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Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: vyper on November 25, 2004, 10:07:55 am

Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: vyper on November 25, 2004, 10:07:55 am
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65817,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

I wonder where they got the idea of using a passenger liner as a weapon from?
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Corsair on November 25, 2004, 10:43:12 am
Interesting concept...I agree with them, I think it probably is about time to retire the P-3.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Clave on November 25, 2004, 10:44:33 am
It's unusual but not unheard of to make military aircraft from an airliner.  The Nimrod AEW is based on the old Comet airliner: http://website.lineone.net/~redgoose/history.htm
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Corsair on November 25, 2004, 10:50:09 am
The article vyper posted mentions the Nimrod.
Title: Re: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: phreak on November 25, 2004, 11:03:38 am
Quote
Originally posted by vyper
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,65817,00.html?tw=wn_tophead_1

I wonder where they got the idea of using a passenger liner as a weapon from?


He-111
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on November 25, 2004, 11:24:30 am
There's a whole line of military aircraft based on the 707, after all.
Loads of AWACS, AEW, and whatnot.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Flipside on November 25, 2004, 11:26:38 am
Theres also a Boeing 737 with enormous machine guns mounted along the sides iirc?
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on November 25, 2004, 11:32:05 am
That's a Herc. AC-130.

Modified Lockheed Hercules with a ****load of guns down one side.

Unless they've done the same to a 737, of course.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: aldo_14 on November 25, 2004, 11:32:25 am
Quote
Originally posted by Flipside
Theres also a Boeing 737 with enormous machine guns mounted along the sides iirc?


Isn't that a C-130?

EDIT; AC-130a Spectre it's called, apparently;
(http://www.flygplan.info/images/lockheed_c130a_gunship_1024x768.jpg)

(see gatling gun, etc, on RHS of picture)

EDIt; other piccy; http://www.airventure.de/historypics/ac_130gunship.jpg

There's also apparently a video from the guncam of one of these in Afghanistan.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Flipside on November 25, 2004, 11:33:24 am
You may be right with the Herc, I'll have a look around though ;)
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: aldo_14 on November 25, 2004, 11:36:45 am
Aha.  Boeing make the AC-130U gunship, so you're half-right.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on November 25, 2004, 11:42:12 am
IIRC, they have 2 x 20mm miniguns, 2 x 40mm Bofors, 1 x 105mm howitzer.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Knight Templar on November 25, 2004, 12:11:07 pm
Indeed. You all remember that first "Afghani-nightvision vision video of death", right? T'was from a Spectre Gunship.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: vyper on November 25, 2004, 12:53:23 pm
The AC130 (variants regardless) are scary as ****.

I wouldn't like to be around when one opens up.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: diamondgeezer on November 25, 2004, 01:42:05 pm
There are two Hercybird gunship variants - Spectre and Spooky. The difference is in the weapons config, but don't ask me which is which...
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Lynx on November 25, 2004, 01:43:40 pm
Nothing beats the good old DC-3 gunship with the five 7,62mm minicannons....at least in coolness.:cool:
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Bobboau on November 25, 2004, 02:07:27 pm
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/missiles/wep-harp.html

hey these things are real!
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Shrike on November 25, 2004, 02:37:00 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/missiles/wep-harp.html

hey these things are real!
....

The Harpoon is only one of the most common antishipping missiles in the world, possibly the most.

As for the herc gunships, they're talking about putting lasers on them now.  That's the ****.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Bobboau on November 25, 2004, 02:58:46 pm
it was a joke, you know harpoon missles, what this comunity is founded on...
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Nuke on November 25, 2004, 09:51:39 pm
the airborn laser system is already being fitted to a pair of 747s. should roll out soon after the f-22. mind you they have already tested, and successfully i might add, a prototype airborne laser system built inside a 707. advances in computerised targeting and more powerfull lasers should make them quite deadly. however if i was a the military, id fit the engines with halfnium reactors and integrate nuke launch capability, then you can keep the things airborne for  about 4 months at a time. kinda like nuclear submarines, but faster and higher.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Kazan on November 25, 2004, 10:55:08 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Petrarch of the VBB
IIRC, they have 2 x 20mm miniguns, 2 x 40mm Bofors, 1 x 105mm howitzer.


and the planned AC-X Son of Spectre will add a Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser (COIL) to it's loadout

pinpoint accuracy for destruction of enemy radar sites, etc without any collateral damage or explosions
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: NGTM-1R on November 26, 2004, 12:41:28 am
The P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (read that: long-range submariner's nightmare) and its cousin the EP-3 are both based on the old Lockheed Electra airliner. It's not that strange.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: aldo_14 on November 26, 2004, 03:40:59 am
Is a Hercules-based gunship any use against a country with half decent air-defense, though?  Afghanistan was a shoo-in, but did they use the things in Iraq (which had a bare modicum of AAAf, even if it was probably about 10 years old)?
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Setekh on November 26, 2004, 05:00:39 am
Quote
Originally posted by Bobboau
it was a joke, you know harpoon missles, what this comunity is founded on...


:ha:

;)
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Styxx on November 26, 2004, 05:28:42 am
Quote
Originally posted by aldo_14
Is a Hercules-based gunship any use against a country with half decent air-defense, though?  Afghanistan was a shoo-in, but did they use the things in Iraq (which had a bare modicum of AAAf, even if it was probably about 10 years old)?


It's for when you have air superiority but still those pesky grunts on the ground to be taken care of.

There's a story of one Specter on the first Gulf War that was flying a night mission engaging an Iraqi tank formation... As dawn approached, they were ordered back home, but they didn't obey the order right away because there were just so many juicy targets around. Well, as it happens, when dawn broke and the Iraqis could actually see it, it was promptly shot down. I think none of the crew survived.
Title: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: aldo_14 on November 26, 2004, 05:30:43 am
It was just addition of a laser for guided strikes on radar targets that got me; surely radar targets imply an AAAf capability? (becuase you'd want to take them out first as part of removing that AAAf capability).
Title: Re: Re: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: Janos on November 26, 2004, 09:42:46 am
Quote
Originally posted by PhReAk


He-111


Originally built for the army, only disguised as a "passenger and post plane". Germans were pretty keen on giving their military projects of 1930s a civilian passcode. Like "heavy tractors". Heavy tractors with 40mm of steel armour and a 37mm multipurpose gun.
Title: Re: Re: Re: Boeing Converts 737 Into Bomber
Post by: kode on November 26, 2004, 10:05:18 am
Quote
Originally posted by Janos
Like "heavy tractors". Heavy tractors with 40mm of steel armour and a 37mm multipurpose gun.


well, you know them gerbils, they can be pretty tough.