AdBlock Detected

It looks like you're using an ad-blocker!

Our team work realy hard to produce quality content on this website and we noticed you have ad-blocking enabled.

British Aircraft Carrier HMS Vengeance

HMS Vengeance

British Aircraft Carrier HMS Vengeance

Photos of HMS Vengeance

HMS Vengeance in Service

Completed on 15 January 1945, HMS Vengeance was a Colossus-class aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy. Vengeance arrived in Sydney Australia in July 1945, but was still in port when the Japanese surrendered and therefore saw no action during the Second World War.

Post war she was converted for Arctic conditions, and from 5 February 1949 to 8 March 1949 operated in Arctic waters as part of Operation Rusty: an experimental cruise to determine how well ships, aircraft, and personnel functioned in extreme cold.

When the construction of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne was delayed, Vengeance was loaned to the Royal Australian Navy and commissioned as HMAS Vengeance on 13 November 1952.

Vengeance was returned to the Royal Navy on 25 October 1955, but was not reactivated. Instead she was sold to Brazil on 14 December 1956 and commissioned into the Marinha do Brasil (MB, Brazilian Navy) as NAeL Minas Gerais on 6 December 1960.

Arctic Trials

Aircraft Operations

de Havilland Sea Hornet

de Havilland Sea Vampire

Fairey Barracuda

Fairey Firefly

Hawker Sea Fury

Supermarine Seafire

Vought Corsair

Canadian Aircraft Carrier HMCS Warrior

HMCS Warrior (R31)

Canadian Aircraft Carrier HMCS Warrior

Laid down on 12 December 1942 as HMS Warrior, a Colossus-class light-aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy, the ship was loaned to the Royal Canadian Navy as HMCS Warrior. Commissioned on 24 January 1946, she lacked heating for some of the onboard equipment, as the Royal Navy had intended her to be used in the tropics where heating was unnecessary. Unfortunately, the Royal Canadian Navy operated in a much colder climate, which made her unsuitable for service in the north. Combined with defense cuts, it was decided to only operate one aircraft carrier (the other being HMCS Magnificent which would shortly be available) and Warrior was returned to the Royal Navy on 23 March 1948.

While operated by the RCN, Warrior embarked 803 (Supermarine Seafires and 825 Squadrons (Fairey Fireflies). In August 1947, the squadrons were re-equipped with Firefly Mark IV and Hawker Sea Fury aircraft.

After a period of service with the Royal Navy, she was sold to Argentina as ARA Independencia.

Photos of HMCS Warrior

HMCS Warrior in Service

Aircraft Operations

Fairey Firefly

Supermarine Seafire Mk XV

Republic XF-12 Rainbow

Republic XF-12 Rainbow

Republic XF-12 Rainbow

The Republic XF-12 Rainbow was a four-engined reconnaissance aircraft designed for the USAAF. Designed during the Second World War, the first of two prototypes had its first flight on the 4th of February 1946.

On the 10th of July 1947, the first prototype had its right main gear severed at the engine nacelle while landing during maximum load tests. The aircraft bounced and the pilot took the aircraft up to a safe altitude. During the resulting crash landing, the right wing spar was cracked and the two starboard engines needed replacing. Republic repaired the XF-12 and it was returned to service.

The second prototype crashed on the 7th of November 1948 when the port inner engine exploded, causing violent buffeting. Five of the seven crew escaped safely while two crew members were killed.

With the end of the Second World War and the introduction of jet aircraft, the USAAF lost interest in the project. When no orders were received, flight testing of the remaining XF-11 was wound down and ceased in 1952.

Republic proposed an airliner version of the XF-12, called the RC-2. Although tentative interest was shown by several airlines, the projected operating costs were higher than competing aircraft and no RC-2s were built.