Navy X-Craft show on Discovery

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A new documentary profiling the story of X-Craft—“Creating the X-Craft”—will premiere on Discovery’s Military Channel on January 20 at 8 p.m. Her name is Sea Fighter, and she was built by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as a test bed for a number of new technologies. She is crewed by a mixed Navy and USCG crew and her defense weapons are M-60's on pedestals.
 
Now this looks like a sensible design. A small ship and crew, stable, with shallow draft. I'd like to see the Coast Guard get a few of these to protect America's wet borders.

Its got a great engine, the GE L2500 gas turbine. That's the 1911 of maritime turbine engines. Very solid and reliable, easy to operate and maintain. The Chinese PLA Navy bought 5 of the GE turbine engines for their DD's.

I did see the HSV the last time I was in Pearl.
 
thumper723 said:
That is neat. Have you seen the HSV-1? I got to land on that..

Odd having a deck that large on a small ship. VERY stable compared to a FFG or a CG in beam seas.
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Yep, saw HSV-1 both in AUS and Okinawa. "Interesting" ship :D I spent a little time with the Master and got a pretty good brief on her capabilities. We're you in a 60 or an H-3?
 
WT said:
Now this looks like a sensible design. A small ship and crew, stable, with shallow draft. I'd like to see the Coast Guard get a few of these to protect America's wet borders.

Its got a great engine, the GE L2500 gas turbine. That's the 1911 of maritime turbine engines. Very solid and reliable, easy to operate and maintain. The Chinese PLA Navy bought 5 of the GE turbine engines for their DD's.

I did see the HSV the last time I was in Pearl.
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WT, that is one of the reasons for the split crew... the WHEC's are getting old and tired, and need to be replaced. Sea Fighter is designed for modularized systems that can ro/ro easily. This is ideal for the FSV class, as you could change missions by simply moving a new module on.:evil:
 
thumper723 said:
SH-60B.

Much prefer landing on that than a cruiser. FFG's are bad, but a CG in beam seas is about the worst thing in the world to land on.
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:D Rast is NOT a big help.... That's why I got smart and went to P-3s:evil: Of course I'm so old I started in H-34's and the "newest" helo I was in was an H-2B (better known as the Kaman Coffin)
 
I dont know what is worse. Trying to hold a hover while they hook up the messenger and hauldown cables, or dancing with the deck trying to slam the probe into the trap.

Can be a real PITA. The only time I took an RA landing other than for currency was when I lost the #2 and Backup Hydraulic systems, and had no boost on Collective and Yaw, and no SAS (ASE for H2 types).

For the record, I am trying to switch to VFA or VRC. Had the grades in flight school, but not available when I finished at VT-28
 
thumper723 said:
I dont know what is worse. Trying to hold a hover while they hook up the messenger and hauldown cables, or dancing with the deck trying to slam the probe into the trap.

Can be a real PITA. The only time I took an RA landing other than for currency was when I lost the #2 and Backup Hydraulic systems, and had no boost on Collective and Yaw, and no SAS (ASE for H2 types).

For the record, I am trying to switch to VFA or VRC. Had the grades in flight school, but not available when I finished at VT-28
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THAT must have been fun....:evil: In the old 34's there was no STAB, SAS or Hydraulics, just muscle power! Good luck with the transition, VFA will be lots of fun! Just remember NOT to target fixate on the bombing runs!!!!:what:
 
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