^^^My favorite, actually a tie, fixed wing aircraft with the Corsair.

<iframe width="1017" height="572" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z1ubP8nU1iw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

That's a lot of corrosive salt spray on some expensive, delicate equipment!

I doubt the Navy just goes to the local Ace Hardware and grabs a couple cans of WD-40.
At least I hope not.

We have special stuff we rub the entire aircraft with - corrosion prevention is every day, trust me.

Here are two 60's stuffed for the night on an FFG - all clean!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1592054849.jpg

Did you ever have any experience with the Kaman Seasprite? I've only ever seen one once, always thought it was a pretty sweet aircraft. I think Australia retired theirs not long ago.

I have. Interesting helicopter.

The Australians had the G model. The one I flew at VX-1 in Patuxent River, Maryand was an F model.

We were testing the newer Seahawks at that time (I had left the first Navy 60 squadron to come to Pax) and it was clear that the H-2 Seasprite was going to be "sun-downed".

Because of that none of the H-2 pilots wanted to fly the H-2 any more and wanted to stack hours in the 60 - so I got a lot of co-pilot time keeping the two H-2's the squadron owned flying.

The coolest thing about the H-2 is that you could fly with the doors open. I loved it!

Here are a few pics:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1592059823.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1592059823.jpg

We had a F model on USS Thomas C Hart FF-1092 for my first deployment.

What year?

I know a lot of former H-2 pilots.

I am doing this from memory so I may get it wrong...any H-2 pilots can chime in:cool: The H-2 had a very unique main rotor control mechanism, called, perhaps in jest, "flapperons".

See the picture below.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1592067985.jpg

I circled one of the main rotor "flapperons" which are like traditional ailerons on fixed wing aircraft. The control rods went up through the main rotor mast and then out to each individual rotor flapperon.

I don't want to get into helo controls, but it is very unique.

That's cool that you got some time in them.

And agree, doors off is a lot of fun!

My AW friends call them the Kaman coffins. I got picked up by one doing D-WEST in San Diego. Sat by the door all the way back to North Island

As I said, "interesting" helicopter.

The human factors for pilots and AW's was/is non existent.

Day time in the H-2F was a hoot. I did one night hop and that was enough. What a goat rope of integration.

James, please refresh: I remember the term D-West but the interwebs is no help.

I few out of NI for years. Best place on Earth.

yes i agree D-west is deep water survival training, an advanced course for water survival. Dropped off in heavy water off San Diego (about 10 miles out) and they leave you there to think about it for an hour or so with just what you bring in your survival vest and LPA. I was sure a shark was swimming around me, very weird feeling, then i heard the chopper come in for a horse collar pickup. Just another day in NAVAIR!
On the corrosion front, the p-3's i flew around with worked best around 200' off the water. The salt would cake up on the windshield ¼" thick. At moffett (and many other NAS's) used a fresh water "bird bath" like a drive through car wash after every flight really helps with the corrosion.... but it is always learking somewhere...

1990-1991 desert shield through desert storm. stayed on that ship until 1993.

Wow. An FF!

East Coast squadron so I didn't know any of the pilots.

My partner is off today playing in a Navy Diver Golf Tournament so I am catching up on admin, cleaning out computer files, etc.

I came across this link that I may have shared before but I though I would post here:

Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields

Every State is represented.

I did a few T/G at Aqualand before it closed:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1592228415.jpg

read the book called "last plane out of Berlin" by Sydney Cotton
It explains how the basis for all modern Aerial Recon was layed out

https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Sidney-Cotton-Last-Plane-Berlin/dp/0733615163/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Sidney+Cotton%3A+The+Last+Plan e+Out+of+Berlin&qid=1588755752&sr=8-1


It's really a good read too, quite the character.

Skywagon carrying a load of ice in the PNW, simply amazing. Great performance out of the 480in McCauley prop tho-
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1592598486.jpg

Ran across this today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXf03cfm2x4

I have no issues with drones of this configuration for remote/autonomous work without a pilot on board. Helicopters have some ability to recover from power loss (autorotation), but what do you do with one of these piloted drone-like things in the case of total power loss? It seems to me to be a very bad idea to put a pilot in something that has no hope of flight recovery if something goes wrong...