So, i've been toying for a long time for a soviet military wank of some kind (better ships, better planes etc.), unfortunately never got around to post anything, it's all in my head. But i was wondering about the feasability of some ideas, so wonder what informed people here think.
First, the Sverdlov class cruisers of the fifties:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdlov-class_cruiser
In OTL they have tried to install the S-75 SAM on one, but it wasn't judged successful. On another they tried to fit P-1 Strelka (SS-N-1) missiles, but it wasn't judged successful either, so all these cruisers were left to serve as gun ships only (and not very useful), bar a couple modified for command and control roles. They also had very long active services.
But what if they press on anyway experimenting with newer missiles and actually have most or all Sverdlovs modified as cruise missile or SAM cruisers in the sixties with contemporary more successful SAMs like M-1 Volna (SA-N-1) and anti-ship missiles like P-5 (SS-N-3)? The americans modified in the fifties and sixties many of their gun cruisers as missile cruisers carrying variously Terrier, Talos and Tartar SAM missiles, and if anything, the soviet ships were in need of as many SAMs as they could get.
I have read that there were also proposals to modify one or more of the unfinished Sverdlov hulls as ASW helicopter carriers predating the Moskvas, though not sure what helicopter could they use in the early sixties (as the Ka-25 wasn't in service yet), maybe Mi-4? Could have couple of those AND two larger (as apparently they were judged too small in OTL) Moskvas in the late sixties.
Another thing concerns the Kievs (again), namely their configuration, i was toying with the plausibility of having them equiped with a ski-jump from the start. I have read about ski-jumps a little bit, and it appears the idea might have originated a early as 1952 from some USN study. But how well known was this idea in the 1960s, has it ever been publicly mentioned in some naval magazine or something? I suppose i could have an intrepid soviet scientist looks at the bow sheer of the initial Kiev project and say "hang on a second...", if this idea was not known or talked about in the western naval circles of the day.
Finally, how about a Yak-38 with two lift/cruise engines, sort of like Yak-36? In fact, there was such a project:
http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/687/pics/1_17.jpg
The main drawback is of course that if one engine fails the thing will instantly start rolling very fast, maybe too fast for the pilot to have a chance to eject even with an automatic system, although i'm thinking it might be possible to have some kind of last ditch stabilization system taking power from the good engine to mitigate the rolling enough to give the pilot just enough time to eject. I'm also thinking that perhaps this configuration would also be better for rolling take-offs so it could carry a bit more, and in the air at least the thing should have fairly decent subsonic acceleration given that it would have two R-27V engines and a TW ratio well over 1:1, and perhaps it could be made a bit more maneuverable so at least it could hope to have a chance at subsonic speeds against opposing aircraft (like the Harrier did).
Thanks for any input.
First, the Sverdlov class cruisers of the fifties:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdlov-class_cruiser
In OTL they have tried to install the S-75 SAM on one, but it wasn't judged successful. On another they tried to fit P-1 Strelka (SS-N-1) missiles, but it wasn't judged successful either, so all these cruisers were left to serve as gun ships only (and not very useful), bar a couple modified for command and control roles. They also had very long active services.
But what if they press on anyway experimenting with newer missiles and actually have most or all Sverdlovs modified as cruise missile or SAM cruisers in the sixties with contemporary more successful SAMs like M-1 Volna (SA-N-1) and anti-ship missiles like P-5 (SS-N-3)? The americans modified in the fifties and sixties many of their gun cruisers as missile cruisers carrying variously Terrier, Talos and Tartar SAM missiles, and if anything, the soviet ships were in need of as many SAMs as they could get.
I have read that there were also proposals to modify one or more of the unfinished Sverdlov hulls as ASW helicopter carriers predating the Moskvas, though not sure what helicopter could they use in the early sixties (as the Ka-25 wasn't in service yet), maybe Mi-4? Could have couple of those AND two larger (as apparently they were judged too small in OTL) Moskvas in the late sixties.
Another thing concerns the Kievs (again), namely their configuration, i was toying with the plausibility of having them equiped with a ski-jump from the start. I have read about ski-jumps a little bit, and it appears the idea might have originated a early as 1952 from some USN study. But how well known was this idea in the 1960s, has it ever been publicly mentioned in some naval magazine or something? I suppose i could have an intrepid soviet scientist looks at the bow sheer of the initial Kiev project and say "hang on a second...", if this idea was not known or talked about in the western naval circles of the day.
Finally, how about a Yak-38 with two lift/cruise engines, sort of like Yak-36? In fact, there was such a project:
http://img.wp.scn.ru/camms/ar/687/pics/1_17.jpg
The main drawback is of course that if one engine fails the thing will instantly start rolling very fast, maybe too fast for the pilot to have a chance to eject even with an automatic system, although i'm thinking it might be possible to have some kind of last ditch stabilization system taking power from the good engine to mitigate the rolling enough to give the pilot just enough time to eject. I'm also thinking that perhaps this configuration would also be better for rolling take-offs so it could carry a bit more, and in the air at least the thing should have fairly decent subsonic acceleration given that it would have two R-27V engines and a TW ratio well over 1:1, and perhaps it could be made a bit more maneuverable so at least it could hope to have a chance at subsonic speeds against opposing aircraft (like the Harrier did).
Thanks for any input.
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