Historical PHOTO - 1972: Don Garlits' Swamp Rat 16 Dragster on the Flight Deck of the USS Lexington

NavSource Online ^ | 1971 | Contibuted by John C. Driskill

[DogByte6RER]

From NavSource Online, John C. Driskill -

"In 1972, I was stationed on the Lexington (CVT-16) as a PH3. President Richard Nixon asked Don Garlits to do a "Fly Navy Promo" with his car the Swamp Rat 16. We photographers mates were allowed to photograph the scene while assisting the photographers from "Hot Rod" Magazine. We had to swear we would not sell the photographs we took to any other magazines. This is my shot of the Swamp Rat 16 on the flight deck of the Lexington," [ready to race an A-7E Corsair II of VA-81 "Sunliners."]

William Carter Fields adds: "The Catapult Officer is LCDR Mckinney, Flight deck Photographer (back to camera) is PH2 John Signaigo, Phone Talker is AN Parrish. I was Flight Deck Control Phone talker when the photo shoot was done."

[Carriage Hill]

Jag driver returns from the dead:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lkh0uWFg9c

[cripplecreek]

People were apparently upset when black stig “died” and white stig was born.

[cripplecreek]

And who can forget Big Rig Stig?

[Carriage Hill]

Nice rig.

I don’t even want to know where his right arm’s been. Did he just deliver a calf or foal?

[cripplecreek]

He’s got the standard (For Britain) tan right arm. Here in the states its a tan left arm.

[rlmorel]

Hahahahaha...the dragster will beat the old SLUF off of the flight deck...:)

Nowadays, you would have some liberal harpy complaining about a misuse of governmental and military resources for the photo op...

Screw all of them.

[Cyber Liberty]

FR’s the greatest site on the web! Someone mentions something really cool like shooting a car off a carrier with a catapult, and someone else finds an actual picture of it!

[Chode]

100%

[GreenLanternCorps]

They also launched a piano...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5cD_oTV2wI

[tanknetter]

all I hear is bad stuff about the F-35 and F-22 programs.

Both are young, bleeding-edge programs. Teething problems are to be expected. The F-111, B-1B, F-14 and other aircraft had their issues too, but matured into world-beating aircraft in their respective categories. The V-22 is another one that looks like it's turning out pretty well.

One of the big problems with the F-35 is marketing. It's presumed to be a "fighter" because of the "F" designation. In reality it's a light attack aircraft in the same class (roughly) as the A-7 Corsair II. Just one that's also stealthy, supersonic and having really good first-see/first-shot/first-kill air-to-air capability.

[Carriage Hill]

I hope they survive and prosper over the decades. I’m a big fan of the B-1B and SR-71 Blackbird, and think they were two of the slickest units ever built.

[GeronL]

I saw the Military History channel show a proposed B-1R “missile truck” idea.

Very cool and weird.

[Carriage Hill]

Sounds like something I’d like to see a prototype of.

Military Channel (112) is “Digital Preferred” here on York’s CommieCast; I only have “Digital Starter”, which has a nice selection, but the MC would be nice.

[MinuteGal]

Don "Big Daddy" Garlits was born in Tampa, Florida. He is 81 years old now and, along with his wife, Pat, owns and operates The Don Garlits Racing Museum in Ocala, Florida.

In 1994 he was the Republican nominee for Congress in Florida's 5th Congressional District. A conservative, he was defeated by the Dem candidate, Karen Thurman.

In the estimation of many, his colorful and controversial "down-home" tongue did him in. He supported Ron Paul for president in 2008.

Leni

[MinuteGal]

For a brief nostalgic moment with two Brit classic comedians, there's a bit by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore (both now deceased) at # 29.

Leni

[rolling_stone]

ah yes and don’t forget don “the snake” prudhomme...

[GeronL]

I think most Military History Channel programs are stuff the History Channel ran in the past, but its the best stuff IMO.

[Carriage Hill]

Closest I can get are some YT vids:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=military+channel&oq=military+channel&gs_l=youtube.3..0l10.1670.4885.0.5372.16.9.0.6.6.0.130.531.4j2.6.0...0.0...1ac.1.11.youtube.0QJl7y65FMg

[GeronL]

Some others who thought the B1-R would be worth trying

http://www.strategypage.com/militaryforums/6-57728-page5.aspx#startofcomments

http://www.sciforums.com/B-1R-Lancer-t-107928.html

(video clip) http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-no-b-1r-experiment.html

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?107277-B-1-Bomber-with-AAMs-%28Missile-Mothership%29-Rand-concept/page4

[lowbridge]

Wasn’t this the scene when the Eisenhower was turned around to respond to the Crisis in Lebanon?

No. Its the Christening of the USS Ted Kennedy