[Milsurplus] Naval Aviation Navigation

[J. Forster]

Ben Dover wrote:

> Howdy.

> [snip]
> >> Also, these were not intercontinental planes in WW II and typical
> missions ranges were
> in the 1000 mile or less ballpark. The carriers were likely to operate from
> as closely as
> relatively safe from the target. <<
>
> For WW2 carrier missions, 1000 miles would be FAR beyond practical range.
> Typical missions
> would be 250 miles or less...  150 would be typical.

Well, that makes the radio acquisition problem even easier. You fly to the
target and do a 180 and it'd be hard to miss.

> To get within range of the carrier on the return trip calls for (A) knowing
> the carrier's
> course and speed (which made the carrier somewhat vulnerable if the enemy
> got lucky on a
> guess; the carrier couldn't improvise), and (B) using dead reckoning to get
> within the big
> coverage circle of the nav radio. It took a bit of navigating, but
> considering the ranges
> involved it's not that big a deal.

But at 250 knots, the whole mission would be under 2 hours. Even at 30 knots,
the carrier could only go 60 nautical miles, well within the radio range.
Actually such a radio system would enable the carrier to go where it wants.

> Also.. consider that WW2 carrier operations were almost exclusively a
> daylight only thing.
> In that situation, "line of sight" takes on a whole new meaning when it
> comes to navigation.
> VFR played a BIG part in this game.
>
> Mr. T., W9LBB