HMS Hermes (R12): Difference between revisions

[[John Hay (Henley MP)|John Hay]], [[Civil Lord of the Admiralty]], said in Parliament on 2 March 1964 that "Phantoms will be operated from "Hermes", "Eagle" and the new carrier when it is built. ... Our present information and advice is that the aircraft should be able to operate from "Hermes" after she has undergone her refit."<ref>{{citation |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1964/mar/02/vote-a-numbers#S5CV0690P0_19640302_HOC_423 |work=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]] |date=2 March 1964 |volume=690 |at=cc916–1087 |title=Vote A. Numbers |author=John Hay |access-date=21 September 2023 |archive-date=24 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231124182046/https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/commons/1964/mar/02/vote-a-numbers#S5CV0690P0_19640302_HOC_423 |url-status=live }}</ref>

This seemed optimistic, as most sources believed ''Victorious'' was the smallest carrier then in commission that the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II in UK service|modified RN F-4K versions]] of the Phantom could realistically have operated from. The British [[Rolls-Royce Spey#F-4K Phantom|Rolls-Royce Spey]] engines replacing the US [[General Electric J79]] were a political necessity given the cancellation of the supersonic British [[Hawker Siddeley P.1154]] V/STOL aircraft project. The projected superior fuel efficiency using the Spey engines was overshadowed by larger engine size and inflexibility. From the smaller ''Hermes'' maximum weight at takeoff would be 25 tons rather than 28 tons when operating off ''Eagle''.<ref>N. Freidman. ''Fighters over the Fleet. Naval Air Defence form Biplanes to the Cold War''. Seaforth. Pen & Sword (2016) Barnsley, p. 340.</ref> Since this lower weight at launch from ''Hermes'' would be achieved by carrying less fuel, [[combat air patrol]] duration would be 25 to 50 percent less than from ''Eagle''; from 2–2.5 hours to 1–1.5 hrs,<ref>N. Freidman ''Fighters over the Fleet''. Seaforth (2016) pp. 339–341.</ref> and only partly compensated by refuelling when airborne. It was optimistically believed ''Hermes'' could replace its Vixens with Spey-powered Phantoms on a one-to-one basis,<ref>Friedman. ''Fighters over the Fleet''. Seaforth (2016) pp. 240–241.</ref> i.e. 11–12 with 7–8 [[Blackburn Buccaneer]] strike aircraft. While the Phantoms built for the RN were modified in ways similar to [[Vought F-8 Crusader]]s for the [[French Navy]] – improving deceleration on landing – the modifications were not entirely successful. ''Hermes''{{'}}s flight deck was too short, her arresting gear as well as her catapults were not powerful enough to recover or launch the F-4Ks, even though they were slightly lighter, more economical and higher performing than their [[US Navy]] counterparts{{citation needed|date=September 2013}}. The Phantom trials held on ''Hermes'' in 1969–1970 proved this, though in the views of the then Minister of Defence, [[Denis Healey]], the carrier could operate the most modern aircraft, but in too small numbers to be effective. While it is clear that [[Robert McNamara|McNamara's]] claims that the F-4 was not safe for use on the USN {{sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier|4}}, or 31,000-ton carriers, was rightly rejected by John Hay in 1964.<ref>HC Defence Estimates debate, 64-5</ref>

 

===Proposed transfer to Australia===