The Russian Grokhovsky G-38

[Thom]

OK, I am a HUGE fan of the P-38 Lightning, it's lines are beautiful to my eye and I did not imagine that it could ever be improved on until recently when I discovered a long lost aviation treasure, Russia's Grokhovsky G-38. This plane flatout SCREAMS Crimson Skies at me


(This beautiful image by shelbs2 was found on deviantART)

History
This project was designed and virtually built in 1934-1936 by P.I.Grokhovsky Design Bureau.
Twin seat fighter-bomber, mainly of wooden construction, powered with two 900hp Gnome-Rhone radials and armed with four ShKAS and two ShVAK firing forward plus two rear-firing ShKAS controlled by gunner. Various bomb combinations could be hung under the center nacelle.
The whole project was cancelled when the aircraft was virtually finished in 1936.

G-38 specifications:

Length.........8.8m
Span...........13.4m
Wing area......32sq.m
Weight empty...2200kg
Weight loaded...4100kg
Top speed......550km/h

This image is supposed to be from original drawings, I found it at Unicraft but it is all over the web.



Pumping the engines up to 1800-2000 HP would make a it very serious fighter/bomber and easily one of the most beautiful planes in the sky. Given the changes that Crimson Skies brings, there is no reason that the Reds should not be flying this plane. Perhaps the Whites even possess it and would be willing to sell them to all buyers. Change it to a pair of 2500 HP engines and you could have a serious world class racer!

I am working a few G-38 ideas up in Aeronaut. If I come up with anything interesting I will post them.

A bit more can be seen at >>Unicraft<<.

This is one I would love to see foxmalcolm create a virtual model of! (Hint hint)

[Thom]

Note: The ShKAS is a Russian .30 cal MG and the ShVAK is a 20mm autocannon, so the G-38 would have packed four forward .30 MGs, two forward .20mm ACs (.80cals!) and two more rear firing .30s.

[Jerba]

This is one I would love to see foxmalcolm create a virtual model of! (Hint hint)

Not til we see the rest of the Zion Davis! (hint hint)

The G-38 is pretty cool. Coincidence that it also uses a 38 in the name like the P-38? I would love to see this in a fan fiction or other of our fan created enterprises.

[Thom]

The two planes were in development at the same time. There are so many similarities that it is hard to believe it is purely coincidental, and yet, there is no evidence to suggest that it is not. Still though the two planes are just different enough that I have no issues with having them both flying the Crimson Skies.

[Thom]

It is impossible to duplicate this plane (or the P-38) in Crimson Skies. . . *Sigh*

[Jerba]

It is impossible to duplicate this plane (or the P-38) in Crimson Skies. . . *Sigh*

Explain, por favor.

[Thom]

You cannot duplicate the weapons without going overweight, and you cannot duplicate the performance at all, even without weapons. The P-38 performed OUTSIDE the box so to speak when compared to most other WWII aircraft but when you try to build it to CS rules it just comes up limp.

[rayvtirx]

would be great if they were pusher engines

[Grant]

Yeah but ya can make it good

I made a P-38 once and it came out "okay" above what I consider most CS planes.

You could always try the Level two construction rules (In the Rules section), that makes modern planes a little easier.

[GalagaGalaxian]

You cannot duplicate the weapons without going overweight, and you cannot duplicate the performance at all, even without weapons. The P-38 performed OUTSIDE the box so to speak when compared to most other WWII aircraft but when you try to build it to CS rules it just comes up limp.

Usually you have to "downgrade" a 40s plane's performance (and sometimes armament) to fit inside the bracket represented by Crimson Skies. Try giving it six .30s and then a pair of .60s and knock a 50-100 mph or so off the top speed. Sure its not "Exact" but you're designing the plane 5-15 years before it actually existed. Just make it perform well inside the rules of Crimson Skies, don't worry about historical accuracy so much.