Author Topic: A1_Phoenix - Profiles and IL2 Skins  (Read 4272 times)

Offline A1_Phoenix

  • Newly Joined - Welcome me!
A1_Phoenix - Profiles and IL2 Skins
« on: May 08, 2012, 06:26:27 AM »
Hi guys! for those who didn't follow Hurricane ideas thread, here some of my creations!

*The original "First" Hurricane (now Hawker Storm Mk.I)



but i'll repost this profile when early open cockpit version will be ready :)


*The Hawker Storm Mk.Ib concept unpainted, and comparison with stock Hurricane Mk.I




*A Zmaj-produced Storm Mk.Ib of Royal Yugoslavian Air Force, 1939




For something new, a F.A.R.E. "Tormenta" :D Now with my first try on weathering  :-[




S!
A1

Re: A1_Phoenix - Profiles and IL2 Skins
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2012, 06:34:53 AM »
Nice! Particularly like the Spanish Republican bird.

Offline A1_Phoenix

  • Newly Joined - Welcome me!
Re: A1_Phoenix - Profiles and IL2 Skins
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2012, 07:14:38 PM »
Nice! Particularly like the Spanish Republican bird.


Thank you!  :)

Now a bit of history about the Storm  :o

The Storm is a full production model after Specification F.7/30 (de facto wiping out the Gladiator from History).. instead using Goshawk engine and 4 Mg's, Hawker choose a radical new concept: monoplane, heavily armed doubling the Air Ministry request, and playing "all in" with the new RR PV-12 engine (we may imagine the Merlin project started 1 year earlier than real timeline).

Prototype flew on February 1934, with great risks for an hopefully high-care tuned PV-12 (the company rejected to use Goshawk as proposed for first trials, was valued too much complicated and not enough powerful), but Lady Luck decided to behave good with Hawker and Rolls Royce and the roaring monoplane impressed so much RAF observers and full priority was immediately given to Camm's design.

With R&D on durability heavily funded by Air Ministry, the engine soon reach production status as RR Merlin B, and in June 1935 the plane officially became operational in RAF as - starting the "windy" names tradition - Hawker Storm Mk.I

After 200 Mk.I, production changed to Mk.Ib (or Mk.II, maybe I'll update my profiles..) with enclosed cockpit and Merlin C engine, accepted by RAF in February 1936. Production was greater than the RAF's capacity to introduce the new aircraft and in 1937 the government gave Hawkers the clearance to sell the excess to other nations: Yugoslavia, Poland, Belgium (these three even started a limited licensed production) but also Greece, Finland, Turkey, Argentina, China..

Maybe 50 (both Mk.I and Mk.Ib) flew with Republican markings over Spanish skies, becoming fierce and almost unbeatable opponents even for nationalists 109D, but progressive lack of spares grounded the "Tormentas" before the end of war..

Surpassed by more modern planes, after 4 years as ruler of Empire's Skies the superiority of Storm quickly faded away, and by 1940 only few of them were in active service, but many Axis pilots still fell down after misjudging the Spatted Wonder..

By the way, immediately after Mk.Ib introduction the design was reworked again by Sidney Camm: retractable undercarriage, straight wing to simplify production, raised fuselage between cockpit and tail to regain stability after spats removal; so many changes that was considered a new model, and from 1938 slowly reequipped Storm squadrons.. of course, it was the Hurricane..



For those who wonder how is crancked the wing, here a front view comparison :)




S!
A1
« Last Edit: May 08, 2012, 07:22:45 PM by A1_Phoenix »

Offline apophenia

  • Perversely enjoys removing backgrounds.
  • Patterns? What patterns?
Re: A1_Phoenix - Profiles and IL2 Skins
« Reply #3 on: May 09, 2012, 07:13:36 AM »
Excellent back story A1'  :)
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."