Flying carrier in Earth Atmosphere and Gravity

[PR19_Kit]

The airship is a good idea. But I would not use trapezes for air operations, but a flight deck; airships can be static.

In another thread a while back I suggested airships, BIG ones, with a Skyhook type arrangement to snatch Harriers etc. out of the sky.

[Mossie]

Why not an airship?

It was shown that the concept was feasible with the experiments undertake in the 1920s and 1930s.

You could have two semi-rigid airships, connected with a hangar in the middle.   You could either have the airship land for operations from the water, with a lightweight flight deck on top or you could have it airborne, launching aircraft via trapeze.

Stop reading my mind.   

My only variation is to also include a full flight deck.  I'm hoping to start it this summer.  Got the zeps, got the carrier.   

Sound like you read mine too (except I'll never do it), twin hulls???

Here's my suggestion.  Rather than airship models, get hold of two Pegasus Hobbies 1/18 V-1's.  This'll give you a long, slim airship shape, the support for the pulse-jet & rudder can act as supports for the flightdeck.  You can use one of the wings to link the two hulls together, maybe as a lifitng surface.  Add all sorts of extra supports, girders etc between the two, fit a hanger deck maybe.  You could even go further & join them both together as an early hybrid hull.

Just my contribution!

[GTX]

The airship is a good idea. But I would not use trapezes for air operations, but a flight deck; airships can be static.

In another thread a while back I suggested airships, BIG ones, with a Skyhook type arrangement to snatch Harriers etc. out of the sky.

Great minds think alike - see here.

Regards,

Greg

[PR19_Kit]

Exactly Gerg! 

I figured having the 'hooks deploy sideways from the hangar deck and then bring the aircraft in through large lateral hatches to the hangar deck. They could have more than one deck with a suitably articulated 'hook arm too.

But a seriously large model airship would be bigger than my garage in 1/72!

[deathjester]

Exactly Gerg! 

I figured having the 'hooks deploy sideways from the hangar deck and then bring the aircraft in through large lateral hatches to the hangar deck. They could have more than one deck with a suitably articulated 'hook arm too.

But a seriously large model airship would be bigger than my garage in 1/72!

How about using Pogo's as your fighters?  They can take off vertically from their airbase, but get hooked in horizontally on the carrier!  Now, does anyone do 1/700 scale Pogo's?

[PR19_Kit]

How about using Pogo's as your fighters?  They can take off vertically from their airbase, but get hooked in horizontally on the carrier!  Now, does anyone do 1/700 scale Pogo's?

How do they hook-on without those ruddy great props sawing off the hook thingie? Perhaps they could fly sloooooowly below the Skyhook while the hook operator lowers it into position? A 1/700 scale XFY-1 wouldn't be too difficult to scratch I suspect, apart from the props it's a reasonably simple shape.

[McColm]

So,
That's what Bruce Willis looks like with hair

[ericr]

A second version, based in Beriev Be-6

I really like this Be-6 adaptation! the seaplane dimension fits well in the project!

Some time ago I had a more land-based approach to the AAC idea (in red-yellow-blue, as I always do):

[MiB]

Helicarrier of the S.H.I.E.L.D.? 

[eatthis]

how dense/heavy  is pure vacuum relative to helium/hydrogen?

[Steel Penguin]

pure Vacuum is lighter than both,  the problem is having a material that can support the crush weight of the surrounding atmosphere, around it.  it is a solution to getting to orbit in a similar way to how they've used helium weather balloons to get to height in the past

[jcf]

pure Vacuum is lighter than both,  the problem is having a material that can support the crush weight of the surrounding atmosphere, around it.  it is a solution to getting to orbit in a similar way to how they've used helium weather balloons to get to height in the past

Suggested by Francesco Lana de Terzi in 1670 and we still don't have the materials to
make it possible:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francesco_Lana_de_Terzi#Airship_design

[Steel Penguin]

shamelessly stolen from an Ian M Banks novel here, and possibly from Traveller the new eras Fire Fusion and Steel.

[wuzak]

http://www.luft46.com/db/dbbombe.html

[wuzak]

What's the main purpose of a flying aircraft carrier?

If it is speed, then what about an ekranoplan?





The Caspian Sea Monster (the KM) had a maximum weight of 544t (for comparison, the A380 has a MTOW of 590t), and can cruise at 430km/h (267mph).

I'm thinking a larger one could be built, with twin hulls. The section between the hulls could have the landing area and/or hangar.

For power, there would be a bank of jets like on the KM - these would be mainly used for take-off (getting the ship out of the water takes a lot of power). Once in crusing flight it can switch over to a nuclear power plant which drives a couple of steam turbines.

It could even be designed to allow short hops in conventional flight - such as when you come across incovenient land masses.