Every Type of Aircraft That Was Ever on Battleship New Jersey 

It is pretty wild to me that the USS New Jersey, a ship so old it was commissioned before my father was born, stayed in service so long that its final embarked aircraft was a model of UAV that I remember serving with in Iraq.

Considering the number of downed pilots they rescued, the Kingfishers were one of the unsung heroes of WWII.

There was also a 7th type of aircraft not mentioned in this video, the paper airplane

The story I heard about why there wasn't an embarked helo after Beirut was because the one that was on for Beirut was so damaged from concussion from turret 3 during emergency fire missions that it ended up being unusable afterwards. Lessons learned.

my oldest brother a retired army helicopter pilot, said that he landed on the new jersey while stationed in viet nam

Never got to New Jersey - but during Earnest Will: landed our HSL-43 Seahawk aboard Missouri to deliver mail and grab box-lunches - then while aboard USS Curts with HSL-43 again - escorted her up to the North Gulf and did more landings for mail/personnel transfers. In October 1991 - did landings again as we headed into San Francisco for Fleet Week. As a FRIGATE guy I loved her large flight-deck - I also loved the quality of the box-meals - I did NOT thing it would be good to DEPLOY aboard given her lack of a hangar.

I was in HSL-37 in '91 and I know we had a Detachment aboard one of the BB's that was in the Gulf during the conflict. They worked out of cargo containers that held all their tools some spare parts and consumables. It wasn't the best condition for them. My Det got there aboard a regular FF in April '91 after the fighting was done. We learned to stay away from the smoke from the oil fires as it would mess up our helo (think oily and sandy air).

I'd say a CH-47 Chinook is a pretty useful aircraft to the battleship for the amount of equipment it can deliver on-board. Or maybe I'm biased because I've been inside a Chinook & get to watch them fly around on a regular basis.

I have to agree that the various float planes, given their usefulness for rescue, were some of the best choices. You mentioned that they would be launched via catapult, but I assume they would then land on the water and be hoisted back on deck with a crane?

IMO, the helicopter is definitely the way to go on any non aircraft carrier navy warship large enough for a helipad. They are much more independent than a float plane. The old lady is looking mighty fine these days!!!😍

Back in the mid 80s, in the US Army we had a nickname for the CH47 Chinooks. We called them shit hooks.

Another fine history lesson. they all have there place

My grandfather flew UH-1s in Vietnam and got to land on new jersey at least once, im trying to convince him that we should make the trip so he can see her one more time

Looking quite dapper today, Ryan. And yet another bit of info new to me; gotta love it!

The "Q" for UAV designation system wasn't a thing until 1997. It would be historically correct to refer to it as the Pioneer RPV since that was the only official designation for the aircraft when they were embarked on the New Jersey.

Another good one

Great topic...

Excellent, thank You... embarquement

I’ve never understood why the USN chose to fit hangars on cruisers, even the _Brooklyn_ and _Cleveland_ class light cruisers, yet none on the BB’s.

H46. Those navy pilots could really fly vert rep.

At time frame 5:30, it appears to be a Sikorsky H3, attached to HS-3 as noted near the tail rotor. The squadrons with HSL designation were usually the H2s for "light" duty. Time frames 5:56 & 5:59 are certainly the H3 Sea King visiting 😉

I’m gonna go with the then answer “all of the above” they helped the mission of the ship during peacetime and wartime.

Hey Ryan or anyone else, who do I need to ask/email to get some information about the ship for a custom built model of New Jersey?

Not sure how well NJ can do it with the helo port beside em. But I’m actually working with embarking drones again on Wisconsin. We just purchased two aircraft for inspection purposes and are working on acquiring a third. It is interesting to say the least to have at least one vessel still embarking aircraft. Even if they are modern drones.

CH-46 or 47s. Did the Navy every experiment with landing AV-8B Harrior on Iowa class Battleships?

You could land and take off a Harrier on that landing pad, there's plenty of room. Payload would be restricted though as no rolling take off would be possible. What you couldn't land there is an F35-B, it's a much bigger aircraft and also the after burning jet exhaust would set fire to the wooden deck.

⚓

I was thinking medivac is the function where an embarked helicopter would be most time crucial for New Jerseys postwar career but she's where medivac flights would be going to.

UH-46D Phrog would have been useful to embark on the battleship during deployments.

Just watched a video. Shop Tour USS Iowa Machince Shop. He mentioned there were " Repair Ships " during the war. can't find any videos on them . Are there any near you and Battle Ship New Jersey ? If so, could you do a tour for us. In fact , the 1st video I saw on your ship , was the machine shop tour, ( because I'm a machinest) have bin watching (hooked) ever since.

This has nothing to do with the video but will yall ever try to rotate a turret like Iowa?bet you could sell lots of tickets for such an occasion

Someone forgot to turn off the left-turn signal on that heli. :D

They tried putting float planes on (3) Fletchers, and were unable to make it work (recovering a/c at sea is complicated). If it can't be done on a tin can, it's curst near impossible on a larger ship 🙂

Ch47 for its cargo and crew carrying OH58 as made for scouting UH1H Huey as light cargo and passenger carrying

Looks funny missing the mast

0:45 the plane flying in from our left. DISAPPEARED.

Were any aircraft from Army or Air Force ever landed on the NJ?

Size use an OH 58

humm. I am surprised it was a SH-2 Sea Sprite embarked in the 1980s. - OK- I looked a tad to early to have been one of the SH-60Bs. SH-2 quite small than a SH-3- but NJ had more than enough deck space to land it -now storage and secure is different. at the very beginning of the there were near 70 ships that could Embark A SH-2- definitely not a H-60 (Knox, Garcia/ Brooke FF, Belknap CG)- So question- did the opponent in the 1960s every learn to be scared (or surrender) upon sighting the QH-50 DASH drone?

No way to launch a football, a la Owen Wilson...

Would like a hybrid design for a modern Battleship forward a double load of missiles equal to 2 of our missile cruisers then aft a smaller version of an landing assault carrier with 4 hangered VSTOL/Helicopter aircraft and below a reduced sized well deck for special seal/marine teams. Add double the former CWIS mounts and trade the big guns for three pairs of rail guns (aft above the middle of 2 hangers bays) Go nuclear drive for extended time at sea, speed, and power. Have a few standardized 5 inch auto loading guns with a selection of rounds (might also use in place of the rail guns if further development is needed as space holders, LASER or MASER mounts also might be useful with nuclear power. Line of sight range anyplace on Earth and in the case of MASERs good at frying electronics as a secondary impact) Unlike the Iowas once the rail guns are deployed again would greatly reduce the the explosives aboard and the risk with them. Reduce the Armor to about 10 inch shell rate as 5 inch is the most you expect today with missiles and would handle any other fire well. With the reduced Armor thickness expand the belt for greater coverage and improve the inner citadel, expanding forward and aft with perhaps an added bulkhead or two requiring multiple breaches of the citadel to be a threat. Should be able to keep speed (Might also consider a water jet drive for part of the propulsion system)

@Ryan If the navy would have built a Hanger on the ships in the late 80's is there room for an underdeck hanger in the decks below the front of turret 3 by the pad or could they have taken the back of the superstructure and put in angled doors behind turret three for a built-in hanger in the superstructure?

Tried to be on live. Internet being fixed in Texas. Y'all be good

Notwithstanding deck makeup, could a F-35 land on NJ.

Drones were pretty good. It scared the Iraqis into surrendering in one instant.

2nd, 9 July 2024