At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

Also, I hate to pick on the FAA but the Skua was pretty damned ugly too. [:D]

[Simonsez]

Nothing says aerodynamic efficiency more than a vertical face to the canopy leading edge.....[8|]

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: sprior

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Not even clsoe to being the most unattractive carrier aircraft.

Competition time!

Can I play?

[Cap Mandrake]

Wow. What is that, the Sea Stegasaur?

[Simonsez]

Thanks for your vote! (see page 8)

[Cap Mandrake]

In fairness, the TBD and Brewster were inept looking as well...but it was more the hint of combat ineffectiveness rather than ugliness.

[Lecivius]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Wow. What is that, the Sea Stegasur?

I believe it is a Blackburn R-1.

[BBfanboy]

Let's not leave the USN out of the contest - I submit an alien-inspired design:

[Cap Mandrake]

Yes, the A-6 definitely had an organic (from Alpah-Centauri) look to it. The huge radar dictated the nose design.

[rtrapasso]

This thing had a top speed of 156 mph - and was actually used against the Japanese (but not by the USN)

[rtrapasso]

Then there's this "beauty"....

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Then there's this "beauty"....

[:D] What were the pilot's instructions in the event the torpedo failed to drop - ditch or kamikaze?

EDIT: PS - how did it take off?!

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Then there's this "beauty"....

[:D] What were the pilot's instructions in the event the torpedo failed to drop - ditch or kamikaze?

EDIT: PS - how did it take off?!

[:D] [:D]

i think it is actually supposed to be in the process of dropping the torpedo... but if it will get a vote, i'll say that it is still attached and that the launching process involved balloons. [:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Then there's this "beauty"....

This looks like the protoype for the Blackburn before the designer had his psychotic break. None of the Japanese designs look anywhere near this bad. Unfortunately for the British, the French had no aircraft carrier at the time or they might have given them a run.

Some designs are just so aestheically perfect (Seafire) or so macho (Bearcat and Corsair and Sea Fury) that crappy designs look even worse.

[Cap Mandrake]

8 BB
1 BC
2 CA

at Sorong. [:D]

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

8 BB
1 BC
2 CA

at Sorong. [:D]

So, as they leave, would the IJN sailors say "Sorong, Sorong"* [&:]

*(in Mandrakian Nipponese)

[rtrapasso]

French had no aircraft carrier at the time or they might have given them a run.

Well, they had one (the Bearn, with accent acute over the e)... they did have at least one carrier-based aircraft design (divebomber) which wasn't bad looking (except for the tail).

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso
Well, they had one (the Bearn, with accent acute over the e)

[Kaff Kaff] Stuka [Kaff Kaff]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

French had no aircraft carrier at the time or they might have given them a run.

Well, they had one (the Bearn, with accent acute over the e)... they did have at least one carrier-based aircraft design (divebomber) which wasn't bad looking (except for the tail).

Tail designed by committee - everyone gets a piece of the action!

PS - if you want an é, just hold down the ALT key and type 130 - when you release the ALT key ... voilà
Windows used to provide a character map [chart with the ALT-number codes] for all the foreign, scientific, mathematic and special characters, but the map is different for different fonts so I guess they gave up on it!

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso
Well, they had one (the Bearn, with accent acute over the e)

[Kaff Kaff] Stuka [Kaff Kaff]

Hey! If the Japanese can crib the Stuka design for their Val, who can blame the French!
At least they seem to have designed retractable landing gear, and made sure everyone knew French tail is more elaborate than any other!