Canadair CL-16 Kukri (twin Sabre Dog)

[kitnut617]

This is another idea I had after following some posts made in the Sabre Dingo thread.

I really don't like the idea of twinned swept-winged projects, it just doesn't look pleasing to the eye. So I thought I'd rectify that.

I started by dragging out a F-86D and a F-86K I have in the stash, and came up with a solution that I find looks fairly good to the eye.

This below is the basics that I cobbled together. I decided to use FJ-4 wings for the outer wings and then by protruding the leading edge and trailing edge lines through the fuselages, I cam up with a swept center section, albeit a forward swept center section. But then the fuselages looked too short.

[kitnut617]

So following the chatter in the Sabre Dingo thread of making a trainer version of an F-86D, it seemed that might be the way to go. As I have a couple of TF-86 conversions also in the stash I had a look at them to see if I could use some of the fuselages but the F-86D is a different animal to the F-86A's, I decided to get another Airfix F-86D kit to use and then stretch the fuselages.

I added a plug in each fuselage which is the same length as what was used in the TF-86, but then things went a bit skewy. I decided to have the cockpits in the port fuselage and have the starboard one for the weapons.  I have used a spare TF-86 canopy from one of the conversions for this project.

[kitnut617]

I drew out the plan form I was looking for and overlaid the parts on it, I then made some castings of F-86D cockpit tubs and also of the FJ-4 fin to use. The plug that NAA inserted into the TF-86 was, IIRC, 67", which was so two full size cockpits could be installed. So I glued two F-86D cockpits together and fitted them to the port fuselage.  I have made the tail planes in the same style as the wing, the wing center section is made of a top half and a bottom half with a spar added. This spar is an extrusion of the outer wing spar depths, which means it's thicker at the middle that where it joins the fuselage.

I did all this so I could verify that the idea would work and most important (to me anyway) look good.  Now some life changing events have happened and I don't know if I'll have the time to finish it, but what with a number of other projects I want to finish and depending on how quick my condition changes, I'll try to get this one done too.

For the TF-86, NAA had moved the wings forward 8" to restore the cg of the aircraft, my thinking for my project is you wouldn't have to do that because I have a forward swept wing for the center section so it would counter the rear swept wings of the outer panels.

[kitnut617]

For armament, I'm thinking that because of the long fuselage plug, I can retain the RP extendable tray in it's normal place, but then still have room for a pair of 30mm cannon where they usually go. I'm thinking of having some swing-up doors in the starboard fuselage where the old cockpit would have been, and have Falcon missiles hanging off them, four of them.

If you're wondering about the name I've called it, it's to continue with the sword/knife name. A kukri is a very large curved knife which looks like the plan form of my wing. My Dad came home from WWII with one after he bought it while in India at the end of the war. It's famous because of the Gurkhas.

[raafif]

Interesting.  I thought a trailing center section would be better, rather like a "W" wing similar to some of the last German projects.  Maybe a better visual balance.

[Inactive II]

Do believe F-86s had one-piece moving tailplanes, suggest adding outer tailplanes for pitch stability.

[kitnut617]

A 'W' look is what I don't like about the twin fuselage swept wing projects I've seen, mainly because it is an almost impossible structural connection in the middle. But there are precedents to what I've come up with, just look at any turbo-prop swept-wing aircraft, one side of the nacelle the wing is forward swept, the other side is rearward swept   

Yup, it will have small outer tailplanes too and all moving.

But thanks for your comments.

[apophenia]

Looking good Robert 

Agreed on your centre wing approach. The 'W' plan would be easier to model but, as you say, makes little sense structurally.

This one is gonna be fun to watch! 

[The Rat]

Now THAT is an interesting looking job!

[kitnut617]

Thanks Dave ---

[kitnut617]

When I built my CL-10 Twin Fury, I had the main gear mounted in the fuselage, albeit in line with the outer side of the fuselages. But in 20/20 hindsight, it wasn;t the best idea. So for this project I'm going to mount the u/c leg just outboard of the fuselages in the outer wings. It's one of the reasons I went with the FJ-4 wings as I'll use a similar trailing arm u/c leg the FJ-4 used, only for my project each main leg will have twin wheels. The nose u/c leg would remain as the standard F-86D ones.
The idea now is that when the main gear retract, the wheel bays are in the fuselage not like how I have them on the Twin Fury.