Battleship/Carrier hybrid

[ysi_maniac]

The idea is to have 2 floors. Low floor with main turrets and over it a flying deck, only first and last (lowest level). This idea is intended to give a WWII battleship an autonomous air coverage. I think it is possible to build a 140 meter long flight deck allowing main guns to elevate 45 degrees.

Do you take the idea?

[proditor]

I see you have begun your search for the Holy Grail of naval combat in the 1930's, the aircraft equipped surface combatant.   

Everyone has taken a shot at it design-wise, and the best source for ideas I can suggest is "The Hybrid Warship" by R. D. Layman and Stephen McLaughlin.

The problem is that I'm not sure where to tell you to get this otherwise excellent book as it is LONG out of print and usually goes for well in excess of $100 US.  I have a few photocopied pages of the designs, and I understand there are more...pirate-like...ways to get the book.  It is a stunner though, just based on all of the drawings and the little bit of text I've seen.

[dragon]

IJN ISE


Iowa-Class FACES II
http://www.ipmsusa2.org/Reviews/features/Heavy_Assault_Ship_Conversion/Heavy_Assault_Ship_Conversion.htm

I suppose IJN Shinano does not count.

[Weaver]

I see you have begun your search for the Holy Grail of naval combat in the 1930's, the aircraft equipped surface combatant.   

Everyone has taken a shot at it design-wise, and the best source for ideas I can suggest is "The Hybrid Warship" by R. D. Layman and Stephen McLaughlin.

The problem is that I'm not sure where to tell you to get this otherwise excellent book as it is LONG out of print and usually goes for well in excess of $100 US.  I have a few photocopied pages of the designs, and I understand there are more...pirate-like...ways to get the book.  It is a stunner though, just based on all of the drawings and the little bit of text I've seen.

Our local library used to have it, but when I went there for the first ime in ages the other week, it had gone....

[Jschmus]

There was a proposal to make something similar out of the RN's Lion Class battleships.

http://www.dataviewbooks.com/lion.html

In an attempt to salvage something, a plan was proposed to finish the ships as grotesque hybrids, with a flight deck from amidships aft and a carrier style island offset to starboard, while the forward 16-inch turrets and some of the 5.25-inch secondary mounts would be retained. The advisability of such a scheme was highly questionable, as it would have resulted in ships with less firepower and more vulnerability than a conventional battleship, and a shorter flight deck and smaller aircraft capacity than regular fleet carriers. Carriers were indeed needed, but the light fleet ships then taking shape were much more viable than the "battle-carrier" plan ever was.

Also, in 1939, there were at least three proposals for a USN cruiser/carrier hybrid, with either three 8-inch or six 6-inch guns, plus a carrier deck.

http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/albums/s511-cv.htm

The problem with these hybrid vessel types is that they can do a little of either role, but don't do them well.

[dy031101]

Right now I can only say that I look forward to your work. 

[puddingwrestler]

The major porblem with any idea like this is the dreaded muzzle blast. There is a reason most battleships have nothing forard of the turrets and tend to fire broadsides anyway; firing a full turret worth of 16 inch guns forard could actually rip the wooden decks up. God knows what it'd do to the underside of a flight deck.

[Weaver]

Also, there's turbulence to consider. Pre WWII aircraft were really badly affected by the smoothness or otherwise of the airflow behind the ship's structures, and a forest of barrels and turrets is just about guaranteed to generate unwelcome vortices.

[philp]

Rusty did finish his New Jersey but the only pic I can find is this one.

[D-Angle]

What about a trimaran configuration, with guns on a main central hull, and two shorter hulls either side with ramp-equipped flight decks?

[lenny100]

already done one
and i have the book which ifor at a jumble sale for 50 pence

[proditor]

The major porblem with any idea like this is the dreaded muzzle blast. There is a reason most battleships have nothing forard of the turrets and tend to fire broadsides anyway; firing a full turret worth of 16 inch guns forard could actually rip the wooden decks up. God knows what it'd do to the underside of a flight deck.

I believe the word you're looking for is "confetti".   

[Radish]

I do like that idea of the Iowa..........a king George Vth Class/assault carrier at Suez?

[lenny100]

I do like that idea of the Iowa..........a king George Vth Class/assault carrier at Suez?

mine







its still looking this way on my unfinished model shelf

[proditor]

Mine all look the same as when I posted them a while back.  Shame, I liked the custom mast I did for the Iowa.

For reference sake: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,25902.0.html