by Sr. Gopher » Wed Aug 25, 2010 7:43 pm
I guess I forgot to mention the helos too. They are all designed very primitively by today's standards. The R-4 and OH-23 Raven was designed in the mid 40s, and after scientists first tried to use a vertical piston in 1945, they proved very useless for anything besides use as very uncomfortable executive transports. They began developing a new engine for the next 2 years. In that time, a new requirement arose: a troop transport. The Piasecki H-25 was an answer, but at only 4 troops, they proved to be only useful in second line duties. Also, the Mojave was developed, but the engine placement proved to be terrible, and a large number were shot down when attempting to land. Like in conventional landing craft, when the clamshell doors opened, the troops could be slaughtered by a machine gun nest. When the scientists finished development, the Bell corporation jumped in, and after a year of more development, they came up with the Huey, but the primitive one with analog controls. A number were experimentally armed with fixed forward firing weapons, and they were very useful in the front lines. However, the crew was completely exposed to return fire, being behind a massive bubble canopy. Bell once again went in, and came up with a slim, purpose built attack variant, the Cobra. Also, to replace the Mojave in the heavy lift role, Sikorsky came up with the Skycrane, using the same principles as the Mojave, but with a smaller cockpit, slimmer engine mounts, and eliminating the cabin. They also gave it a skeletal body, larger rotor blades, and two turboshaft engines, giving the heli a lifting capacity of about 20,000 lb. These were deployed by the Army and Marines principally, but the Navy adopted the Huey and small numbers of Cobras (for use against suicide boats). The Navy began to develop ships that couds accommodate as many of these as possible, and that is where this ships come in.
I guess I forgot to mention the helos too. They are all designed very primitively by today's standards. The R-4 and OH-23 Raven was designed in the mid 40s, and after scientists first tried to use a vertical piston in 1945, they proved very useless for anything besides use as very uncomfortable executive transports. They began developing a new engine for the next 2 years. In that time, a new requirement arose: a troop transport. The Piasecki H-25 was an answer, but at only 4 troops, they proved to be only useful in second line duties. Also, the Mojave was developed, but the engine placement proved to be terrible, and a large number were shot down when attempting to land. Like in conventional landing craft, when the clamshell doors opened, the troops could be slaughtered by a machine gun nest. When the scientists finished development, the Bell corporation jumped in, and after a year of more development, they came up with the Huey, but the primitive one with analog controls. A number were experimentally armed with fixed forward firing weapons, and they were very useful in the front lines. However, the crew was completely exposed to return fire, being behind a massive bubble canopy. Bell once again went in, and came up with a slim, purpose built attack variant, the Cobra. Also, to replace the Mojave in the heavy lift role, Sikorsky came up with the Skycrane, using the same principles as the Mojave, but with a smaller cockpit, slimmer engine mounts, and eliminating the cabin. They also gave it a skeletal body, larger rotor blades, and two turboshaft engines, giving the heli a lifting capacity of about 20,000 lb. These were deployed by the Army and Marines principally, but the Navy adopted the Huey and small numbers of Cobras (for use against suicide boats). The Navy began to develop ships that couds accommodate as many of these as possible, and that is where this ships come in.