Shipbucket

Done!

This image is jpegd.

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Fryssian AU with Lt.Maverick 114
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9802&p=193331#p193331

Embarked on: HNLMS Karel Doorman A833
To do list:
-Zeven Provincien class cruiser
-Joint support ship all sides
-F124 Sachsen class frigate
-F125 Baden-Württemberg class frigate
-Clemencau class aircraft carrier
-Zeven provincien class frigate
-Poolster class AOR
-Amsterdam class AOR
-Minas Gerais aircraft carrier

Hafner-Shorts PD.8 Rapier Mk.1, No. 525 Squadron, Normandy, July 1944

Austrian engineer Raoul Hafner during the 1930s had devised a new design for the helicopter. Hafner hoped to counteract rotor torque by the shape of the fuselage itself using a thin fuselage which incorporated a subtle twist in its structure to deflect the downwash slightly to achieve the counteracting force. The front portion of the fuselage had an asymmetric aerofoil profile in one direction while the rear fuselage had it in the opposite direction. At the bottom of each section of the fuselage were two flaps, on opposite sides of the fuselage, to provide the necessary control of rotation around the central axis.
The Air Ministry ordered a prototype of the single-seat PD.6 helicopter (allocated serial number T3005) covered by Specification 10/39 written specifically for the PD6 helicopter, specifying a top speed of 130 mph, an endurance of 2 hours and ability to hover for at least 15 minutes. The prototype was to be built by Pobjoy Airmotors which had become part of Short Brothers. Due to the events of spring 1940, the Ministry of Aircraft Production halted all work on non-essential aircraft development that summer and indeed Hafner himself had been briefly interned as an ‘enemy alien’ under Defence Regulation 18B.
Hafner had already sketched a larger development, the PD.7 with two-seats, one of which was for a gunner who could aim a machine-gun to either side of the fuselage.

With the war situation improving the PD.6, T3005, was completed in September 1941 and followed by two prototypes of the PD.7, BA945 and BA949, during late 1942. Extensive trials revealed a number of problems with stability but Hafner preserved and Army Cooperation Command became very interested in the ‘gunship’ PD.6 for infantry support. Hafner revised the PD.7 as the PD.8 with a de Havilland Gipsy Queen engine, the machine gun replaced by a 20mm Oerlikon cannon (with six spare magazines) and eight 2in rocket projectiles carried on racks beneath the fuselage and on two stub wings which were designed to improve stability. The retractable undercarriage of the PD.7 was made fixed to save weight and the cockpit gained a canopy with bulletproof glass. Hafner added an early version of NOTAR, the engine exhaust was combined with an engine-driven impeller to force pressurised air from a ventral exhaust nozzle under the rear fuselage to bolster torque neutralisation of the fuselage itself.

The prototype LA438 first flew on 23 July 1943 and Shorts soon began production of 100 Rapier Mk.I helicopters. The type’s more common nicknames were “The flying tin opener” and “Panzer Opener”. No. 525 and No. 526 Squadrons were formed and No. 525 was deployed to the Forward Landing Grounds in Normandy in early July 1944 where the PD.8 earned a reputation as a beast to fly due to its tricky handling and marginal stability and control, but the troops loved its fire support and German Panzer crews would often bail out or hide on seeing the Rapiers approaching. No. 526 Squadron did not reach NW Europe until late September with 10 helicopters and was withdrawn in December. No. 525 Squadron followed XXX Corps during its advance into Northern Germany, at the end of war claiming 178 tanks destroyed, 345 other vehicles, 3 locomotives and 2 aircraft. The last Rapiers were grounded and scrapped during 1946-47.

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (pilot, gunner)
Length: 19.46 m (overall including pitot)
Rotor diameter: 14.43 m
Height: 4.88 m (flying attitude)
Powerplant: 1x 200 hp de Havilland Gipsy Queen III 6-cylinder inverted inline piston engine
Propeller: wooden 3-bladed rotor

Performance

Maximum speed: 96 mph at sea level
Combat range: 130 miles
Service ceiling: 7,850 ft

Armament
1 x 20mm/70 Oerlikon Mk II cannon with 420 rpg
8x 2in Rocket Projectiles with 25lb AP or SAP warheads or 8x 20lb light bombs

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Excellent historical research. This deserves a high rating.

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"I have thousand advisers who know how build a pyramid, but have not one who can tell me whether to build it or not." - John Kennedy.

Sometimes DA lowers the resolution of pics. It should work now.

Hi all!

Znamenany Eitiliocht H9Z-1 Snathaid / Airbus Helicopters EC-690 Libellule

In 2015, there were two kinds of western attack helicopters: Crappy ones, and the Apache. Mangusta, Rooivalk and AH-1 were at the end of their growth potential, and Tiger was a non-flyable farce. Boeing, therefore, had secured a virtual monopoly on the western attack helicopter market. The Thiarian army flew the Rooivalk since 2001 and quite liked it, but was acutely aware of its shortcomings. The electronics, sensors and avionics suite in particular dated back to the 1980s, making it equal to an early AH-64A, which seemed anachronistic in the 21st century. Those issues could be fixed, but only at a cost the airframe was not worth. The German army flew – or rather, didn’t fly, because they were grounded all the time – the Tiger since 1998 and hated it, because there was no realistic way its cascading reliability and serviceability issues could be fixed at all. For the Thiarians, a replacement would be nice to have; for the Germans, it was indispensible. This revelation marked the birth of the H9Z Snathaid attack helicopter project. The Thiarian and German aero industry already had a history of working together; in most cases, Thiarian companies had cheaply bought expensive German projects which had been abandoned on grounds of cost, developed them to series maturity at little additional expense, and sold them, in some cases back to Germany, for truckloads of money. The pattern was: Germany invested, Thiaria reaped the profits. To Thiaria’s largest fully private aviation company, the helicopter manufacturer Znamenany Eitiliocht, this scheme was obviously attractive for a scratch design as well; the demi-national SCI had successfully operated that way with the Asarlai fighter (of which Thiaria would purchase 250 and Germany only 120, but pay 55% of development expenses), after all. Their lobbyists made Thiaria’s defence ministry contact Airbus Helicopters late in 2015 and ask for a viable Rooivalk replacement, which surely must be under development due to Tiger’s complete and utter failure. The answer was enthusiastic; they were indeed working on something they didn’t quite know how it would look yet, but would be able to mop the ground with a SHIELD quinjet, and were confident to present a prototype in 2030, with series production to commence in 2040, if the Germans kept paying the bills. Very content with this reply, Znamenany contacted the German government a few weeks later and offered them a world-beating combat helicopter, series deliveries to commence in ten years, guaranteed. All they need to do was fund € 5bn development cost and guarantee to buy – or sell to third parties – at least 200 of them. Thiaria would take a hundred. Less than 300 would render the project economically non-viable. Take it or leave it. Five years before, such an offer would have been haughtily rebuffed, but with ISIS on the ascendancy, Libya at war with itself and Russia having just invaded the Crimea – never mind every major domestic arms project of the last ten years a major clusterf*** – the Germans had realized two things: They could not afford to keep their armed forces at their current minimum strength, and their domestic arms industry needed way too long to deliver solutions. Co-operation with Thiaria had worked out well in the past; the Znamenany H3Z Foiche heavy transport helicopter delivered sterling service to the Luftwaffe since 2009, and the SCI T8S Asarlai 5th generation fighter project was proceeding in time and in budget. These Thiarians, very much unlike the Germans themselves, seemed to know what they were doing. So, in a move whose decisiveness surprised themselves more than anyone else, the Germans accepted Znamenany’s offer. The first € 2bn were included in the German 2016 budget; Thiaria’s budget for that year mirrored the commitment. At that point, Airbus sounded red alert. With their annoying way of making such projects work, the Thiarians threatened to push Airbus out of the gunship market for good, and in 2017, Airbus offered to enter the project and cover another € 2bn development expenses, backed by letters of intent from the French and Spanish armies to purchase a total of 200 attack helicopters as soon as the Tiger reached the end of its 25-year lifetime in 2023. Znamenany at that point had already secured two potential export customers of its own; the Mexican air force was interested in 40 machines mainly for anti-gang operations (subsidized by Thiaria to an extent of 50%), and South Africa placed an option on 32 units to replace its Rooivalks after 2025. In 2018, Znamenany tried to team up with an US aviation manufacturer to enter the US Army’s FARA competition, but failed to find one whose interest went beyond looting Znamenany’s trade secrets, and withdrew two years later. By that time, the program had progressed on schedule to produce a first prototype, which was rolled out in April 2020. Znamenany had chosen a high-risk approach by adopting contra-rotating four-blade rotors, combined with an Y-tail with control surfaces and wing stubs forward. The helicopter was designed to attain the kind of speed demanded by FARA specifications, considerably exceeding the requirements of Znamenany’s Thiarian and European customers. With two Safran Aneto 1K engines (2.500 shp each), the machine was hilariously overpowered for its weight; design speed was a whopping 350 kph. The high-powered engines allowed the H9Z to cruise at a very efficient power setting, resulting in a radius of action of 500km with internal weapons only at a maximum cruise speed of 295 kph. Ferry range with additional internal bubble tanks was 1.500 kilometers; with external drop tanks, over 2.000 kilometers could be attained. The two-nan cockpit section bore distinct resemblance to Bell’s contemporary Invictus; there are only so many ways to design an attack helicopter cockpit, after all. The running gear was fully retractable, with the stern wheel stowed in a capsule under the vertical stabilizer. A stealthy hull shape was adopted, and the traversing Nexter 30M-781 cannon mount as well as two 500kg hard points were mounted fully retractable. Another two wet 500kg hard points were provided under the wings – impairing both stealth and speed if used, however – and the wingtips were strengthened for a payload of 100kg each. The first prototype commenced flight testing in February, 2021, and was joined by a second one in October that year. The type was named Snathaid (Dragonfly) immediately after its first flight; the other employers translate the name into their own languages. According to Znamenany’s head designer, both prototypes were already close to planned series standard.


The test program will involve four prototypes, plus two for static crush tests, and is scheduled to last till mid-2023. Barring major problems, series production will be set up from early 2024, and the first production helicopters can be delivered to customers from mid-2026. The Thiarian Army and the Germans will arm their Snathaids (called Libelle in German) with TRIGAT anti-tank missiles (normally eight, up to sixteen maximum); the stealthy wingtip pods will contain Mistral missiles in Thiarian service and an unspecified system in Germany. Germany will also introduce the Polyphem II missile, which exchanges the Polyphem I’s wire guidance with a mix of GPS and passive radar, has a 25-minute loiter capability and can double as a surveillance drone.


Most other operators have not yet disclosed which armament their Snathaids will carry; Mexico however has already ordered Mistral AAMs and Brimstone multipurpose missiles and is currently updating part of its inventory of 70mm Zuni rockets with GPS guidance. They call the type Zayolatl, which is Nahuatl for Dragonfly. Their machines differ from the Thiarian and European version by their prominent sand filters in front of the engine intakes, sacrificing stealthiness for hot-weather reliability.


According to current plans, Thiaria and Mexico will receive the first batch of series machines from 2026, all built in Thiaria; the second batch (delivery from 2029) will be divided between Thiaria and South Africa. France, Spain and Germany will receive Thiarian-built airframe kits without engines, weapons and avionics for local assembly; deliveries will start in 2027. Total orders include 104 helicopters for Thiaria, 120 for Germany, 140 for France, 60 for Spain, 40 for Mexico and 32 for South Africa, totaling 496. The type is currently under review by another six nations: Argentina, Canada, Peru, Poland, South Korea and Sweden.

Greetings
GD

WestGroup WH-44, Westlandian attack helicopter (1990)


The Knightley Aerospace Division of WestGroup plc presents the WestGroup WH-44 attack helicopter! Having entered service in 1990 after a lengthy development process, the WH-44 has become something of an icon of the Westlandian armed forces. Powered by two Burgess TS.170 turboshaft engines producing 1700 hp each, this helicopter has a maximum takeoff weight of nearly 10 tonnes and can carry up to 38 rockets and 8 air-to-ground or air-to-air missiles under its wings. The WH-44 has a remote-control gun turret with built-in sensor package and two 30 mm machine guns. From the C-model of 2002 onwards, it features improved avionics and sensors and has been fitted with ejection seats for both crew members, being the first Westlandian helicopter so equipped.

The WH-44 is primarily flown by the Westlandian Air Force on missions to support the army, though they operate from navy ships as well when the situation calls for it. Affectionately named 'Whop-Whop' by the crews, the WH-44 is generally well-liked by them, though it requires a lot of maintenance to stay airworthy and has not been very successful on the export market. It is however a sturdy and safe helicopter, and to date there have been no fatal accidents involving WH-44s (not counting the people being shot at by them).

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I am colourblind, so please let me know if my colours are off.

Wonderful. But the meaning of the tail wheel retracting is unclear. Is this for a complication of the design only?

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"I have thousand advisers who know how build a pyramid, but have not one who can tell me whether to build it or not." - John Kennedy.

The Inverie H20 Tuhoe is the most capable helicopter in New Holland's inventory. It was the first dedicated attack helicopter adopted by the New Holland Army and over 120 are in service as of January 1989.

Tuhoe's origins can be traced to a dispute with the Royal New Holland Air Force in the 1970s. In the preceding decade, Air Force strategy focused on the front line. Fighters and attack aircraft were committed to the battle area while interceptors protected the friendly rear and interdictors struck the enemy rear. In 1969 the Advanced Strike Interceptor programme was initiated. This aimed to create a large, highly capable swing-wing fighter. It was hoped the aircraft could peel back the airspace contested by the enemy and shift operations away from the front line towards the enemy rear. The Air Force always intended to retain attack aircraft in the vicinity of friendly ground troops, but the New Holland Army was not so sure. They feared the close air support mission would be neglected and opposed the Air Force's plans on two fronts. First, their friends in parliament attacked the Advanced Strike Interceptor as an expensive boondoggle. Second, the Army staff pushed for an attack helicopter that could provide close air support under Army direction.

The Battlefield Support Helicopter programme commenced in 1974 attracting interest from Inverie and the Bell Helicopter, which had previously worked with the Dominion Aerospace Corporation to produce helicopters in New Holland under licence. Inverie started work on the Tuhoe that year while Bell and DAC brought a model of Cobra equivalent to the AH-1S to the table. Prototypes were evaluated in 1978 and the Inverie design was chosen for further development. While the Cobra had proved itself with American forces in Vietnam, it was fundamentally an older design and Inverie's helicopter incorporated more domestic systems. Limited production of the Inverie design commenced in 1982, which it acquired the designation H20A1 Tuhoe.



Fairly conventional in layout and appearance, the H20A1 had two Hargrave H140 turboshaft engines driving a four-bladed main rotor and tail rotor. Armament consisted of a single 20x110 mm revolver cannon mounted under the nose and four pylons fixed to the aircraft's stub wings. In New Holland service, Hawkswing missiles and CRV7 rocket pods were commonly carried. A sensor suite with a day sight, night sight, laser designator, and laser rangefinder were mounted in a ball immediately above and aft of the cockpit. This position allowed the crew to observe targets while most of the helicopter was concealed behind terrain without the additional complexity of a mast-mounted sight. The crew itslef consisted of a pilot and a gunner, with the former occupying the rear seat. A variant of the H20A1 capable of firing the TOW missile system was exported to South Vietnam as the H20V1. Another, largely identical to the original New Holland model, was also sold to Singapore as the H20S1.



While the Tuhoe had outclassed the Cobra in testing, it was not perfect. A number of changes were made and the H20A2 model was classified in 1987. The armament was changed considerably. First, the original cannon was replaced with a dual-feed 25x137 mm design, reflecting a shift in the rest of the Army inventory from the old 20 mm cartridge to the more powerful 25 mm round. Second, the Hawkswing missile has been displaced by the laser-guided Hellfire. Thought not particularly old, the New Holland Army experienced numerous problems with Hawkswing. Third, new wingtip rails were added for the carriage of two MANPADS-class air-to-air missiles. This enabled the Tuhoe to engage other helicopters on the battlefield. Another change was the replacement of the old sensor ball with a mast-mounted sight. While more complex and expensive, it provides a better field of view and reduces night sight interference caused by cockpit lights. A new defensive suite, including an infrared jammer and a radar warning system, was also introduced complementing the existing flare dispensers. The New Holland Army has no plans to replace the old H20A1 models at this time, but all new Tuhoe helicopters are examples of the H20A2.

Mero-Curgovina, M/81 Mosjauht




(writeup largely included in images, may add additional writeup in time for missing details)