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Old February 27th 07, 09:46 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval
R Leonard
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Posts: 15
Default Question For Old Naval Aviators

I can think of at least one F2H from VF-171 going off without benefit
of a catapult. Gent's not around anymore to ask about particulars,
but as I recall the story, for some reason they were unable to
catapult the Banshee. So in order to get the thing ashore, the brain
trust worked the math and decided it could be done, though a trifle
unusual. So the CO climbed in, ran it up, and away he went. This was
circa 1949 (I'll have to try to find it in the log book) and obviously
it worked as he lived to be 89 and passed on in 2005.

Rich