Photo Du Jour
N.F.W.
Looks like a fake.
Heh. Indeed.
Could you point out the URL of the photo? I couldn’t find it on the Navy site you provided.
I’m inclined to a drum of salt with this one too. There’s really no need for that ability and I don’t know that they can synchronize the two cats that are on that section of deck.
The worst part for pucker factor would probably be the arrested landing, anyway.
This is probably faked. After all, what’s the point? One of those giant planes can already fly more than halfway round the world on a tank of gas.
Plus, that thing being STOL? You gotta be kidding.
It’s a well known fake already on several websites. The exact same screen cut of the C-17 is shown on both the front as taking off and the rear as landing. If you zoom in on the ‘steam’ on the upper left corner you can see where something else in the background was airbrushed out.
Posted by prairie biker
07/13/2005 at 05:44 PM
It’s an old fake. Been around the Internet for awhile. Google “Stennis” and “C-17”. Somebody even located the originals online of the photos Photoshopped together.
Oh, and the C-130 story ISN’T a fake. Film here: http://www.hopesanddreams.com/ABCCC/images/C130Takeoff.mov
Okay, I was doubting the landing of one of those big critters on a carrier, especially without extensive modification to landing gear and support members, but I see that they had one take off from a carrier deck. Big difference. Landing on a carrier is more of a controlled crash than a wheel chirping landing on a two mile long concrete runway.
Remember that Jimmy Doolittle flew his B-25 bombers off of the Hornet to bomb Tokyo. Once airborne though they weren’t going to be able to go around and land back on the carrier. That just wasn’t happening. Had they any major failure’s they’d have had to ditch and be picked out of the drink.
So it’s fake. It’s still a cool image.
Posted by Annoying Little Twerp
07/13/2005 at 07:24 PM
JayZus, I watched that landing clip half a dozen times. Amazing!
Of course, they had cajones, Frank, they’re Naval Aviators.
I once went aboard America and went up to the aft end of the flight deck to look at the landing area. It was then I decided that they had brass ones the size of church bells.
Where’s Tanney - he would know about this.............
Posted by Dottie
07/13/2005 at 09:55 PM
I would say fake. Wouldn’t they launch into maximum headwind for such a test?
The carrier seems to be going slow. Not much bow wake. And no propeller wake behind it. What appears to be a flag is limp. There is no indication of heat from the jets.
Also the steam from the catapult is clearly outlined. In a stiff headwind I think it would already be swirling.
Even without looking at shadows I believe the plane, steam effects, and carrier were all separate photos.
I suspect a C-17 could do it. It probably can manage a very slow takeoffs and landings if not heavily loaded.
Posted by KenS
07/14/2005 at 01:29 AM
I did see the C-130 carrier film a while ago, but this C17 blast-off is obviously a PhotoShop job. What’s next, a Shuttle Launch?!?!?!?
Clever, but it’s as fake as the cargo of that Brazilian truckload of “melons”
/LC RP
AWRIGHT! You guys caught me. I found this “Official US Navy Photo” over at StrangeCosmos.com where photoshopping has been developed into an art form. I just had to see if you guys and gals were all awake out there. It made it all the way to comment #12 before somebody finally called “FOUL!”. Excellent detective work! I shall strive to make it more difficult next time.
Looks to me like it was called out with the first comment.
But that’s just me. Bilges or holy stone?
Still waiting to hear from Tanney about this - where is he??????????
Posted by Dottie
07/14/2005 at 08:53 PM
