Grays Harbor Designs

[Novice]

All these aircraft are larger than the Douglass SBD.

[Bombhead]

Having looked at the Seawolf I think it would suit the looks of the ship.

[Zephyr]

All these aircraft are larger than the Douglass SBD.

Yes, they are. Did I miss the memo that says replacement aircraft have to be the same size or smaller? Because if that was the case then the F-14 and F-15 should be about the same size as a Curtiss Jenny, leaving out all the aircraft in between them as they would be the same size as well.

Or - we're you referring to the air group size and that the SBD probably couldn't be replaced on a one-for-one basis with the Vengeance?

[Novice]

Sorry Zephyr. I was reading your post about the TBD (Devastator) and than seeing the post on SBD (Dauntless), got mixed up and posted the post about the sie of aircraft. BTW it is still valid, as the SBD was a little smallwer than the TBD, and replacing it for aircraft much larger will be problematic. As you mentioned before, you didn't wnt the TBD because it didn't fit the elevators, and using aircraft which are bigger than that... well you get my drift.

[Zephyr]

No worries. The Dauntless is still the aircraft used on the CVE's. The Vengeance replaces the Dauntlesses on the Fleet Carriers. The TBD's are replaced on the Fleet Carriers with the TBY Sea Wolf. I guess my explanation of what goes where got muddled. Oops.

[nighthunter]

All in all the Vengeance's need a longer runway to operate, so the only way to fix that is an upgraded and navalized engine?

[Zephyr]

Yup, thats pretty much what I was thinking. I figure I would go with Blackbuck's suggestion about using more powerful engines. That seems to be the most sensible and logical solution to using the Vengeance as a carrier based bomber. Plus, most all of my carriers from the mid 30's on are equipped with catapults, so that ought help some too. *shrug* I really like the way those birds looked, and just can't resist the opportunity to use them.

[Rhade]

Powerful engine means more weight and more important, bigger fuel consumption this is a kill zone for A-31. In basic version pilots have problems to take Vengeance in to the air with full load on almost 2k long runway. Also she was a pretty big plane, rly big. For me good as land based but not fit in to the carrier operations.

[Zephyr]

Too large? The Vengeance was comparably sized and powered to the B6N2, Avenger, Helldiver, Barracuda and Firefly ... all of which enjoyed resonably successful careers as carrier-based aircraft.

[Rhade]

They all are large planes, Avenger was probably the biggest carrier plane operate in WWII. But they all service on carriers, A-31 was never fit for that duty, never design for that duty ... you need a lot of work to mod this plane.