WWI era 'Davis Gun'
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Ok, I read the Wiki, but it did not say anything about range or accuracy. Anyone have stats on this type of weapon?
WWI era 'Davis Gun'
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early recoilless rifle.Ok, I read the Wiki, but it did not say anything about range or accuracy. Anyone have stats on this type of weapon?
Well if the Storch could handle a float and have the inner strength to be a viable float plane, then it makes for a good scout.
Now what plane IOTL do others think would make for the best strike plane for a seaplane cruiser?
Heinkel had their experimental HE-119 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_119 that with floats could still manage over 300 mph.
of course probably never build more than couple dozen.
The He-119 is a large plane. Bigger and a lot heavier then a Helldiver. Is that really a good idea for a seaplane cruiser?
The He-119 was a factory racer, and as such, it was beaten by the Breda 88. The nicest thing to say was that the engines didn't burst into flames as on He-177s. Good thing too, because the crew sat right snug with it. Engine servicing in the field seems rather difficult at best, the evaporative cooling system wasn't suitable for a combat aircraft, and no military hardware was fitted, except a single machine gun which could be fired out a removable hatch. The RLM asked for two. The RLM considered the a/c too complex, and too expensive. You're being too conservative. The He-119 was recorded as having reached 354 mph as a float-plane, but, on the whole, the exact history is uncertain due to the loss of company records to establish facts as truth. Fact is, it was not a military aircraft. There are enough records to establish that.
I have wondered, and regretted that float-plane Spitfires never became operational. They really were quite nice. A launch off a CAM ship, followed by a recovery, victory celebration and a hot tea in the mess, rather than a frightful swim in icy waters.
What time frame?