Gromov Gr-54 Tilt-Fan

The Gr-54 is a slightly larger militarized version of the Gr-50 civilian aircraft.  While its internal dimensions are mostly the same, the G-54 differs by being both armed and armoured.  It is used in a light-support role, alongside its duties as a transport.  The Gr-54 is used by all sections of the Russian military, and exists in several variants.  A dozen Gr-54C models were recently sold to Indonesia, and there are plans for this aircraft to be produced under license in Brazil by AMB Industries.

The basic model ( the 54A) is a high-wing design with a shrouded turbofan at the end of each wing, and has a butterfly-type, v-shaped tail.  There is a large sliding door on either side of the fuselage, just aft of the cockpit with smaller access doors are positioned further along, and the rear part of the fuselage doubles as a power-assisted door/ramp.

The 54A has a 20mm autocannon mounted on in the lower left nose section, and a universal mount positioned at both sliding door areas can accept any 7.5, 12, or 15mm autogun ( 7.5mm weapons are fitted as standard).  Each wing also has two hardpoints, able to carry a variety of loads.

The aircraft sensor suite is fully integrated with the pilot's helmet-mounted HUD, and is slaved to his head movements.  The suite includes image intensifier and FLIR ( Forward Looking InfraRed), as well as terrain-mapping radar.

To help counter the threat of enemy SAMs, there are pods carrying 25 flare and chaff rounds on either side of the rear door/ramp.
 

Gromov Gr-54A

Type: Tilt-fan transport with light support capability; Crew: Pilot, cargo chief, 2 door gunners; Mass: 4000 kg; Armour: All Faces: 2; Armament: 20mm autocannon with 120-round internal magazine, four underwing hardpoints for various stores, two 7.5mm autoguns ( one each side door); Evasion: 12; Sensor Range: 200km; Signature: +1; Cargo: 18 fully-equipped troops, or 2 combat walkers, or 1500kg of cargo; Max Speed: 600kph; Cruising Speed: 500kph; Combat Movement: 1200m; Endurance: 3hr; Price: current government procurement estimated at Lv400,000
 

Variants

• Gr-54B -- Navalised version.  Has folding wings and arrestor hook.  Cargo and armament as 54a.
• Gr-54C -- 'Assault' version.  30mm cannon replaces the standard 20mm version.  An extra top-mounted hardpoint on each wing carries a VM-12 anti-aircraft missile.  Troop capacity reduced to 18.
• Gr-54D -- CASEVAC ( Casualty Evacuation) version.  12mm autogun replaces 20mm cannon.  Each wing has one hardpoint.  3 lightweight automeds and 8 non-critical casualty spaces, plus 4 medical crew.
   

Armament

7.5mm doorguns: They are the same, to all intents and purposes, as the MG-7 found on page 42 of the 2300AD Adventurer's Guide.

20mm autocannon: Type: 20mm autocannon; Action: Single shot or bursts; Ammunition: 20x84mm fixed cartridge APHE; Magazine: 175-round internal magazine; ROF: 5; Aimed Fire Range: 1200m; Area Fire Burst: 10 ( AFV=1); Area Fire Range: 900m; DP Value: 5 ( + fragmentation burst radius = 3m).

30mm autocannon: Type: 30mm autocannon; Action: Single shot or bursts; Ammunition: 30x181mm fixed cartridge APHE; Magazine: 100-round internal magazine; ROF: 5; Aimed Fire Range: 1500m; Area Fire Burst: 10 ( AFV=1); Area Fire Range: 1000m; DP Value: 7 ( + fragmentation burst radius = 7m).

Articulated 6cm Rocket Pod: Type: 6cm rocket pod; Pod Mass ( empty/loaded): 70 kg / 310 kg; Single Rocket Mass: 15kg; Action: Single shot or 2-, 4-, 8- rocket salvo; Ammunition: 6cm unguided fin-stabilised HE/APHE rockets; Magazine: 16 rockets in internal tubes; ROF: 8; Aimed Fire Range: 600m; DP Value: as explosion/tamped explosion ( EP=8); Pod Price: Lv2000 pod; Complete Reload Price:Lv4000.

Note: The pod's articulation allows it to swivel 15 degrees, to either side, to assist aiming/firing.  When firing salvoes, a matching number of rockets must be fired from the opposite wing's pods, to keep the tilt-rotor balanced.  If a right wing pod salvoes 4 rockets, then a left wing pod must salvo 4 rockets at the same time.  When firing single shots, alternate firing ( one side then the the other).

VM-12: Type: short-range air-to-air missile; Launcher Mass: 8 kg; Missile Mass: 12 kg; Range: 5000m; Guidance: automatic; Homing Value: 24; Attack Angle: Direct; DP Value: as tamped explosion ( EP=5); Price: Lv9000;

BR-6M6: Type: WASP missile; Launcher Mass: 8 kg; Missile Mass: 8 kg; Range: 3000m; Guidance: automatic; Homing Value: 15; Attack Angle: overhead; DP Value: 3; Burst Radius: 20m; Price: Lv1500 for the launcher, and Lv4000 for the missile.

All other weapons are internal and integral and so their mass is part of the aircraft.
 

History behind the colour picture

The aircraft shown is a Gr-54A of the 65th Air Assault Brigade, flown by Flight Lieutenant Anatolya Zhakanov.  Operating against partisans in the buffer zone along the southern CAR, it is marked out in the standard four-tone shatter pattern used in this theatre.  The lurid shark's mouth, however, is not standard - personalised markings are generally frowned upon, but such formalities are lax in these remote areas.

The Gr-54A and B variants are used widely across this theatre of operations, deploying heavily armed counter-insurgency troops and providing supporting fire.  Their armament is particularly effective against the lightly armoured vehicles favoured the partisans, and on rare occasions VM-12 missiles are used to down their transport aircraft.  Combat tours in this area are difficult and dangerous, testing pilot skills to the limit in a particularly tough environment.

During her eighteenth mission, Flt.Lt. Zhakanovs' aircraft was hit by a shoulder-launched SAM after making a rocket attack on a command bunker.  She managed to keep the 54A aloft for some 20km before making a forced landing, during which one of her door gunners was killed.  The remaining crew-members then trekked another 20km back to their forward base camp, despite the wounds that they had all received during the crash.

All were awarded the Air Service Medal.