Beyond The Sprues
Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: KiwiZac on September 20, 2021, 09:13:45 AM
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Hi all,
A while back a friend sent me a started MPC (Airfix) 1/72 Northrop P-61 Black Widow, which went right into the stash because I had no clue what to do with it.
Then I had a bright* idea.
Presenting a WW2 Royal Air Force nightfighter you may not have heard much of, the Turbinlite (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turbinlite)-equipped Northrop Prowler NF.I!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51494232068_bc04e8622d_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpao)MPC (Airfix) 1/72 Northrop Prowler NF.I (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpao) by Zac Yates (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zacyates/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51494934900_7c0ebc3e2c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2msr16b)MPC (Airfix) 1/72 Northrop Prowler NF.I (https://flic.kr/p/2msr16b) by Zac Yates (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zacyates/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51494232078_2babf7188e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpay)MPC (Airfix) 1/72 Northrop Prowler NF.I (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpay) by Zac Yates (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zacyates/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51494232148_473325675a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpbL)MPC (Airfix) 1/72 Northrop Prowler NF.I (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpbL) by Zac Yates (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zacyates/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51494232168_beb235045a_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpc7)MPC (Airfix) 1/72 Northrop Prowler NF.I (https://flic.kr/p/2msnpc7) by Zac Yates (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zacyates/), on Flickr
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51494010641_239625152f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/2msmgkF)MPC (Airfix) 1/72 Northrop Prowler NF.I (https://flic.kr/p/2msmgkF) by Zac Yates (https://www.flickr.com/photos/zacyates/), on Flickr
*Bright idea! Bright! Because of the Turbinlite! Wehey, geddit?!!
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This has 100%" Why Not" all over it.
Like how it turned out
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Can you imagine the drag of that flat front end! :o
Otherwise, very cool! 8) :smiley:
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Am with Buzzbomb and Old Wombat :smiley: Like paint scheme !
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Can you imagine the drag of that flat front end! :o
Otherwise, very cool! 8) :smiley:
I like :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:
Looking at photos of the Douglas Boston Turbinlites, they had a flat nose too. But the photos also reveal an aerodynamic cowl type ring around the leading edge of the fuselage interface with this flat nose. This cowl had a slot between it and the leading edge which probably helped with smoothing the airflow down the fuselage.
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It is a neat concept, nicely executed! Aren't those AI Mk 1 aerials flanking the sides of the lights?
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Great stuff, Zac :smiley: I love that you've turned her into a 2-seater (I never really did understand the point of the P-61's third crew member).
Looking at photos of the Douglas Boston Turbinlites, they had a flat nose too. But the photos also reveal an aerodynamic cowl type ring around the leading edge of the fuselage interface with this flat nose. This cowl had a slot between it and the leading edge which probably helped with smoothing the airflow down the fuselage.
Good eye! In the side and bottom views of Zac's Prowler, I notice a prominent seam just forward of the pilot's canopy. That must be your laminar-flow slot ;)
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Great stuff, Zac :smiley: I love that you've turned her into a 2-seater (I never really did understand the point of the P-61's third crew member).
Looking at photos of the Douglas Boston Turbinlites, they had a flat nose too. But the photos also reveal an aerodynamic cowl type ring around the leading edge of the fuselage interface with this flat nose. This cowl had a slot between it and the leading edge which probably helped with smoothing the airflow down the fuselage.
Good eye! In the side and bottom views of Zac's Prowler, I notice a prominent seam just forward of the pilot's canopy. That must be your laminar-flow slot ;)
Found a better photo of it
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That's different! I love the camo. Is it also a radar assisted Turbinlite?
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Love the concept and the model :smiley: :smiley:
Mog
>^-.-^<
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Good stuff! :smiley: The camo also just works on the Black Widow.
I never quite got the concept behind Turbinlite. I mean, if you're able to train a huge torch on another aircraft in mid-air, you can train huge guns on it as well, right?
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Aren't those AI Mk 1 aerials flanking the sides of the lights?
I think so? The Douglas Turbinlites had them and, from recently having built three of the old Airfix Mossie kit, I had a few aerials in my spares! I thought it added something to the look.
Great stuff, Zac :smiley: I love that you've turned her into a 2-seater (I never really did understand the point of the P-61's third crew member).
Looking at photos of the Douglas Boston Turbinlites, they had a flat nose too. But the photos also reveal an aerodynamic cowl type ring around the leading edge of the fuselage interface with this flat nose. This cowl had a slot between it and the leading edge which probably helped with smoothing the airflow down the fuselage.
Good eye! In the side and bottom views of Zac's Prowler, I notice a prominent seam just forward of the pilot's canopy. That must be your laminar-flow slot ;)
:-[ :-[ I saw that streamlining ring but I got to a point where finishing it felt more important than producing a truly plausible build. And yes, given Mosquito nightfighters could do the job with two crew I couldn't see why the case should be different here!
I never quite got the concept behind Turbinlite. I mean, if you're able to train a huge torch on another aircraft in mid-air, you can train huge guns on it as well, right?
I think the guts of the idea was, radar-equipped Turbinlite aircraft finds and marks targets for accompanying fighters without radar eg Hurricanes.
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I think the guts of the idea was, radar-equipped Turbinlite aircraft finds and marks targets for accompanying fighters without radar eg Hurricanes.
:smiley:
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I never quite got the concept behind Turbinlite. I mean, if you're able to train a huge torch on another aircraft in mid-air, you can train huge guns on it as well, right?
You have got to think about it in terms that this was the very nascent stage of radar development and the early associated use in an airborne sense. The early radar-equipped platforms such as the Bristol Blenheim were used since they had the room for dedicated radar operators and the necessary room for the equipment. However the also lacked the necessary speed advantage over the German Heinkel 111s and Dornier Do 17 bombers then raiding the UK to be truly effective, the Blenheim being able to find the bomber, but often not being fast enough to be able to reach a position in which to shoot it down.
Non-radar equipped single-engined fighters, whilst being fast enough to catch the bombers, simply could not find the bombers to shoot them down. In addition, there was some doubt as to the best way to find, intercept and shoot down attacking bombers at night. The idea put forward was that an aircraft that carried a searchlight could light up the attacking bombers for partner non-radar equipped fighters to shoot them down, since the single-engine fighters would have the performance advantage over the German twin-engine bombers.
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Build the primitive 1/72nd FROG kit early 1990s, never built the better detailed though still primitive Airfix kit, should had built the not-primitive Hobby Boss one.
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<..> the Blenheim being able to find the bomber, but often not being fast enough to be able to reach a position in which to shoot it down.
Non-radar equipped single-engined fighters, whilst being fast enough to catch the bombers, simply could not find the bombers to shoot them down. <...>
Interesting. :smiley: Hadn't considered the speed issue. I can see that for Blenheims, but for Bostons? Those should've been fast enough to catch German bombers. I s'pose it's one of those cases where a few mph make all the difference.
Did the RAF try arming a radar-equipped Boston as a nightfighter? AFAIK, the P-70s were all used in the Pacific. I can't help thinking a cannon-armed Boston that didn't have to coordinate two Hurricanes would've been freer overall to find and kill German bombers.
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<..> the Blenheim being able to find the bomber, but often not being fast enough to be able to reach a position in which to shoot it down.
Non-radar equipped single-engined fighters, whilst being fast enough to catch the bombers, simply could not find the bombers to shoot them down. <...>
Interesting. :smiley: Hadn't considered the speed issue. I can see that for Blenheims, but for Bostons? Those should've been fast enough to catch German bombers. I s'pose it's one of those cases where a few mph make all the difference.
Did the RAF try arming a radar-equipped Boston as a nightfighter? AFAIK, the P-70s were all used in the Pacific. I can't help thinking a cannon-armed Boston that didn't have to coordinate two Hurricanes would've been freer overall to find and kill German bombers.
Wiki says the Blenheim's top speed was 266mph, and the Boston's was 326 mph Moritz --- although it doesn't say how much slower the Turbinlite version was.
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How about a 'mega-turbinlite' Found I had saved this photo in My Favorites and just came across it while looking for something else and straight away I thought of Zak's build.
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:smiley: