From:	WILLIAM FRIERSON <will1am@*****.ASU.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Banshee Bird Strikes 2-different views
Date:	Sat, 10 Jun 1995 02:04:40 -0700

acgetche@****.ucdavis.edu (Adam Getchell) wrote:

>If we go by illustrations, there are also slots in the Banshee. These
>could be used in aerodyne-fashion. An aerodyne does not necessarily
>require wings, just a curved surface for the fanjet to blow air over.

Doesn't the bottom shape and size have any effect on the flight? If
you curved the top of a a wheeled APC (say a LAV-25), and built the
blowers, would it fly? Without mounting a turbine and the vectoring
vents underneath?

>Pure vectored thrust vehicles, even with advances in engines and fuel,
>are still too expensive. The aerodyne concept is, I feel, a lot more
>workable. The vehicle could devote power to either the turbine blower or
>to the jets (one wouldn't really want to use jet engine effluent for the
>blowers, as the air is hot, corrosive and not very dense).

We agree here!

>If you don't mind increasing your signature and debris count, ground
>effect is another fuel saver. The stub wings might also capture extra
>energy from air vortices in the same way fish swim.

Yeah, there are some wtaercraft that use this idea (Flarecraft), and the
former Soviet Wing In Ground effect (WIG) transports they developed for
amphibious operations. They can transport many times the weight than the
traditional cargo aircraft can.

>Of course, I like to scientifically speculate on issues that I'm pretty
>sure FASA hasn't considered, but that's just me.

Me too. It sometimes seems that some ideas are not extended out at all. The
Banshee is one. The speed is very high (like an aircraft), it carries as
much armor as a (light) tank, and it even has unpowered wheels for extra
manueverability and stability. It has a top-mounted turret that can only
be employed at very low altitude. If it was meant to fight from above, I
believe it would have a chin turret like the helicopters have.

I think our argument (discussion :) ) comes from our different perceptions.
I see a tank that skims over the ground, at incredibly high speeds and you
see an aircraft that can hover, fly at least at tree-top level, and can
withstand a lot of damage.

Of course, I'm biased from driving APC's. And I always supported armor units,
so I have seen what a tank can do (only during peace-time, but they are still
awesome). And from the spell description (Barrier), when something like a
tank hits it, it's going to go down (the Banshee would have a rating of 27
vs the spell rating. The spell had better be damn high!).

I read your other post, about "Death of a Banshee". From that I see that
we are seeing two different vehicles in the same place :). I'm going to
stick with my version (as is my perogative), and you can stick with
yours.

Later



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William Frierson Internet: WILL1AM@*****.asu.edu