pierson@cimnet.enet.dec.com (I am the NRA 20-Jun-1991 1210) (06/21/91)
From: I am the NRA 20-Jun-1991 1210 <pierson@cimnet.enet.dec.com>
(i will try to keep my airship ramblings down. really.)
Someone asked about UNREPing an airship. nooooo problem. The fleet exercises
with the Akron & Macon (& Los Angeles i think) proved out the concept in the
20s. A mast was mounted on an auxilliary (one was on the "oiler" Patoka(?)).
As with any "mooring", of any ship, you were usually better off riding out
severe storms on your own. There were exercises in the 50s doing the same
thing with the later blimps from carriers with a temporary mooring mast
rigged.
A blimp can, within reason carry anything an a/c can. The fit for WWII
K-Ships included crew of four, four depth charges (450lbs torpex), 0.50
Browning "turret" in the nose ("rear protection was usually provided by a BAR
thru a removable window" I have this image of aircrew "requisitioning" the
BARs, well before they were authorized...), radio, radar (APR mumble? 90 mi
range), LORAN (when LORAN was 500lbs, not 1 lb) MAD set (yep, MAD dates back),
blind/night flying equipment. All this for 26 hour endurance, which could be
stretched. (AWACS fans can consider the last blimp built, ca 1960, put a
monster antenna _inside_ the bag. Speed a bit less then AWACS...)
===================
Grenades:
Originally from Spanish "granato(?sp)", a bunch of grapes. The evolution of
military terms, like other specialized jargon, is not usually rigorous.
(several long winded examples suppressed: torpedo, bomb....). My observation
is that things get named by use, or most nearest similar application. The
payload in the "grenade launcher projectile" is about the same as that in the
hand grenade, gets used against the same targets, for roughly the same reasons.
OKAY. Its A Grenade. Also, the structure of the round varies. A round to
be fired from a conventional gun/cannon needs to pretty strong, to stand the
firing shock. The (hand) grenade doesn't need to be that strong. More bang.
The "grenade launchers", optimized around short range, hand grenade like use,
have low impulse, so a lighter weight (more bang) projectile results.
thanks
dave pierson |the facts, as accurately as i can manage,
Digital Equipment Corporation |the opinions, my own.
600 Nickerson Rd
Marlboro, Mass
01752 pierson@cimnet.enet.dec.com
"He has read everything, and, to his credit, written nothing." A J Rafflesamichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) (06/24/91)
From: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu (Allen J Michielsen) >From: I am the NRA 20-Jun-1991 1210 <pierson@cimnet.enet.dec.com> >A blimp can, within reason carry anything an a/c can. The fit for WWII >K-Ships included crew of four, four depth charges (450lbs torpex),...... >range), LORAN (when LORAN was 500lbs, not 1 lb) MAD set (yep, MAD dates back), >blind/night flying equipment. All this for 26 hour endurance, which could be Seeing this, really makes me seriously wonder just how blimps compared in surface ships for sub hunting duties. Depth charges are effective only when delivered fairly close to target, and the extra error induced from altitude drop seemsa problem. Further, I had thought that the top speeds and operational speeds (and limitations) would present another operational sub hunting handicap. It might be interesting to see how this concept would work today with laser guided drop depth charges, and torpedos. al -- Al. Michielsen, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Syracuse University InterNet: amichiel@rodan.acs.syr.edu amichiel@sunrise.acs.syr.edu Bitnet: AMICHIEL@SUNRISE