Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Full Scale Ships => Topic started by: farrow on February 16, 2008, 10:18:43 pm

Title: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: farrow on February 16, 2008, 10:18:43 pm
I can not remember the name of the carrier, but it is obviously one of their newer heavy carriers being assisted by two Tut's to turn in the Solent after weighing anchor. It does put our projected carriers into prospective!
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Shipmate60 on February 16, 2008, 10:24:14 pm
It was the Enterprise.

Bob
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Colin Bishop on February 16, 2008, 10:52:27 pm
You can tell it's American. It has aeroplanes on it. Ours probably won't have.... :(
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Bryan Young on February 17, 2008, 10:04:14 pm
You can tell it's American. It has aeroplanes on it. Ours probably won't have.... :(
It's also got a socking great arrow on the wheelhouse front..to tell the tugs to push backwards?
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Colin Bishop on February 17, 2008, 10:10:12 pm
Hadn't noticed that! I wonder what it actually means? The tugs under the bow wouldn't be able to see it.
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: dougal99 on February 18, 2008, 05:46:25 pm
It's to tell the pilots 'pass this side' when taxiing  O0
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Dave Buckingham on February 18, 2008, 06:52:00 pm
It is to tell other ships which way she is about to turn or pass.

Quite a lot of ships have tried it over the years
Dave
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: dreadnought72 on February 18, 2008, 06:55:33 pm
I think indicator lights would make more sense!  :D

Andy
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Bryan Young on February 18, 2008, 07:21:52 pm
I recall from many years ago some American merchant ships were fitted with "trafficators" ( a huge version of the flip-up things that cars used to have). Full marks for innovation, but these things must have been nearly 20' long. Imagine the confusion in a busy port like Antwerp.
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Colin Bishop on February 18, 2008, 07:31:46 pm
I thought ships usually rely on sound signals. One blast turn to starboard, two blasts turn to port and three my engines are astern.

I believe the formal meaning of five blasts is "I am uncertain as to your intentions" but in practice it means "Get out of the b****y way or I will run over the top of you".

Seven blasts or more mean "Wake up you dozy *******, we're sinking....."
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: KitS on February 18, 2008, 10:42:11 pm
Perhaps it was to remind them that we drive on the left over here?  ;)
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Bryan Young on February 18, 2008, 11:19:26 pm
As always the Americans want to rewrite the book to their way of thinking. Sometimes it works and sometimes not. As far as sound signals go Colin is correct...but as so many "modern" Bridge staff are cocooned within a noisy air conditioned wheelhouse and surrounded by all the bleeps and whistles that electronics produce they wouldn't even hear another ships whistle even if it was blown into their collective ears. Answer...open the bloody doors and use eyes and ears.
I used to "screw-up" the radar displays on purpose to get Junior Officers to get used to looking out of the windows...most of the time they howled for a "techy" to come and fix the radar. Poor souls.
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: swordfish fairey on February 19, 2008, 11:21:46 am
I don't think it is the Enterprise, it looks more like one of the Nimitz's to me. If you look just behind the island there is another structure, that the Nimitz class have, but the Enterprise does not. Also, is she still not fitted with those extentions on the bow, bridle catchers or what ever they are??. if you look at the photo of the Stennis from a similar angle you can see what I mean.......... cheers......Smudge
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: DickyD on February 19, 2008, 11:47:01 am
You're right smudge. Bridge is all wrong and no extensions on bow O0
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: Bryan Young on February 19, 2008, 06:44:20 pm
Hadn't noticed that! I wonder what it actually means? The tugs under the bow wouldn't be able to see it.
They would, actually, as the bridge projects well out to starboard. I went around "Forrestall" a number of years back and was surprised how good the visibility from the bridge windows was. Zilch to port of course.
Title: Re: Yanks in the Solent
Post by: KitS on February 20, 2008, 08:31:00 am
The radar fit on the 'Big E' is unique too, AFAIK. She has the big 'mattress' aerial forward of the mast and the other big carriers have it mounted aft. She doesn't have that big sphere (comms antenna?) towards the top  of the mast either.

It would have been much easier to recognise her if they'd left that big 'cream cake' on top of the bridge before the refit. Don't the USN care about us ship spotters?  ;)