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

[Cobra]

Ekranoplans,also known as WIGEs skim the Sea Surface, kinda like a Hovercraft. not sure Who offers a Model of an Ekranoplan or the Price. does that Help,Army of One? Dan

[RussC]

Ekranoplan!  Not quite plane, not quite boat.

Hear hear! must be my aging gray matter for not thinking of that!

[PR19_Kit]

....... Who offers a Model of an Ekranoplan or the Price. does that Help,Army of One? Dan

Revell did one of the smaller A-90 Orlyonok ones, the one with one big turboprop on top of the fin, but it was 1/144 scale.

[Mossie]

Ekranoplan!  Not quite plane, not quite boat.

Good call & it's got real world legs.  The Lun class were in the process of being converted into a civillian rescue version, Spasatel, before eventually being cancelled.  This is right up Dan's street as it would have been pretty much a real world Thunderbird.  A few hundred personell could be carried & operations could be conducted when stationary from it's wings.  It would have even carried a mini-sub piggyback.  Conversion was nearly complete on one example before it was cancelled.  Would look good in Emercom colours (basically as close as the real-world gets to 'International Rescue') with a big 7 on it's tail!

[Cobra]

Cool thanks for posting that,Mossie Dan

[Mossie]

No probs Dan, thought you'd like it! 

[Cobra]

think a PV-1 Ventura would work for ASR Duty? Saw the 1/48 model at my Local Hobby Shop.Dan

[Weaver]

I like the idea of a CH-53 too, especially with the MH-53's giant fuel sponsons.......

The ekranoplan would be great for the actual rescue, particulary if large numbers of people were involved, such as a cruise liner in trouble, for example. I don't think it's search capability would be good though, due to it's low operating altitude. I think it would still need a fast high-flyer to do the actual search. The high-flyer could also provide a comms relay station in the days before satcom (this was one of the most important functions that Nimrods did in ASR).

[rickshaw]

think a PV-1 Ventura would work for ASR Duty? Saw the 1/48 model at my Local Hobby Shop.Dan

Why not?  Hudsons were essentially operated as ASR aircraft with a lifeboat carried in the bomb-bay.

[The Wooksta!]

I still want to do a Canberra flying boat in RAF ASR colours.  The yellow one.

[martinbayer]

Perhaps a modified Convair Sea Dart?

Martin

[scooter]

think a PV-1 Ventura would work for ASR Duty? Saw the 1/48 model at my Local Hobby Shop.Dan

Why not?  Hudsons were essentially operated as ASR aircraft with a lifeboat carried in the bomb-bay.

As were B-17s, as SB-17s.  Academy did, if not still does, one in 72d scale

[Army of One]

Ekranoplans,also known as WIGEs skim the Sea Surface, kinda like a Hovercraft. not sure Who offers a Model of an Ekranoplan or the Price. does that Help,Army of One? Dan

Many thanks.....I was aware sort of how they worked.....just wasn't sure on the sea handling characteristics once stopped at the rescue site if in stormy seas....whereas a helo can still to a certain effect pick up/winch casualties up.....the Revel option has been covered by someone else.....cheers....H

[Weaver]

Once an Ekranoplan's stopped, it's basically a boat with outrigger floats, i.e. stable, but with some "interesting" movement modes. It's ability to withstand high seas would still be proportional to it's size. Structurally though, it's still nearer to an aeroplane than a ship, and I for one wouldn't relish the prospect of trying to maneuver one next to a possibly out-of-control ship in a heavy sea. A better MO would probably be to stand off a short distance and use RIBs to ferry people back and forth. If helos could get to the site, they could also ferry people straight from the ship to the Ekanoplan, which would use their fuel more efficently and get around their capacity limits.

[pyro-manic]

That could make for an interesting look - boat decks and davits along the sides of the fuselage, possibly (probably) with roller-doors or hatches to cover them in-flight. Or a nose/tail that folds up and boats stowed behind that?