pampa14
April 22, 2014 at 11:15 am

Hangar deck catapult operations

The early Essex-class carriers had been built with a hangar-level catapult. It was called the HIVA catapult and shot planes out of the starboard forward hangar deck. The Essex’s were designed to have 3 catapults (two on the flight deck bow and one in the hangar bay). The hangar catapult was for launching scout planes (pre-radar) without disturbing the deck park. It was deemed so important that when it became known that it threw off the weight distribution, the port side bow deck catapult was left off. Due to delays, only six ships were actually fitted with this catapult and by then radar was in use and the need for scout planes was eliminated. Begininning with Ticonderoga the hangar cat was omitted and both bow cats installed. Eventually all Essex’s lost the hangar cat and regained the port side cat. The only carrier to keep the hangar catapult through the end of the war was USS Hornet (CV 12). See below some photos of hangar deck catapult operations:

http://aviacaoemfloripa.blogspot.com.br/2011/02/decolagens-do-hangar.html

Hope you enjoy!

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By: Bager1968 - 23rd April 2014 at 02:51

Actually, that “HIVA” was using a mix of initials and Roman numerals –
H-4A (16,000 lbs to 85 mph in 72.5-ft); Essex hangar fit (removed from May 1943)

http://books.google.com/books?id=-UT7MDTeKj8C&pg=PA379&lpg=PA379&dq=H-4+catapult&source=bl&ots=HU7iYMBzR9&sig=FiprGhggdKYXBNjutOqnGoGvhvI&hl=en&ei=h13YTZvaJcrB0AG7uvn7Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=H-4%20catapult&f=false

F MK II (10,000 lb to 35 mph) flywheel type aboard CV-2 & CV-3 from 1920s

H MK II (7000 lbs to 70 mph in 55-ft); pre-war Yorktown class & Wasp fit (including hangar catapult)

H-2-1 (11,000 lbs to 70 mph in 73-ft); CVE/CVL fit, late 1943 fit for CV-3 & CV-6

H-4 (3,500-16,000 lbs to 90 mph in 95-ft); Essex class early fit

H-4A (16,000 lbs to 85 mph in 72.5-ft); Essex hangar fit (removed from May 1943)

H-4B (18,000 lbs to 90 mph in 96-ft); Essex class later fit

H-4C (16,000 lbs to 85 mph in 72.5-ft); CVE/CVL fit late war

H-4-1 (28,000 lbs to 90 mph in 150-ft); Midway class early fit

H-5 (16,000 lbs to 90 mph in 96.7-ft); seaplane catapult (all converted to H-4)

H-6 (60,000 lb to 120 mph); seaplane catapult

H-8 (15,000 lb to 120 mph or 62,500 lbs to 70 mph in 190-ft); replaced H-4B & H-4-1 in post-war Essex & Midway class modernizations

H-9 (45,000 lb to 120 mph or 100,000 lbs to 90 mph in 210-ft); for CVA-58 United States, cancelled