This November I had an opportunity to travel to San Diego and visit the USS Midway Museum.
USS Midway is a aircraft carrier that served the United States from 1945 to 1992. As a museum, she represents something special to me, because I served in the US Navy from 1980 to 1984 aboard a different aircraft carrier the USS Ranger.
Date(s): November 18 2012. Album by Steven W Dugger. 1 - 24 of 43 Total. 3595 Visits.
1 USS Midway, from pier side.
2 For four long years a bunk (we called them "racks") like this was my home. Now, it needs to be noted that Midway was launched in 1945 and Ranger in 1958. Thus, while the birthing spaces (sleeping areas) were similar, Ranger was definitely better! More room and way better air-conditioning.
3 This is a shot of the Focsle. The Focsle's main purpose was to manage the massive ships anchors and chains. But, the focsle was also the place were various ceremonies like promotions or captains mast were held. The Bosun's mates took particular pride in keeping a ships Focsle as clean and neat as possible.
4 The BIG chain. The anchor for an aircraft is simply huge, Midway's anchors weighed in at 40,000 pounds a piece. Each link of this chained weighed in at 130 pounds each.
5 Welcome to the ships hanger bay, view looking forward.
6 Looking aft down a corridor beneath the hanger bay. The engine rooms are accessed from here.
7 This is Damage Control Central. Normally the operations of the engines and boiler rooms are coordinated from here. It's also where all damage control efforts are coordinated. When a major accident occurs, be it fire, flooding or explosion, all the damage control teams are directed from this room, and all damage to the ship is reported here.
8 And now we descend to the engine room. If the rack shown earlier was where I spent my sleeping hours, here is where I earned my pay. Days were long, 8 hours on and 8 off, sleep when you can. Conditions were hostile, with temperatures averaging 120 degrees F, and noise levels deafening.
On Ranger there was a message painted on the door to number 1 main machinery room. "Abandon all hope, Ye who enter". It was very appropriate, for when you opened that door, a blast of hot air and noise would strike you like a physical blow. It was common for newcomers to cringe and back away when they first experience it.
This shot is of the engine control panel. The 3 big brass wheels control the steam going to the High Pressure, Low Pressure and Reverse Turbines.
This has been a pretty lengthy post, but that guy in the yellow ball cap deserves mention. His name is Gary, and he served on USS Ranger as a Senior Chief Petty Officer at the same time I was aboard.
9 This shot is between the HP and LP Turbine. The HP turbine is on the left. The larger LP turbine on the right. Steam at 800 degrees F and 600 pounds per square inch, blasted down through the pipe going into the HP Turbine. From the rear of the that turbine, the steam would be sent to the LP Turbine. After all it's heat and pressure had been used, the remaining steam, now at below 15 pounds per square inch would go into a condenser, where it would be turned back into water.
10 This is the reduction gear aft of the ships turbines. Here the rotating shafts of the two turbines is slowed and then combined into one shaft that leads to the ships propeller.
11 Here's a shot of the High Pressure Turbine. Even though it's smaller, most of the ships power came from this turbine.
12 This is a control panel for a Damage Control team. From here a person can open and close various valves for steam, fuel and water lines. This allows the Damage control party to isolate and bypass damaged parts of the ship.
13 That is a Cessna hanging from the overhead of the hanger bay. Cessna's did not typically operate from aircraft carriers, but this one was special.
Back in 1973, as the North Vietnam began it's rape of the South, people were fleeing frantically. This particular pilot had put his wife and child in the back of the airplane and flown out over the ocean hoping to find safe haven on a US Aircraft Carrier. Well, he and his family got lucky.
14 The biggest door on the ship. This massive door is designed to split the hanger bay in two. Thus a fire in the forward section of the bay can be prevented from spreading to the aft section.
15 This is an F-14 Tomcat, the mainstay fighter of the US Navy back in the 80's and 90's. Retired for years now, in some ways it's capabilities have not been matched by the current generation of fighter aircraft.
16 An early version of the F/A 18 Hornet, a fighter that's still the backbone of Naval Air Defense and Attack. This one has an unusual paint job, indicating that it was once used as an "aggressor" aircraft for air combat training.
17 An A-3 Skywarrior. Originally intended as a nuclear bomber, the Skywarrior ended up serving as both a tanker and electronic surveillance aircraft for most of it's career.
18 The A-4 Skyhawk. One of the most successful ground attack jets ever. It was used through out the Vietnam war.
19 The F9F Panther. The Navy's first successful carrier capable jet. A rather mediocre fighter, it served as a ground attack aircraft during the Korean War.
20 The incredible and awesome A-5 Vigilante!!
This impressive aircraft was intended to be a nuclear bomber. However that role was taken over by strategic missiles. Despite that, it's impressive speed and range led to the Vigilante to be impressed into service as a reconnaissance aircraft. It was one of the first airplanes capable of supersonic flight WITHOUT afterburner.
21 The good old COD, or Carrier Onboard Delivery aircraft. This one is a C-1A Tracker. COD's are basically mini cargo aircraft, delivering passengers , critical small cargo and mail to the ship.
22 The inimitable A-6 Intruder, last heavy bomber of the United States navy. These aircraft carried the bulk of the bombs dropped on the bad guys from the 1950's until the 1990's when the last of them were retired. Nowadays, their role is filled by F/A 18's. Even though the 18's can't carry half what an Intruder can, with the introduction of GPS guided bombs, Naval attack aircraft are far deadlier today.
23 A CH-47 Helicopter. One of these guys delivered me to the USS Ranger in 1980.
24 The SLUF or Short Little Ugly F**ker. The A-7 Corsair replaced the Skyhawk as a light attack aircraft, till it in turn was replaced by the F/A 18. The design was based on the F-8 Crusader, but simpler, lighter and no afterburner. They were a neat aircraft, albeit somewhat underpowered.