DAY 43 - I-OW-A Big Thank You To Ted

Hi y'all and welcome to today's Blog which is also (again) brought to you from Los Angeles.

Today was technically our last full day here in the US as tomorrow we are heading back home at 2355 h. Our plan for today was pretty simple, meet up with my friend Ted at the USS Iowa Museum in San Pedro for a tour, and anything else for the rest of the day.

The drive to San Pedro from our hotel in Hawthorne was a daunting 20 minutes, with no rest stops. We arrived at the Battleship USS Iowa Museum around 0945 h-ish and Ted arrived shortly after. Whilst waiting, we gave Josh some driving time in the car, but was restricted to the Museum's carpark.

Ted is a previous volunteer with this museum and was involved in the ship's refurbishment to a state in which it could allow tourists onboard and he also undertook Docent duties as well. We really appreciated that Ted took some time out of his busy schedule to give us an insight into this great ship.

Ted and I

The giant Battleship USS Iowa makes for a pretty impressive background

The Battleship USS Iowa is essentially a ship that's sole purpose is to carry three large gun turrets, each housing three 16-inch cannons.  She is the lead ship in her Class (the Iowa-Class ships) of which there are three; Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri and Wisconsin and was launched in 1942. She served in WWII, the Korean War and the Gulf War, being decommissioned four times and recommissioned twice before finally (or should I say currently) being struck from the Navel Vessel Register in 2006 allowing her to become a Museum ship. Much of her refurbishment was undertaken in San Francisco before being towed down to San Pedro, just south of Los Angeles in 2012. Ted actually had an opportunity to be onboard for its final repositioning in San Pedro.

As I mentioned, the ship is built around three gun turrets housing three 16-inch cannons. The turrets are able to spin 300 degrees at a maximum of four degrees per second. They could also travel vertically up to 45 degrees and down to minus five degrees. The cannons are 50-feet long and could fire a projectile up to 27 miles. A single projectile weighed in at 2700 pounds which is equivalent to the weight of a jeep (plus passenger). She is taller than the Statue of Liberty and weighs in at over 57 000 tons. The turrets were each operated by a team of 79 men and weighed more than many other ships die to the 17 inch thick steel armour protection that was part of their design. In later years Tomahawk and Harpoon Missiles would be added to it's weaponry and self-protection systems such as Phalanx Guns also added.

One of USS Iowa's three turrets...massive

Kyle stands next to a 16-inch projectile

USS Iowa's battle honours

One of the many walkways throughout the ship

Joshua, Maureen and Schuyler checking out a playful Seal swimming nearby

The Bridge is also protected by 17-inch armour plating. Imagine trying to steer this ship by looking through those tiny viewing slits

One of the Phalanx Anti-Missile/Aircraft Guns can fire 3000 rounds per minute

One of the ship's Chaff Dispensers for its self-protection

We all had a great time at the USS Iowa and Ted's great commentary ensured that we had an increasing audience as we progressed on our tour. As the tile says, we owe a big thank you to Ted. Thanks mate!

Next we headed to the nearby Western Museum of Flight at Zamperini Airfield in Torrance. The Museum is very small and a little bit cluttered; but, it contains one of only two Northrop YF-23 Stealth Fighter prototypes, the sole remaining Northrop YF-17 Cobra which eventually was developed into the very successful F/A-18 Hornet and a Northrop JB-1 Flying Wing. The museum is located at the site at which the famous aircraft company Northrop started.

The Western Museum of Flight

The YF-23 was the aircraft that lost in a competition against the YF-22 for the Advanced Tactical Fighter competition. Many believe that this was the better aircraft of the two competitors.

Northrop YF-23 Gray Ghost

The YF-17 Cobra was pitted against the YF-16 in the Lightweight Fighter competition - the YF-16 won and went on to sell thousands in the USA and many overseas Nations. The US Navy became interested in the YF-17 and said that if there were some modifications made to the YF-17, they may be interested. The modifications were made and the aircraft was developed to become the F/A-18 Hornet of which Australia purchased 75 examples.

The Northrop YF-17 Cobra future development led to the F/A-18 Hornet

The JB-1is one of only three flying wings designed by Jack Northrop remaining on public display.

Northrop JB-1 'Bat' Flying Wing Glider

The Western Museum of Flight also has a Grumman F-14A Tomcat, Northrop F-5A and a North American F-86 Sabre and numerous other aircraft and artefacts.

Grumman F-14A Tomcat

Northrop F-5A

The F-5A's Cockpit

This gives some idea of the clutter of this museum

North American F-86 Sabre

Not many people get excited by things like this artefact; but I do

We then headed back to Amoeba Records near Hollywood so Schuyler could get his last vinyl-fix. Whilst there I managed to get to the roof of a nearby carpark to capture a spectacular sunset looking towards Santa Monica as well as reflecting off the buildings in downtown Los Angeles.

Amoeba Music Record Store

The view towards Santa Monica

Downtown LA

Finally we headed to Santa Monica for dinner again at Bubba Gumps as well as a rematch Basketball shooting competition in the games arcade on the Santa Monica Pier...which I'm pretty sure I won.

Funky drinks at Bubba Gump Shrimp (Prawn) Restaurant

The Basketball shooting rematch

Well that's it for this blog and again a big thank you to Ted. Today is officially our last day in the USA before we head off tonight. We are planning some last minute shopping as well as some hours of spotting at the In-N-Out Burger at LAX.

Oh and importantly, a very big Happy Birthday to Marion. Love ya Sis!