We did it!
 

It looks like you guys might need to make a new version for Fleet Command that includes a unique aircraft, that I just read about.

From what I understand, the Soviet Union was on the verge of creating this aircraft just before the government collapsed. They had the idea, but they could not find the right material.

It seems that the U.S. Government has found the right material (Titanium I think), and we are now producing them. The aircraft that I am talking about is the new recon plane, only known as the flying submarine.

We are planning to use the Ohio Class Balistic Missle Subs as Submersible Carriers. The Sub can place itself at any location in the World, go to a depth of 150 feet or less, and then launch as many as 24 of these remote piloted aircraft. They launch just like a missle, and fire their boosters right after they leave the water.

The planes can be used for recon, but can also be loaded with weaponry. After the mission is complete, the aircraft returns to a certain pre planned location, and then lands. The Ohio then uses some form of crane to hook to the plane, and return it to the original launch tube. Pretty Cool, I think.

If you are interested in reading about it, just go to Google, or any other search engine, and then type in flying submarine. It should pop up, and you will find a lot of other stuff that is pretty cool.

DJ:

Well I guess this is worth looking into. Long time no posts DJ? How's the job?

That's not new, been around for a long time, at least since the late 60's! Here are photo's...

http://www.vttbots.com/fs1_photos.html :D

Here's another more serious link...

http://www.livescience.com/technolog...spy_plane.html

It is going good, but it keeps me busy, plus I do online college classes, so I am normally strapped for time.

I do not know if I would buy that it has been around since the 60's. Hell they where just figuring out VSTOL in the early 60's.

That is the link that popped up when I did the search for flying submarine. A woman that I worked with mentioned it to me, and said that Fox news had a story on it. She knows that I am ex military, so she asked me if I knew anything about it. I told her that I knew of the Soviet attempts to make it, but they could not find a metal that was light enough to fly, and strong enough to take an underwater launch.

So over the weekend I did some investigating into it, and walla.

This site also shows some cool new ideas that are being worked on. They now have a weapon that is similar to the Star Trek Phasers. It can stunn a person, kill a person, or even be turned up so high that it can melt an armored vehicle. The U.S. is skeptical about funding any more test though, so it will probably be a couple of decades before we see this weapon being deployed.

Thanks Kyle, that was too funny! You even got me to look at that. Go Seaview!

DJ:

I find it strange that the Russians couldn't find a metal that was light enough given that they were among the first navies to use titanium double hulled submarines. They even came up with a special welding system (titanium can't be welded in oxygen) to construct the hulls. I believe the first such boats were the Typhoon class (Scott? details?).

I used to love Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. Especially the flying submarine.

By the way, remember the IJN I-400 submarine.