Polar Wars - General Discussion

[perttime]

Finland used to have a short Arctic coastline. There was also the richest nickle mine in Europe, in Petsamo.

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Hmmm, what would it take for the situation to change so that Finland could take it back from Russia?

[Nick]

I had to look that up only to find that I was wrong in thinking Finland had an Arctic coastline, only short, but I thought it had one. You live and learn 

I was thinking that too and Finland DID have an Arctic coast between 1920 and 1945. They were awarded the Pechenga Province as part of the Treaty of Tartu. After WW2 the Soviet Union claimed it all back as reparations. In 1947 the Soviets had to buy another part for the hydroelectric power for their region!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pechengsky_District

[Weaver]

Inspirations:

Antonov An-14 and An-714 with air-cushioned landing systems.
Only ever experimental as far as I know.

[Weaver]

Inspirations:

Russian Van-like tracked ATVs:

[Weaver]

Inspirations:

Russian Aerosans:








Czech Tatra V855 Aerosan:

[PR19_Kit]

Track Rovers...................... 

How Track Rangers, or Track Discoverers, or Track Freelanders? But NOT Track Evoques! Horrid looking things.

[Weaver]

Inspirations:

More aerosans:

[Weaver]

Track Rovers...................... 

How Track Rangers, or Track Discoverers, or Track Freelanders? But NOT Track Evoques! Horrid looking things.

Custom Tracked Discovery model:



Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6y1-MaSKSI

[Nick]

Inspirations:

Tatra V855. Designed by the Czechs for the Nazi war machine. Only 2 were built and the photo is of the modern replica.

You've reminded me I have the Attack Hobby kit of this in my stash. 1/72, 2 in the box.

[Weaver]

Tatra V855. Designed by the Czechs for the Nazi war machine. Only 2 were built and the photo is of the modern replica.

You've reminded me I have the Attack Hobby kit of this in my stash. 1/72, 2 in the box.

Thank you - corrected the original post.

[NARSES2]

Finland used to have a short Arctic coastline. There was also the richest nickle mine in Europe, in Petsamo.

Ah, right. Apologies but I'd forgotten Finland had lost it after WWII.  I remembered the Petsamo mines had been lost, working in the steel industry, but still thought there was a tiny strip of coast line.

[zenrat]

Air cushion landing gear would make landings with a cross wind even more interesting.

[PR19_Kit]

Custom Tracked Discovery model:

        

[Pellson]

Hmmm, what would it take for the situation to change so that Finland could take it back from Russia?

Are you sure you really want it back? Mordor will look like a clean place in comparison..

But speaking of Finnish forces - what are really the colours on the green MiG-21bis/Hawk T51s? Is it really a green and a brown?

[Weaver]

Air cushion landing gear would make landings with a cross wind even more interesting.

Yeah good point: no friction to fight the drift. You might need more fin area AND bigger rudders to fight it, and that would only work while you had a decent amount of forward speed, unless the rudders were right in the prop wash.

Hmmm... that's got me thinking: most air-cushioned landing testbeds have been adapted from other aircraft. What if you designed one from scratch, with pusher props on the wings lined up with an H-tail who's fins-with-big-rudders crossed the tailplane right on the axis of the props?