Re: Slow planes was: Battle blimps

At 2:32 PM -0700 4/18/02, Brian Bilderback wrote:
>
>You'd think so, but there were rare instances when biplanes DID 
>out-dogfight monos - notably the Gloster Gladiators used by Britain 
>in the defense of Malta.  Every dog has it's day, so to speak

Its the same problem that fighters have when dealing with a 
helocopter that's on the deck. They can get around fast enough to get 
their guns on you to make a shot count. Further, most of those larger 
still used bi-planes had a second guy with a vicker's K or two. They 
could put a lot of lead back at the mono-plane trying to get on their 
six.

ME109's had a hard time with Swordfish in and around the Fjords as I 
recall from one account.

>*_IF_* that enemy fighter pilot has a chance to get near it.  AWACS 
>and Hawkeyes are pretty slow-moving planes - you'd think they'd have 
>been MAJORLY juicy targets for, say, Iraqi fighters in the Gulf War. 
>I believe Mr. Gill hit on the idea of using them for radar and 
>control - definitely within the protection of an air cap.

Yep, its not that Blimp you'll be worried about. It will be 
everything he can vector at you to take you down. Throw 3 or 4 
Lighter than Air AEW and EW craft on a station and you'll have a hard 
time sneaking anything in unless the guys in the airborne command 
post drop the ball seriously.

>
>Such as the escort provided a carrier task force or other fleet....

The whole role that I'm looking at.

>The thing to remember is that just because a flight technology is 
>not viable in front-line combat, does not mean it's completely 
>inviable in ANY military service.  Rear-area heavy lift, coastal 
>patrol, radar & control, all MIGHT be plausible uses for 
>lighter-than-air...

Gosh look at the P-3, the E-2, and AEW C-130 varients. Not everything 
that is useful for AEW/EW support is a fast mover. Additionaly the 
larger airships could get some pretty significant ground speeds when 
they had a tail wind.
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