10/25/13

SEAPLANES take flight


In honor of Sepia Saturdays 200th post anniversary I am reposting this from April 14, 2012. From what I've been able to figure out I first posted on Sepia Saturday in 2010. I have not been a consistent regular, and when I'm away from it I do miss it. 

So thank you to Alan Burnett and Kat Mortensen for creating this meeting place. May it go on and evolve for years to come as a place where folks from around the world gather for show and tell.

As to a bio of myself...let's just say I'm a book designer who lives in Northern California with a love of old photos. I, along with the images I collect, am tattered and lost.

All of the images below were taken by my father who maintains all copyrights.
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A plethora of flight images for this week's Sepia Saturday.

In the late 1940s and during the Korean War my father flew seaplanes as a Naval aviator.

These first shots in black and white were taken in San Diego of a PBM utilizing JATO packs for take off. You can see the JATO rockets on the side of the plane. There were two on each side and a pilot could activate one on each side or all four at once. JATO stands for jet-fuel assisted take off. Click here to read about JATO.
The Martin PBM Mariner was a patrol bomber flying boat of World War II and the early Cold War period. It was designed to complement the Consolidated PBY Catalina in service. A total of 1,366 were built, with the first example flying on 18 February 1939 and the type entering service in September 1940. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
Click on any image to see it larger.














You can see the JATO packs in this shot.



To see a shot of a PBM in for service click here.

The second group of shots are of P5M’s in Iwokuni, Japan. I have no idea who any of the people are.

Click on any image to see it larger.





The Martin P5M Marlin (P-5 Marlin after 1962), built by the Glenn L. Martin Company of Middle River, Maryland, was a twin-engined piston-powered flying boat entering service in 1951 and serving into late 1960s in service with the United States Navy for naval patrol. It also served in the U.S. Coast Guard and with the French Navy. 285 were produced overall. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
Click on any image to see it larger.

P5M approaching tender.


P5M refueling.


Stern of tender.
During the Second World War, both the American and the Japanese Navies built a number of seaplane tenders to supplement their aircraft carrier fleets. However, these ships often had their catapults removed, and were used as support vessels that operated seaplanes from harbours rather than in a seaway. These aircraft were generally for long range reconnaissance patrols. The tenders allowed the aircraft to be rapidly deployed to new bases because their runways did not have to be constructed, and support facilities were mobile much like supply ships for submarines or destroyers.
The German navy in World War II did not operate any seaplane tenders. However, the German air force, Luftwaffe, had 19 seaplane tenders of both large and small sizes in operation. These ships were mostly converted from existing civilian seaplane tenders, and were capable of carrying 1-3 seaplanes. The French and Italian navies also had seaplane tenders in service.
Seaplane tenders became obsolete at the end of the Second World War. A few remained in service after the war but by the late-1950s most had been scrapped or converted to other uses such as helicopter repair ships. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)
To see another post about a P5M click here.

Over the years I’ve heard my father tell a lot of seaplane stories; one event during the Korean War in which only two planes took part is even mentioned in a book. The only one of his planes I was ever on was a P5M. I was a little girl and it was a huge plane. A vivid memory I'll have forever.

To see more about planes visit my other site, Tattered and Lost Ephemera, where I have been featuring vintage trading cards from the late 1950s entitled "Defenders of America".

26 comments:

  1. Okay, I seriously want to fly in one of these seaplanes. Jet assist would be optional. It would be difficult to find a more adventurous aeronautical engineering than seaplanes. Alright, maybe zeppelins. But seaplanes next.

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    1. I agree, though I want to experience the JATO just because of the stories my dad has told me.

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  2. Love the sequence of the seaplane taking off.

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  3. I came to your post via the Sepia Saturday sidebar, but your Mr. Linky link only makes a loop back to the Sepia Saturday page. I think Alan has a fix-it tool on the widget.

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  4. My father worked at Convair in San Diego in the 1950's. They designed aircraft. He never talked about it. I don't know if it was top secret or he just didn't think we'd be interested. He was a design engineer. He did mention one plane he must have worked on because he had us all run out to look at it when it flew by.
    Your photos will be great in the book.
    Barbara

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    1. I'll have ask my dad if he ever went there. I know he visited quite a few manufacturers, especially when he was making training films.

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  5. Your father really knew how to capture a good shot! These photos are really wonderful!
    And I'm with you; I can see a girl on roller skates with a tray rolling on up beside that PBM.

    Off to "Travel With Charlie" now, because you just sell it so well!

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    1. After you travel a bit with Charlie you'll understand why.

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  6. A great sequence of pictures. Your dad must have had a really good camera to catch the images so clearly.

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  7. a "Fly-Past" in Honour of the 200th! :)

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    1. I hadn't thought of it that way, but yeah, you're right.

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  8. What dramatic photos your dad has kept! Great post for Sepia Saturday 200!

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  9. An excellent choice for the 200th!

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  10. Oh my this soars with greatness, a great choice. Your photos are top shelf!

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  11. I wasn't part of SS in 2012 so missed this - so glad you reposted such a great one!

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  12. An excellent collection of photos. Seaplanes are so romantic.

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  13. My brother's war photos have some some seaplanes among among them including one being launched from a carrier. None are as clear as the shots you have shown us.

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  14. Thanks for sharing these photos and story! They are amazing - and the story is so cool!!

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  15. This was my first to hear or see anything about the seaplanes. Very good read and the photos are wonderful.

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  16. Those were some incredible shots. My first flight experience was in a private plane, a seaplane my boss used for pleasure only.

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  17. What an interesting post and great photos. I felt as if I was looking at a movie because the sequence of the shots was so cinematic.
    Nancy
    Ladies of the Grove

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  18. That B&W sequence is splendid.
    I really could feel it taking off!!
    Your dad had a keen eye!!
    :)~
    HUGZ

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