Author Topic: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration  (Read 34418 times)

Offline jcf

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #50 on: February 07, 2014, 12:49:44 AM »
How about a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Pythons in place of the Merlins?

The Python is huge in comparison to the Merlin, and way too large for
the Hornet airframe.

The Mambas tried on on the Short Sturgeon didn't work out, they destabilized
the aircraft so would likely also be out for a Hornet.
The fact is, in period, the Merlins are more than adequate, if you want
an exotic look then go for a conta-prop variation, perhaps use the propeller
system of the Merlin 140s used on the Sturgeon.

Why so many assume that a turboprop has to be better is beyond me.  :-\
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #51 on: February 07, 2014, 12:54:08 AM »
How about a pair of Armstrong Siddeley Pythons in place of the Merlins?

The Python is huge in comparison to the Merlin, and way too large for
the Hornet airframe.

Yes ---

Offline PR19_Kit

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #52 on: February 07, 2014, 02:33:32 AM »
Why so many assume that a turboprop has to be better is beyond me.  :-\

Probably because the aviation industry and media of the time kept on telling us exactly that.

Gas turbines were the way of the future and piston engines were past it according to their 'words of wisdom'. The fact that they weren't comparing apples to apples didn't actually get mentioned.....
Regards
Kit

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Offline Volkodav

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #53 on: February 07, 2014, 04:54:19 AM »
Merlins are fine with me, I was just looking at the timelines and a photo of the python on a test rig and thought it didn't look anywhere near as big as I thought it was.

ideally the Hornet / Seahorntet would have entered service earlier than it did and been replaced by jets in the early 50s

Offline kitnut617

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #54 on: February 07, 2014, 06:44:28 AM »
Well actually, what I've used for the front half of my Python FTB nacelle is a Sea Fury cowling, with the rear end coming from a Swift (or was that an Attacker --- ).  I measured and scaled a drawing of it, plus checked some dimension from the Wyvern kit so I could arrive at what I've built so far.  So Greg's profile in the first post of a Hornet with Centaurus engines might work.  However in the RW, the Python is as Jon says, enormous, it would take in the whole of the nacelle that I've made for my model, whereas the Merlin in the next nacelle over, the end of the engine is before the wing leading edge.
« Last Edit: February 07, 2014, 06:48:44 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #55 on: February 07, 2014, 04:54:30 PM »
Why so many assume that a turboprop has to be better is beyond me.  :-\

Might not be better but they often look cooler...   ;)

Offline finsrin

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #56 on: February 07, 2014, 05:45:42 PM »
Why so many assume that a turboprop has to be better is beyond me.  :-\

Might not be better but they often look cooler...   ;)

"Might not be better but they often look cooler..."   Kitbashing wisdom stated eloquently  :)

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #57 on: February 08, 2014, 02:31:59 AM »

Why so many assume that a turboprop has to be better is beyond me.  :-\

Dependent of course on the engine in question and the application, they often are.  For example, the power/weight ratio can often be better.  Of course, this is not a golden rule.  That said, one can just as easily go another way and use rotary engines... ;)  So long as at the end of the day, you have fun. ;)
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Offline Rickshaw

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #58 on: February 08, 2014, 09:54:11 PM »
Just imagine if Felix Wankel & Hanns Dieter Paschke had gone to work for Bristol engines before WWII...

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #59 on: February 09, 2014, 03:36:02 AM »
Something different:  Sea Hornets converted to Target drones at the end of their lives.
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Offline jcf

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #60 on: February 09, 2014, 04:40:08 AM »
Just imagine if Felix Wankel & Hanns Dieter Paschke had gone to work for Bristol engines before WWII...


You'd have oil tanks as large as the fuel tanks.  ;D

Of course Wankels are not the only type of rotary-piston engine:
http://douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/POWER/unusualICeng/rotaryIC/rotaryIC.htm#webb

Lots more weird IC here:
http://douglas-self.com/MUSEUM/POWER/unusualICeng/unusualICeng.htm

 ;D
“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #61 on: February 09, 2014, 04:42:30 AM »
I was actually thinking the earlier style with a rotating cylinder block ;)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline PR19_Kit

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #62 on: February 09, 2014, 08:42:04 AM »
Something different:  Sea Hornets converted to Target drones at the end of their lives.

That'd be good, they'd have been so fast nothing would have been able to catch them.  :)
Regards
Kit

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Offline Rickshaw

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #63 on: February 09, 2014, 04:33:42 PM »
I was actually thinking the earlier style with a rotating cylinder block ;)

I know but that's boring... ;D

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #64 on: March 15, 2014, 08:53:54 AM »
So does Hawker De Havilland Aus produce that Hornet Greg ?

Err...yeah...um... :-[
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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #65 on: May 25, 2014, 01:43:44 PM »
Random idea:  South African Hornet in the same scheme as their P-51s:

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Offline elmayerle

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #66 on: May 25, 2014, 02:41:21 PM »
Random idea:  South African Hornet in the same scheme as their P-51s:



Possibly with anti-glare panels on the inboard sides of the engine cowlings?

Offline Daryl J.

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #67 on: October 26, 2015, 05:45:09 AM »
Sea Hornet: Tintin desert markings.  ;D
kwyxdxLg5T

Offline Volkodav

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #68 on: October 26, 2015, 11:42:03 PM »
How about RN FAA used over Korea with Korean War recognition stripes etc?

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #69 on: October 27, 2015, 02:27:21 AM »
How about RN FAA used over Korea with Korean War recognition stripes etc?


As per this:



Good idea
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Offline Volkodav

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #70 on: October 27, 2015, 07:39:11 AM »
Exactly, would change which carriers and squadrons were committed to the conflict but this is a what if site after all.  Maybe Australia was unwilling or unable to commit Sydney for some of her tours, or perhaps the RN saw the need to fast track jets to the conflict, hence a larger carrier and hence a different mix of aircraft besides the Attackers/Sea Vampires/super rushed Seahawks etc.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #71 on: October 27, 2015, 11:20:05 AM »
I thought I posted this here before, but it's my idea of an improved Hornet (for the record though,  the Hornet is on a short list of my most favorite aircraft [and there's not many either])

So apart from the contra-props, I've re-done the nose for a bigger radar dish, moved the two crew under an elongated canopy, added 200 Gal drop-tanks, and given it a bigger fin/rudder.  The cannon will be moved into a ventral pannier which will be mounted just behind the back-seater
« Last Edit: October 27, 2015, 11:24:03 AM by kitnut617 »

Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #72 on: October 27, 2015, 11:39:07 PM »
^ Nice!  :)  A couple of first generation/development AAMs wouldn't look out of place on this at all.  ;)
Cheers,
Moritz

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Offline KiwiZac

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #73 on: October 28, 2015, 06:05:00 AM »
I like that a lot kitnut, that canopy vastly improves the look of the real two-seat design.
Zac in NZ
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Offline Rickshaw

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Re: de Havilland Hornet/Sea Hornet Ideas and Inspiration
« Reply #74 on: October 28, 2015, 09:24:33 AM »
The RAAF took on charge a single F.21 Sea Hornet in 1949 for evaluation and trials purposes.  Nothing came of it though, in real life.  I'd expect the Canberra and the last of the Mosquitoes were sufficient.  However, it might have been possible we might have seen Hornets in RAAF service for Korea...