Getting around USS Lexington is not something you should try if you are even vaguely unhappy with the idea of ladders or very steep staircases. I think it’s pretty fair to say that the ship is not wheelchair accessible since there’s a whole lot of climbing involved!
Getting from the hangar deck, where the main visitor entrance is, to the pilot house in the island involves at least 5 flights of these almost-vertical stairs and, for me at least, also involves at least 2 bashings of the head on some low metal beam or other.
Oddly enough, in a refit in the early 1950s, an escalator was added to allow access from the flight deck to the hangar. Oddly enough, though, it was for downward traffic. Perhaps tired air crews were more likely to have accidents on the stairs than fresh ones heading up to work?
Great capture, Jim. Having seen the interior or several WWII era aircraft and this pilot house, it fascinates me that men engaged in war in such primitive seeming craft. This image has a real “steam punkish” feel to it.
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Whoa! Love this shot Dave, and your processing is just perfect! I agree with Wayne, my first thought was ” Very steampunk!” Killer image.
Thanks, folks!
Wayne, I felt the same way! I couldn’t believe that such a huge ship could be controlled from such a small room containing so many really basic-looking controls.
The ship could also have been operated from aft steering in the engineering space in case the bridge was blown up. I stood watch on that same bridge driving the ship
very nice HDR, thanks.
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