phongn wrote:
Well, the UK wanted it too so they could ensure their Vulcans wouldn't get slaughtered on the way in ...
Well the UK also couldn't afford ICBM's nor would they be survivable, three minutes warning against a Soviet attack and all that. While also ture of bomber bases at least a few could stay in the air in a crisis. Knowing how much each Skybolt would have cost would be helpful.
Probably. With a VT round as well, I presume?
Maybe, it depends on if I go for 1940's as opposed in 1930's tech. Heck in the 20's and 30's some advocates of air power really through we'd see nothing but bombers fighting it out in the skies.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Then we have the XF2Y-1 Sea Dart, the worlds only hydroski jet fighter comes to mind as an at least equally screwy airplane.
actually I quite liked the Sea Dart... the mod that used a single ski in fact worked so well that it exceeded the original seakeeping specs by a substantial margin -- and provided for a smoother ride on the water. about the only things wrong with it were that it was underpowered (woefully so, but not a fault of the design, rather the lack of availability of the intended engine), and didnt follow area ruling (was designed & built before the technique for reducing trans/supersonic drag became more than a lab curiosity.)
in fact, I would go so far as to say that the Sea Dart's approach might make for an interesting amphibian homebuilt -- it would allow considerable freedom from the high drag boat-style fuselage... not to mention floats.
Sea Skimmer wrote:Well the UK also couldn't afford ICBM's nor would they be survivable, three minutes warning against a Soviet attack and all that. While also ture of bomber bases at least a few could stay in the air in a crisis. Knowing how much each Skybolt would have cost would be helpful.
It shouldn't have been that expensive? It was essentially the upper stage of the Minuteman. And yes, I know of the UK's vulnerability, which always made me wonder why they bothered with the IRBM force.
phongn wrote:
It shouldn't have been that expensive? It was essentially the upper stage of the Minuteman. And yes, I know of the UK's vulnerability, which always made me wonder why they bothered with the IRBM force.
It my only be the upper stange of the Minuteman but that does include all of the really expensive stuff, such as the guidance system. I suppose it prbouabbly would have been cheaper then building an ICBM silo which is evidently the most expensive part of the system.
As for the iRBM's, Soviets didn't have all that many medium range missiles at the time either, plus I think it was just another trip wire, and one that would have to be struck with nukes.
actually I quite liked the Sea Dart... the mod that used a single ski in fact worked so well that it exceeded the original seakeeping specs by a substantial margin -- and provided for a smoother ride on the water. about the only things wrong with it were that it was underpowered (woefully so, but not a fault of the design, rather the lack of availability of the intended engine), and didnt follow area ruling (was designed & built before the technique for reducing trans/supersonic drag became more than a lab curiosity.)
The biggest problem is warload; it was armed with a single 20mm cannon and probably couldn't have taken missiles.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Shaka[Zulu] wrote:
actually I quite liked the Sea Dart... the mod that used a single ski in fact worked so well that it exceeded the original seakeeping specs by a substantial margin -- and provided for a smoother ride on the water. about the only things wrong with it were that it was underpowered (woefully so, but not a fault of the design, rather the lack of availability of the intended engine), and didnt follow area ruling (was designed & built before the technique for reducing trans/supersonic drag became more than a lab curiosity.)
The biggest problem is warload; it was armed with a single 20mm cannon and probably couldn't have taken missiles.
not in that incarnation anyway. its' landbound brethren the F102 and F106 didnt carry much in the way of missiles either -- 1 Genie or 4 AIM-4 Falcons -- although that was somewhat typical for the era. a production version probably would have been able to carry 2 to 4 of the falcons, but nothing else.
to extrapolate on my other poiint, I would love to see a hydroski amphibian homebuilt... something that can still use runways, seats 4 comfortably and has a range around 1500-2000 miles at say 400 KIAS would be nice. ;P I would definitely save my pennies for THAT kit.
rats... forgot that a design like that would almost certainly run afoul of the FAR gross TO weight for homebuilts -- 5000 pounds IIRC. maybe a reduction in range to 1000 miles would meet the limit... hmmmm....
Shaka[Zulu] wrote:not in that incarnation anyway. its' landbound brethren the F102 and F106 didnt carry much in the way of missiles either -- 1 Genie or 4 AIM-4 Falcons -- although that was somewhat typical for the era. a production version probably would have been able to carry 2 to 4 of the falcons, but nothing else.
Ah, but the F-102 and F-106 were dedicated interceptors with datalinks to SAGE. IIRC, the Sea Dart was for a different mission.
Shaka[Zulu] wrote:
not in that incarnation anyway. its' landbound brethren the F102 and F106 didnt carry much in the way of missiles either -- 1 Genie or 4 AIM-4 Falcons -- although that was somewhat typical for the era. a production version probably would have been able to carry 2 to 4 of the falcons, but nothing else.
The F-102 carried six Falcons, the F-106 four but it also had a M61 cannon, Sea Dart had an M39 as its gun as I recall which was a much weaker weapon. Both the 102 and 106 could carry two Genie's. I'm not to sure about the Sea Dart being albe to lift a radar of sufficent size to make use of the Falcon/
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
Simon H.Johansen wrote:
Is it just me, or does this seem like serious underarmament?
It is, at the time four 20mm cannon was standard for American jet fighters and some other nations planes like the Hawker Hunter had as many as four 30mm cannon. Then of course there where missiles coming into widespread service.
"This cult of special forces is as sensible as to form a Royal Corps of Tree Climbers and say that no soldier who does not wear its green hat with a bunch of oak leaves stuck in it should be expected to climb a tree"
— Field Marshal William Slim 1956
