Armed Escort Tiltrotor

LemonJello wrote:

I've been thinking (I have quite a bit of time on my hands, it seems) about a gun/cannon for my build and I keep bouncing between a turret under the nose and a fixed, forward firing gun/guns.  I'm leaning more toward the fixed setup, because I can move them up to the sides of the fuselage and leave the underside clear forward for hellfire launches.  Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.   Trigger, now everytime I see your avatar photo, I think "Using the whole fist there, doc?" and "Moon River"...

I've been thinking (I have quite a bit of time on my hands, it seems) about a gun/cannon for my build and I keep bouncing between a turret under the nose and a fixed, forward firing gun/guns.  I'm leaning more toward the fixed setup, because I can move them up to the sides of the fuselage and leave the underside clear forward for hellfire launches.  Any suggestions/comments would be appreciated.

Trigger, now everytime I see your avatar photo, I think "Using the whole fist there, doc?" and "Moon River"...

That will be a tough finish to tackle Trigger.  It is almost a flip flop color.  I'm still up in the air about a scheme for now.  MARPAT seems good, but I am leaning toward a hybrid finish using the new AF helo gray and a pattern based on...that is a good question.

Pics will be forthcoming.  I finally settled on a basic layout.  I have alot of putty and I am considering buying stock in Evergreen.  I hope to lay it all out and look at it this week and I will take a shot or two then.

Mac

Ah, yes, that strange new finish that the V-22 is showing up in more and more.  That'll be a cool look, how are you going to do it?  I've thought of possibly using a semi-gloss or satin finish clear coat, but I don't know if that would work or not...

I don't want my escort in the usual greys, so I may just give desert MARPAT a go on the top surfaces, at least. 

Before I left I was trying to work out the hardpoints for weapons, I think I can get 3-4 on the fuselage, depending on what I'm going to carry.  I've thought of using a centerline gunpod vice a chin turret and then the two outboard stations would be rockets/missiles in a 3 station config.  With a 4, I'd go with more missiles and a gun in the nose/chin.  Not that the Mohawk gives you much nose to play with, so I guess it'd have to be a turret of some sort. 

As promised, here is what I have

Interesting concept, I don't know if it would have worked or not, sure would have been a maintenance nightmare though.

John,

Nope, the project is no longer classified.  In fact, there are 20 boxes of documents that I'm in the process of going through and pulling all of the great historical material.  I'm a little upset that there hasn't been much on the Sikorsky S-67 Blackhawk, but the stuff I'm going through now is from the 63-65 timeframe, when the Sikorsky entry was still the S-66.

Here's the General Dynamics entry.  Remember, this is the same company that brought you the B-58, F-106 and F-16.  What were they thinking?!

Kinda reminds me of a Ball Python...

Hey guys,

I haven't been a part of this thread, but I wanted to share something with you all that I came across today.  I've been working in the Army Aviation Museum archives doing some research while on "bubble" before I start Primary.  I've been neck deep in the AAFSS Program files and have come across the original proposal responses for this program from the major companies.  The AAFSS was the Advanced Aerial Fire Support System: what became the AH-56 Cheyenne.  However, some corporations didn't think that a helicopter was the way to go.  The following images are concept drawings from Boeing-Vertol of exactly what you guys have been building.

LJ-
That will just give you more time to dream up ideas.  Take care buddy and let us know how you are doing.

As for the Beast from the Southeast, progress slowed to a crawl for quite a while then we had a baby.  I have managed to get a lot figured out and put together recently and it doesn't look like the monstrosity that I was afraid of.  I will try to get a couple of shots posted soon so LJ won't feel bad at all about the amount of putty he is facing.

Mac

Phil, she's a winner and I'll come right out and say it...I'm jealous!  You've really done a great job blending the two kits together to make a killer escort.  I've been getting some work done on my beast and I can only hope she looks half as good as yours. 

Hope I have some photos to show soon, but things are hectic as of late.

Phil

You put a lot of work into it and the results are great

Hey, thanks to all for the comments.  Here are some more pictures.  Now that I have added some weapons and done a little light weathering, I think I'm done.  Overall, I'd have to say that I am pretty happy with how it turned out.  However, there are a few minor things I would change if I did it again, but as a concept demonstrator, I think it works.  Thanks to everyone who had helpful suggestions and comments. 

I had a lot of fun with this, and I look forward to seeing some of the other ideas as some of the other versions progress.  As always, comments and suggestions welcome, both the good and the bad, it can only help those who are still working.

Phil

I too, wish I could have been in this one earlier.  Such is life in fora, though <g>

Now, as someone with way too many MV-22A hours in MS Flight Sim, the low speed flight attitude makes for some interesting dynamics and attitudes.  You can't really "wheel" around, helo-style on the bird.  (One of my cronies works over a Vertol and says the FS model is "really close")  That actually makes a good case for a remotely operated turret or turrets.

The Citation "blend" actually carries that out well.

Now, as a former CAS "customer" I know one of the very real problems working in the littoral is "you use whatcha got."  I've often wondered when we'll see an "aramament" kit for the stock Osprey.  Not being very fast (CH-53E speeds), that could mean MG's in side window mounts.  But, what a person could also do is put a multi-purpose rail (rails) over the mainmounts' side sponsons (surprise, bad guys, sidewinder or the tube-pack stinger; oh, and yes, ground bad guys, those are TOWs or hellfires <G>.

For refueling, I still wonder why they just don't use a system similar to the S-3, with a central probe up and over the cockpit--but I suspect the wing root transmission & pivot assembly is a bit in the way.  Which still suggests to me that a 53-style probe might work, instead.

Hmm, what an excellent thought excercise (which helps get over the jealosy of how nicely the model went together . . . )