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German NH-90 CSAR - What kind of armament?


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Hi Hajo

you could always use some of the weapons off the new Revell Tigre helicopter, its got some very nice missiles and rocket pods.

Hope this is of some help.

Steve

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My RoG NH-90 TTH just arrived and I want to build it as a CSAR-bird. Are there any speculations or infos out there about the defensive armament for this version?

HAJO

I found this info on Flug Revue;

On the other hand, Parliament is not expected to debate the planned upgrade of part of the Luftwaffe combat, search and rescue (CSAR) fleet until 2007. The procurement of eight mission kits is under discussion, with “recent developments in this area [having led] to the need for a review of the configurationâ€. We can therefore assume that operational readiness will not be attained before 2012.

Also

Weapons (Bewaffnung): For combat SAR duties, the NH90 can be fitted with 2 swivelling machine guns in the cabin.

The NFH can carry 2 x Mk 46 or 2 x MU90 torpedos or 2 x Marte Mk.II anti-ship missiles.

Found this on a German Site;

The service is acquiring eight CSAR kits and 24 of its NH-90s will be fitted with this new equipment. The kits involve full night capability, in-flight refueling, installation of air-air and air-to-surface weapons, and an electrical warfare suite. This embryonic CSAR capability will be resident within the NH-90 wing at Holzdorf, and the Luftwaffe is hoping that Holzdorf will become the European CSAR centre.

Given all the talk I am not sure if the CSAR equipment has been finalised, not sure which guns they would use.

Julien

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Given all the talk I am not sure if the CSAR equipment has been finalised, not sure which guns they would use.

Most likely either MG3s (descendants of the infamous MG42, adapted to fire the 7.62x51 NATO round) or the M3M (GAU-21/A in the US), which is a development of the Browning M2 .50cal machine-gun.

Edited by ChernayaAkula
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What scale is your kit? I did a google for the NH-90, and it is a nice looking helo.

I'd be interested in someday building some of the Euro helos if there are kits in 1/48. One can always hope, right?

As for armament, I'd think a ramp gun would be a viable option. Never hurts to send a farewell gift as you're pulling out of a hot LZ...

Edited by LemonJello
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  • 1 month later...

Sorry, no pictures for the moment, but the kit is nearly finished. Even made some pylons for Stinger-missiles. Now I need some pictures of a door-mounted MG-3, especially the hand-grips are of interest. Anyone any pics?

HAJO

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Moritz is correct with the choice of weapons. AFAIK, it's planned to mount the MGs in the aft cabin windows (above the sponsons). Until today the German C-SAR concept is just that, a concept. Since we are such a peaceful nation, many of our wise leaders think Germany doesn't need it's own C-SAR unit. In the unexpected case that we DO need C-SAR, we will ask our allies to shoulder the dangerous task. (Sorry, couldn't resist)

There is a picture of a fuselage with a door-mounted MG http://www.mil.fi/maavoimat/kalustoesittely/popup.dsp?id=507, but its better to keep the (relatively small) doors free of obstacles. Look at http://batfredland.free.fr/AA2003_Nh90war.jpg for a variant with the MGs in the aft windows. Remember: All these are just propositions.

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What scale is your kit? I did a google for the NH-90, and it is a nice looking helo.

I'd be interested in someday building some of the Euro helos if there are kits in 1/48. One can always hope, right?

As for armament, I'd think a ramp gun would be a viable option. Never hurts to send a farewell gift as you're pulling out of a hot LZ...

Italeri is releasing a 1:48 maritime EH.101, hopefully the HC.3 version will follow. I don't know anything about a 1:48 NH.90, but that would be nice to have too. I've got the 1:72 RoG NH.90 and while I haven't started on it, it looks like a nice little kit. I was thinking building it in Aussie colors, but all this talk of Deutsch CSAR has me looking at that green camouflage paint guide and those decals.

Edited by Trigger
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Thanks for the pictures, although I already have those two on my harddisk. :doh: Of course I will use the aft windows for the guns, I have already sanded them a bit to make the window-opening bigger for better field of view.

The gun in the main cabin-entrance is definetly not an option for me, I already have removed some of the troop seats so that the winch-operator has enough space for work. Another MG in that entrance would only block the way in and out.

I also decided that I will add a refueling-probe to the helo, although I have no idea who would refuel the NH-90 in the air. The Luftwaffe has no helo-refueling capable aircraft so far... :explode:

HAJO

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Here are the promised pictures!

The helo in its full beauty, I think I can start painting this evening.

NH902.jpg

Left side, unfortunately the ceiling I added is not visible from this angle... Need to scratch some weapons mounts for the doorgunners also...

NH901.jpg

The right side.

NH903.jpg

I will later add a winch-operator and a "PJ" in the cabin, doo will be open of course.

NH904.jpg

HAJO

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Looking good Hajo! I have a question - is that a step extending out from under the door on the right fuselage? Reason I ask is, you might want to consider installing a round tube on the edge of it. If the hoist line runs along a sharp edge like that, it can break. The USAF learned that lesson the hard way when a PJ was tragically killed in South Korea when that happened. Now HH-60Gs have such a tube installed under the right main cabin doors.

13.jpg

The Luftwaffe has no helo-refueling capable aircraft so far... :coolio:

Hmmm... is that a C-160 Tanker WhIf Build I detect? <_<

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Yes, that´s a step, and thanks for the good idea. I heard about this PJ-incident when I built my HH-47 and didn´t installed a round tubing, I will do so on this kit.

HAJO

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Nice photos of the armed NH-90 demonstrator. Now I know where the machine guns are supposed to go on *that* future project. Are the arrangements on the Merlin similar? I'm seriously considering arming my HC.3, but I can't find any references at all, except a detailless diagram in one of A-W's brochures.

Hajo, I think the Stingers need to be placed a little higher than you've put yours - as is, the backblast will hit the sponson, which won't be good for it. The way the mount looks in the photo, the weapons will be suspended under a round arm protruding from just under window height - Revell's A-109KM has some likely-looking arms, and .50-cal gunpods like the one in the display as well.

Lastly, who makes that rocket pod from the demonstration photo? The shape doesn't look too complex to scratchbuild, if I can get some accurate dimensions, and I've seen them mounted here and there on other helicopters (like the Tiger ARH, for instance, and in the EC-635 documentation...)

SP

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  • 3 weeks later...

OK, I consider this helo finished, now I can turn to my next project, which is to to clean up my model desk first and then start my HC-130.

But here are the pictures of the NH-90 TTH CSAR:

NH90TTH6.jpg

NH90TTH5.jpg

NH90TTH4.jpg

NH90TTH3.jpg

NH90TTH2.jpg

NH90TTH1.jpg

NH90TTH9.jpg

NH90TTH7.jpg

NH90TTH8.jpg

And yes, I know, I should have cleaned my carpet first before taking these pics... :doh:

HAJO

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