aircraft catapults on ships - any drawings and photos available out there?

[bootneck]

Hello, I want to build a diorama that involves either a Walrus, preferably, or a Hurricane connected to a shipboard catapult and would like to scratchbuild one.  Does anyone here have any drawings or photos of such settings, or can anyone advise me of where I might find them please?

I'm not sure whether a catapult cradle section for a Walrus would be the same as the cradle for a Hurricane, anyone know if they were?   I'm not too concerned about the launch gantry, just the aircraft cradle parts.

 

cheers,

Mike

 

 

[Our Ned]

The CAM-Ship catapult cradles were different to those used for the Walrus.  For the latter, see, for example, https://silodrome.com/royal-navy-wwii-instructional-film-catapult-ships/  Online search for "Hurricat" produces several photos of the aircraft and its catapult.

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Mike, I simply google, type in 'supermarine walrus' , enter and click on 'images'. A couple of the photos that came up had the plane sitting on a catapult. HTH. Regards, Jeff.

[Macsporran]

54 minutes ago, Our Ned said:

The CAM-Ship catapult cradles were different to those used for the Walrus.  For the latter, see, for example, https://silodrome.com/royal-navy-wwii-instructional-film-catapult-ships/  Online search for "Hurricat" produces several photos of the aircraft and its catapult.

Wow! Fantastic film!

Thanks for posting.

[Jb65rams]

@bootneck I know you are looking to scratch build but a company call Neomega-Resin produce catapult sections in 1/48 for the walrus and hurricane. There are a number of pictures / drawings that may help. They do look like different cradles.
 

https://www.neomega-resin.com/neomega-uk-24-c.asp

 

 

[bootneck]

I do like to scratchbuild my own stuff but there is no way that I could achieve such a good finish as that Neomaga cradle.  I know where some of my crimbo money is going now.  Thanks for the link.

 

Mike

[davecov]

@bootneck Mike, I have been wanting to build a section of a CAM Ship with a Hurricane for about fifty years and so, prompted by your request for catapult information, I thought it was about time that I did something about it. I have just got a copy of this book that should interest you - The Catafighters and Merchant Aircraft Carriers by Kenneth Poolman. It has quite a few pictures of catapults etc.

 

Dave

[EwenS]

I’d never realised how much gubbins around the CAM Sea Hurricanes needed to be removed before launch. Thinking about it though I suppose it was necessary to stop the aircraft falling off the catapult sideways! Note the pipework to the radiator, presumably to keep it warm.

 

https://albumwar2.com/english-fighter-sea-hurricane-on-the-catapult-of-cam-ship/

 

[bootneck]

4 hours ago, davecov said:

@bootneck Mike, I have been wanting to build a section of a CAM Ship with a Hurricane for about fifty years and so, prompted by your request for catapult information, I thought it was about time that I did something about it. I have just got a copy of this book that should interest you - The Catafighters and Merchant Aircraft Carriers by Kenneth Poolman. It has quite a few pictures of catapults etc.

 

Hello Dave,

I was undecided which theme to go for, Walrus or Hurricat, but eventually decided to get the Neomega cradle for the Walrus, as suggested by @Jb65rams.  Looking into the complexity of the cradle, I realised that it would be just too much effort for me nowadays.  The kit arrived yesterday and it looks really good.   I intend to build the launch setup as that found on battleships and cruisers, the type that is set in the deck and has a mini turntable for access to the hangar.  I am now doing the research and searching for close up views of those types of deck area.

 

cheers,
Mike

[dogsbody]

I've got these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you would like larger versions of these drawings, PM me your email address.

 

 

 

Chris

[bootneck]

Hi Chris,

 

those look great!  A pm is on its way.

 

cheers,

 

Mike

[Our Ned]

Chris has posted photos of a revolving catapult as fitted to some cruisers.  The deck-mounted catapults as fitted in four of the Queen Elizabeth class (Type DIIH or DIIIH) and the King George V class (Type DIIIH) battleships, some Kent sub-group (Type DIH), London (DIVH) and Southampton (Type DIH) and Fiji class (Type DIVH) cruisers was somewhat different, with gaps for the turntables.  Note that the types fitted in cruisers had extensions which moved outboard when the catapult was in use; the battleship types did not.  This meant (I think) that the battleship catapults were fitted directly to the weatherdeck, with catapult machinery in a compartment below, whereas the cruisers had a girder construction down as far as the upper deck (quarterdeck level).

Good photos of the one fitted in King Gorge V can be seen at https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205138012 and https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205138011.

Basic drawings of the DIH catapult in HMS Belfast can be found in RossWatton Anatomy of the Ship: The Cruiser Belfast (Conway Maritime Press, 1985)

[Dmitriy1967]

There are some photos here. Maybe they will help.

 

https://yandex.ru/images/search?text=катапульты Walrus&stype=image&lr=2&source=wiz&pos=0&rpt=simage&img_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsun9-63.userapi.com%2Fc857720%2Fv857720001%2F19c311%2FPvYunSEDX64.jpg