The image captured here is exceptionalfor more reasons than one.
The aircraft is a Curtiss SC-1 Seahawk, seldom seen in action with such clarity. Look closely at the picture: The floatplane fighter is barely lifting off the catapult yet remains crisply in focus. The photographer, the father of Flight Journal reader David Kovacic, did a superb job of tracking a fast, suddenly moving subject.
The ship was the cruiser USS Macon (CA-132) conducting Atlantic Fleet training exercises in April 1947. The 13,000-ton warship was still new; she had been commissioned two weeks before V-J Day in 1945. Her aviation department typically operated two floatplanes.
This story is from the December 2018 edition of Flight Journal.
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This story is from the December 2018 edition of Flight Journal.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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Scourge of the Allied Fighters
IT HAD TO BE THE MOST HELPLESS FEELING in the world: you're at 25,000 feet over Europe knowing that your primary function is to drop bombs-or flying escort for the bombers while being a slow-moving target for some of the world's finest shooters. However, you have John Browning's marvelous .50 caliber invention to give some degree of protection. Unfortunately, you're absolutely helpless against flak. Piloting and gunnery skills play no role in a game where sheer chance makes life and death decisions. For that reason, the Krupp 88 mm Flak 18/36/37 AA cannon could be considered WW II's ultimate stealth fighter. You never saw it coming.
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Flying Skulls over Burma
KILLER CORSAIR
Albert Wells, Death Rattlers Ace
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