Leafanistan
11-05-2008, 00:48
OOC: The Price wars for low cost aircraft is always something I've loved. So to make an 'end all' for bombers I present a bomber that anyone can build in their backyard and launch. I now challenge you to beat this monstrosity.
'Horse-fly' DIY Wooden Bomber
History
Born of desperation and the raid of an aircraft museum, the 'Horse-fly' was created by Ye Waiting in his workshop in a refugee camp. When the first squadron of these took off during brutal government suppression of the Shujunese Ultra-Nationalist Uprising, the woefully unprepared government forces were decimated by Xujun rocket pods destroying their armored personnel carriers. All 4 planes in the squadron later crash landed in a field 60 km away and were promptly rescued by sympathetic forces.
The Northern Baltic quickly responded with Tunguska antiaircraft guns at every raid, wasting resources, lowering morale, and risking trained troops and expensive equipment each time. Despite increased protection, suicide squadrons of 'Horse-flies' as they were later called by terrified troops raided rear area encampments, towns, and even a sports game in a dramatic National Day attack.
Airframe
The 'Horse-Fly' is a weapon of desperation and that is the mother of all invention. It's simple metal or PVC pipe construction with a plywood exterior, old car fuel tanks for fuel tanks, and a reverse engineered Argus As 014 pulse jet provide the motive power for the 'Horse-fly'. Due to the relatively simple pulse jets providing power, the 'Horse-fly' runs on simple gasoline fuel obtainable at any gas pump.
To take off a salvaged artillery rocket is used to provide enough power for the pulse jets to keep the plane in the air.
The cockpit is very simple and ejection is accomplished by firing explosive bolts salvaged from artillery rockets and the seat falls down allowing the pilot to pull his parachute provided he detaches himself from the seat.
The landing gear is non retractable and is of tricycle configuration made of old scooter parts. Most landings have destroyed the landing gear but the aircraft is usually meant as one use.
Due to its small size the most common pilots were women and children.
Avionics
While the rest of the aircraft is made of relatively simple materials there are two types of cockpits in existence. One was the first one built by Bruchnyehk and is called the Mark I, it contains a nautical compass, a commercial weather kit modified to act as an airspeed indicator and an altimeter and finally a civilian GPS receiver.
The second type of cockpit (Mark II) was made by Xiaoxiao -an alias- a computer hacker with Shujunese sympathies. It is a simple custom GUI running on Linux that uses surplus GPS modules from old car navigation systems to integrate and remove the compass, and external GPS receiver. This also makes strafing runs more accurate as the program cues the person to push the button to either to fire rockets. The analog weather instrumentation has been replaced with a set of digital instruments that are integrated with the on board computer.
Occasionally civilian nightvision kits for hunting were worn by pilots for nighttime missions.
Weapons
The plywood and metal/PVC pipe construction of the 'Horse-fly' means it cannot carry much. Two Xujun 57mm improvised rocket launchers make up its entire armament, and the rocket launchers are integral to the aircraft's frame. External aluminum pieces shield the sensitive wood from the backblast of the rockets.
A single RPK-74 with a modified 700mm barrel sits to the pilot's right. It has a limited up and down sweep motion and is mounted upside down with the magazine pointing straight into the air. The 45 round magazine is ill suited to long term strafing but it provides a useful defense against ground based machine gunners. An extra 3 30 round magazines are provided for the pilot along with an AKS-74U for when he lands to defend himself.
Specifications
Crew: 1
Length: 8.7 m
Wingspan: 6.7 m
Height: 2 m
Loaded Weight: 2500 kg
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 2900 kg
Powerplant; 2x Argus As 104 Pulse Jets
Performance
Maximum Speed: 630 kph
Combat Radius: 125 km
Ferry Range: 250 km
Service Ceiling: 600-900m
Armament
Guns: 1x RPK-74 with 45 round magazine and 3 spare 30 round magazines
Rockets: 2x integral Xujun 57mm rockets with a range of 1.5km
Bombs: Up to 10 grenades carried by pilot and dropped.
Cost: $9000 US
Cost for Plans: $300 US
'Horse-fly' DIY Wooden Bomber
History
Born of desperation and the raid of an aircraft museum, the 'Horse-fly' was created by Ye Waiting in his workshop in a refugee camp. When the first squadron of these took off during brutal government suppression of the Shujunese Ultra-Nationalist Uprising, the woefully unprepared government forces were decimated by Xujun rocket pods destroying their armored personnel carriers. All 4 planes in the squadron later crash landed in a field 60 km away and were promptly rescued by sympathetic forces.
The Northern Baltic quickly responded with Tunguska antiaircraft guns at every raid, wasting resources, lowering morale, and risking trained troops and expensive equipment each time. Despite increased protection, suicide squadrons of 'Horse-flies' as they were later called by terrified troops raided rear area encampments, towns, and even a sports game in a dramatic National Day attack.
Airframe
The 'Horse-Fly' is a weapon of desperation and that is the mother of all invention. It's simple metal or PVC pipe construction with a plywood exterior, old car fuel tanks for fuel tanks, and a reverse engineered Argus As 014 pulse jet provide the motive power for the 'Horse-fly'. Due to the relatively simple pulse jets providing power, the 'Horse-fly' runs on simple gasoline fuel obtainable at any gas pump.
To take off a salvaged artillery rocket is used to provide enough power for the pulse jets to keep the plane in the air.
The cockpit is very simple and ejection is accomplished by firing explosive bolts salvaged from artillery rockets and the seat falls down allowing the pilot to pull his parachute provided he detaches himself from the seat.
The landing gear is non retractable and is of tricycle configuration made of old scooter parts. Most landings have destroyed the landing gear but the aircraft is usually meant as one use.
Due to its small size the most common pilots were women and children.
Avionics
While the rest of the aircraft is made of relatively simple materials there are two types of cockpits in existence. One was the first one built by Bruchnyehk and is called the Mark I, it contains a nautical compass, a commercial weather kit modified to act as an airspeed indicator and an altimeter and finally a civilian GPS receiver.
The second type of cockpit (Mark II) was made by Xiaoxiao -an alias- a computer hacker with Shujunese sympathies. It is a simple custom GUI running on Linux that uses surplus GPS modules from old car navigation systems to integrate and remove the compass, and external GPS receiver. This also makes strafing runs more accurate as the program cues the person to push the button to either to fire rockets. The analog weather instrumentation has been replaced with a set of digital instruments that are integrated with the on board computer.
Occasionally civilian nightvision kits for hunting were worn by pilots for nighttime missions.
Weapons
The plywood and metal/PVC pipe construction of the 'Horse-fly' means it cannot carry much. Two Xujun 57mm improvised rocket launchers make up its entire armament, and the rocket launchers are integral to the aircraft's frame. External aluminum pieces shield the sensitive wood from the backblast of the rockets.
A single RPK-74 with a modified 700mm barrel sits to the pilot's right. It has a limited up and down sweep motion and is mounted upside down with the magazine pointing straight into the air. The 45 round magazine is ill suited to long term strafing but it provides a useful defense against ground based machine gunners. An extra 3 30 round magazines are provided for the pilot along with an AKS-74U for when he lands to defend himself.
Specifications
Crew: 1
Length: 8.7 m
Wingspan: 6.7 m
Height: 2 m
Loaded Weight: 2500 kg
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 2900 kg
Powerplant; 2x Argus As 104 Pulse Jets
Performance
Maximum Speed: 630 kph
Combat Radius: 125 km
Ferry Range: 250 km
Service Ceiling: 600-900m
Armament
Guns: 1x RPK-74 with 45 round magazine and 3 spare 30 round magazines
Rockets: 2x integral Xujun 57mm rockets with a range of 1.5km
Bombs: Up to 10 grenades carried by pilot and dropped.
Cost: $9000 US
Cost for Plans: $300 US