(perhaps) the smallest "aircraft carrier" in the world

[Shangri-La]

The Baylander (IX-514)

It's an interesting story!
The USS Baylander is not a purpose-built "mini-carrier", it is a YFU-79 port service ship. With an unloaded displacement of about 155 tons and a full load displacement of about 380 tons, this class of general-purpose ships was sent to the Vietnam War Zone due to the needs of the Vietnam War, and they could carry a lot of cargo to help large cargo ships transport goods to shore.
An opportunity for change
Due to the need for helicopters, some helicopters began to take off and land on aircraft carriers. But the military still needs training ships to train helicopter pilots.
So the military converted a port service ship of this type into an "aircraft carrier" capable of taking off and landing helicopters. They shrunk the bridge and installed a landing deck, as well as safety nets. According to the military's request, the Baylander will not be equipped with a hangar, and only one helicopter can be accommodated on the deck. It was also not loaded with self-defense weapons and armor, as it was just a training ship.

After the transformation, it began its military career.In 2011, it was decommissioned, and over the past 40 years, it has witnessed so much that it is not willing to leave. Perhaps it was precisely because of the nostalgia for this blue sea that the relevant units did not tear it down after it was decommissioned, but sold it to private owners.
the End

Today, it is used as a restaurant on the sea, quietly parked in the harbor, telling visitors about its unique and legendary history.

This is the story of the Baylander.Thank you for watching!

 

[isayyo2]

Nice to see she wasn't scrapped

 

[Shangri-La]

By the way,guys.The Baylander is Located in the West Harlem Piers,New York city.
If you are interested and live close, you can go to see this "aircraft carrier" up close. Of course, the deck is already full of tables and chairs.
(This is not advertising)

 

[rooster]

The Baylander (IX-514)

It's an interesting story!
The USS Baylander is not a purpose-built "mini-carrier", it is a YFU-79 port service ship. With an unloaded displacement of about 155 tons and a full load displacement of about 380 tons, this class of general-purpose ships was sent to the Vietnam War Zone due to the needs of the Vietnam War, and they could carry a lot of cargo to help large cargo ships transport goods to shore.
An opportunity for change
Due to the need for helicopters, some helicopters began to take off and land on aircraft carriers. But the military still needs training ships to train helicopter pilots.
So the military converted a port service ship of this type into an "aircraft carrier" capable of taking off and landing helicopters. They shrunk the bridge and installed a landing deck, as well as safety nets. According to the military's request, the Baylander will not be equipped with a hangar, and only one helicopter can be accommodated on the deck. It was also not loaded with self-defense weapons and armor, as it was just a training ship.

View attachment 692064

View attachment 692066

View attachment 692063
After the transformation, it began its military career.In 2011, it was decommissioned, and over the past 40 years, it has witnessed so much that it is not willing to leave. Perhaps it was precisely because of the nostalgia for this blue sea that the relevant units did not tear it down after it was decommissioned, but sold it to private owners.
the End

Today, it is used as a restaurant on the sea, quietly parked in the harbor, telling visitors about its unique and legendary history.

View attachment 692065

This is the story of the Baylander.Thank you for watching!

Looks to be more capable than the LCS.

 

[Shangri-La]

The Baylander (IX-514)

It's an interesting story!
The USS Baylander is not a purpose-built "mini-carrier", it is a YFU-79 port service ship. With an unloaded displacement of about 155 tons and a full load displacement of about 380 tons, this class of general-purpose ships was sent to the Vietnam War Zone due to the needs of the Vietnam War, and they could carry a lot of cargo to help large cargo ships transport goods to shore.
An opportunity for change
Due to the need for helicopters, some helicopters began to take off and land on aircraft carriers. But the military still needs training ships to train helicopter pilots.
So the military converted a port service ship of this type into an "aircraft carrier" capable of taking off and landing helicopters. They shrunk the bridge and installed a landing deck, as well as safety nets. According to the military's request, the Baylander will not be equipped with a hangar, and only one helicopter can be accommodated on the deck. It was also not loaded with self-defense weapons and armor, as it was just a training ship.

View attachment 692064

View attachment 692066

View attachment 692063
After the transformation, it began its military career.In 2011, it was decommissioned, and over the past 40 years, it has witnessed so much that it is not willing to leave. Perhaps it was precisely because of the nostalgia for this blue sea that the relevant units did not tear it down after it was decommissioned, but sold it to private owners.
the End

Today, it is used as a restaurant on the sea, quietly parked in the harbor, telling visitors about its unique and legendary history.

View attachment 692065

This is the story of the Baylander.Thank you for watching!

Looks to be more capable than the LCS.

Hi,my friend!
If you add my subjective thoughts, I think it would be nice to have 1-2 hangars if it was a little bigger. If it were a little more "crazy", I would transform it into a service ship capable of repairing and servicing VTOL aircraft. That is, if it can provide support for the required VTOL in the theater of operations, the preparation time of the VTOL can be shortened (of course, this requires many such small aircraft carriers). Note that the premise of guaranteeing VTOL is that our side already has absolute air and sea supremacy, otherwise this little thing is just a "toy". Therefore, it is my personal view that such small aircraft carriers or "helicopters or VTOL service ships" can only play their practical value in specific environments.
To be honest, I also had the idea of converting some slightly larger civilian ships into "mini-carriers". But since I learned about Baylander 's story 3 years ago, I gave up on that idea. Although it sounds like the "mini-carrier" project is cool, the truth is that it does not have much practical value for combat. But the biggest benefit is that it can be used to train pilots to land on ships.

 

[publiusr]

I bet Sully wished that thing had been close by and in service at his Hudson “runway.”
It would have been perfect.

 

[Avimimus]

Regarding the 'perhaps'... in the present day, yes. Historically the WWI Admiralty Seaplane lighters (including some carrying non-float equipped Sopwith Camels) probably have the record beat:

 

[Hydroman]

Flying Boat!

 

[ynm]

Yes, definitely worth it, a small aircraft carrier but it shows the potential opportunity can be much bigger. Of course what important is not the size of the ship but the human factor who can navigate it safely in hard conditions

 

[publiusr]

I see all this leading to an up-river drone carrier. Server, masts, recharger, etc.

 

[riggerrob]

Regarding the 'perhaps'... in the present day, yes. Historically the WWI Admiralty Seaplane lighters (including some carrying non-float equipped Sopwith Camels) probably have the record beat:

During World War 1 the Royal Navy also experimented with towing matts alongside seaplane tenders. The seaplane or floatplane water-taxied onto the matt which helped stabilize the plane while they attached a crane cable to hoist it onboard.

 

[Stovepipe]

Dont forget the LSTs with the Brodie(?) gear for launching and recovering Piper Cubs.

 

[GTX]

Regarding the 'perhaps'... in the present day, yes. Historically the WWI Admiralty Seaplane lighters (including some carrying non-float equipped Sopwith Camels) probably have the record beat:

Some artwork with a Camel:

Also some more photos:

See here for more:

58ft Towing Lighters – BU Maritime Archaeology

 

[jstar]

And, of course, during Vietnam:

 

[dan_inbox]

LCM-6 Tango ATC(H) (Armored Troop Carrier Helicopter) R-92-1 of Mobile Riverine Force.

 

[F.L.]

In the same vein, the Ouragan-class landing platform dock had a false "aircraft-carrier" look with its angled markings on the central deck.

 

[F.L.]

 

[publiusr]

Must have one heck of a catapult
[SLAP]

Dean? Wah! Nice lady!

 

[Hydroman]

Finally declassified! VTOL F-14E! F-14E++ has the new and still being tested anti-gravity engines.

 

[publiusr]

Oh how I wish that were true

 

[dan_inbox]

View attachment 706491

Wasn't this photo used to poke fun at the next CVN, uss Bill Clinton ?

 

[Hydroman]

Wasn't this photo used to poke fun at the next CVN, uss Bill Clinton ?

Or USS Blue Dress, sorry tried to skirt the issue.