You'd really want to keep helicopters (well except for rescue copter) off the carrier to maximise aircraft numbers and improve operations tempo. Is there anyway to get a seperate helicopter carrier for ASW purposes (ie HMS Hermes gets that role)?
New Royal Navy in the 70s (take 2)
- Thread starter Peg Leg Pom
- Start date
Actually I'd keep Albion & Bulwark for that, they've already been converted to Helicopter carriers. Hermes I'd try to sell or mothball. She's a good reasonably new ship but too small for Nato service as a fixed wing carrier. She might do as a replacement for the French Arromanches. It's a shame the Netherlands and Canada had opted out of the carrier business by then.
Anyway up north I'd still want some organic anti-submarine cover on the Alt-Invincibles. Thats the Northern Fleet submarines backyard. I'd want at least 6 helicopters on board. As I said earlier I'd choose Westland Lynx for the carriers to save space but I can't see the RN doing that.
Anyway up north I'd still want some organic anti-submarine cover on the Alt-Invincibles. Thats the Northern Fleet submarines backyard. I'd want at least 6 helicopters on board. As I said earlier I'd choose Westland Lynx for the carriers to save space but I can't see the RN doing that.
Yes I agree that you'd want to swamp any possible ASW contact with as many helo's as possible. But helicopters and fixed wings don't really mix well on the limited deck space of a carrier. Albion & Bulwark sound like good choices. How many Sea Kings could you operate off there?
As Commando Carriers they had an airgroup of 16 Wessex. I suppose at a pinch you could park some Sea Kings on a container ship and have the carrier's C.I.C take operational command of them while they're in the air.
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Archibald
Banned
There actually was an AEW Tracker - the E-1B Tracer that was the true forerunner to to the Hawkeye.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_E-1_Tracer
Much like any other Trackers it can be outfitted with turboprops for better performance.
It would be an E-1C Turbotracer !
I read ages ago that the radar coverage of the E1B wasn't enough to enable a deck F8 interception of an incoming target, there wasn't enough time between detection and interception. As a result the USN developed the E2 which had a much greater detection distance to increase the time available for deck interceptions.
Just as a matter of interest the Sea King AEW2's radar footprint at 10,000' is a donut from about 25 miles minimum to 75 miles maximum at low level. The Sea King really only covers the low level gaps of a ship's radar, it has no high level radar coverage ability.
Just as a matter of interest the Sea King AEW2's radar footprint at 10,000' is a donut from about 25 miles minimum to 75 miles maximum at low level. The Sea King really only covers the low level gaps of a ship's radar, it has no high level radar coverage ability.
The problem here is the fighters, like the old Victorious and Hermes they can cope with Buccaneers but not Phantoms. Sea Vixans may soldier on for a while but badly need replacing and theres no money to develop a new Carrier Fighter. In my opinion the most likely result is to follow the French and opt for the F8 Crusader despite the RNs preference for twin engined designs. The eventual replacement for both aircraft is likely to be either the F/A 18 or Rafale.
Archibald
Banned
What about developing the Vickers Type 583?
"theres no money to develop a new Carrier Fighter" maybe ?
as for the Hornet, circa 1988 France seriously considered it as an interim type between the Crusaders and Rafale. Much like the Rafale, they were too heavy; partially filled tanks and a couple of AAMs, not much.
But like the Gannet it's radar is becoming obsolete, and the UFO on its back dosn't help storage. Put an up to date radar in the belly of a rebuilt tracker and you get a quite reasonable AEW aircraft. Turboprops would definately be included in the rebuild if for no other reason than to avoid having to have Avgas on board.
What about developing the Vickers Type 583?
That bird looks strangely familiar, are you suggesting a Sea Tornado? The swing wings would certainly help with low speed lift to get her on and off the deck. I suppose if you build all Tornados as carrier capable it would give the RN a source of reinforcements and spread the cost.
The Vickers Type 583 would become part of the Anglo-French Variable Geometry project that ultimately evolved into the Panavia Tornado.
The radar in the Tracer is not obsolete, it just fails to meet the requirements that the USN had set out in their tactical concept. The radar itself is considerably better than the AN/APS20 in the Gannet AEW3, especially tracking low level targets through clutter.