My silly idea for a French Carrier Line (Just a fans idea be kind but please help)

[kriegerfaust]

Dixmude-----Tier 4-----
Type    Escort carrier
Displacement    8,200 long tons (8,300 t)
Length    492.25 ft (150.04 m)
Beam    66.25 ft 6 in (20.35 m)
Draught    23.25 ft (7.09 m)
Installed power    8,500 shp (6,300 kW)
Propulsion    
4 × diesel engines
1 × shaft
Speed    16.5 kn (19.0 mph; 30.6 km/h)
Complement    555
Sensors and
processing systems    SC radar
Armament    
3 × 4-inch DP anti-aircraft guns in single mounts
15 × 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons in single or twin mounts
Aircraft carried    15
Aviation facilities    
Hangar 190 ft × 47 ft (58 m × 14 m)
one 42 ft × 34 ft (13 m × 10 m) lift
9 × arrestor wires
Notes    Class only had a half hangar for aircraft stowage
===============================================
Name    Commandant Teste-----Tier 5-----
Namesake    Paul Teste
Builder    Forges et Chantiers de la Gironde, Bordeaux
Laid down    6 September 1927
Launched    12 April 1929
In service    18 April 1932
Reclassified    As gunnery training ship June 1941
Fate    Scuttled on 27 November 1942, raised February 1945, sold for scrap 15 May 1950
General characteristics
Type    Seaplane tender
Displacement    
10,000 long tons (10,000 t) (standard)
12,134 tonnes (11,942 long tons) (full load)
Length    167 m (547 ft 11 in)
Beam    27 m (88 ft 7 in)
Draft    6.7 m (22 ft 0 in)
Installed power    
4 water-tube boilers
23,230 shp (17,320 kW)
Propulsion    2 × shafts; 2 × geared steam turbines
Speed    21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Range    2,000 nmi (3,700 km; 2,300 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement    644
Armament    
12 × single 100 mm (3.9 in) guns
8 × single 37 mm (1.5 in) AA guns
6 × twin 13.2 mm (0.5 in) machine guns
Armor    
Belt: 3–5 cm (1.2–2.0 in)
Deck: 2.4–3.6 cm (0.9–1.4 in)
Conning tower: 8 cm (3.1 in)
Aircraft carried    26 seaplanes
Aviation facilities    
4 × catapults
5 × recovery cranes[1]
===========================================
Duquesne----6----
Dimensions    186,2 m long, 20 m wide, 6,15 m draught (611 x 66 x 20.2 ft)
Displacement    10 000 t. standard -11,404 t to 12,436 tonnes Fully loaded
Crew    800
Propulsion    4 shafts direct geared SR turbines Rateau-Bretagne, 8 Guyot/Du Temple boilers, 120,000 hp.
Speed    34 knots (60 km/h)
Range    5,000 nautical miles at 15 knots, 1800 at 29 knots, 700 at 33 knots, capacity 1842 tonnes of oil
Armament    8 x 203 mm/55 (Mod. 1931), 12 x 100 mm DP (6×2), 8 x 37 mm AA (4×2), 16 x 13,2 mm AA HMGs (4 x 4), 2 x 3 550 mm TTs, 2 Loire 130 seaplanes.
Armor    Ammunitions holds 20/30mm, CT 30 mm, turrets 30 mm (1.5 in).
Built under the 1924 programme. First French "Washington" cruisers. In certain degree they presented the increased variant of Duguay Trouin class with improved hull form. Intended for long-distance reconnaissance and operations on trade communications, first of all colonial. According to the task cruisers should exceed on speed all possible opponents (British and US light cruisers), and their armament should ensure the superiority over light and auxiliary merchant cruisers. Proceeding from tasks weakness of their armour protection (weight of armour was only 430t) was not a significant lack. Practically they had no underwater protection, only thickened longitudinal bulkheads abreast machinery.

Both ships during trials reached designed speed. Duquesne on 4hour trials developed overall speed 34.12kts at 131770hp (maximum speed was 35.3kts), and Tourville during 6hour trials signed 33.22kts overall at 126900hp (maximum speed was 34.13kts). As a whole these ships were characterised as well seaworthy and handy ships: 30kts speed they easily made at half power of main machinery.

In 1930s variants of conversion to light aircraft carriers were studied. It was supposed, that in new quality they can carry 12-14 aircrafts. Three variants of project from four provided preservation of fwd or aft turret pairs. Detailed study of projects have refused in favour of project of real aircraft carrier of Joffre class.
=======================================
Arromanches-----Tier 7----
Class and type    Majestic-class aircraft carrier
Displacement    15,700 long tons (16,000 t)
Length    698 ft (212.8 m)
Beam    80 ft (24.4 m)
Draught    25 ft (7.6 m)
Propulsion    4 Admiralty 3-drum boilers, 2 shafts, Parsons geared steam turbines, 40,000 shp (30,000 kW)
Speed    24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph)
Complement    1,100 (including air group)
Sensors and
processing systems    
Type 281 radar
Type 293 radar
2 × Type 277 radars
Armament    
24 × 2-pounder AA guns
19 × Bofors 40 mm guns
Aircraft carried    37 - Fairey Firefly and Hawker Sea Fury
============================================
Joffre----Tier 8----
Type    Aircraft carrier
Displacement    
18,000 t (17,716 long tons) (standard)
20,000 t (19,684 long tons) (deep load)
Length    236 m (774 ft 3 in)
Beam    24.6 m (80 ft 9 in) (waterline)
Draft    6.6 m (21 ft 8 in)
Installed power    
8 water-tube boilers
120,000 shp (89,000 kW)
Propulsion    2 shafts; 2 geared steam turbines
Speed    33.5 knots (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph)
Range    7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph)
Complement    1,250
Armament    
4 × twin 130 mm (5.1 in) DP guns
4 × twin 37 mm (1.5 in) AA guns
7 × quadruple 13.2 mm (0.5 in) AA machine guns
Armor    
Waterline belt: 105 mm (4.1 in)
Deck: 30–70 mm (1.2–2.8 in)
Gun turrets: 20 mm (0.8 in)
Barbettes: 20 mm (0.8 in)
Aircraft carried    40
================================================
PA-28: (Clemenceau) (Not the Clemenceau that was built)----9----
Designed: 1946, 1 ship proposed
Dimensions: 215(pp or wl) x 230(oa) x 36 x 6,5m
Displacement: 15.700tons (standard) 20.000tons (full load)
Engine Power: 105.000shp Steam Turbines most likely Parsons, 2 shafts
Speed: 59km/h
Armour: None
Armament:
8x2 100mm/55 Modéle 1945 DP-AA Guns
8x2 57mm/60 Modéle 1951 AA Guns
Around 49 aircraft
============================================================
Jean Bart (Carrier Conversion)------10-----
Displacement    
Normal: 43,052 t (42,372 long tons)
Full load: 49,196 t (48,419 long tons)
Draft    10.9 m (36 ft)
Complement    2,220
Sensors and
processing systems    
1 × DRBV 11 air/surface search radar
1 × DRBV 20 air search radar
1 × DRBV 30 navigation radar
1 × DRBC 10A fire control (FC) radar
6 × ACAE FC radar
5 × DRBC 30B FC radar
Armament    
8 × 380 mm guns
9 × 152 mm guns
24 × 100 mm AA guns
28 × 57 mm (2.2 in) AA guns
In 1945, discussions as to the fate of the ship considered converting her into an aircraft carrier, finishing her as a battleship, or discarding her altogether. The decision was ultimately made to finish her as a battleship, a process that took several years. Most work on the ship was completed by 1955, when she formally entered active service, and she conducted two overseas cruises to visit Denmark and the United States shortly thereafter. For the only time, Richelieu and Jean Bart cruised together on 30 January 1956. Jean Bart took part in the French intervention in the Suez Crisis in November 1956, including a brief four-shot bombardment of Port Said. Reduced to reserve in August 1957, she was used as a barracks ship until 1961. She remained, unused, in the French Navy's inventory until 1970 when she was struck from the naval register and sold for scrap.
========================================

[kriegerfaust]

 

 

Nord 1500 Noréclair was a French aircraft designed at the end of World War II and intended for dive-bombing, torpedoing and anti-submarine warfare missions.

History[edit]edit code]

The Nord 1500 has its origins in a 1943 program to provide naval aviation with a twin-engine dive-bombing, torpedo, and ASW warfare that could be land-based as well as carrier-based. Two manufacturers in particular responded to this call for tenders: SNCAN and SNCAC.

The SNCAN offered two versions, a single-fin "A" and a twin-fin "B". After the Liberation, on 18 September 1945, the aircraft was ordered for three prototypes under contract No. 4242/45.

In mid-1946, the SNCAN planned an order for 105 aircraft, the navy thought for some time to order 35 for the Clemenceau aircraft carrier project (PA 28) but in the end no serial order was placed. Only the first prototype was completed, it made its first flight on August 29, 1947. The flight tests revealed many defects that required modifications: the landing gear had to be modified, as well as the fin which caused instability and the engines which regularly failed. These various problems repeatedly halted flight tests and he was not able to join the flight test center until February 1949. In April, the market was shut down.

Nevertheless, in September 1949, he joined the Centre d'expérimentation pratique de l'aéronautique navale in Saint-Raphaël. Among other things, the experimenters criticized it for its engines that were too inefficient, its cargo hold not large enough, and the narrowness of the communication corridor between the stations. It was used for some time as a service aircraft. To keep it airworthy, the second unfinished prototype was cannibalized. Finally, in July 1950, the Nord 1500 was condemned.

Various versions and modifications were considered:
In 1947, a Nord 1501 version was studied. This would have involved replacing the unreliable 14R engines with Bristol Hercules, but this modification was never made.

In the same year, faced with the short-term absence of an aircraft carrier large enough to accommodate a twin-engined aircraft, it was considered to convert the aircraft into a coastal surveillance aircraft. To do this, the powertrain would have been replaced by a Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet engine in place of the tail turret. The second prototype, which was 65% complete at the time, was to receive this modification. At the time, this 1510 version was expected to have a maximum speed of 6 km/h at 000,760 m and a range of 7 hours at a cruising speed of 280 km/h. The first flight of this modified version was scheduled for 1 October 1948 and an order for 35 aircraft was expected in 1949. The modification of the second aircraft was started but was stopped on 15 December pending the signing of an amendment to contract 4242, however the signature did not take place and everything was stopped on 4 June 1949.

Finally, in November 1947, the French Navy's General Staff considered acquiring an air-to-air refueling aircraft. Among other things, a largely modified derivative of the Nord 1500 powered by a 3,400 hp Rolls Royce Clyde turboprop and a Cobham refuelling system was considered, but this project never came to fruition.

Description[edit]edit code]

The Nord 1500 Noréclair is a twin-engined aircraft with mid-wings and conventional landing gear. Its wings have a double dihedral whose break is located at the level of the engine nacelles. They are equipped with curvature flaps and speed brakes. On the versions to be carried on aircraft carriers, the half-wings on the outside of the engines would have had to be folded aft, however the only completed prototype is not equipped with this device. The fuselage has an oblong cross-section with a bomb or torpedo bay at its bottom and the front of the aircraft includes an armored cockpit. As for the tailplane, it is of the single-fin type, although wind tunnel tests have been carried out on twin- or tri-fin models to remedy yaw instability. The landing gear is hydraulically retractable, with the main legs housed in the engine nails.

In terms of propulsion, the aircraft uses two 14-cylinder twin-star Gnome and Rhône 14R-25 engines with a take-off power of 1,600 hp.

Its offensive armament consisted of a 450 mm torpedo or two tons of bombs or anti-submarine charges. It could also be equipped with rockets attached to the underwings. It should have received two fixed MG 151 guns and two other mobile guns placed in a remotely controlled tail turret.

NC.1070 was a twin-engined carrier-based bomber project competing with the Nord 1500 Noréclair developed at the end of World War II. It was never mass-produced.

History[edit]edit code]

In 1943, while France was still occupied by the Germans, the French Navy clandestinely launched a program for a twin-engined aircraft for dive-bombing, torpedoing and anti-submarine warfare. Numerous studies were undertaken and in 1944, at the Liberation, the SNCAC project was selected for the rearmament programme in the same way as that of the SNCAN. The project developed by the Issy-les-Moulineaux design office, a specialist in on-board aircraft, belonged to SNCASO before responsibility for the latter was transferred to SNCAC. The project was therefore first designated SO.1070 before becoming NC.1070.

By the end of the war, the Naval Air Force estimated that it needed 105 aircraft of this type. The NC.1070 project made a strong impression on the Navy and requested funding from the Ministry for 15 aircraft (12 land-based and 3 ship-based). An order was finally placed on 20 August 1945 but limited to three prototypes. The order for the third aircraft was finally cancelled on 25 April 1946. It was considered to equip the Clemenceau aircraft carrier project (PA 28) with it.

The first flight of the NC.1070 took place on 23 May 1947 in the hands of Fernand Lasne. The aircraft carried out test flights for almost a year during which the good flying qualities of the aircraft were noted, but also disappointing performance due to the weakness of its engines. Finally, on 9 March 1948, at the end of a test flight near Toussus-le-Noble, prototype 01 of the NC.1070 had to land on its belly due to a failure of the landing gear extension. The aircraft, although not badly damaged, was not repaired due to the loss of interest of the authorities in this aircraft. In addition, at that time, heavy conversion work had been undertaken on the second prototype, which became the NC.1071.

Description[edit]edit code]

The NC.1070 was an all-metal twin-engine with a mid-wing and triple-barrel fuselage, the engine cradles were extended by beams on which the tailplanes rested. The trapezoidal wings had an aspect ratio of 8 and had curvature flaps and airbrakes on the lower and upper surfaces. They also had two joints that allowed them to fold over the fuselage, increasing the wingspan from 20 m to 7.5 m; The production aircraft should have been fitted with a hydraulic folding system, but the 01 prototype did not have one.

The fuselage had an ovoid cross-section and was of semi-monocoque construction. From front to back, there was the bomber station with a partially glazed nose, the cockpit, the bomb bay and the tank, and at the tail the gunner's station and the turret, all the crew stations were heavily armored. At the tailplanes, the two daggerboards rested on the beams extending the engine cradles and were surmounted by a fixed plane.

The tricycle landing gear was built by Messier. The front leg was offset to the left to allow aiming and retracted aft into the fuselage. The main gear retracted into the beams due to complex kinematics. The landing gear retract used an electro-hydraulic system.

In terms of powertrain, the NC.1070 used Gnome and Rhône 14R-25 radial engines with 14 cylinders in two rows and air-cooled. These engines had a theoretical maximum power of 1,600 hp but in reality lower. These drove three-bladed propellers rotating in opposite directions.

Its offensive armament included a torpedo or bombs or anti-submarine charges. It also had two fixed 30mm cannons and could receive rockets under the wings. Defensively, it was to have two 151 mm MG 20 guns in a turret mounted at the rear of the fuselage.

 

Edited January 19 by kriegerfaust

[kriegerfaust]

Lafayette Cruise ship carrier conversion Type	(Premium 10)
Tonnage	79,280 GRT (1935–1936) 83,423 GRT (post-1936)
Displacement	68,350 tons (loaded)
Length	313.6 m (1,029 ft) o/a 293.2 m (962 ft) p/p[1]
Beam	35.9 m (117 ft 10 in);[1]
Height	56.1 m (184 ft)
Draught	11.2 m (36 ft 7 in) (loaded)
Depth	28.0 m (92 ft) to promenade (strength) deck
Decks	12
Installed power	Four turbo-electric, total 160,000 hp (200,000 hp max).[3]
Propulsion	Four 3 bladed on launch – later 4 bladed
Speed	29.5 kn (54.6 km/h; 33.9 mph) designed 32.2 kn (59.6 km/h; 37.1 mph) recorded on trials
Capacity	1,972: 848 First Class (cabin), 670 Tourist Class, 454 Third Class
Crew	1,345

Lafayette conversion[edit]

On 20 December 1941, the Auxiliary Vessels Board officially recorded President Franklin D. Roosevelt's approval of Normandie's transfer to the U.S. Navy. Plans called for the vessel to be turned into a troopship ("convoy unit loaded transport"). The Navy renamed her USS Lafayette, in honor of both Marquis de la Fayette, the French general who fought on the Colonies' behalf in the American Revolution, and the alliance with France that made American independence possible. The name was a suggestion of J. P. "Jim" Warburg, advisory assistant to Colonel William J. Donovan, Coordinator of Information, which was passed through multiple channels including Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox; Admiral Harold R. Stark, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO); and Rear Adm. Randall Jacobs, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation. The name La Fayette (later universally and unofficially contracted to Lafayette) was officially approved by the Secretary of the Navy on 31 December 1941, with the vessel classified as a transport, AP-53.

Earlier proposals included turning Lafayette into an aircraft carrier, but this was dropped in favor of immediate troop transport.^[56] The ship remained moored at Pier 88 for the conversion. A contract for her conversion to a troop transport was awarded to Robins Dry Dock and Repair Co., a subsidiary of Todd Shipyards, on 27 December 1941. On that date, Capt. Clayton M. Simmers, the 3rd Naval District Materiel Officer, reported to the Bureau of Ships (BuShips) his estimate that the conversion work could be completed by 31 January 1942, and planning for the work proceeded on that basis.

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F4so7o4woryv81.jpg

https://hushkit.net/2016/05/08/top-11-cancelled-french-aircraft/

 SNCASO SO8000 Narval

In a parallel universe, fighters look like the Narval, or I at least hope they do. The Narval offered a fascinating insight into how piston-engine fighters may have evolved if they had not  been so rudely pushed out of the way by the coming of the jet engine. Two prototypes were produced for the proposed SNCASO SO.8000 Narval (Narwhal) naval fighter. The engine was the Arsenal 12H (essentially a Jumo 213, which also powered the incredible Nord Noroit). Two prototypes were constructed, the first being flown for the first time on 1 April 1949 – the type was clearly obsolete as it offered a piffling top speed of 454 mph (in the same year the 600mph+ Sabre had entered service in the United States). SNCASO gave up this beautiful turkey in the early ’50s. Only two prototypes were constructed, and the type did not enter production

As for a gimmick perhaps cluster bombs from the UK or USSR Incendiary(HE)/Smoke/Gas, or the interceptors like on the Bearn, perhaps cluster bombs for carriers and anti-sub weapons making the French line the anti-specialist (Submarine/Carrier), strafing aircraft with light to heavy cannon? maybe make them the fast carrier, or crazy give them a smoke screen, i am open to any reasonable idea and joke ideas if they are funny.

Edited January 19 by kriegerfaust

[invicta2012]

Yes, generally.

Being critical: Not sure why you've done all the tiers (and Commandante Teste isn't really going to work unless she's done as a recce carrier with Tactical Squadrons).

Dixmude is an attractive idea for Tier IV (she's a small escort carrier) but it would be anachronistic to have her actual planes - they're all WW2 British and US types.

A converted Duquesne may make more sense, to be honest - she's significantly larger than Dixmude, was constructed in the right time period and would be able to have authentic French Naval planes of the time (Warning: they aren't very good). 

VI should probably be another Bearn style hull conversion - perhaps using the hull from another Normandie, such as Languedoc? She could be a rather more rational carrier than Bearn (that lift!) and carry more modern planes of a type which the MN was developing in 1938-1940.

VIII should be a modernised Joffre, as if she was serving in the Free French forces alongside Richelieu in the Pacific. Some US influences in the planes 

X should be a carrier based on a coverted Richelieu or a preliminary Clemenceau (Clem is very much of the jet age, but there must be design studies). Would like to see planes like the Breguet Alize or Vultur on that ship and perhaps some ASW ?

 

Definite yes to the twin engined planes - I think the gimmicks for this line should be Bearn's powerful fighters and skip bombers, along with heavy (and rather funky) twin-engined torpedo and rocket planes; the latter would be few in number per flight, but would have a powerful payload per plane.

 

[Admiral_Karasu]

How would you fit 8 x 380mm guns on a carrier?

My suggestion for a gimmick is that they are scuttleable, even though doesn't seem to be a real word. WG magic can make it so.

[invicta2012]

28 minutes ago, Admiral_Karasu said:

How would you fit 8 x 380mm guns on a carrier?

Same way you fit 12 x 406s on a Kearsarge, I suppose. 

And don't be *mean* to the French. They know how to have fun with CVs and Subs!

 

 

Edited January 19 by invicta2012

[Wrath_of_Deadguy]

Makes sense, I guess. The French, at least, had one more operational CV than Germany or the USSR did.