What would be a Good ASR(Air Sea Rescue) Aircraft for a Dio?

[Cobra]

Hey Guys, as You know, I'm planning to Build an ASR Diorama, a Question for You:What would Be a Good Choice for an aSR(Air Sea Rescue) Aircraft? i was Considering the Following:F-14A Tomcat in Chrome Yellow with ASR on the Wings & Tail,C-130 Hercules in Chrome Yellow,F-105 Thundercheif in Chrome Yellow or a CH-53 in Chrome Yellow as an ASR copter. are there any other Suggestions for my dio?  I'm planning for it to be in Either 1/48 or 1/72. What Say You? Thanks for looking. Dan

[bearmatt]

I would go for an Osprey V-22...
Perfect combination of plane and helicopter 

[Old Wombat]

I take it we're talking current?

C-130J Hercules, C-27J Spartan, CH-47 Chinook, CH-53 Sea Stallion, Britten-Norman BN-2A Mk III-2 Trislander, Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma, UH-1H

Depends on what you want to do & how much whiffin' you're willing to put in.

[PR19_Kit]

I can't see that an F-14 or an F-105 would have anything to offer an ASR unit.

They're too limited in their spec. and have almost none of the attributes needed for an ASR aircraft, no downward visibility, very high fuel consumption at low levels, no low speed capability, only two seats at maximum, zero capability to help a survivor apart from waving as they scream past etc. The bigger, slower and larger crewed transport types would do a much better job.

[RussC]

I can't see that an F-14 or an F-105 would have anything to offer an ASR unit.

They're too limited in their spec. and have almost none of the attributes needed for an ASR aircraft, no downward visibility, very high fuel consumption at low levels, no low speed capability, only two seats at maximum, zero capability to help a survivor apart from waving as they scream past etc. The bigger, slower and larger crewed transport types would do a much better job.

  I'm going to suggest with just a little devils advocate for the zoomers here and say that while the original design of these was anything but rescue and search, consider that in a modern age of better communications and signalling, the element of response comes more to play, and speed vital to that. Being creatives in the aero concepts field, what could we ADD to a Tomcat, or a Sea Vixen or Tornado to increase its potential as instrument of mercy, by removing the combat parts and adding new equipment. How could we increase the downward view, and even provide the ability to safely deploy a parajumper/ paramedic or two at a site after a high speed approach. Think about air droppable gear loading with a streamlining and size consideration.

  Classic ASR was Search, but Response is also critical, most especially at sea. The two pronged approach where you have a fast component to get someone there to take charge, immediate help and coordination (Thunderbird 1) followed by the heavier assets with specialized functions (Thunderbird 2, carrying 4 and other pods').

  Off the soapbox...

[Army of One]

Gotta be a Mi 24....!!!!two inboard pylons for fuel tanks then the others for droppable life saving stuff....inflatable rafts n such....leaving cabin free for the rescue crew.....change the doors from top/bottom opening to sliding.....winch above each side and some form of step I case of landing to pick up survivors...chin gun replaced with any array of optic/sensor fit you want.....even add a refuelling prob a-la MH53 style....oh yes.....can see that big old Monogram/Revell D version now done like that in a bright colour scheme.....!! H

[The Rat]

Britten-Norman BN-2A Mk III-2 Trislander

On floats? 

[Weaver]

I can't see that an F-14 or an F-105 would have anything to offer an ASR unit.

They're too limited in their spec. and have almost none of the attributes needed for an ASR aircraft, no downward visibility, very high fuel consumption at low levels, no low speed capability, only two seats at maximum, zero capability to help a survivor apart from waving as they scream past etc. The bigger, slower and larger crewed transport types would do a much better job.

  I'm going to suggest with just a little devils advocate for the zoomers here and say that while the original design of these was anything but rescue and search, consider that in a modern age of better communications and signalling, the element of response comes more to play, and speed vital to that. Being creatives in the aero concepts field, what could we ADD to a Tomcat, or a Sea Vixen or Tornado to increase its potential as instrument of mercy, by removing the combat parts and adding new equipment. How could we increase the downward view, and even provide the ability to safely deploy a parajumper/ paramedic or two at a site after a high speed approach. Think about air droppable gear loading with a streamlining and size consideration.

  Classic ASR was Search, but Response is also critical, most especially at sea. The two pronged approach where you have a fast component to get someone there to take charge, immediate help and coordination (Thunderbird 1) followed by the heavier assets with specialized functions (Thunderbird 2, carrying 4 and other pods').

  Off the soapbox...

I can see the argument for getting out to the search area fast and then (using swing wings) cruising around relatively slowly to conduct the search. However the question then is, how effective is a fast jet's search? Looking for a man in the water is damned difficult, even for an LRMPA with multiple observers behind bubble windows: what chance have two crew sat in the top of a fighter got? Until relatively recently, I'd have said "not much chance at all", but modern electonics might make it viable. Could FLIR/targetting pod technology be used to provide a broad-area search sensor, perhaps with automatic target aquisition so that the back-seater only has to "examine the flagged contacts" rather than staring at a screen for hours?

I still think that something like a high-subsonic business jet, as actually used by various air arms, is a more viable fast-responder than a fighter. If you're going really whiffy, why not make something like a swing-wing supersonic business jet? 

[pyro-manic]

That could be interesting - Revell do some bizjets (Learjet, Falcon, maybe a couple of others) in 1:48. Stick an IRST turret and some liferaft pods, flares, etc underneath, and put it in coastguard colours. A Hind would look epic in bright yellow.

[martinbayer]

How about a member of the Harrier family?

Martin

[raafif]

I like the CH-53 idea




Maybe a Sea-Buffalo ? (the one with rubber raft & tip-floats).

[Mossie]

Fairey Rotodyne.

[rickshaw]

Shagbat - when nothing else can fly, a Shagbat will always get through.   

[scooter]

Ekranoplan!  Not quite plane, not quite boat.

[Army of One]

Ekranoplan!  Not quite plane, not quite boat.

Like the idea......my knowledge ain't great on them....what would it be like in choppy seas.....? Would it be to low to carry out a decent visual search....?