Implacables or illustrious ?

[Archibald]

To me a related mystery is why the Clemenceau and Foch only carried about half the aircraft of a SCV-27C Essex.

Quite simply, because the French Aeronavale hadn't enough money and aircrafts to fill both Foch and Clemenceau as aircraft carriers (42 Crusaders and an equal number of Etendard IV and SEM - no more than 71 were purchased.)
They were rarely operated together - they instead relayed each other during crisis (such as Lebanon in 1983). When operated at the same time, the lack of aircrafts meant one of the two was used in the helicopter carrier role, with attack and transport choppers from the French Armée de Terre - a role filled by the Arromanches before 1974, then the Jeanne d'Arc and today's Mistrals. It partially explains why the loss of PA2 in 2012 was accepted by the French Navy.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

Quite simply, because the French Aeronavale hadn't enough money and aircrafts to fill both Foch and Clemenceau as aircraft carriers (42 Crusaders and an equal number of Etendard IV and SEM - no more than 71 were purchased.)
They were rarely operated together - they instead relayed each other during crisis (such as Lebanon in 1983). When operated at the same time, the lack of aircrafts meant one of the two was used in the helicopter carrier role, with attack and transport choppers from the French Armée de Terre - a role filled by the Arromanches before 1974, then the Jeanne d'Arc and today's Mistrals. It partially explains why the loss of PA2 in 2012 was accepted by the French Navy.

Mystery solved. Thanks.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

These are the corrected air groups for Victorious as projected in October 1956

1959
12 Scimitar
12 Sea Vixen
8 Gannet ASW
4 Skyraider AEW
2 SAR helicopters

38 Total

1961-62
12 Scimitar
10 Sea Venom
8 Gannet ASW
4 Gannet AEW
2 SAR helicopters

36 Total

1963
8 SR.177
8 Buccaneer
10 Sea Vixen
8 ASW helicopters
4 Gannet AEW
2 SAR helicopters

40 Total

This is the corrected air group for Eagle in 1963 as projected in October 1956
12 SR.177
12 Buccaneer
10 Sea Vixen
8 Gannet ASW or ASW helicopters
6 Gannet AEW
2 SAR helicopters

50 total

 

[Archibald]

You are welcome. Clemenceau was deployed during Gulf War in 1991, but its air group was so obsolescent at the time, it was used instead to ferry large numbers of French Army helicopters and armored vehicles (kind of super LPHA - the great irony is that the French Navy actually loaned five Super Etendard to Irak in 1983)

From memory the SR-177 had a very short wingspan, somewhat like a F-104, so this certainly helped packing a supersonic fighter onto a 25 000 ton carrier.

 

[NOMISYRRUC]

From memory the SR-177 had a very short wingspan, somewhat like a F-104, so this certainly helped packing a supersonic fighter onto a 25 000 ton carrier.

According to Derek Wood's Project Cancelled the naval version of the SR.177 was 50ft 6in long and the wingspan with tip-mounted Firestreaks was 30ft 6in.

Therefore it's about the same length as a Sea Vixen and Buccaneer with their noses and air brakes folded.

However, AFAIK the SR.177's wings did not fold. I haven't seen any illustrations of it with its wings folded in books or on the internet. Similarly I haven't read anything about it in books or on the internet. If that is correct then the SR.177 would take up more deck and hangar space than the Sea Vixen and Buccaneer. In the latter case about 50% more.

Having said that I measured the illustration in Project Cancelled and it looks as if the minimum possible folded wingspan is 12ft 7in, which is my guesstimate of the width of the tail plane. However, the most logical point for the wings to fold would be the between the flaps and the ailerons, which according to my guesstimate would produce folded wingspan of exactly 16 feet.