A.T.S.:
This photo was taken in May, 1968 when Grumman hosted an air show at Calverton, NY, featuring the Blue Angels in one of their last appearances in a Grumman fighter. Other Warbird owners were invited to attend. Leading the formation is: G-32A (Mr. Grumman’s Red Ship), FM-2 Wildcat, F6F-5 Hellcat, G-58A (privately-owned F8F-2 Bearcat), F9F-8T Cougar (#7 Blue Angel, used for demo rides, etc.), and F11F-1 Tiger (#1 Blue Angel).
Now that’s a Veterans Day parade if I ever saw one.
Here’s one I’ll bet not too many people know about:
It’s the Grumman AgCat, a crop duster which entered “service” in 1957. And it’s apparently still in production (though not by Grumman), which means it’s outlived all of the military Cats. Pic from Kiwi Aircraft Images, which has more and some good background on this Cat.
Here’s an X-cat for this week. The F10F Jaguar had variable-geometry “swing wings” and a ‘T’ tail (see a good shot of it here). Only one prototype was completed, and only one pilot ever flew it. But Grumman didn’t give up on the swing wing concept. Pic from 1000 Aircraft Photos.
