U.S. NAVY 1955 ANGLED DECK AIRCRAFT CARRIER ORIENTATION MOVIE 74462

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Made in 1955, this U.S. Navy training film discusses the new "angled deck" aircraft carriers. The angled flight deck was invented by Royal Navy Captain (later Rear Admiral) Dennis Cambell, as an outgrowth of design study initially begun in the winter of 1944-1945 when a committee of senior Royal Navy officers decided that the future of naval aviation was in jets, whose higher speeds required that the carriers be modified to "fit" the needs of jets. With this type of deck - also called a "skewed deck", "canted deck", "waste angle deck", or the "angle" - the aft part of the deck is widened and a separate runway is positioned at an angle from the centerline. The angled flight deck was designed with the higher landing speeds of jet aircraft in mind, which would have required the entire length of a centreline flight deck to stop. The design also allowed for concurrent launch and recovery operations, and allowed aircraft failing to connect with the arrestor cables to abort the landing, accelerate, and relaunch (or "bolter") without risk to other parked or launching aircraft.
The redesign allowed for several other design and operational modifications, including the mounting of a larger island (improving both ship-handling and flight control), drastically simplified aircraft recovery and deck movement (aircraft now launched from the bow and re-embarked on the angle, leaving a large open area amidships for arming and fueling), and damage control. Because of its utility in flight operations, the angled deck is now a defining feature of STOBAR and CATOBAR equipped aircraft carriers.
The angled flight deck was first tested on HMS Triumph by painting angled deck markings onto the centerline of the flight deck for touch and go landings. This was also tested on the USS Midway the same year. Despite the new markings, in both cases the arresting gear and barriers were still aligned with the centerline of the original deck. From September to December 1952, the USS Antietam had a rudimentary sponson installed for true angled deck tests, allowing for full arrested landings, which proved during trials to be superior. In 1953, Antietam trained with both U.S. and British naval units, proving the worth of the angled deck concept. HMS Centaur was modified with overhanging angled flight deck in 1954. The U.S. Navy installed the decks as part of the SCB-125 upgrade for the Essex-class and SCB-110/110A for the Midway-class. In February 1955, HMS Ark Royal became the first carrier to be constructed and launched with an angled deck, rather than having one retrofitted. This was followed in the same year by the lead ships of the British Majestic-class (HMAS Melbourne) and the American Forrestal-class (USS Forrestal).
This film features footage of CV-21 the USS Boxer and CV-36, USS Antietam. USS Antietam (CV/CVA/CVS-36) was one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during and shortly after World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the second US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for the American Civil War Battle of Antietam (Maryland). Antietam was commissioned in January 1945, too late to actively serve in World War II. After serving a short time in the Far East, she was decommissioned in 1949. She was soon recommissioned for Korean War service, and in that conflict earned two battle stars. In the early 1950s, she was redesignated an attack carrier (CVA) and then an antisubmarine warfare carrier (CVS). After the Korean War she spent the rest of her career operating in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Mediterranean. From 1957 until her deactivation, she was the Navy's training carrier, operating out of Florida.
Antietam was fitted with a port sponson in 1952 to make her the world's first true angled-deck aircraft carrier. But she received no major modernizations other than this, and thus throughout her career largely retained the classic appearance of a World War II Essex-class ship. She was decommissioned in 1963, and sold for scrap in 1974.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@daleeasternbrat816]

The British came up with the angled deck. Good idea. Increases the utility of deck a lot. Thanks, Royal Navy.

[@mikeforsyth2058]

Yes it was Captain Dennis R. F. Campbell of the royal navy, ( later Rear Admiral )

[@idaho_girl]

So when was the practice of having pilots go to full throttle at the point of touchdown so that they could go around in the hook missed the cable?

[@timothybrimm6299]

I served aboard cva19 the first American carrier to be outfitted with an angle deck I believe in 1954 ,I served on her in 1970/71 awesome ship !!!!

[@billtatro9857]

My service on Hannah CVA-19 was 1965-1968! Proud to have served!

[@richardgreen1383]

For those unfamiliar with the difference between a paddles landing and a mirror or a lens pass and landing, they are significant. A paddles approach is a flat approach (about 60 feet above the water on an Essex class carrier) with the pilot taking a "dip" when he gets the cut. A dip is a drop of the nose followed immediately with returning to level almost immediately. The dip starts the aircraft down and a normal cut has room for the nose to come back up so the aircraft does not land on the nose wheel. A mirror or lens approach his higher, for props around 150" over the water through the turn, 300' for jets. Props will intersect the glide path closer in and landing speed is slower. Once the pilot sees and calls the ball, they are on a pre determined glide slope and when the cut lights cove on, for props they close the throttle, for jets it a reduction followed by full throttle. The jets land at full throttle so the turbines have time to come up to speed so they have full power available in case they miss all the wires. (Called a bolter and the LSO will call "bolter, bolter"). On my first cruise as a new aviator (called a nugget) we had a senior Commander (our XO) who had spend his entire previous career flying a paddles approach to landing. The dip at the cut was so ingrained, he had trouble breaking the habit.

[@bertcanepa5651]

7:08 terrible accident; I was there on the USS Antietam CV-36....I believe it was Dec. 1951....served in AO department. Never forget it.

[@williamhaynes4800]

Dad was a signalman on Antietam in the late 50's.

[@VJification]

My Dad served in the engine room aboard the USS ANTIETAM.

[@billotto602]

Boy howdy, the Navy sure went through a tough growing spell with the advent of the jet ! GO NAVY !

[@scootergeorge9576]

They were assisted by innovators made by the Royal Navy; steam catapults and angled decks.

[@billotto602]

@@scootergeorge9576 the Brits really made all of the great innovations in carrier aviation. They were using the F4 Corsairs when our own Navy had ordered them off our own carriers. I just never could figure out why they basically dumped their carrier force after WW2. We hosted their bomber squadron when the HMS Ark Royal made a port visit in NS Norfolk before returning to the UK to be decommissioned.

[@scoot155]

@@billotto602 The RAF were using the Phantom (FGR.2) well into the 1990s. The carrier Phantoms (FG.1) and Buccaneers (S.2s, upgraded to S.2C/D post 1978) were handed over to the RAF after HMS Eagle and Ark Royal were decommissioned in '78. You also may have forgotten that we still possessed the Centaur, Albion, Bulwark, Hermes and Victorious after WW2 (as these are the carriers converted into angled-deck carriers). (Most of our Light fleet carriers were exported to other countries, namely the Netherlands and Australia. We did scrap Indefatigable, Implacable, Illustrious, Indomitable and Formidable after WW2.

[@model-man7802]

@@billotto602 Money.Britain was on the winning side but financially they were on there knees with a great deal of damaged cities to fix and alot more empire wise also.

[@karlt8233]

Never had a plane need the barricade on 5 carriers and 7 deployments I made but Rig the Barricade drill was ran so often I could still do it 24 yrs after my last deployment.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Thanks for your service to our great nation.

[@donotneed2250]

Some things just stick to you.

[@sapper82]

It's when you decide you don't need something when you realise that you do!

[@bdbailey9225]

Hey Karl T- Be a sport an solve a question my man and I were having involving leading edges of wings on the flight deck. I was told way back in the day that some of the fighters had such a sharp edge to them that if you accidentally walked into one it would split your head open with a nasty cut. My man says that only the F104 had a wing edge that sharp, and you guys didn't use those, right? How about it though? Did any of your aircraft have anything like that. Was that even a real concern or was somebody having me on? And thanks for your service, brother. I envy what you did. My airfield didn't move. And rotary-wing aircraft are cool as hell, but they aren't jet fighters. You guys are awesome.

[@davidschwartz5127]

@@bdbailey9225 NOT!

[@buster117]

Something so simple yet discoved in 1955!

[@pauldavidson6321]

Actually 1952 ,by the Brits.

[@joachimguderian4048]

My Dads ship, USS Bennington CV-20, was converted to angled deck and became CVA-20

[@allgood6760]

Cool vid👍

[@tommygilliam8890]

I’ve noticed that some carriers from other nations have an upward slope at the end of their carrier runways. Is that to help get air craft in the air easier? Also, THANK YOU to all that have served and are currently serving. Thank you for what y’all do!!!!

[@brainfart22]

That's a ski jump. It's an alternative to a catapult. It's simpler and easier on the aircraft, but the aircraft payload is limited. Also a considerable amount of thrust is needed by the launching aircraft so generally only fighters can be used

[@Then.72]

The UK invented the STOVL which use the ski jump after building the Harrier jump jet but also the invented Angled deck but the STOBAR is what the Russians and Chinese use that has a slight upward slope at the bow of of the vessel

[@sam8742]

@@Then.72 The soviets also had an interesting aircraft carrier, with the yak-38's, forget the name though but it sure did take the "aircraft carying cruiser" part a hell of a lot more serious than the Kunetzsov of today

[@Then.72]

@@sam8742 like the Yak 38 It was a copy that failed also like the TU-144 Concordski

[@sam8742]

@@Then.72 Mate I never made any claims of effectiveness or the likes. I just wanted to share some interesting history.

[@Darthbelal]

I had no idea they had the F-86 Sabre on Naval carriers. Oh, and I wish the angled deck idea was available for the Essex class carriers during the Second World War.......

[@wayneforbes7681]

those are variants designed for carrier use, They are the FJ-2 and the FJ-3 Fury, the nose was lengthened, the wings folded and the struts were beefed up to handle the pounding of carrier landings. Fun fact- The Fury was the first plane to launch with the steam catapult.

[@Darthbelal]

@@wayneforbes7681 Cool, thanks for the info!

[@JuanAdam12]

Fascinating, considering that this is a film making a case for a revolutionary concept in war fighting. Also, who knew that the F-86 was used on carriers? Not I.

[@JuanAdam12]

Adam The Correction: The FJ Fury, not the F-86. Wikipedia says it's a completely different aircraft than the Sabre Jet.

[@Mishn0]

Those looked like FJ-2s which are pretty similar to Air Force F-86s. The first model, the FJ was a straight wing jet. The FJ-3 and 4 had deeper fuselages than Sabres. The FJ-4B was specifically designed for ground attack.

[@alainpeulet1679]

Not a F86 , but N.A. FJ2/3 Fury , navalized F86 with new fuselage , undercarriage , engine , etc....! Nice plane !!!

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Adam E. Not easy to spot the differences between the 2 types when not side by side.

[@williamsimmons152]

They sure do look similar.

[@erictaylor5462]

All the advantages of the angle deck could have been had from the beginning if they had thought of it. The slight crosswind component would not have been an issue for any pilot or aircraft.

[@mikebrown1926]

The angled deck had been considered in the early 1940's but that would have made the ships too wide to fit into existing dry docks, as well as the locks of the Panama canal, and that canal was a very important part of of US Naval strategy. After the war, with the need to build larger carriers the canal was bypassed and carriers had to go around South America to transit from Atlantic to Pacific until the recent Panamax conversion.

[@dkerr4077]

If they had thought of it!? No shit professor obvious. We'd have had flight 100 years sooner if they'd thought of it.

[@dkerr4077]

The USS Antietam CV-36 was the first angled deck carrier.

[@timtodd7911]

my dad Shelby Todd Jr. served on Antietam from 59-62 while at Pensacola

[@jamesbugbee6812]

Still had her 5" turrets!

[@Then.72]

Sorry but the HMS Arm Royal was the first to be built with one other than retro fitted or painted on and also the Optical Landing Systems

[@DocSmouse]

That AA gun at 11:08 doesn't look like a dual 3"/50 based on what I've researched, but more like a dual M61 Vulcan mounting. However, I can't find any information about these in any refit descriptions I've seen, or in relation to any documentation I've seen on the Vulcan. If anyone knows more, please chime in!

[@an_f-14_tomcat]

Looks to me like a pair of twin guns, maybe something near 40mm? At least, that's my best guess.

[@Axel0204]

@@an_f-14_tomcat Yeah, its a quad 40mm Bofors mount.

[@erictaylor5462]

12:00 I would not want to be on the fantail, below the flight deck during recovery. A plane loses it's engine, or the pilot just screws up and stalls, that is where the plane is going.

[@bdbailey9225]

It's happened.

[@erictaylor5462]

@@bdbailey9225 From the picture it looked like people down there, but it was equipment. And of course it has happened. Pilots have lost power, or screwed up.

[@arttafil6792]

Eric Taylor, usually before that happens the LSO (landing signal officer) will have given the order or signal to “wave off or bolster”. This still holds true while the pilot flies the “ball”. The OLS (optical landing system), is used for all landings. That’s why you hear the LSO always tell the approaching pilot to “call the ball”. This tells the pilot to monitor and use the OLS. Piece of cake!

[@erictaylor5462]

@@arttafil6792 Of course, and the LSO's are very good at they job, as are the pilots. The fact that accidents like this happen only very rarely proves that. Still it happen, for a great variety of reasons. Naval aviation is extremely dangerous, and only the best are allowed (or even capable) of doing it in relative safety.

[@arttafil6792]

Eric Taylor, trust me, I know that from personal experience. I was an F4 pilot in the 60’s. I did 3 tours in Vietnam, 66, 67 and 68. And I had to make a single engine out emergency landing on the Constellation in 67. I had to go into the “J-Bar”. Not a good day or landing. I had extensive battle damage.

[@John-rr4zz]

No mention of the fact that the angled flight deck, the armoured flight deck, the landing lights system, the steam catapult were all British inventions. The first jet landing on a carrier, British. The modern ski ramp used by many carriers, British, and even the first aircraft landing on a moving purpose built aircraft carrier, British... but I understand that this was a standard general purpose information film and of no real necessity.

[@Bartonovich52]

Eugene Ely landed a plane on a ship long before anyone British did.

[@1chish]

@@Bartonovich52 Not on a moving deck he didn't. The USS Birmingham was anchored fore and aft and had a platform erected for the flight. And he didn't launch off a carrier either it was a converted cruiser (as was the USS Pennsylvania on which he landed later). The carrier was a British invention and they built the first through deck one in 1918 (HMS Argus). In fact the first launch off a moving ship was completed by Commander Charles Rumney Samson, Royal Navy, on 9 May 1912. He took off in a Short S.38 from the battleship HMS Hibernia. However the first recovery from a moving ship was done by Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning when he landed a Sopwith Pup biplane on HMS Furious in Scapa Flow on 2 August, 1917. Nice try at trying to grab a bit of history.

[@benn454]

Insecure, much? It's a training film, not a documentary.

[@katherineberger6329]

This is a training film to inform US sailors of how to operate on the then-new SCB-125 (Essex) and SCB-110 (Midway) angled-deck conversions, as well as the new Forrestal-type supercarriers. It's not a history lesson - it's a film about the practical necessities of operating in the angled-deck environment. Also, for all practical intents and purposes, the US Navy invented the angled deck. HMS Triumph trialled an angled landing area on an otherwise unmodified axial-deck ship. The wooden deck of USS Antietam was extended to port using a sponson added to the side of the ship, creating the angled deck in a form that was actually useful.

[@ditzydoo4378]

Damn!!! Those pilots in the F7U Cutlass (nicknamed the Gutless) had to have balls of steel to deal with it's steep nose up attitude and near stall landings and poor engines.

[@None-zc5vg]

The Cutlass was fitted with poor-performance engines which gave it a bad (and fatal) reputation: the tailless design itself was quite radical and was probably just unsuitable for carrier work (e.g. the high angle-of-attack on landing).

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@None-zc5vg too true, the design was so radical that the landing gear stance was such as to severely increase the angle of attack at take-off. and as stated made landing back on a pitching flight deck simply murder for all involved. 0_o

[@None-zc5vg]

@@ditzydoo4378 There's a KZbin clip showing what happened when a "Cutlass" sank too low on its landing-approach: the plane hit the ramp and disintegrated in a fireball that killed some carrier-crewmen while the pilot went over the side to his death in the cockpit. It appeared that the engines couldn't respond to the throttles fast enough to get the plane onto the carrier-deck.

[@ditzydoo4378]

@@None-zc5vg the crash was aboard the USS Hancock two boatswains mates and a photographs mate were kill in the cat walk that runs along the port side aft. the flag signal officer ran across the fan tail just narrowly missing being struck.

[@georgemcgarry2332]

I went to Korea on the USS Battan 29

[@georgebutterfield9673]

Also thanks to British for RADAR, and Ski Jump decks….

[@jeffreywilliams144]

They can keep the ski sloop jump decks.

[@bearbuster157]

Planes more beautiful then...

[@None-zc5vg]

The gawky McDonnell F2H " Banshee" (without tip-tanks) shows up in the film and it's clear why this type of plane wasn't used in flying-shots for the 1954 picture "The Bridges At Toko Ri" : the sleeker Grumman "Panther" was used instead.

[@jds6206]

Entirely analog processes; the US Navy makes it look easy because the US Navy trains all the time. There is no other Navy in the World to match the US Navy's quality. Other nations have aircraft carriers but they're not trained like the US Navy trains for Carrier Naval Aviation operations. No other nation's carriers will ever match the US Navy's.

[@franciscodanconia45]

Hey, is that Wet-Start Johnny?

[@katherineberger6329]

Trump is going to prison. You don't have to emulate his spectacularly stupid manner of speaking.

[@maureencora1]

7:15 I Hope that Pilot Made It.

[@bdbailey9225]

Doubtful. His plane blew up and went over the side. No sign of an ejection. It's dangerous work.

[@maureencora1]

Heaven is for Heroes.

[@whipple1062]

@@bdbailey9225 He couldn't eject...the USN didn't have "zero zero" seats at that time...

[@bdbailey9225]

@ Mike West- Your knowledge is encyclopedic, bro! Thank you! And RIP that pilot.

[@whipple1062]

@@bdbailey9225 Actually, we don't know that he didn't make it...I guess we'll never know. My dad was CO of the USS ESSEX (CVS-9), same class of ship, '62 - '63... they were great ships...

[@iskandartaib]

I suppose the word "bolter" hadn't been invented yet..

[@1chish]

Got to admire the deckhands, crew and especially pilots on any carrier. But I do have a wry smile at how Americans are rather good at taking someone else's developed ideas and then somehow making out they did it. CATOBAR, Jet landings, angled decks, mirror landing aids etc were all British ideas developed and perfected by them. And while those are mentioned in the notes the film its elf does not. And to say the USS Antietam was the "world's first true angled-deck aircraft carrier" sort of says it all. Because it wasn't. And certainly not because it just had a bit of a sponson welded on. HMS Ark Royal was the first built angled deck carrier.

[@laurencehirst7814]

Well of course the Americans would claim they are the first to have the angled deck! Even Australia (HMAS Melbourne 1954) had it before any American carrier! It's just America re-writing history again! Can't have you Poms claiming credit for all these innovations! Give 'em a chance and they'l tell us they invented cricket, golf, soccer, sank the Bismark! And Nelson and Wellington were Americans! And Americans would believe it!

[@PeriscopeFilm]

I understand your perspective but you've got your facts wrong. Even Wikipedia acknowledges that HMAS Melbourne (commissioned in 1955 and NOT 1954 as you indicate) was the THIRD aircraft carrier with an angled deck, preceded by HMS Ark Royal and USS Forrestal. And despite what you believe it was the Americans, specifically the Naval Air Test Center in Pax River, Maryland developed the concept in 1949.

[@1chish]

Sorry but I never mentioned HMAS Melbourne so I am not sure what your point is? And what concept are you arguing about?

[@laurencehirst7814]

Check your facts..The angled deck was put on HMAS Melbourne while still being fitted out in 1954, true she was handed over in 1955! The angled flight deck was not American..It was a British concept in 1942..A Naval officer who's name i have forgotten! but you can bet the Americans did see the possibility's long before the Poms did..As usual!

[@1chish]

Laurence - HMAS Melbourne was laid down for the Royal Navy as the lead ship of the Majestic class in April 1943 and launched as HMS Majestic (R77) in February 1945. During fitting out work stopped, she was sold to the RAN and then converted with the angled deck but not commissioned until 1955. It is widely recognised that she was the third carrier with the angled flight deck. And whether the Yanks 'saw the possibilities' before us 'Poms' is a mute point as we still did the job first. The difference is after WWII the UK was a badly damaged country, had lost some 1% of its male population, had huge infrastructure problems, damaged factories, old machine tools and was saddled with 50 years of $ debt to the USA. Whereas the USA had made $ Bns of profit from our plight, was never attacked and was able to place factories in the best locations without fear of being bombed or have interrupted production. Same with shipyards. So the Yanks had the capability and cash to build more carriers than we did.

[@kempmt1]

This is another British carrier invention

[@Mishn0]

And the United States invented the heavier than air aircraft. What's your point? Why do you Britistanis always need to boast about what you invented on videos that have nothing to do with that?

[@neildahlgaard-sigsworth3819]

Mishn0 no they didn't. That was Cayley, a Yorkshireman. All the Americans did was build and fly a successful powered aircraft. Lillianthal, a German, had been flying a heavier than air aircraft. We also invented the first flat top aircraft carrier, and the deck landing approach landing lights system.

[@maj.d.sasterhikes9884]

Especially since the video does credit the British with inventing it in the title. In fact, anyone who has studied the history of naval aviation knows the british invented the angled flight deck as well as the steam catapult. Kind of a case of "We know, we know already!"

[@paulmarchant9231]

@abe lincoln Antietam had a very rudimentary sponson added which was used for testing by both USN and RN pilots, the first ship constructed with a real angled flight deck was the Ark Royal RO9. She'd have been better with deck edge lifts, but for that one, I do believe we do have to thank our buddies in the US. We are true allies, and I wish that commenters on here would try to keep it that way

[@1chish]

@abe lincoln Sorry the very first trials with 'lines painted on decks' were on HMS Triumph and then later on the USS Midway. Antitam was later.

[@davidreidenberg9941]

How did they solve the problem of getting the angled deck carrier through the Panama Canal?

[@pauldavidson6321]

They can't fit ,they must go round the Cape.

[@kenoliver8913]

@@pauldavidson6321 Yep, in fact this was the reason the US was a little slow to adopt it; it was a big downside to offset the large upsides the film points to.

[@hauntedhouse7827]

They adopted the 2 ocean navy concept

[@donaldbadowski6048]

Funny to see the Gutless Cutlass on a career deck. Soon they would all get tossed, too dangerous to fly.

[@bluemarshall6180]

Next..... How to handle a Landing deck of a death star. 😆

[@donn7261]

Why do you put your time stamp on a public archives film? No reason for it.

[@williamsimmons152]

Donn72 for you to ask questions. There is a reason, you just don’t know what it is.

[@PeriscopeFilm]

Here's the issue: Tens of thousands of films similar to this one have been lost forever -- destroyed -- and many others are at risk. Our company preserves these precious bits of history one film at a time. How do we afford to do that? By selling them as stock footage to documentary filmmakers and broadcasters. If we did not have a counter, we could not afford to post films like these online, and no films would be preserved. It's that simple. So we ask you to bear with the watermark and timecodes. In the past we tried many different systems including placing our timer at the bottom corner of our videos. What happened? Unscrupulous KZbin users downloaded our vids, blew them up so the timer was not visible, and re-posted them as their own content! We had to use content control to have the videos removed and shut down these channels. It's hard enough work preserving these films and posting them, without having to spend precious time dealing with policing thievery -- and not what we devoted ourselves to do. Love our channel and want to support what we do? You can help us save and post more orphaned films! Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Even a really tiny contribution can make a difference.

[@tannertasman]

@@PeriscopeFilm I don't mind it! Thanks for all your work preserving these

[@Lukusprime]

Tbh, angled-deck carriers just look uglier to me. World War Two carriers look a lot more sleek and regal compared to the awkward, angular look of the deck jutting out to the side

[@ttrev007]

I don't know i tend to see beauty in practicality, so i think the angled deck is nice.

[@DMarsh1394]

The conversion from straight deck did produce some rather ugly ducklings, yeah. But I think that more modern carriers with the angled-deck built from the ground up look quite good