> BTW, It's not the first time the RN has carried RAF aircraft towards a
 > potential battle zone.  They did so in 1982, along with several STUFT
 > ships (Ships Taken Up From Trade), heading for the Falklands.
 JS> US Carrier ferried Spitts to Malta in WW I... One lost
 JS> his drop tank and came back and made a carrier landing
 JS> without a tail hook.
Correct Jim - The carrier was the USS Wasp and this
operation
probably saved Malta. Some more trivia for you - the Spit's
flaps were operated pneumatically and only full up or full
down. As partial flap would be required to get off the deck,
the ship's carpenters cut a bunch of 15 degree wedges, the
flaps lowered and the wedges inserted, the flaps retracted
against the wedges, and voila - i5 degrees of flap. After
take-off, the flaps were lowered, the wedges blew out and
away they went!
 During WW II, I was told that all naval pilots were the
 "Fleet Air Arm of the RAF"
Not so - prior to WW11 they were, but by wartime the FAA was
a separate Royal Navy branch. They wore (and still do) RN
uniforms with their wings placed on the left sleeve just
above the rank stripes. Check PR photos of Prince Andrew for
details!
Murray
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