Author Topic: dy031101's Mental Notes  (Read 318393 times)

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic


Meant as an early experiment on operations of aircraft carriers, the ship's design was altered so that the rear superstructure was offset to the starboard side, and an angled flight deck was sponsoned to the port side.  In addition, the ship serves as a test ship for command and control systems (which indeed started in a rudimentary configuration) that would eventually be used for indigenous warships, a high-speed diesel engine (which allows for a maximum speed of 26 knots but is deemed impractical on the smaller major surface combatants), and a helicopter-mounted airborne early warning radar inspired by an ex-ARVN ELINT UH-1H that force landed on a ROCN LST during the Vietnam War.  When Philippine started stationing F-8P jet fighters on Thitu Island, a small airgroup of five FV-8Cs are embarked operationally to provide air defense for South China Sea naval patrols.  The ship itself as built was armed with a Sea Chaparral missile launcher, two Phalanx cannons, and various small arms.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2015, 09:09:47 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
That makes sense.  If the ROC also bought F-20s, the AN/APG-67 would be the obvious choice for the FV-8C upgrade; if they didn't, it'd be more of a toss-up as to who made the better business case and deal.  Another thought for the upgrade would be some of the mods the USMC incorporated in the AV-8A to AV-8C rebuild in real-life, the LIDS and gunpod strakes and, if the FV-8C doesn't have the RHAWS of the Sea Harrier, the RHAWS fitted to the real-life AV-8C.

I am thinking of having the ROCN FV-8C following the pattern of real-life ROCAF F-5E/F.  Aerodynamic refinements and RHAWS would have been gradually retrofitted, followed finally by radar replacement in early 2000s (and, unlike the case real-life ROCAF F-5E/F, there would have been real incentives for the ROCN to get the most out of their FV-8Cs since ROCN would have had no other fighter at their disposal).

The fact of APG-67 being used by the F-20 might make it look good enough in the eyes of the ROC military whether they would have ended up acquiring the F-20 or not.  Even the GD-53 radar is built on the APG-67.
Hmm, assuming the first-generation update for the USMC becomes the AV-8D in this universe, I could see the ROCN buying the better ones as they are replaced by AV-8Bs and going with the radar nose for the "Maritime Harrier" that was trialed on a DB Harrier by HSA as a FV-8D to supplement their FV-8Cs.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
Hmm, assuming the first-generation update for the USMC becomes the AV-8D in this universe, I could see the ROCN buying the better ones as they are replaced by AV-8Bs and going with the radar nose for the "Maritime Harrier" that was trialed on a DB Harrier by HSA as a FV-8D to supplement their FV-8Cs.

First-generation update?  What's the improvement on this AV-8D from real-life AV-8C?

So basically this "Maritime Harrier" nose allows for "aftermarket" conversion of surface strike Harriers to fighter Harriers?
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
Hmm, assuming the first-generation update for the USMC becomes the AV-8D in this universe, I could see the ROCN buying the better ones as they are replaced by AV-8Bs and going with the radar nose for the "Maritime Harrier" that was trialed on a DB Harrier by HSA as a FV-8D to supplement their FV-8Cs.

First-generation update?  What's the improvement on this AV-8D from real-life AV-8C?

So basically this "Maritime Harrier" nose allows for "aftermarket" conversion of surface strike Harriers to fighter Harriers?
Well, I was figuring the real-life AV-8C to be the AV-8D in this timeline, though I could see the addition of a nose like that of the Harrier GR.3 but containing the same ARBS fitted to the A-4M and early AV-8B.  The "Maritime Harrier" proposal was a "minimum change" to add a radar to the existing Harrier GR.3 airframe; with adequate support it morphed into the Sea Harrier FRS.1 and only the DB Harrier with the areodynamic shape of the radar nose flew in that configuration.  In this timeline, I could see that being taken up as a conversion kit (CILOP) for producing additional raddar-equipped Harriers at an inexpensive (comparatively) price.
« Last Edit: August 27, 2014, 06:05:03 AM by elmayerle »

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
Question, would the FV-8Cs, as originally purchased, have the RHAWS of the Sea Harrier FRS.1 and the Harrier GR.3 or the plain vertical tail of the Harrier GR.1/AV-8A/AV-8C?  I wondered as the RHAWS fit of the AV-8C is distinctly different from that fitted to RAF and FAA Harriers and Sea Harriers.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
Question, would the FV-8Cs, as originally purchased, have the RHAWS of the Sea Harrier FRS.1 and the Harrier GR.3 or the plain vertical tail of the Harrier GR.1/AV-8A/AV-8C?  I wondered as the RHAWS fit of the AV-8C is distinctly different from that fitted to RAF and FAA Harriers and Sea Harriers.

A bit more likely if ROC had majority control of Mainland China (in which case the ROCN would have just bought the Sea Harrier and called it as such rather than paying for an American version because ROC could have used the market and future fate of Hong Kong- even if only how British control were to end- to bargain with the British).  Otherwise it'd have been based on American Harriers (hence the designation FV-8).
« Last Edit: August 27, 2014, 05:35:01 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline elmayerle

  • Its about time there was an Avatar shown here...
  • Über Engineer...at least that is what he tells us.
So, if the ROCN didn't have "bargaining chips", they'd end up with the Sea Harrier front end on an AV-8A?  That could look interesting, especially picking up the changes made to the real-life AV-8C and would make for a different look to the basic Sea Harrier airframe (I'm thinking you could swap a vertical tail between a Sea Harrier FRS.1 and an AV-8A to do the basic FV-8C and then do that again and do the aerodynamic and system upgrades for a FV-8C+ (possibly also with a cockpit with screens instead of gages, much like the final F-20 cockpit (first couple F-20s had basically a F-5E cockpit, display-wise.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
I'm thinking you could swap a vertical tail between a Sea Harrier FRS.1 and an AV-8A to do the basic FV-8C and then do that again and do the aerodynamic and system upgrades for a FV-8C+, possibly also with a cockpit with screens instead of gages, much like the final F-20 cockpit (first couple F-20s had basically a F-5E cockpit, display-wise).


Glass cockpit would have come with radar replacement for the FV-8C+ a.k.a. Harrier 2001 programme  ;)

==================================================================================



The Vanguard Cruiser can very much be considered a forerunner of the Strike Cruisers that have become the backbone of Frontier Navy's aircraft carrier fleet.  This warship class was meant for naval actions specifically against the League of Kings and their patron navies (at a time when the warlord alliance's high seas warfare capability was deemed to be limited to commerce raiding) so as to free the valuable and more expensive supercarriers for pursuing the Sages, a mysterious and presumably still-hostile entity that the Armies of Frontier Nations was founded to combat.  As such, it's designed to be cheaper and to possess a degree of commonality with warships already in Frontier Navy service- as it turns out, AEGIS combat system ships.

Frontier Navy did not like its small airwing capacity (six Harrier FA.9As and six Merlin helicopters being specified as the typical composition in the design) to begin with, and two out of the six originally ordered ended up being cancelled when the Strike Cruiser programme was initiated, but the four that do serve would provide experience that benefited the Strike Cruiser programme tremendously.  Nowadays they still find much employment as helicopter carriers supporting mine countermeasure and amphibious warfares.

Its armament initially consisted of a 5 inch gun, a 32-cell Mk.41 VLS, two quad AGM-84 Harpoon missile launchers, and three Phalanx CIWSs.  A mid-life update saw provision for Naval Strike Missiles and replacement of Phalanx guns with 35mm Millennium cannons.  The mast was replaced with an enclosed type for the existing SPS-40 air search and the newly-installed SEAPAR CIWS fire control radars.  Cooperative Engagement Capability receiver-transmitter hardwares and Seamaster 100 surface search radar were also installed onto the enclosed mast.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2014, 10:35:35 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
After the successful implementation on the Vanguard Cruiser mid-life update programme, the enclosed mast concept was incorporated into the new Strike Cruiser Mk.IV design shortly before it was finalized.:



The SEAPAR was then made capable of controlling the Bofors 57mm Mk.3 CIWS cannons, allowing the previous Mk.III's four separate gun fire control radars to be dispensed with on the Mk.IV; the Mk.III's navigational radars are retained on the Mk.IV, however, so the Seamaster radar used by the Vanguard Cruiser MLU is absent, and transmitter/receiver for the Cooperative Engagement Capability system is mounted higher on the mast.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2014, 01:06:12 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Online GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
That's a big ship!
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
That's a big ship!

Because six supercarriers aren't enough for a military force with a mandate taking them across universes  ;D

(At least that's how the storyline goes...... if I can ever get around fleshing it out)
« Last Edit: August 30, 2014, 02:42:10 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic


I modified the Kirov-based Skyhook cruiser to reach commonality with the other Skyhook cruiser in "my" fleet.

Dang...... I would have liked an AEW helicopter that has commonality with the Wildcat......
« Last Edit: September 07, 2014, 10:20:58 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Online GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Wow!  I like.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic


Arleigh Burke class AEGIS destroyers sold to the Frontier Navy Foreign Auxiliary have expanded command facilities but allegedly had Tomahawk capabilities deleted from their fire control system even though there are ships under their jurisdiction that do possess other heavy anti-ship missiles (as in heavier than Harpoon) for dealing with armoured raiding cruisers operated by some League of Kings members and other hostile navies, and Tomahawk Anti-Ship Missiles are still in active service with regular Frontier Navy units.

The CIWS consists of standard-issue RAM launcher and upgraded Phalanx Block 1B, the latter drawn from surplus Frontier Navy stock (in storage after Frontier Navy replaced them with Millennium cannon on all ships that cannot carry the Bofors 57mm) and then re-armed with the more-powerful Oerlikon KBD Gatling gun.



"International Frigate" with AEGIS system.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 09:37:28 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic


Yet another attempt at "could have been" if military cheapskate spirit, "Taiwan-first" policy, and civilian political vindictiveness didn't ruin everything.

Late in Taiwan's 1990s Advanced Combat System a.k.a. "Mini-AEGIS" project, it was already realized that the O.H. Perry class hull might be a bit too small for what the ROCN was ultimately looking for.  If the project wasn't cancelled, the ship itself might have grown in size- many believe that a displacement comparable to the Spanish F-100 class would be the bare minimum needed in the long run, which became the basis for this attempt of mine.

Granted, bare minimum was not taking into account that the ship is supposed to accompany other ships that may or may not be able to contribute to overall fleet defense in a saturation attack...... the Perry-based Cheng Kungs would have no problem; Chi-Yangs can have 10 Standard missiles each; Kang Dings...... not so sure.  They have space for Sylver A-43 VLS, so Aster 15 would definitely have been on the card, but would the ROCN have thought it worthwhile, or would they rather have put something else in that VLS?
« Last Edit: September 11, 2014, 10:33:34 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic


Strike Cruiser Mk.III built on the experience of the Mk.II (later renamed Vanguard Cruiser) but enlarged to carry more guided-missile weapons and a 30-plane airwing to better make up for Frontier Navy's shortfall of conventional aircraft carrier acquisitions.

Originally equipped with a lattice type mast, the ships of the class also received an enclosed mast based on that used by the Mk.II during refits, replacing the old mast and navigational radars.  Weapon stations with Bushmaster cannon were replaced with MLG-27 gun mounts for those slated to be the first to operationally embark the new F-35B fighters (Frontier Navy chose to fund the BK-27 cannon gun pod rather than the GAU-25 that is deemed standard for Homeworld F-35 operators).  RGM-109B/D/E is considered as the primary offensive weapon of the Mk.III (and the later Mk.IV) although the onboard strike fighter airwings would see extensive uses in both fleet and power projection operations.



A handful of Mk.IIIs rendered surplus by the advent of catapult-equipped Mk.IV were transferred to the Foreign Auxiliary Command- they are the centrepiece of the Foreign Auxiliary's naval aviation on the high seas, providing maintenance and repair for aircraft attached to Foreign Auxiliary's Skyhook "fighter taxies" and be the command hub of multiple escort groups operating in their regions of responsibility.  The Oto-Breda 127mm Compact gun is replaced with the 120mm gun that has equipped many of the warships under the jurisdiction of the Foreign Auxiliary Command.  Typical airwing consists of Freestyle F.2 (again, the standard fighter of the Foreign Auxiliary), NH-90, and Merlin HEW.

Due to their secondary mission of protecting their bases and settlements from ballistic missile attacks, SM-3 ABM are normally carried in addition to these Strike Cruisers' usual complements of Standard MR/ER, ESSM, and VL ASROC rocket-delivered torpedoes.
« Last Edit: September 13, 2014, 08:30:55 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
This one replaces my previous butchering of a le Clem drawing......

Replaced on display

This vessel is configured similar to many aviation cruisers of its kind, with its forward weapons and two flight deck elevators emplaced along the hull centreline, its angled flight deck with two catapults offset to the port side, and its superstructures offset to the starboard side.

The airwing complement includes a variant of aircraft known to the Armies of Frontier Nations as the Cutlass that is powered by three J46 afterburning turbojets, radar-equipped version of Skyhawk attack aircraft, Sea King ASW helicopters, and Gannet AEW planes; the ship's own Terrier missiles eventually gave way to Standard 1ER and a dedicated anti-ship version of the new missile in order to contribute firepower more easily during fleet battles.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2014, 12:41:49 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline finsrin

  • The Dr Frankenstein of the modelling world...when not hiding from SBA
  • Finds part glues it on, finds part glues it on....
Checked dimensions: two F404 otta fit in a Cutlass.  Include AN/APG-66 radar.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
Checked dimensions: two F404 otta fit in a Cutlass.  Include AN/APG-66 radar.


Good for MNNA countries.  But I'm somewhat inclined toward an European-sourced upgrade.

And after seeing an illustration of Mirage V with MICA-IR missiles, I couldn't get it off my mind......

==================================================================

I'm once again replacing an idea......



Back to the size of a Kiev class cruiser.  Gone are the Skyhawks and Terrier launcher.  The Sea Slug launcher is improved with a new missile that allows for a compact stowage (a new seeker and solid-state electronics while retaining the reverse-engineered booster of Sea Slug Mk.2- no more assembly and checkout area), whereas existing stock of Sea Slug missiles were remanufactured into SSM to supplement Rb 08 missiles in times of need.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2014, 12:53:53 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
Another idea replacement:



Built on a heavily-damaged battlecruiser, this vessel now has an expanded aviation facility that includes a flight deck with a skijump that is angled to port and a deck lift.  It now hosts a small airwing of Mirage IIIVs, whose current iteration has gained a pair of canards, a modern fire control radar, active radar-guided air-to-air missiles, and an inflight refueling probe (from properly-configured flying boats and allied tanker aircraft), but arguably the most-important if externally-invisible improvement comes from replacement of its original eight liftjets with four more-powerful and reliable ones.  Due to the lack of a suitable airborne early warning aircraft, the venerable Spearfish floatplanes soldier on.  The floatplanes would be launched via a catapult on the amidship main gun turret and recovered after landing on water alongside the ship using a seaplane handling crane on the ship's starboard side.

The ship's nine 381mm L/50 main gun armaments (in three three-gun turrets) remain unchanged although the amidship gun turret is further restricted by the flight deck and hangar superstructure and now useful only for firing broadside.  The loss of aft twin 100mm L/45 gun turrets as a result of the reconstruction (or the battle damage that led to the reconstruction in the first place) is partially compensated with four twin-gun open-back mounts, and four twin 37mm L/70 autocannons and two quad launchers for Sea Wolf missiles serve as the ship's close-in defense.  All of the afore-mentioned armaments are afforded radar-guided fire controls (although the 37mm autocannons and Sea Wolf missile launchers have to share the three directors installed on the merged smokestack).

====================================================================

Thanks again, Acree, for coming up with the Spearfish AEW idea.  Comments and suggestions welcomed.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2014, 07:00:08 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Online GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Oooooo….I love the idea of carrier (even partial carrier) based Mirage IIIVs. :-*  Great idea! :)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
Oooooo….I love the idea of carrier (even partial carrier) based Mirage IIIVs. :-*

"Careful, boys!  I heard those scums just got a batch of MICA missiles from Earth, and FN's naval blockade isn't far behind them!  Green Lightning Squadron, engage!"

-- intercepted radio transmission of an unidentified F-15 pilot, 601st Independent Squadron "Green Lightning", League of Kings "Kurogawa Army" sub-faction, shot down during Operation: Fence Wrecker by AEGIS Cruiser FNS Tonbogiri after all three of his wingmen and eight allied F-7MGs were wiped out by enemy fighters
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 08:14:35 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?

Online GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Interesting.  I assume she has gone all over to VLS for the missiles and has had an update.  You might wish to also remove the AN/SPG-55B directors.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline dy031101

  • Yuri Fanboy and making cute stuff practical- at least that's the plan anyway
  • Prefers Guns And Tanks Over Swords And Magic
Interesting.  I assume she has gone all over to VLS for the missiles and has had an update.  You might wish to also remove the AN/SPG-55B directors.

They are already gone; in their places are SPG-62 directors for Standard missile guidance (which the SPY-1, IIRC, can't do).
« Last Edit: October 20, 2014, 03:25:33 AM by dy031101 »
Forget about his bow and arrows- why wait until that sparrow has done his deed when I can just bury him right now 'cause I'm sick and tired of hearing why he wants to have his way with the cock robin!?