What-If 100 Knot Navy

[indigodave]

If you type this title into google you get a design of a sidewall hovercraft aircraft carrier and frigate illustrated by Wilf Hardy. I remember seeing these as a kid and would love to make both in 1/700 scale. Any suggestions for scratchbuilds?

[indigodave]

Here are the images I was on about. I think they were designs by Bell. They were illustrated by Wilf Hardy a Fantastic artist, very technical

[Seasick]

All those rounded surfaces! Make them a little more modern and add angular non-90 degree surfaces where possible. That carrier is a real hoot though. 100 knots? It wouldn't need catipults, just turn into the wind and have the jet go to full afterburn. Should do the trick.

[Timmy C]

Catapults should still be needed when the ship doesn't have the maneuvering room needed for a 100 knot speed.

[indigodave]

Indeed, I remember reading no catapults and no arrestor wires as the ship was supposedly at a very close to aircraft landing speed but I think a Tomcat would stall at 100 knots.
It said that the illustration showed no one on deck as they would be knocked over by the headwind As for room to maneuver even Nuclear carriers head into the wind for safe Take offs and landing although I think I read they can catapult aircraft with zero wind over the deck.

Also whilst modern naval stealth is going along the lines of sharpe angles Northrop aircraft like the stealth bomber and Tacit Blue demonstator have plenty of smooth curves. I'll point out though that these designs in the 70's did not concern themselves with stealth which wasn't widespread but rather the old idea of speed as defense although I think an exocet is pretty fast

[Seasick]

If the plane has a landing speed at 145 knots of instance the carrier goes into the wind at 100 knots and the plane would land at around 50 knots speed. That's a cake walk.

[indigodave]

Yes that sounds reasonable, I'm not aware of the figures but I think if the ship allowed you to do away with catapults and arrestor wires it would make the ship cheaper, smaller and a better answer than VTOL carriers as high performance jets could still be used and the ships speed would be a relatively good defense, especially against submarines. But how feasable is it to get the ship up to that speed? Responce times in steering, Operating in the Atlantic weather? Anyway I was thinking of adapting a USS Wasp hull, increase the width, New flightdeck and island, scratch built skirt at the front, not sure at the back. And a Tomcat airgroup

[Russ2146]

The EMALS catapult placed at one end of the testing runway at Lakehurst, excuse me, its now part of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, has been able to launch with whatever wind is there, or not there. This includes everything currently in the Navy's inventory, including the F-35.

On landing though, it strikes me that the plane couldn't chop to the necessary speed above 100 Kts, until it was real close to the flight deck. And whiff they had a plane with a landing speed less than 100 Kts? Slow the carrier down?