Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25

| lduUtIlS 40 AkdAC. 4IlAS ItOOA CIA-
cages one OF the cables stretched
across the flight deck. The ends
of the cables are attached to
snubbing devices Of secret ma
| ture.
Take-offs Of all except the larg-
est planes are made from the for
ward half of the flight deck. Very
short runs are required normally,
as the carrier moves into the
wind, providing strong head winds
into which the planes rise. There
never has been case in the thou
sands of take-offs, from the Lex
| ington and Saratoga in which the
plane has not had flying speed
upon reaching the end OF the
deck.
When the four squadrons which
each carrier accommodates are re-
quired to take off at one time,
they all are brought on deck and
parked in a sort of herringbonee
pattern. The motors are warmed
up and kept running at a mini
mum of LOO revolutions per min
ute. They are not idled for rear
of fouling plugs and causing loss
of power or motor failure at the
| crucial moment of the take-on,
when one plane follows another
in rapid succession.
"Pelican Hook" Aids.
When all the squadrons are on
deck the length of runway lett at
the bow for the first planes may
be very short. If there Is not much
wind a device known as the "peli-
can hook" may be brought into
play to aid the first planes in get
ting away. This Is a device which
holds the plane until the motor
is turned up to top speed. The
| withdrawal of q pin releases the
plane and 1t shoots away like
rocket.
The Lexington and Saratoga
each carry four airplane squad
rons at the present time. Each
carrier has one fighter squadron,
one light bombardment squadron,
one torpedo squadron and one OBJ
servation or scouting squadron.
Those of the Saratoga are VB-
2B light bombardment squadron,
the squadron insignia b in
Felix" the black cat, carrying in
his paws a lighted bomb, and the
distinguishing color being the
white tail assembly Of each plane
in the squadron. The fighter
squadron is VII, the famous
"High Hats" the insignia being
a silk high hat and the color a
fiery red tail assembly. The tor
pedo squadron is VIZ, the Red
Dragon" squadron, distinguished
by the red tail assembly. The
fourth squadron is Vs. scouting
squadron, the Pointer Dogs" dis
tinguished by white tails.
The Lexington carries VB-1B,
light bombardment, known as the
"Red Rippers," the insignia OF
which is a boar's head above a
shield, across the center OF which
is a crimson flash Of lightning,
and the distinctive color of which
is q blue tail assembly; VF-3
fighter squadron, with yellow tails
and an insignia composed OF q
screaming eagle diving across a
large star; VII torpedo squad
ron, yellow tails, with the figure
of sputtering bomb equipped
with arms and legs riding on the
back of a torpedo, and VS. scout
ling squadron blue tails and an
Indian head insignia.
| Aboard the u. S. s. Langley are
VIZ fighter squadron, with green
tails and the insignia of an eagle
and chevrons, and VS-1 scouting
squadron, also with green tails and
the figure of a wobbly duck with
airplane pontoons on his feet.
Colors Tell the Tale.
By the color of the tails any
carrier plane may be classified on
sight as to squadron and the car
rier from which 1t has come. The
carriers themselves bear distinc--
tive colors. The Lexington and
Saratoga are Identical; so, to dis
tinguish them, the Saratoga has
j broad black stripe down the
/ funnel and the Lexington has a
stripe around the funnel.
But the color scheme is carried
farther in the combat squadrons.
BY a glance at the colorS a plane
carries it is possible for the in
formed observer to tell instantly
not only from what squadron the
plane comes, but from which di-
vision and which section of the
squadron, what place he flies in
formation and almost exactly the
rank of the pilot.
The plane of the squadron lead
er, in any squadron, has painted
around the fuselage a broad band
of red. The nose Of his plane Is
solid red. Number two plane OF
his section has the upper half OF
; the nose painted red. Number
three has the lower half red
!; Number three is junior man OF
the section.
Number four plane of the
squadron is leader of the second
section and his plane has broad
; white band around the .fuSelage
and a white nose. Number five
has the upper half of the nose
white, number six the lower half
Number seven has a blue band
and is leader of the third section
completing the first division. Num-
: Der eight and nine planes form his