British Helicopter Tech Tree - Discussion Topic

[Il_Signor_Regio]

I don’t unfortunatly

[AVROVULCANXH558]

No worries

[da12thmonkey]

It’s ZD267 at Farnborough 1986. Along with ZD249 they were serving as development airframes for the proposed Lynx HAS.8 - known as Super Lynx commercially. In 1986, ZD267 was basically a HAS.3 with a MEL Super Searcher radar from Sea King HAS.5 and internal modifications but it evolved over the trials program.

Between 1986 and 1990, Ferranti Seaspray Mk.3 was selected as the radar instead of Super Searcher, the Sea Owl electro-optics turret was installed above the nose and ZD267 received all the features of HAS.8 apart from the strengthened airframe and modernised rotors.
Once development was finished it was brought to full production standard as a Lynx HMA.8 in May 1991.

[warhead_beast]

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/444131672049451009/1184060997774880789/IMG_20231212_100858.jpg?ex=658a99bc&is=657824bc&hm=767c2f93318507c4c9686d41eeb037d9b65eb54d73166ffc1d934841be418f99&
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/444131672049451009/1184060998219468870/IMG_20231212_100851.jpg?ex=658a99bc&is=657824bc&hm=4172a3a26dfbbae35bddbb14a162f65d644a13e3d1ff3815a1190d10a5205edf&

would be nice to see some of those IRCMs in game alongside maybe a naval variant of the lynx

[AVROVULCANXH558]

Does anyone have access to the performance of the Lynx HAS.3? I’ve been struggling to find it on the internet and in my books.

[SuTa_basuto]

Westland Wessex HU.5: Westland's Heavy Hitter

Suggestion passed to the developers for consideration.

[Il_Signor_Regio]

Oh btw I was wrong here, those are 4x mistral launchers

[FlyingOstridge]

How better is it compared to the stinger?

[Il_Signor_Regio]

in game it pull 4 more g

[FlyingOstridge]

I’m talking about in reality.

[Il_Signor_Regio]

irl the mistral pull around 32 g

[FlyingOstridge]

And the stinger pulls?

[Il_Signor_Regio]

22 g

[AVROVULCANXH558]

We’ve got a bunch of new suggestions out for UK helicopters with more on the way, go give 'em some love:

Westland Wessex HAS.1 XM330: The Missile Tester

poll Introduction: The Westland Wessex was a true workhorse of the British armed forces, serving in every arm in various roles for many years. It was initially brought in as an anti-submarine helicopter, but its roles would soon be extended to commando support, air-sea rescue and others. Today’s suggestion is about a particular helicopter which aided in the development of the commando assault role. [image] Description: The Westland Wessex was a license-built version of the Sikorsky S-58, with …

Westland Lynx 3: The Strong Cat

poll Introduction: In the world of technology, it is always necessary to remain at the cutting edge in order to remain relevant as well as keeping ahead of the competition. This is most certainly true with military aviation, helicopters included. This is where today’s suggestions comes in, the Lynx 3, a highly upgraded Lynx variant which would be influential for later developments. [image] Description: The Lynx 3 was developed as a private venture by Westland to bring the Lynx family into the …

Westland Lynx AH.7: Westland's cat gets new Claws

poll Introduction: The Lynx AH.1 was the main utility and anti-armour helicopter of the British Army from the late 1970’s, and was a reliable workhorse that served well in Central Europe during peacetime, as well as on in combat in the deserts of Iraq during Operation Granby in 1991. By the 1980’s, a modernisation was necessary in order to keep the helicopter up to date and serving well into the next century, which would ultimately enter service in the early 1990’s as the Lynx AH.7. [image] De…

Westland Lynx HAS.2: Westland's cat goes to Sea (i)

poll Introduction: The Lynx is a highly versatile, rugged and beautiful machine, that is both an icon of British helicopter development and a workhorse in multiple conflicts, well-loved by many. The Lynx performed well in all jobs it was pressed into doing, at land and at sea, the latter of which, is the topic of today’s post. [image] Background: The Lynx can trace its origins to the Anglo-French Helicopter Agreement. Under this agreement, technical knowledge would be transferred between Franc…

Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian: The Future of the Army Air Corps

poll [image] AH-64E Apache Guardian Hello, and welcome to my suggestion for the AH-64E Apache in British Service! I feel this has a strong precedent to come to game in the future as it is currently the best helicopter that the British Army uses. Massive Credits to @_Froge for making the Old forums suggestion that gave me most of the Info I needed for this. History

Spoiler

The Apache Guardian is the Latest variation of the Famous AH-64 Attack Helicopter, it incorporates a plethora of upgrade…

Boeing AH-64E Apache Guardian: The Future of the Army Air Corps

poll [image] AH-64E Apache Guardian Hello, and welcome to my suggestion for the AH-64E Apache in British Service! I feel this has a strong precedent to come to game in the future as it is currently the best helicopter that the British Army uses. Massive Credits to @_Froge for making the Old forums suggestion that gave me most of the Info I needed for this. History

Spoiler

The Apache Guardian is the Latest variation of the Famous AH-64 Attack Helicopter, it incorporates a plethora of upgrade…

These suggestions are all part of our plan to expand the UK helicopter TT, as there is a lot of potential which is yet to be taken advantage of in game.

[warhead_beast]

Would a HAS.3 add anything capability wise?

[warhead_beast]

Do we have any images of the two experimental Lynx Helis with Radar reflectors and I-Band radar jammers from the Falklands? One was XZ725

[da12thmonkey]

That’s a HMA.8
But HAS.3 would offer up-rated Gem 41-1 engines and many options for upgrades such as Orange Crop RWR, Loral “Challenger” IRCM, composite main rotors etc.

[AVROVULCANXH558]

It can get Penguins, which come with various seeker heads, with some similar to those on the Maverick. You only get two, but they get very big warheads.

HMA.8 keeps them as well, in addition to Marte 2A and Sea Venom, the latter of which was tested on it.

[da12thmonkey]

@AVROVULCANXH558

It can get Penguins

Dunno about Penguins on the regular HAS.3 really. Even though they were tested/carried on a HAS.3 airframe, the mission systems on that aircraft were enhanced for Super Lynx/HMA.8 development.
Kongsberg’s Penguin brochure only mentioned Super Lynx

There were a handful of airframes equipped as Lynx HAS.3CTS that had a datalink and multi-function tactical display though. Those seem like they could potentially have been able to use Penguin but probably never did. Nearly half of them were the aircraft that went on to be used for HMA.8/Super Lynx development. And the pictures we have with Penguin are these ones with further Super Lynx enhancements.

HMA.8 has a separate screen for TV/IR picture from PID (Marconi Sea Owl system), and export Super Lynxes have a different display unit in the location of the radar display on Royal Navy Lynx HAS.2/HAS.3/HMA.8. With the exception of Denmark’s Mk.90s that were a similar HMA.8 style upgrade to their Mk.80/HAS.3 type.
So I think the standard HAS.3 display unit probably wasn’t suitable for Penguin target acquisition.
Unfortunately, I don’t know that I have seen photos of the HAS.3CTS cockpit to assess how similar it was to Super Lynx/HMA.8.

But furthering what was said about HMA.8:
Over HAS.3, that would also have several improvements that were found on the Army’s Lynx AH.7. Such as the Gem 42 engines and the more efficient reversed tail rotor. And similar self-defence capabilities like the AN/ALQ-144 DIRCM, chaff/flare dispensers, and AN/AAR-57 MAWS that were on the HMA.8(DAS) version.

[AVROVULCANXH558]

My main sources was a book from the late 1980’s (1987/88 I believe), which despite having a section about the SuperLynx, described and gave the performance of the HAS.3. Penguin had been mentioned as an optional weapons in a number of publications prior to that as well, though this was intended for export, and was likely a capability which remained untested on the HAS.3 and would only be marketed with more vigour in later years with the SuperLynx 100 and HMA.8.