H-178 CONVAIR TRADEWIND

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IT HAS ALSO BEEN CALLED "THE FLYING LST" AND WAS THE LARGEST WATER-BASED AIRCRAFT EVER BUILT BY CONVAIR. POWERED BY FOUR 5,500 HP ALLISON T-40 TURBO-PROP ENGINES, THE R3Y-2 HAD A CRUISING RANGE OF MORE THAN 2,000 MILES AND A TOP SPEED OF MORE THAN 350 MPH. ONE OF THE MAJOR FEATURES OF THE R3Y-2 VERSION OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS THE SWING UP BOW, WHICH ALLOWED VEHICLES AND CARGO TO BE LANDED RIGHT ON THE BEACH. FOR ASSAULT OPERATIONS, THE R3Y-2 LANDED IN OFFSHORE WATERS AND TAXIED TO THE BEACH. AS THE HULL TOUCHED THE BEACH, THE BOW WENT UP, A RAMP CAME DOWN AND THE CARGO WAS LANDED AT THE POINT OF OPERATION. TO PULL OFF THE BEACH, THE PILOT SIMPLY REVERSED THE PROPELLERS AND BACKED AWAY. A THIRTY-SECOND TAXI RUN LIFTED THE EIGHTY-TON PLANE INTO THE AIR FOR ITS RETURN. THE TRADEWIND COULD CARRY 24 TONS OF CARGO. THIS MEANT THAT FOUR 155 MM HOWITZERS, THREE 2.5 TON TRUCKS, SIX JEEPS, TWO HALF-TRUCKS OR SEVERAL OTHER TYPES OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT COULD BE DELIVERED TO THE SCENE OF ACTION. IT COULD ALSO BE EQUIPPED WITH 103 REARWARD FACING SEATS FOR NORMAL TRANSPORT OPERATION, OR COULD BE SET UP TO HANDLE 92 LITTER PATIENTS AND 12 ATTENDANTS, IF IT WAS NEEDED AS A HOSPITAL EVACUATION PLANE. THIS NEW AIRCRAFT WAS THE RESULT OF 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BY CONVAIR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF WATER-BASED AIRCRAFT.

SKILL LEVEL 3

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