Shipbucket

It did last surprisingly long in the civilian sector but by the late 1960ies even the Ghanaian Air Force was selling them off.
Remember these things used radial engines, so while they had a decent fuel economy they were badly underpowered.

_________________
“Close” only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and tactical nuclear weapons.
That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

Worklist

Source Materiel is always welcome.

History of R-56

The R-56 prototype was a reverse engineered Fi-156 (from some left behind by Germans) but the production R-56A had all metal fuselage with a reverse engineered Argus As.10 engine (TAG Λ8,an inverted "V" is the Hellenic "Λ"),modified to 270hp.The R-56B had the supercharged variant of the TAG Λ8 with 320hp and was the main production model with about 220 airframes total (1958-1970).The R-56C was the civilian variant of B and the final R-56D was developed for towing gliders among other.Last R-56D was delivered in 1996 and the production line closed after 470 airframes total.The production of the aircraft was not continuous for all 46 years,entering its peak in late 1950's to late 1960's when the B was on production.Some R-56C are conversions from R-56A,of which only one survives in an museum.The R-56B was also used for training pilots (first aircraft) from 1957-1976 by RHAF.Hellenic Armed Forces received about 140 airframes total,rest are civilian registered.Some civilian R-56 are ex-military ones,however Hellenic Army Aviation still has 60 airworthy R-56B2 (a rebuilt -B airframe with some improvements from -D during factory maintenance from SHAF).

The R-233

This is not an licensed T-33. RHAF had already about 150 airframes from USA and Canada in early 1970's,of which about 90-100 were airworthy. Since the T-6 Harvard was now the introducing training aircraft (1965-1987),the T-33 took the second and the final training stage of RHAF pilots (and also RHN pilots). All airworthy T-33 were strengthened to attain 8G (from 6.7G originally) with weight increase about 250kg, while the J33 engine was modified to 6200lbf by Aerodyne. This engine, the J330-AD-60, was already in service in AT-33 of RHAF. Some more assembled by SHAF using parts from non-airworthy airframes. All have seats modified to Martin Baker Mk4 spec (some had it already).Total 108 were modified,including airframes for the acrobatic team of RHAF (AU),the Aegean Arrows. These will be the last R-233 in service. Finally the R-233 was phased out in mid 2000's.

Variants:

R-233EK:Main Training Aircraft of RHAF (2nd/3rd training stage). Can take two training AIM-9 (SAM-12EK) under wings. Cockpit resembles that of Mirage 2000EGM.
R-233EW: Electronic Warfare aircraft (similar with Canadian ET-133)
R-233TT: Painted a bright orange,is a Target Towing aircraft.
AT-233: Attack variant for RHN Marines.
RT-233: Used for as reconnaissance training aircraft,also used for aerial photography by State Services and replaced by UAV in late 1990's. Also used for wildfire surveillance aircraft with under-fuselage indigenous FLIR sensor.
R-233AA: Aegean Arrows, followed the previous Hellenic Flame (that was real). These 9 airframes have all necessary modifications and are in service since 1980.The Aegean Arrows flied with F-86 (actually CL-13 Mk2/Mk4) from 1968 to 1980,which they inherited from the Hellenic Flame.The R-233AA retains the second seat and the Aegean Arrows offer also the experience of acrobatic flying to civilians. These were the last in service, retired in 2007.

Note:Originally the aircraft was to be designated R-332 (from T-33 Mk2,332), but RHAF changed it to R-233.

The Sikorsky H-19 in service with Hellenic Armed Forces (AU)

This helicopter had a long service with Hellenic Army Aviation and RHAF. First units were delivered in 1956 and deliveries through the US MAP program continued until 1960, with total number of helicopters about 100, with most going to HAA. In 1963-1964 HAA received each first UH-1D Iroquois, but the H-19 were still in good condition, so a decision was taken fror upgrade. Army helicopter technicians discovered that the Lycoming T-53 engine from the UH-1 could be fit in a modified nose. The conversion was made in 1964, using a stregthened gearbox and tested with success. For the conversion the 960hp T53-L-5 engine was used and total 80 were converted until 1969, desingated H-19H. RHAF replaced the H-19 in 1971 with the AB-205, so all converted H-19H were used from HAA. In 1971 however HCG received several airframes for SAR and also Navy used 12 total from the Agamemnon Class helicopter Cruisers until mid 1970's. Finally HAA received every H-19 airframe available and last were withdrawned from service in early 1994. In Hellenic Air Force Museum (AU) several are displayed, to represent the whole history of this helicopter in service with Hellenic Armed Forces. Some airframes were donated also to other museums in Europe and USA, because of its rarity.

DDG Kimon Class revisited

After I saw the excellent Brisbane Class by LEUT_East,a thought came to my mind to use it in RHN AU.As I told him,Kimon use Hellenic Kingdom own gas turbines (they were the first large ships of RHN powered by gas turbines) and the indigenous SAM Sea Falcon.But that first modified design had a flaw : no director for the Mk42 gun. So I did one more version with Mk25 SAM and the GMLS Mk13 rear (like CF Adams) which eliminated the SSM Adis I (which I also redesigned and I will rewrite its development and specs).

-In the first design is there any chance to put director for the Mk42? Preferred is the WM series,but I will put any possible suggestion.
-Second design also has anti-ship capabilities,because in my scenario HLK purchased the RGM-66 project in 1975 and develop it further.This design has also WM-28 both for Sea Sparrow and the Mk42.

Note : The Sea Falcon was available from 1973,so it was first fitted in D-219 Nearhos.D-218 commissioned in 1972,D-219 Nearhos in 1974,rest two followed in 1975 and 1976.

I have doubts about if this hull/funnel setup works with gas turbines. it really looks like an steam powered ship to me......

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

LEUT_East Brisbane had diesels.My gas turbine is a variant of SNECMA Atar and also used later in RHN cruisers-Miltiades,Lysandros and Euryviades (MT12-AD-210,21800hp).Aerodyne had already converted the J110 for marine use some years later for use it in missile boats.

gas turbines need more intakes and larger and shorter uptakes then diesels. gas turbines are also almost never combined with macks. compare an spruance with an charles F adams or a belknap and you will see what effect gas turbines have.
diesels have even smaller uptakes then steam ships, and are laid out completely different.

_________________
Drawings are credited with J.Scholtens
I ask of you to prove me wrong. Not say I am wrong, but prove it, because then I will have learned something new.
Shipbucket Wiki admin

Taking aside issues pointed by Acelanceloet (he knows much more about that than I'll ever will, so I'm not going to argue), it looks interesting.

As for the director for Mk42 on the first one (I assume You mean SPG-53) - maybe think about moving one SPG-51's to the aft superstructure and in that place over the bridge put director? (I saw one or two ships that had SPG-51's so divided)

Ok,I can converted it to steam.But can a 600psi steam turbine set about 70000-75000 hp fit to this hull?

What about the weapons/directors type/arrangement?

This variant has Sea Sparrow with Mk25 launcher and modified funnels in Lutjens style.



Note 1: These destroyers did not received ESSM like other vessels, but the indigenous OMI-73C missile (a RIM-7E with -M electronics/engine and the -D with new thrust vector rocket Aerodyne R-35,latter is the Hellenic equivalent of the ESSM).
Note 2: If I use the session below ship, the rear lower SPG-51 will be eliminated.Proceed with that mod or not?
Note 3: Where can I place an EO/IR?

What about this? It is a Coontz based DDG with ASROC in the middle,helicopter hangar as DDG Brisbane and GMLS Mk13.Propulsion is four 600psi boilers with two steam turbines 40.000hp each.Again the Kimon Class did not received ESSM,since these old destroyers will be decommisioned in 2014-2015.

The history behind this design is the 1964 Requirement of Ministry of Defense and Foreign Affairs for a AAW destroyer with Standard missiles for Aegean Sea and East Meditteranean,to supplement the Elli Class CLG.The new DDG would also have helicopter pad and hangar.Total 4 built from 1970 to 1977 and were the first ships of RHN with Mk29 Sea Sparrow missiles.In late 1980's to early 1990's all ships received NTU upgrade.


http://s11.postimg.org/xhuyprb03/DDG_Kimon_Coontz.png