Author Topic: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration  (Read 21612 times)

Offline Beekster

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Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« on: June 14, 2016, 09:45:47 PM »
Love it. Reno racers would be a great group build.

I agree, Reno Racers that Never Were would be cool.  Aircraft not eligible, because they were or are used at that venue, include the following:

P-51 Mustang
F8F Bearcat
P-38 Lightning
Sea Fury
F4U/FG-1/FG-2 Corsair

On the other hand, everything else is fair game.  A Raiden (Jack), perhaps, with clipped wings?  A P-47 Jug?  A Yak-3?  This is also fertile ground for prototypes, on the assumption that they got sold for scrap and someone got ambitious.  How about XP-55 Ascender or XP-56 Bullet or XP-67 Moonbat?  Those could get expensive, being limited-run and/or resin, but they'd look really wild.  Especially with mild mods like different props.

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2016, 02:04:18 AM »
Love it. Reno racers would be a great group build.

I agree, Reno Racers that Never Were would be cool.  Aircraft not eligible, because they were or are used at that venue, include the following:

P-51 Mustang
F8F Bearcat
P-38 Lightning
Sea Fury
F4U/FG-1/FG-2 Corsair

On the other hand, everything else is fair game.  A Raiden (Jack), perhaps, with clipped wings?  A P-47 Jug?  A Yak-3?  This is also fertile ground for prototypes, on the assumption that they got sold for scrap and someone got ambitious.  How about XP-55 Ascender or XP-56 Bullet or XP-67 Moonbat?  Those could get expensive, being limited-run and/or resin, but they'd look really wild.  Especially with mild mods like different props.

Also:

Martin Baker MB.5
Boeing XF8B-1
Republic XP-72
Seafire MK. 46/47
Supermarine Spiteful/Seafang
Kawasaki Ki-64

Anyone notice the contra-prop theme?  8)
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Offline Acree

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #2 on: June 15, 2016, 02:26:53 AM »
The prototype YP-60E did race at Reno in the National Air Races before they moved to Reno but crashed during qualifying.  Douglas A-26s have also raced at Reno and a DC-7 (once). Clay Lacy raced a DC-7 ("Super Snoopy") at Mojave in 1970, coming in 6th
« Last Edit: June 15, 2016, 02:38:41 AM by Acree »

Offline The Big Gimper

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #3 on: June 15, 2016, 02:35:49 AM »
The prototype YP-60E did race at Reno, as did A-26s and a DC-7 (once).

Ah, "The Big Boy" class: 36 or more cylinders.  ;)
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Offline Beekster

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #4 on: June 15, 2016, 04:00:04 AM »
The prototype YP-60E did race at Reno in the National Air Races before they moved to Reno but crashed during qualifying.  Douglas A-26s have also raced at Reno and a DC-7 (once). Clay Lacy raced a DC-7 ("Super Snoopy") at Mojave in 1970, coming in 6th

Hmm...why stop at four engines when you can have six?  I need to find a cheap Monogram B-36 Peacemaker, paint it Orange & Black, and put Oregon State University decals on it.  Competition number 36, of course.

Or if two engines is all you think you need, how about an F7F Tigercat retrofitted with a pair of P&W R4360s?

Offline KiwiZac

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #5 on: June 15, 2016, 10:30:17 AM »
Unfortunately if we rule out real types used then the F7F is a no-go, but personally I'm all for re-enginings! Merlin or Griffon P-38, anyone?
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #6 on: June 15, 2016, 11:08:17 AM »
A F7F with R4360's would need the tail moved aft for both cg and aerodynamic balance considerations; I think a pair of R3350's would be more suitable.

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #7 on: June 15, 2016, 11:33:22 AM »
Do335s re popular ideas for Racers.

Here is a twin Jumo 222 powered one I sketched up a while back:



There is also this one that John Faull did:



I like your garish one though! :)
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Offline FAAMAN

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #8 on: June 15, 2016, 01:45:13 PM »
Why not a stripped down Bf 109F/G or H? 8)

How about an Fw 190A/D or FW Ta 152C? 8) 8) All with racer mods :)
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Offline Volkodav

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2016, 02:29:12 PM »
DH Hornet
Hawker Tempest
P-39
CAC CA15
Mitsubishi J2M

Offline Beekster

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2016, 11:29:46 PM »
Ooohh, I really like John Faul's version.  Of course, being a longtime Mercedes-Benz enthusiast perhaps I'm a bit biased....

Whether or not the subject is an air racer, the idea of a Merlin or Griffon P-38 has always intrigued me.  Why a Merlin wasn't tried during the war I don't know; it worked perfectly well in the Mustang.  Perhaps it had something to do with various entities being vested in the Allison, or not enough production capacity at Packard to supply both the Mustang program and another that would require twice as many engines...that means a tripling of production or a reduction in the number of aircraft produced.  Post-war, a Griffon with contra-props would be wild.

With respect to the F7F and moving the CG aft when using big iron like the R-4360, that sounds like an excuse for two kits and a mild fuselage stretch.  A couple of Monogram 1/72 kits could probably be found pretty cheap, and I think that somebody makes the Corncob engines in resin.  With two kits' worth of engine cowlings it ought to be straightforward.  Hmmmm....

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #11 on: June 16, 2016, 02:56:01 AM »
Griffon P-38 has always intrigued me. 


You were saying:

RR Griffon engined with turbocharger:



And with Supercharger:



More here
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Offline KiwiZac

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2016, 05:17:04 AM »
P-39
Another one that, if I remember correctly, has featured in races post-war. Or was it only P-63s?
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2016, 10:00:41 AM »
P-39

Another one that, if I remember correctly, has featured in races post-war. Or was it only P-63s?


P-39Q-15BE NX57591/N57591 'Juba' 1946/'Galloping Gertie' 1948
http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/multimedia/detail.cfm?id=4372

P-39Q-10BE (mod) NX92847 'Cobra I' 1946
P-39Q-10BE (mod) NX92848 'Cobra II' 1946-1948

'Cobra I'/'Cobra II' http://ipmsvagabonds.com/page3/page23/page23.html
'Cobra I' : http://www.internetmodeler.com/2007/january/first-looks/AM_P39Q.php
'Cobra II' (Hasagawa build): http://www.hyperscale.com/2013/features/p39cobraii48pd_1.htm

P-39Q-10BE (mod) N9284 'Cobra III' 1967-1968 (rebuilt 'Cobra II')

And there were others ...
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2016, 10:34:49 AM »
Cobra, a history of the first twelve years of Bell Aircraft has a whole chapter on racing P-39's and P-63's; fascinating stuff.

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2016, 03:23:34 AM »
Perhaps the most radical of the P-63 racers:



And yes, I have a kit of it! ;)
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Offline KiwiZac

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2016, 04:37:08 AM »
Ms Roto-Finish? I remember seeing a photo of this in Classic Wings Downunder magazine some years ago as part of a Reno retro gallery.
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Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2016, 05:02:51 AM »
With the tiny canopy, it almost looks like a scale-o-rama.  ;D
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #18 on: June 17, 2016, 06:19:06 AM »
How about a Spitfire Mk.21 with contra-props and the "Speed Spitfire" canopy?  I just happen to have all the requisite parts in the remote southern stash.

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #19 on: June 18, 2016, 05:08:29 AM »
Ms Roto-Finish? I remember seeing a photo of this in Classic Wings Downunder magazine some years ago as part of a Reno retro gallery.


This is Roto-Finish:



The P-63 I showed is/was "Crazy Horse Campgrounds"- apart from the minimalist canopy, it also had clipped wings:

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #20 on: June 18, 2016, 05:12:49 AM »
Thread for your Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration…

« Last Edit: June 18, 2016, 06:27:09 AM by GTX_Admin »
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Offline jcf

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #21 on: June 18, 2016, 06:32:02 AM »
By 'Reno style' do you mean Unlimited Class only, all classes, pre-Reno Thompson Trophy as well?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reno_Air_Races#Classes
Unlimited
T-6
Biplane
Formula One
Sport
Jet

Between the Wars projects/types that might have been competitive in the post-war Thompson Trophy races:

France: Bugatti or D550 or Caudron C.714R (all real world speed projects)


Italy: CMASA CS.15 (real world project with FIAT A.S.8 16-cylinder engine, design influenced by MC.72)



USSR:Bisnovat SK-1 based racer of some sort, or maybe a 'YP-37ed' MiG-3?
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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #22 on: June 18, 2016, 06:27:50 AM »
I have changed the thread title to include all sorts.
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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #23 on: June 18, 2016, 08:29:47 AM »
CA-15 racer:

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Re: Racing Aircraft Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #24 on: June 18, 2016, 08:32:25 AM »
Modified Sea Fury:



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