the Sea Vixen was a multi role type… i wonder how meny air to ground sorties they done… when the Buccaneer arrived i would have thought the Vixen had a 100% air to air role… i have seen a picture somewhere of a Vixen loaded up with 4 Bullpups… what other air to ground weapons did they carry….. was the Vixen ever used in anger….

The Sea Vixen was used in the sinking of the wreck of the Torrey Canyon, along with the RN Buccaneers and RAF Hunters. The Vixens using a mix of 1000 pounders and Napalm.

With reheat [later marks] and delta wings the Javelin was probably aiming to be more than the Sea Vixen (DH110), given that the latter is a clear larger development of previous the DH twin boom fighter concept, albeit with axial flow engines and highly swept wings, however the Javelin did have a lot of problems and was under continuous development with about 9 marks versus the Vixen’s 2.

The main problems with the Javelin included the fact it was recommended not to roll it (a bit silly for a fighter!), the fact that its thrust output diminished when the reheat was engaged and so its use was restricted to altitudes above 10,000ft. I have read that this was because of insufficient fuel flow, but I think its more likely that a lack of a variable geometry nozzle to relieve the backpressure that is caused by the reheat system was what probably diminished the performance. The T-tail produced a few problems and lastly the thick wing section prevented true supersonic flight. There was a thin-wing supersonic Javelin on the drawing board but that I think was killed off either by the infamous Defence White Paper of 1957 or perhaps because the RAF or MoD had lost faith in Glosters?

The Jav was not called the Drag Queen for nothing 😀 😀 😀 .

The Reheat thrust loss was mainly at low level (due to the Reheat fuel pump causing fuel starvation on the main fuel pump (the reheat and main fuel pumps were feed off the same supply pipe :confused: :confused: , if memory serves), at high altitude the main fuel pump feeding the front end needed less fuel at max dry output, hence the fuel system could cope with the required extra demand for gas in reheat (which again was less, than at low level).

Here you go:

The Sikorsky S-56, called the CH-37 Mojave by the US Army and HR2S-1 by the US Marine Corps, was a large heavy-lift helicopter by the standards of the 1950s. It came into being as an assault transport for the USMC, with a capacity of 26 fully-equipped troops; the order was placed in 1951, the first prototype flew in 1953, and production deliveries began in July 1956 to Marine Corps Squadron HMX-1, sixty aircraft in total being produced.

The US Army evaluated the prototype in 1954 and ordered 94 examples as the CH-37A, the first being delivered also in summer 1956. All Marine and Army examples were delivered by mid-1960. Army examples were all upgraded to CH-37B status in the early 1960s, being given Lear auto-stabilization equipment and the ability to load and unload while hovering. In the 1962 unification of US military aircraft designations, USMC examples became CH-37C.

At the time of delivery, the CH-37 was the largest helicopter in the Western world, and it was Sikorsky’s first twin-engined helicopter. Two Pratt & Whitney Double Wasps were mounted in outboard pods that also contained the retractable landing gear. This left the fuselage free for cargo, which could be loaded and unloaded through large clamshell doors in the nose. The single main rotor was five-bladed, and designed to function with one blade shot away in combat.

The CH-37 was one of the last heavy helicopters to use piston engines, which were larger, heavier and less powerful than the turboshafts subsequently employed. This accounted for the type’s fairly short service life, all being withdrawn from service by the late 1960s, replaced in Army service by the CH-54 Tarhe.

Four CH-37Bs were deployed to Vietnam in 1963 to assist in the recovery of downed US aircraft. They were very successful at this role, recovering over $7.5 million dollars’ worth of equipment, some of which was recovered from behind enemy lines.

Westland had a Licensed Private Venture turbine powered prototype based on the CH-37 called the Westminster if memory serves. The project was cancelled when Westland’s took over Fairey and continued with the Rotadyne (Which was then cancelled as well).

But on the positive side, we had 30 mins of aviation on BBC1, which is 30 mins more than usual….. 😀

Well, BBC 1 East for us lucky few. 🙂 I’ve got it burnt on DVD for Canopener Al, who told me about it 30 minutes before it was shown. Chance of repeat, I’d say about zero. 😡

USAF Edition.

Prices on the board are a little bit cheap!:)

I’d be surprised if the Hawk is not selected.

I think the escort might be a Spruance actually 🙂 Not a Perry anyway. Sigh if only. I never got past tanks and attack choppers. Built a fairly faithful AMX-10RC at one stage. Still got it largely intact at my folks place IIRC. Should get the stuff for my own kids, but, nah 🙂

Daniel

Its not a Spruance, Rear Funnel is off set on that class. A Perry should have a Phalanx on the hanger, but the funnel is in the right place.