Aviation Monthly |
Aviation Monthly |
13 Jan 2014, 4:32
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Group: Dev. Team Posts: 838 Joined: 7 June 2009 From: Southeastern USA Member No.: 47 |
Hey guys, this is the first installment on a magazine style review of the weapons and technology used in the ROTR world. I'll be doing most of the US aircraft first, I do plan on moving on to other faction's aircraft later on and perhaps expanding to ground vehicles, firearms, and warships. (Ever wanted to learn more about the Spirit of Freedom and it's sister ship?) Here's the first part:
Aviation Monthly: September 203x United States Airpower, Part I - Written by Amy Kelly As tensions rise in Eurasia over the recent skirmishes in Africa and economic stagnation in Russia, so too has the specter of another major war in Europe and the eventual American involvement. Despite the downfall of NATO after the ill-advised US retreat from Europe 15 years ago, the Bradford administration maintains a strong anti-Russian expansionist policy and indications hint at possible military and economic action in favor of the European Continental Alliance should hostilities break out. Ever since the Second World War, the United States military has relied extensively on air dominance to achieve battlefield superiority. As any member of the USAF or Naval Air Force can tell you, no US soldier or Marine on the ground has been killed by enemy aircraft since the Korean War. Even after the post GWOT cutbacks, the US military has maintained a strong Air Force and naval air capabilities, and seeks to further expand said capabilities in an ever more dangerous world. This article seeks to explore information about the aircraft used today by the various branches of the US armed forces. TRANSPORT/AIRLIFT: Though the majority of heavy airlifting by the USAF is done today by conventional aircraft such as the C-130J Super Hercules and C-17B Globemaster III, VTOL aircraft have become a more and more capable replacement for helicopters and light cargo transport. Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey: Although the V-22 Osprey had a troubled development phase, today it serves as the main medium lift aircraft used by the US Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy. Even though newer designs such as the V-25 Goshawk are planned to eventually phase out the Osprey, it still sees heavy use as a transport aircraft by American combat forces and will see heavy use in the foreseeable future. Bell-Boeing V-25 Goshawk: The V-25 Goshawk is one of the newest aircraft used by the US Armed forces, and is the end result of the JMR-Heavy Future Vertical Lift program. By the end of the last decade, the US Army desired a new VTOL transport to replace the aging CH-47 Chinook fleet, which had been wearing out through heavy use in the past two decades. Although the Army had declined to take part in the V-22 program, they looked with interest in the further development of tiltrotor aircraft. The V-25 Goshawk was the intermediate step between the light V-22 Osprey and the heavy V-34 Starlifter II. Compared to the CH-47 Chinook, the V-25 is capable of carrying more cargo faster, longer, and at a higher altitude. As an infantry carrier, it can transport a platoon of infantry or a single Cougar MRAP or HMMWV. In contrast to the Osprey, the Goshawk is a semi-tilt-wing with 250% more wing surface, roughly 60% of which tilts along with the engine nacelles, and a lifting body, significantly improving glide capability and allowing to remove the fancy - and heavy - transmission, converting the engines to straight-up carbon composite turbine turboprops with only standard reduction gearboxes remaining. Today, the US Army and US Navy are the main users of the V-25 Goshawk whilst the USMC and US Air Force are considering purchasing them to replace their aging Ospreys. Bell-Boeing V-34 Starlifter II: The first examples of the V-44 entered the late prototype testing phase during the end of the GLA War, but budget cutbacks slowed its entry into service until quite recently. By the end of the last decade, the US Army desired a new VTOL transport to replace the aging CH-47 Chinook fleet, which had been wearing out through heavy use in the past two decades. Although the Army had declined to take part in the V-22 program, they looked with interest in the further development of tiltrotor aircraft. As the end result of the Bell-Boeing Quad Tilt Rotor program, the V-34 is the direct replacement of the CH-47 Chinook and the CH-53 Super Stallion, and is planned to phase out the C-130J Super Hercules. The quad tilt rotor engines give it a cruising speed of over 350 knots and allow it to land in places the C-130 cannot. It is capable of carrying around 26,000 kilograms of cargo (or several M5A1 Schwarzkopf ”Crusader” light tanks or IFVs), or 110 paratroopers/150 infantry. Lockheed-Martin C-130J Super Hercules, Boeing C-17B Globemaster III, & Lockheed C-5M Super Galaxy: When heavier lifting is required by the US military’s expeditionary forces, the fixed wing airfleet comes into play. Though the C-130J Super Hercules and C-5M Super Galaxy are old (yet proven and popular) designs, the more advanced Boeing C-17B Globemaster III is an increasingly common sight in the US Air Force as well as the air forces of other nations. The C-17 underwent a mid-life upgrade even before the newer export production run, including double-slotted flaps, an additional main landing gear on center fuselage, more powerful engines (F-117-PW-200 turbofans) and other systems for shorter landing and take-off distances, a LANTIRN AN/AAQ-13 pod and passive radar installed into the nose, and an optional bulkhead separating the troop bay from the cargo bay for passenger comfort. ~~~ I hope you enjoyed the first part, stay tuned for Part 2! This post has been edited by DerKrieger: 29 May 2014, 15:52 -------------------- "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."-- George S. Patton
Resquiescat in pace, CommanderJB 1991-2009 |
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17 Jan 2014, 2:29
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Group: Dev. Team Posts: 838 Joined: 7 June 2009 From: Southeastern USA Member No.: 47 |
GUNSHIPS:
((NB: There may be another addition to this, I'm not quite sure where to put this other airplane in. I'll likely reserve a special update for it at some later date...)) Lockheed-Martin AC-130U Spooky II: The USAF still maintains a small number of the older AC-130U gunships, although the airframes are slated to be replaced by the more advanced AC-17 Spectre II gunships in the coming decade due to age of the remaining aircraft and the ever-diminishing supply of spare parts for the aging Bofors L/60 cannons and M102 howitzers mounted on the aircraft. Boeing AC-17 Specter II: The AC-17 Specter II first saw combat in the later part of the Global War on Terror as a replacement to the earlier C-130 based generation of gunships. Though it lacked stealth capabilities, its supersonic capability, heavy armament and armor, and advanced sensor systems made it a feared opponent for the GLA, especially during the invasion and liberation of Iran and the second Battle of Baikonur. Though active use of the search radar is mainly relegated to reconnaissance UAVs, the Specter II retains an extensive search and targeting suite for detecting and engaging targets from long range, as well as a passive radar and multiple passive optical sensors. As with the AC-130 the AC-17 Specter II’s main gun is located aft of the wing, enabling the cargo bay door and ramp to be used to easily load ammunition onto the aircraft. Instead of the manually-loaded 105 mm M102 of the AC-130 it uses an auto-loaded M777 155 mm howitzer, specially modified to increase inertia and thus lessen recoil. The howitzer aboard the AC-17 is normally loaded with either HEAT rounds or Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions. Each bomblet of the latter shell has enough power to punch through the top armor of a main battle tank. Mounted under and slightly behind the wing are the twin linked radar targeted GAU-12/U Equalizer 25mm autocannons and a 6000 round magazine. When loaded with explosive shells as normal, these cannons serve as an anti-soft target weapon. The GAU-12/Us aboard the AC-17 are liquid cooled and feature advanced inertial dampeners to increase accuracy and lessen recoil. The fore gun deck houses two Bushmaster II GAU-23/A 30mm cannons for mid-ranged targets. It was the inclusion of these two weapons, as well as the desire for the AC-17 to have a high response time, that necessitated the addition of two GE TF39 engines (in addition to the existing four F-117-PW-200 turbofans) with new compressors and digital management systems to prevent compressor stalls when the weapons were fired. The swing wing configurations and overpowered engines are enough to give the AC-17 a maximum speed in excess of Mach 1, allowing it to reach the area of operation much faster than the AC-130. There are plans to phase out the 30mm cannons on the AC-17 in favor of the new XM2342 railgun due to complications caused by the recoil. Finally, the AC-17 features four Gunslinger launch systems capable of launching AGM-176 Griffin missiles, AIM-9X Sidewinders, GBU-44/B Viper Strike glide bombs, or AGM-305 Joint Air-to-Ground missiles. One Gunslinger is mounted on the chin, another on the upper fuselage near the tail, and one on each wing. The AC-17 is well stocked with chaff and flares to defeat enemy ground fire, and is equipped with an ECM station, a directed infrared jamming device, as well as a towed decoy. It additionally features 20 mm ceramic plating, and the fuselage is separated into several critical compartments containing crew and armament and semi-empty non-essential areas under the outer skin. The Specter II’s fuselage features self-healing materials and a limited self-repair subsystem to increase survivability. This post has been edited by DerKrieger: 17 Jan 2014, 2:37 -------------------- "No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."-- George S. Patton
Resquiescat in pace, CommanderJB 1991-2009 |
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