The reason why the battleships are history is that they are out of gun
barrels. They had a huge stockpile of 16/45 gun tubes left over from
WW2 but nobody can make them any more. I think the USS IOWA & her
sisters are officially retired and placed as memorials, but the
machinery is still under nitrogen blankets, so they might just be able
to be recalled.

We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero, just to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.

Dennis.

The reason why the battleships are history is that they are out of gun
barrels. They had a huge stockpile of 16/45 gun tubes left over from
WW2 but nobody can make them any more.


"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero, just to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.


Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em..... OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike.... hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!

No boat that sails well is ever fully obsolete, gaff-riggers still
work. A battleship is an awesome naval platform and the USN is smart
to keep this option on the table.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

it's me wrote:

"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero, just to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.

Dennis, you do know the RN historic flight has two flying Swordfish
don't you? (and there are others)

Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em.....

I wouldn't like to be in the Swordfish. Drop to maybe 300kts and use
the Gatling. No problem. I'll be surprised if there aren't any
ship-mounted cannon that would work nicely.

OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike....

Really? Those things do Mach 4 don't they - following sound is a neat
trick when you're inside a shock wave system. But the Swordfish is
metal framed, and should show up nicely on radar.


hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!

Now as a wood-and-fabric aircraft that might be hard to track on Radar...
snip

Andy

Andy Champ wrote:
it's me wrote:

"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero,
just to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.

Dennis, you do know the RN historic flight has two flying Swordfish
don't you? (and there are others)

Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em.....

I wouldn't like to be in the Swordfish. Drop to maybe 300kts and use
the Gatling. No problem. I'll be surprised if there aren't any
ship-mounted cannon that would work nicely.

OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike....

Really? Those things do Mach 4 don't they - following sound is a neat
trick when you're inside a shock wave system. But the Swordfish is
metal framed, and should show up nicely on radar.


hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!

Now as a wood-and-fabric aircraft that might be hard to track on Radar...
snip

Andy

There is usually enough metal in a wood and fabric airplane to show up
on radar.

But the low speed may be below the radar speed gate.
In which case...

"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Andy Champ wrote:
it's me wrote:

"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero,
just to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.

Dennis, you do know the RN historic flight has two flying Swordfish don't
you? (and there are others)

Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em.....

I wouldn't like to be in the Swordfish. Drop to maybe 300kts and use the
Gatling. No problem. I'll be surprised if there aren't any ship-mounted
cannon that would work nicely.

OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike....

Really? Those things do Mach 4 don't they - following sound is a neat
trick when you're inside a shock wave system. But the Swordfish is metal
framed, and should show up nicely on radar.


hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!

Now as a wood-and-fabric aircraft that might be hard to track on Radar...
snip

Andy

There is usually enough metal in a wood and fabric airplane to show up
on radar.

But the low speed may be below the radar speed gate.
In which case...

Phalanx......

mmc wrote:
"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Andy Champ wrote:
it's me wrote:
"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero,
just to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.

Dennis, you do know the RN historic flight has two flying Swordfish don't
you? (and there are others)
Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em.....
I wouldn't like to be in the Swordfish. Drop to maybe 300kts and use the
Gatling. No problem. I'll be surprised if there aren't any ship-mounted
cannon that would work nicely.

OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike....
Really? Those things do Mach 4 don't they - following sound is a neat
trick when you're inside a shock wave system. But the Swordfish is metal
framed, and should show up nicely on radar.


hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!
Now as a wood-and-fabric aircraft that might be hard to track on Radar...
snip

Andy
There is usually enough metal in a wood and fabric airplane to show up
on radar.

But the low speed may be below the radar speed gate.
In which case...

Phalanx......


I would suspect the same problem here.
Phalanx is designed to deal with high speed threats.

On Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:38:24 -0500, cavelamb
wrote:

There is usually enough metal in a wood and fabric airplane to show up
on radar.

Wood and fabric over a metal tubing cage for the fuselage. John
Wayne's minesweeper had wood planking over aluminum frames.

Casady

"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
mmc wrote:
"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Andy Champ wrote:
it's me wrote:
"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero,
just to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.

Dennis, you do know the RN historic flight has two flying Swordfish
don't you? (and there are others)
Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em.....
I wouldn't like to be in the Swordfish. Drop to maybe 300kts and use
the Gatling. No problem. I'll be surprised if there aren't any
ship-mounted cannon that would work nicely.

OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike....
Really? Those things do Mach 4 don't they - following sound is a neat
trick when you're inside a shock wave system. But the Swordfish is
metal framed, and should show up nicely on radar.


hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!
Now as a wood-and-fabric aircraft that might be hard to track on
Radar...
snip

Andy
There is usually enough metal in a wood and fabric airplane to show up
on radar.

But the low speed may be below the radar speed gate.
In which case...

Phalanx......
I would suspect the same problem here.
Phalanx is designed to deal with high speed threats.

Phalanx is also designed to aquire and target slow moving and hovering
aircraft as well as surface ships.
Regards,
JR

"it's me" wrote in message
...

The reason why the battleships are history is that they are out of gun
barrels. They had a huge stockpile of 16/45 gun tubes left over from
WW2 but nobody can make them any more.


"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero, just
to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.


Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em..... OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike.... hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!

No boat that sails well is ever fully obsolete, gaff-riggers still
work. A battleship is an awesome naval platform and the USN is smart
to keep this option on the table.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

And they make superb targets for Exocets!

On Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:43:51 +0100, "Duncan Heenan"
wrote:




"it's me" wrote in message
...

The reason why the battleships are history is that they are out of gun
barrels. They had a huge stockpile of 16/45 gun tubes left over from
WW2 but nobody can make them any more.


"Dennis Pogson" wrote:
We could then bring back the Fairey Swordfish and the Japanese Zero, just
to
see if they can still sink these monstrosities.


Sure.... they might be slow enough that an F-18 couldn't touch
'em..... OTOH the AMRAAMs can be configured to home on engine noise so
they probably couldn't get within sight much less close enough to
strike.... hey let's bring back the Sopwith Camel too!

No boat that sails well is ever fully obsolete, gaff-riggers still
work. A battleship is an awesome naval platform and the USN is smart
to keep this option on the table.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

And they make superb targets for Exocets!

An Exocet will try to hit just above the water line, midships, where
they would remove some paint from the 12 inch belt armor.

Casady