Alternative MPAs

[rickshaw]

Alternative MPA?

Was the Viscount or the Vanguard ever considered for Maritime Patrol duties?

What would a dedicated Maritime Patrol Hercules or Transall look like?

What about a decided A400 Maritime Patrol aircraft as a replacement for the Nimrods?

Martime Patrol Trident?  VC10?

[PR19_Kit]

Was the Viscount or the Vanguard ever considered for Maritime Patrol duties?

What would a dedicated Maritime Patrol Hercules or Transall look like?

What about a decided A400 Maritime Patrol aircraft as a replacement for the Nimrods?

Martime Patrol Trident?  VC10?

JayBee built a Vanguard MPA not that long ago, but I can't find it on here just now.

As for an MPA Herk, hang in there, the RAF will be flying them before much longer!

An MPA Trident or VC10 sounds very do-able though. A MAD stinger at the top of the fin, like a Bear H perhaps? Not sure where you'd put the weapons bay though, perhaps LOTS of pylons under the wings? Pinion tanks with a searchlight in one of them would look pretty good on either of them too. (Hm, I have a few Comet 4C conversion kits knocking about, not to mention a few Tridents and VC10s.....)

[rallymodeller]

MPA Vanguards or Viscounts was an idea I had for the West Indies Federation. Decided to go with either converted Canberras or Skywarriors instead, with Orions doing the LR work.

VC-10: Because of the placement of the engines, the MAD stinger can be in the normal location; furthermore the fuselage is a double-bubble shape which means the lower section can be unpressurized -- big weapons bay! The VC-10 also has great low-speed handling, and already had at least two hardpoints built in on the inner section of the wing large enough to carry a Conway engine. If you combine the wing and wet vertical stabilizer of the 1151 Super and the fuselage of the 1101 Standard, it would have enormous range as well. The same can actually be said for the IL-62 as well.

As for the Trident, that's not so good. It had really short legs to begin with, was underpowered with the Spey engines it had, and could not economically be reengined with JT8s (which it should have been) or Tays.

Now, if we're talking about MPA One-Elevens or Caravelles, that's a whole 'nother story...

[PR19_Kit]

As for the Trident, that's not so good. It had really short legs to begin with, was underpowered with the Spey engines it had, and could not economically be reengined with JT8s (which it should have been) or Tays.

Luckily this is Whiffworld, so all those shortcomings can be overcome. 

The original Trident proposal, with Medway power, would have had longer range and LOTS more power. Plus there was a version planned with a double bubble fuselage, which admittedly didn't look as elegant, but was designed for the MPA task.

One plus point for a Spey powered Gripper would be that it wouldn't need weapons at all, the noise alone would have blown any submarine to the surface!

[Hobbes]

I don't have my references handy atm, but IIRC there was a VC-10 MPA proposal.

[Cobra]

Guys, i once heard or read somewhere that a Proposal had been made to try and Rig a C-5A for MPA but the US Navy declined,for Undisclosed Reasons. Would a C-5A or C-141 work for that Role? just something i thought i'd add to the Mix. Dan

[GTX]

VC-10 (by zebedee):




McDonnell Douglas P-9D :




Regards,

Greg

[Rheged]

The VC10s from Zebedee are seriously good profiles. Add them to the list of what should have happened.

[Thorvic]

I don't have my references handy atm, but IIRC there was a VC-10 MPA proposal.

Its in Chris Gibsons Poffler book, but the details go back to the military VC-10 proposals at the same time as the Skybolt carriers etc.

In the Avro Heritage PDF there are various MPA proposals including the Airbus A300b in the MPA role

[PR19_Kit]

Greg,

Where do the DC-9 MPA propopsals come from please? As a card-carrying DC-9 nut I LOVE 'em, specially with mucho weapons bays and unducted fans too! 

[McColm]

Lockheed had a proposal for a KC-141 and there are drawings of a MPA version. Check on the secrete projects website.
Trident and the VC-10 were considered, with a Conway powered Nimrod.
I would have thought the Comet C5 wide body was ideal for the Nimrod.

Boeing proposed a MPA version of the C-135, mmm what about using a 747?

[Weaver]

IIRC, somebody in the far East (Thailand?) used C-130 MPAs for ages. They wern't significantly different to transport ones, just a modified radar and some bubble windows.

Alternatives:

Skyvan/330/360
CL-215/215T/415
Buffalo

[rallymodeller]

Well, I'll add:

DHC-7
Dash-8 (not too far off as some countries use them for patrol, but more of an ASW/ASuW platform)
Bristol Britannia (A straight conversion, not the Argus which was basically just a Britannia tail and wings with a new fuselage and engines)
Airspeed Ambassador
H.P. Dart Herald
C160 Transall
CV880/990
Lockheed Jetstar
DC-8
An-72

And I'll use this opportunity to crosspost something I did the other day:

--as an alternative to the Viking.

Also, let's not forget Tom Clancy's idea (or at least he talks about it in Red Storm Rising) of using a Harrier T.4 as a carrier-based ASW hunter...

[GTX]

[GTX]

Greg,

Where do the DC-9 MPA propopsals come from please? As a card-carrying DC-9 nut I LOVE 'em, specially with mucho weapons bays and unducted fans too! 

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