WesWorld

A series of aeronautical contracts for the Canadian Government have been announced.

A limited production run of an Autogyro, based on the ShinRa-Berliner Gyrodyne prototype has been authorized. Exact numbers are not yet known, but the design is to be slightly larger, with a noticably longer fuselage to allow for greater capacity, as well as the installation of a larger engine with a pusher-propellor configuration. The wingtip rotors are no longer to be the primary means of propulsion, and will be left to autorotate like a conventional autogryo for most of the time. However, and innovative clutch system is being developed to allow for the possibility of power-assisted takeoffs.

A four engined flying boat has been ordered from Avro Canada, with parts supplied by the MacDonald bros. Aircraft Company, based on a design submitted by the ShinRa Aerospace Development Division. The design is to be long-ranged, and capable of operating for long periods in what was described as 'hostile environments'.

Work continues on the radical Airship design at St. Hubert. Rollout of the ship is expected to occur before the end of the year, probably this summer.

Work on HMCS Nova Scotia and HMCS New Brunswick are almost completed, and expected to begin shakedown cruises in August. HMCS Manitoba and HMCS Saskatchewan have completed their shakedown cruises, and have been assigned to the 5th Cruiser Squadron. Their sisters are scheduled to be assigned to the 4th cruiser squadron once they are completed next quarter.

The Refits of the Argyll class in Atlantis continue, with Canada having completed shipments of all the required parts and equipment. Final payments to Atlantis are announced to be made next quarter, but no completion or delivery dates have been given by the Atlantean yards.

Canadian officials have had no official comment on the matter of Italy having been accused of being out of compliance with their Cleito Treaty obligations, citing Canada's noninvolvement with said treaty. Reports suggest Italy's noncompliance might have been long-standing, which may have vindicated Canada and Australia's decision to free themselves of those restrictions.

In a confidential diplomatic note to Japan (which is probably read by most nations with a competant intelligence service, of course), the Dominion of Canada requests clarification on what "other options" the Empire of Japan was 'looking at' in regard to the Dominion. The letter concluded with the query; "In an unrelated manner, the Dominion of Canada wonders what progress the Empire of Japan has made in locating and salvaging the wreck of HIJMS Hosho, and if you require any international assistance?" Zing.

[boiler plate condolences / congratulations to Germany for it's chaotic replacement of it's government leadership here]

Quoted

Originally posted by ShinRa_Inc
A four engined flying boat has been ordered from Avro Canada, with parts supplied by the MacDonald bros. Aircraft Company, based on a design submitted by the ShinRa Aerospace Development Division. The design is to be long-ranged, and capable of operating for long periods in what was described as 'hostile environments'.

Something similar to the PB2Y or Sunderland I assume?

More like a smaller me323 Gigant...

preview was seen Here a few months ago.

The fatter fuselage/hull is intended to facilitate it's operations in the arctic, enabling it to land on the ice without the need to equip skis, as well as carry enough fuel and equipment to resupply several outposts and other ventures ongoing in the frozen north. The use of oil-cooled engines is intended to alliviate the problems of the coolant freezing and damaging the engines in the arctic environment.

You might be able to land a flying boat on ice if you put her down really, really gently, but there is no way of being able to take off. Look at the underside of the hull. It is hard chine with a ridge along the middle. On ground it will lean over to one side making it impossible to take off. I'm not sure that the structure could actually support its own weight on land. Oil also freezes. Better to go with air-cooled radials in this case I think.

Agreed, a hull suitable for landing on ice won't be suitable for lifting off of water. You'd want a large, flat bottom for landing on ice, and that would be exactly the sort of thing you don't want as the bottom of a seaplane hull.

Air-cooled radials certainly seem a better option for a very cold climate, see the difficulties the Luftwaffe had on the Russian front with the oil freezing (and with planes catching fire because the ground crew had built a small fire under it to thaw out the engine). There's a cargo airline operating out of Yellowknife that was profiled last year (I think) in Air & Space that's still flying a bunch of radial-engined air freighters, and the article talked a bit about how they deal with the cold.

Buffalo Airlines, perhaps - I've flown on one of their DC-3s.

Could well be, the pictures I'm remembering looked like one of their DC-4s.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/in…ach=11050;image

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/in…ach=11048;image

Argentine C-47 with jet engine that flew to the South Pole in 1965.

I think I have a picture of a DC-3 with skiis and 3 turboprops somewhere. I'll have to dig it out.

I was under the impression oil freezes at a lower temperature than water; not entirely sure where I got that impression tho.

Given these comments, it'll be equipped with skis for ice operations.

Well yes, it does. But it will still freeze. Engine coolant is typically ethylene-glycol at this period which freezes at a lower temp. 260K or so IIRC

I don't think its possible to equip a flying boat of these proportions with skiis.

Quoted

Originally posted by The Rock Doctor
Buffalo Airlines, perhaps - I've flown on one of their DC-3s.

I am SOOOOO envious!!

To use a Monty Python-ism (and please don't take offence!)
"You jammy bastard!!!"

Quoted

In an unrelated manner, the Dominion of Canada wonders what progress the Empire of Japan has made in locating and salvaging the wreck of HIJMS Hosho, and if you require any international assistance?"

How do you, in the 1930s, plan to find and salvage a ship that lies deeper under water than RMS Titanic (3800 meter) and somewhere on the Pacific Ocean Floor (in the Pacifica area)? If I look at a small map correctly, there is even a spot about 50 kilometers east of Palau that is +6500 meters deep.
As far as I can find on the internet, Man has yet to pass the 1 kilometer mark alive (wikipedia: "In 1932, Barton and Beebe made a world record descent to a depth of 3,028 feet (923 m), the record remaining unbroken for 15 years.") and ROVs do not exist yet.

Terribly unfortunate that she sank in such deep water.[/straight face]

Quoted

I am SOOOOO envious!!

To use a Monty Python-ism (and please don't take offence!)
"You jammy bastard!!!"

It was different, alright. It was our ride into a now-abandoned gold mine in 1995. I wasn't sure what to make of an aircraft that was 40 years old and sounded like the end of the world, but it got us there just fine.

The airline has DC-4s as well. A fair sized fleet, as I recall, and probably doing well with the diamond mining in the area.

You know, I never bothered to look at the depth contours when I planned to 'sink' Hosho somewhere east of Palau. Never imagined that there is quite some area to Palau's east that is more than 4000 meters deep or that there is this 60x20km spot there that is over 6500 meters deep. Even further east is also the Yap Trench with at its deepest point is 8000+ meters deep.

So the Empire's official response is a bathymetric map of the area?

Quoted

How do you, in the 1930s, plan to find and salvage a ship that lies deeper under water than RMS Titanic (3800 meter) and somewhere on the Pacific Ocean Floor (in the Pacifica area)? If I look at a small map correctly, there is even a spot about 50 kilometers east of Palau that is +6500 meters deep.

Looks like Canada is just pushing buttons...

*Grabs the popcorn* Munch munch...

Quoted

Originally posted by thesmilingassassin
Looks like Canada is just pushing buttons...

*Grabs the popcorn* Munch munch...

Just a gentle reminder, that while Tokyo is considering vauge "other options" regarding Canada, Ottawa is still wondering why the Japanese were operating a covert carrier on the wrong side of the ocean (with the obvious subtext being that Japan's claim Hosho was lost off Palau to be, delicately put, "Bull$%!+"). (:

I get the feeling that the Canadians are jealous that the Mexicans now have a carrier that is superior (yeah right!) to that floating piece of rust they have in service.

Quoted

So the Empire's official response is a bathymetric map of the area?

Not sure when the first ones were made of the Pacific. Did a quick search this morning without results.
But don't worry. No doubt Dr. Robert Duane Ballard (Wesworld version) will solve the Hosho mystery somewhere in the 1990s.

Acctually I think they are wondering "what else has gone missing"?

I can see Ballard trying to justify millions of dollars of underwater searching equipment to wander around a rusting hulk laid up somewhere in Mexico....