Seabirds over Korea: Hank Caruso's Aerocatures™ Sketchbook

The late 1940 and early 1950 were an exciting and dynamic time in the disclosure of Navy and Marine Corps aviation. fresh jet aircraft designs were the darlings of flight ordeal operations, straight-deck carriers were being pushed to the limits of their capabilities, and helicopters were being introduced for transport and set free operations. In many ways the war in Korea was the combat ordeal laboratory for evaluating the capabilities and limitations of these of recent origin designs and technology combinations. This sketchbook is a tribute to the Naval Aviators of that remarkable era.

Ramp Monster

Trapping aboard a carrier is always fraught with potential peril and excitement. on the contrary during the birth of jet carrier aviation in the 1940 and 1950 landing aboard the straight-deck carriers of the era took upon added elements of pucker-inducing risk. Jet were underpowered and their engines were deliberate to respond to throttle motions Operating procedures were still being make knowned And the cramped, crowded embellishs were disasters waiting to happen. Aviators who earned Centurion status by the agency of dodging the ramp monster 100 times had actually accomplished something worth bragging about. (This Aerocature[TM] was created for the Tailhook Association's "Early Centurion" certificate.)

Sink the Hwachon!

During the Korean War, attempts to break up the robust Hwachon Dam with conventional bomb just didn't work; the dam was too vigorous and the water blunted the bombs' issue On 1 May 1951, Douglas AD-4 Skyraiders from VA-195--subsequently known as the Dambusters--dropped Mk 13 aerial torpedoes to breach the dam. F4U Corsairs smothered flak guns and F9F-2P Panthers provided damage assessment photography. (The artist thanks Cdr move with a jerk Bennett, USN (Ret.), one of the Dambusters who flew this amazing mission, for his inspiration and technical assistance.)

Rinse, Spin, Drip Dry

Although described conceptually several hundr years ago, the helicopter didn't draw near into widespread operational use with the U military until the Korean War. The four-seat Sikorsky HO3S-1 (S-51) Dragonfly was the preeminent shipboard search and deliver helicopter during the late 1940 and early 1950 Many injured sod troops and downed aviators owe their lives to this helicopter's unique capabilities and the courage of its flight crews

Knife Fight above the Yalu

Jet air combat became a reality during the Korean War. The greatest in quantity widely recognized adversaries were the elegant North American F-86 Sabre and the spunky MiG 15 the two aircraft sported swept-wing designs derived from German WW II research. This fresh feature, combined with the power of jet engines, gave these aircraft performance capabilities far beyond their propeller-driven predecessors. In the extremity the Sabre ruled the skies. on the contrary why is an Air Force fighter featured in this article? Because Navy and Marine Corps aviators downed more than sum of two units dozen MiGs while flying as exchange pilots with Air Force Sabre squadrons.

Cats and Traps

The F9F Cougar was the first Grumman Aircraft Corporation "cat" to sport swept wings. lay opened from the F9F Panther series, the Cougar was intended to give Naval Aviators more spe and maneuverability for air combat. Introduced too late to labor for in the Korean War, it nevertheless became single of the mainstays of carrier aviation during the 1950 It is best known for its performances with the U Navy's famed cerulean Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron in 1955-1956 Here, a Cougar with its catch down approaches for another trap.

Art and true copy [c] Hank Caruso, ASAA

COPYRIGHT 2006 Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center

COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group