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"And Now for Something Completely Different"

J

jhefner

Charter Member
My sons found this picture from our visit to the U.S.S. Orleck in Orange, TX many years ago. They wondered what that funny looking thing is they are standing next to.



I had to look it up myself; and found out it is a Gyrodyne QH-50C. They were installed aboard several U.S. Navy destroyers, including the Orleck, to enable them to attack submarines before they got within attack range of the destroyers themselves. They were later adapted for other uses; the last as target tugs at White Sands Missile Range.

I had recently installed Combat Flight Simulator 2, and loved it enough to ditch CFS1 on our two computers. One of several reasons for liking CFS2 is the fact that it can use some of the same scenery and aircraft as FS2002 (and to a lesser extent FS2004.) But also, I could develop new aircraft for it using gmax.



And so, I decided to bring the QH-50C "to life"; and enable it to carry weapons in CFS2, and be usable in FS2002 and FS2004 as well. I started out with the dynamics files from the MH-68A that was developed by Keith Whyte for FS98/CFS1; but works just fine in CFS2.



I also need to learn how to make weapons; so for the time being, it is carrying the much larger Mark 12 torpedoes from a CFS2 Swordfish; rather than the much shorter Mark 44 torpedoes that it actually carried. I also would like to have a Gatling Gun; some QH-50Cs and QH-50Ds were fitted with such for use on the Ho Ching Min Trail.



It also seems to work fine in FS2002 and FS2004. Helicopters drive me crazy anyway; but it seems to perform about the same as the default Bell Helicopters in each.



In FS2002/FS2004; it doesn't carry weapons, but it does have lights, which don't work in CFS2. Eventually, I hope to have dynamic shine in all simulators.



I still have some details to add to the rotor, some more "black boxes" to install in the tail, some more texturing, develop (or borrow) the weapons, and fine tune the dp file. It has no "VC", because it has no "C", not sure yet how I am going to handle the 2-D cockpit. (It was flown by radio control.) I am guessing it will still let me eject the pilot; the boys had a ball just bailing out of diffent planes last weekend. :wave:


-James
 
DASH (Drone Anti Submarine Helicopter) it was used as the primary anti submarine weapon on the FRAM I destroyers in the late 1950's and early 1960's. FRAM I was rebuilds of old World War II destroyers of the Gearing class. The system was also used on new build DEs of the Bronstien, Brooks, and Garcia classes.

The system was also employed by the Japanese

By 1970, the USN dropped the program in favor of the LAMPS I (light airborne muli purpose) helicopter the SH-2 that was carried on some Garcia, Brooks and all the Knox class DEs and planed for the new DDs of the Spruance class

The DASH was found hard to use druing an ASW intercept so the Navy went to the LAMPS
 
The DASH (QH-50 Drone) was first rolled out in the US Navy in about 1964 and indeed was on a whole series of destroyers including the Fletcher and Gearing Class. It showed up on later destroyer classes as well. The Bronstein, (a DD) had a helo deck but I think the DASH was on the way out by the time that ship deployed.

I am also not sure whether the Japanese self defense force ever had the DASH….I would have doubted that. They never got it working right in the US fleet.

The DASH was a failure for a lot of reasons but mainly because its range was always iffy and the inexperience of the non-pilot trained pilots. The few that were left went into target drone service.

The above was written by my kid brother Dave, who was a DASH operater aboard his Destroyer
 
Helldiver said:
I am also not sure whether the Japanese self defense force ever had the DASH….I would have doubted that. They never got it working right in the US fleet.
Click to expand...

From the wikipedia article:
The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force operated a fleet of 20 QH-50 drones, for use on their Takatsuki and Minegumo class destroyers. With the difficulty of maintaining DASH operations after the termination of the US programme, the drones and associated equipment were removed from JMSDF service in 1977.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gyrodyne_QH-50

I also found this picture. The Japanese actually purchased QH-50Ds; they had a longer range, and dropped the tail boom, since it was found to not work anyway:



Helldiver said:
The above was written by my kid brother Dave, who was a DASH operater aboard his Destroyer
Click to expand...

Cool! They were rushed into service, so it is my understanding they also had quite a few teething troubles. Also, their R/C gear used vacuum tubes instead of transisters; occasionally, a tube would fail, sending the craft flying away into the sunset out of control.

-James
 
Question: Are there any CFS2 destroyers with hardened helipads these could be flown from? Is it even possible to position them one at the start of a mission?

-James
 
DDs wern`t the only ships that carried them. The ship I was on a DD Tender also had them and we used them.:typing:
 
For those like myself with feet in both camps; I decided to add non-functioning weapons to the FS2002/FS2004 version. Also, since the QH-50C was not fitted with a GAU-2B-A Minigun; I decided to go ahead and model the tail-less QH-50D as well.

I have made good progress on the flight dynamics; it flies well in FS2002:

2221071860079522983S600x600Q85.jpg


But where the handling really shines is in FS2004. The added helicopter fields made it possible for me to cancel out all of the torque effects; since it was a co-axial rotor helicopter, it had none. Giving it a little throttle causes it to rise straight up and hover there; no drifting to the left due to gyroscopic precussion.

2573155790079522983S600x600Q85.jpg


I will also include the livery for the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Forces.

2347320870079522983S600x600Q85.jpg


The CFS2 version will be a seperate version now. It will default to a minigun; for use in quick combat. And of course, the weapons work:

2122202550079522983S600x600Q85.jpg


2228832850079522983S600x600Q85.jpg


2884967820079522983S600x600Q85.jpg


Some of the resulting combinations did not happen in reality -- the JMSDF did not try fitting miniguns to their QH-50Ds; while the QH-50Cs were never fitted with a minigun either. But it would not be fair sending a CFS pilot to a gunfight armed with torpedoes. :)

Still have to make a very basic 2D panel (no VC), iron out a few details, and it is ready.

-James
 
The DASH was also utilized on the Sumner class FRAM 1's. We had a pair on my ship and believe tha we set the altitude record for the DASH. The turned it on, had lift-off and then it just kept on going up:rapture:!!! They lost the radio control of it. It was hilarious to see the officers running around trying to figure out how to get it back. Like the energizer bunny it just kept on going and going.....

The pilots on the SW carriers hated them because they were responsible for some near collisions with manned dipping helicopters while engaged in ASW pursuits.
 
Fibber said:
The DASH was also utilized on the Sumner class FRAM 1's. We had a pair on my ship and believe tha we set the altitude record for the DASH. The turned it on, had lift-off and then it just kept on going up:rapture:!!! They lost the radio control of it. It was hilarious to see the officers running around trying to figure out how to get it back. Like the energizer bunny it just kept on going and going.....
Click to expand...

It was my understanding that was how the majority of them were lost. Their radios used vaccum tubes, and did not have any sort of feedback loop, so when you lost control like that; that was it.

The other thing that sometimes happened is that the operator lost situational awareness. They did not have an onboard camera of any kind; so they used radar and a direction indicator to determine where it was going. But sometimes, the system broke down.

(They were built on the cheap because they were originally intended to be used to carry nuclear depth charges; it was assumed they could/would be lost in the blast.)
 
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