IIRC the CDeG was using props from the Foch for a while. Was this ever corrected and the correct props installed or is she still using the older ones?

They were removed from Clemenceau, not Foch. She is still using hers. CdG has some new props now. If they still don’t work, they could always buy Invincible’s, last seen sitting on her flight deck in Pompey…

Did Minas Geras get 25 de Mayo”s steam cat in the mid 90s?

Not the whole cat, just some parts from it. 25 de Mayo’s cat was much longer than Minas Gerais cat for a start, and from a different manufacturer, so some of the parts may not have even been compatible. 25 de Mayo’s cat extended back behind the forward lift and was the longest stroke cat ever fitted to a Colossus class carrier, whilts Minas Gerais cat only extended back to the forward end of the lift. During the 90s the Brazillian Air Force’s Trackers were withdrawn from service and for several years Minas Gerais operated solely as a Hleicopter carrier, though the Argentine Navy did use her for Carrier landing practice for their Turbo Trackers and Super Etendards (touch and gos only). One Super Etendard did accidentally ‘hook’ a wire with it’s hook in the up position, due to an excessive nose high atitude, and the aircraft had to remain aboard until the ship returned to port as the cat was non operational at the time (with no fixed wing aircraft normally embarked, this was understandable). Around 1998 some key parts were sourced from Argentina to make Minas Gerais cat serviceable again, but this was by no means the whole cat, which went with 25 de Mayo to the breakers in 1999. 25 de Mayo had a Mitchell Brown BS4 long stroke catapult and Minas Gerais had a McTaggart Scott C1 catapult if memory serves. Below are a few photos that should illustrate the difference between the two ships cats.

Both carriers were due refits?I know Hermes was due, but Invincible aswell?Wasnt she only a few years old??Imagine how different it could have been had the SuE got through and got 1 or 2 lucky hits with exocets on either of the carriers.It could have been game over.

‘Refits’ is a term that covers smaller maintenance periods too. Most warships undergo a short refit of a matter of weeks every year between major overhauls. Invincible was new, but still had teething problems (notably vibration from her propellers, then the biggest in the Navy) and also had to carry out an engine change underway to the Falklands, a job which had been expected to be carried out alongside at Portsmouth. She had already seen two years service and was due for some modifications. Both carriers had just completed excercises and were due a period of maintenance. If a carrier had been disabled in the Falklands war then the only realistic hope would be relief by Illustrious which was being rushed to completion, though she wouldn’t have arrived earlier than July anyway.

Shades of the 1970 ‘SAM Kotlin’ incident when a Soviet destroyer tried to run across the bows of HMS Ark Royal at night whilst she was launching aircraft. It sounds like an act of crass stupidity to put a warship into dangerous proximity with another ship if the reports are correct. Not the mark of a professional and competent world class Navy.

Update I popped into Wh Smith on my way home from work today and there was a stack of March editions in stock. I’ll get one on the weekend, but it is of the 1950s Ark not 1970s. Maybe April will feature Ark later in her career?

We can but hope. My copy of the February issue just said part two in March.

Why no “Sea Grippen”?

Same reasons as SeaPhoon, plus it would be further down the list becasue it doesn’t have the virtue of being built by a potential user nation. No British jobs in Sea Gripen, at least some british jobs in SeaPhoon, as well as in JSF.

IF (note that is a BIG if) the RN get its big carriers….and by some miracle of common sense got to cats and arrestor gear, woulf the RN purchase a few T-45s?

For training purposes possibly, though I think it more likley we would sign a contract with the US to put our pilots through their training program rather than duplicate their capabilities. The Americans used to train enough aircrew for 15 flat tops, now it’s only 11. Add the needs of two British carrier air groups and there would still be some slack in the system. Provided we paid the cost of training our crews over there I don’t think there would be a problem. The RN already operates some Hawks, so adding another sqns worth might not be a great hurdle. If we do go down the CTOL path for CVF, the the T-45 is the logical choice, however we end up using it.

Well, I was thinking exactly the same thing! As the Vikramaditya combined with the Kuznetsov would give Russia a two Carrier Fleet tomarrow! This would like you said take the pressure off. Giving Russia time to build a fleet to compete with China, India, UK, etc. etc.

As for the Su-33’s and/or Mig-29K’s. She could buy the latter as its already in production and wouldn’t need a large number. Further, she could keep both types if she wished…………..(i.e. with a small upgrade for the Su-33’s)

Something is up…………..Yet, even if Russia truely wants the Ex-Gorshkov back? Is it really worth destroying there relationship with India to get it???:eek::confused::eek::confused:

It’s possible the Russians might offer a compensation package, say a couple of DDGs or some Frigates. If this is their straegy it could be negotiations are already going on behind the scenes, which as we all know, do tend to drag on somewhat when the Indian Government is involved. They modelled their beaureaucracy on ours, so Normal speed is glacial. I’d imagine they’d want to separate the Carrier deal from the Mig 29 deal so they could continue with the latter. I think the two were bound up together originally (Buy the planes, we’ll throw in the carrier but you pay for the refit), so unpicking that contract could prove awkward.