Re: Level of Detail?

[damocles@nostromo.gate.net (Randy Vice)]

On Wed 16-Apr-1997 12:49a, ElevenMike@aol.com wrote:

El>    I was afraid to mention UAVs, due to the current size of the ground
El> control gear.  (it can fill the back of a pick-up in the case of the
El> Hunter
El> RPV used by the Green Machine).  This IS a great option.

Unfortunetly, we've all pretty much agreed that game playability, UAVs
*shouldn't* be included in TMP.  For the simple reason is, we (PDs) have
enough trouble getting the PCs' "pink" little buts out of the V-150 and talk
to the natives.  UAV would give them all the more reason to stay button up in
their V-150 and get all the hard recon data on their TV screen and ruin a nice
little fire fight that the now extremely bored PD had spent hours planning, in
great detail. :-)

>No, motorized gliders are pretty damn quiet. USCG uses one which was just
>resold to law enforcement agency's ($50,000 and my dept was too cheap to buy
>one and we need that type of survaillence/duration capability. Sigh) and
El> when
>it's in glide mode, and your not within immediate area of it, it would be
El> far
>quieter then the AirScout could ever hope to be.
>
El>    I;d like some hard data on this aircraft.  It seems woth
El> investigating.
El>  Is it already set up to be broken down?

I don't know.  If I can remember this weekend, I'll talk to my Dept's pilot
who told me about it.  I wouldn't think it's a quick takedown wings, but I
could be wrong since this is a motorized glider and has a much longer
windspan. Might be designed to fold the wings to get it into standard hangars.
You know how the Euro's are about being frugal. ;-)

El>    Concerning the accuracy of 2.75" FFARs, all I know is, they are in
El> wide
El> use by the military of out and other governments.  Strafing a flight line
El> with rockets, you'll get hits.

I'm sure, but the AirScout has *two*.  Not real impressive IMHO, but very
Little Nellish. :0

<snip>

>Harden shelters are perfect for protecting valuiable aircraft from ground
>based sabotage from the different resistance groups who would like nothing
>better then to blow up P-47's.  Not to mention some unhappy grunts who were
>a little too close to where the pilots drop their ordinance.

El>    I can't (not your fault, my inability to accept)  that a totalitarian
El> government like KFS has this kind of internal security problem.  

Shall we look at The Spartans?  A fifth column in the Military......

The only
El> threat at the time the Project shows is a few hard-core rebels basically
El> still in the equivalent of guerilla basic training.  You may be perfectly
El> on target.  Gotta think about this one.  Let you know.

It's mentioned in B&B how the pilots weren't too concern where they laid their
ordinance which made the grunts none too happy and reluctant in calling in air
support.  

<snip>


El> Specific Question #1:  Performance characteristics of the Aircraft you've
El> mentioned.

For the ICE (piston) choppers, not all that great, two seaters and about 95
MPH cruise. If you need more specifics, let me know which and what you need.

<snip>


El> ICE??? 

Interal Combustion Engine (aka Piston Engine).

 I think you're telling me that the critical component is the
El> rotor
El> head.  

Yep, depending on what tech era, could be a pain in the butt or fairly simple
depending on if has hinges or none hinged and what type of rotors.  

O.K.  I think you mean four hours of maintenance per 100 hrs in
El> the
El> air (I'm probalby missing something, sorry).

Engine hours. Flight hours are usually only considered for the big guys (MD's,
Boings, ect.).  Yes, after 100 hours, FAA requires aircraft that are used "for
hire" to have this inspection. General Aircraft that are private, do not need
this, but they are either crazy and or don't care if they die.


>You forgetting the pilot, which is the big kicker. It takes alot of piloting
>experience to handle these beast safely, let alone in combat situation. I
>think it's unrealistic for a team associate to pick up a time consuming
El> skill in this as it's *too* limited of use.    

El>    I do understand the training problem.  I felt that a years' traing
El> prior
El> to freeze would allow two team members about 200 hours in the air -
El> training/check hops & FTX (say 50-50).  

Wouldn't their time be better spent on rifle or pistol or dirt farming or
____?  Flight is specialized and in a nasty enviroment, 200 hour guys aren't
going to be very effective in a combat situation, let alone a combat situation
in a GyroCopter which is hard to fly and very very unforgiving of screwups.

Other members would only have
El> about
El> 50 hours in the training enviroment.  

Your just trying to kill off your PCs, aren't ya. };->

And for NONcombat reconnisance
El> (route
El> recon, inhabitation spotting, lost team finding, etc) it would be great.

Take more skill in flying low/slow for SAR work.  Especially for low timers.
Heck, I remember keeping +/- 200' tough to do in straight and level.  

El>  Better than being stuck on the ground and having these missions to
El> accomplish.  (After three months of searching, the Morrow Project gives
El> up on
El> finding Science Team J-6, stuck in Arkansas with a dead V-150....)

Prime example for a moon bounce message of "HELP!, the women are all ugly and
the booze sucks!" 0:-)

: damocles@nostromo.gate.net :   Bruce Morrow,a man before and after his time:
:"The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the     :
:United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms."      :
: - Samuel Adams :  Morrow Project Planning: Looking forward to the end!     :