NationStates Jolt Archive

I wonder if an aircraft could be given the features of a hovercraft. Specifically, a retracting/folding/whatever curtain, which would prove very small relative to whatever craft it was on. Either the regular aircraft engines, or a seperate engine, would be used to create the air cushion under the aircraft, as it came to land on any flat surface(water, airfields, flat fields, roads, etc). There would need to be some sort of retractable wheel too, to provide solid breaking once landed, but this could be much smaller than a regular aircraft wheel, not needing to actually support the aircraft's weight.

I have noticed a few old old prototypes, but nothing recent, and nothing used. I'm trying to figure out if there is some major flaw in this concept that I am not seeing.

Harriers could do that, if the pilot was pwny enough.

Major flaw: Why would we need an aircraft to land on water, when it could just land on a carrier?

It seems...unnecessary. But its probably possible.

So a mix between the Harrier Jupm Jet and the Squirt?

So a mix between the Harrier Jupm Jet and the Squirt?
Yeah that'd be great! It could fly, zoom, and blow up Argentinians, then procede to land on a small island near the Antartic, speak that crazy British lingo, and then...wait, what's the Squirt!? Oh well, I'm sure its like the harrier, but on water?! That's right, good. Anyhow, the machine could then land on water while the pilot has coffe and a doughnut, *pointless ranting continuing on and on, and you realize I have no idea what I'm talking about* then continue to bomb and plunder the developing world....

Yeah that'd be great! It could fly, zoom, and blow up Argentinians, then procede to land on a small island near the Antartic, speak that crazy British lingo, and then...wait, what's the Squirt!? Oh well, I'm sure its like the harrier, but on water?! That's right, good. Anyhow, the machine could then land on water while the pilot has coffe and a doughnut, *pointless ranting continuing on and on, and you realize I have no idea what I'm talking about* then continue to bomb and plunder the developing world....
The Squirt(I think it is the name) was created by a British company late WWII and served in the Pacific it was a Jet plane that could land and take off on water it had an underbelly shaped similairily(Im making words up again?)to that of a boats hull.

i tried Googling it in both image and text and got no luck.

http://www.csd.uwo.ca/~pettypi/elevon/gustin_military/nickname.html

I found this and i went down to Squirt and what do you know.....

Squirt= Saro SR.A/1 Flying boat jet fighter


http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v1/v1n3/saro.html
http://tanks45.tripod.com/Jets45/Histories/SRA-1/SRA1.htm

Harriers could do that, if the pilot was pwny enough.

Major flaw: Why would we need an aircraft to land on water, when it could just land on a carrier?

It seems...unnecessary. But its probably possible.

A. Carriers are few, and expensive. Water is utterly abundant. This would make it better when a plane didn't have enough fuel to reach the carrier, when aircraft too large for carriers needed to land over water, make carriers less important, etc.

B. This would allow planes to land both on land and water, where most systems don't allow this(carriers being the closest thing).

C. I bet special forces could find some crazy stealth application that let them fly into enemy territory, then glide onto the land... or something...

I wonder if an aircraft could be given the features of a hovercraft. Specifically, a retracting/folding/whatever curtain, which would prove very small relative to whatever craft it was on. Either the regular aircraft engines, or a seperate engine, would be used to create the air cushion under the aircraft, as it came to land on any flat surface(water, airfields, flat fields, roads, etc). There would need to be some sort of retractable wheel too, to provide solid breaking once landed, but this could be much smaller than a regular aircraft wheel, not needing to actually support the aircraft's weight.

I have noticed a few old old prototypes, but nothing recent, and nothing used. I'm trying to figure out if there is some major flaw in this concept that I am not seeing.
What about the Osprey mixed with the Harrier and the Squirt?

Who cares what purpose they would serve. Any nation that had them would PWNZ JOO!

What about the Osprey mixed with the Harrier and the Squirt?

VTOL Jets + Floatable bottom + movable propellers?

Ehm... I think my idea is a bit simpler.

VTOL Jets + Floatable bottom + movable propellers?

Ehm... I think my idea is a bit simpler.
Perhaps but the Osprey is crap.

Who cares what purpose they would serve. Any nation that had them would PWNZ JOO!
:p