Author Topic: Apophenia's Offerings  (Read 905894 times)

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2350 on: November 01, 2019, 06:19:51 AM »
'Nuther one for the U.S. Enters WWII Early (1940) GB ... The Douglas B-22B Dragon.

http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=8819.0
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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2351 on: November 01, 2019, 07:45:13 AM »
Headed over there now. Wow what a beauty!

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Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2352 on: November 05, 2019, 09:15:15 AM »
I started this one for the U.S. Enters WWII Early (1940) GB ... but it just didn't pan out  :P

The idea was a growth version of the Curtiss Hawk (expedited once USAAC P-40Bs were exposed to Bf 109Es over France). The problem was that I was planning for a twin-row Wright radial sized between the R-1820 and the R-2600. I ended up with a WHIF R-2075 putting out 1,410 hp (6.125" bore x 5.5") ... which doesn't provide much advantage over the proven Twin Wasp.

The lower profile was to represent an engine testbed I'd call the XP-42B. Besides the engine gubbins, the main changes were the lengthened tail section and revised canopy (meant to test the glazing intended for the production type). The pointy spinner is just to emphasize the P-40 link.

The upper profile depicts the P-60 which was to be a 'clean-sheet' design. Instead, wartime urgency produced this compromised P-60A model. Instead of the intended all-new airframe, the new laminar-flow wing - with a NACA 63(1)-412 airfoil - was joined with a modified P-40 fuselage and the XP-42B's extended tail. To my eyes, the overall effect of the P-60A ended up being clunky and ill-proportioned. So, I pulled the plug on this one ...
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2353 on: November 05, 2019, 04:59:21 PM »
 ??? Doesn't look bad to me. :smiley:
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline Small brown dog

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2354 on: November 05, 2019, 05:44:53 PM »
I think this quite attractive. The upper version has a slight  Lavochkin La-7  vibe to it
Its not that its not real but it could be that its not true.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2355 on: November 05, 2019, 10:49:05 PM »
At first glance at that Stephen, I thought at first you had used an Asch-82 engine, like how it was installed on a Hurricane. It wouldn't be very hard to make a model of it, just use the cowling from the Omega Hurricane kit (or a copy of it  ;) )
« Last Edit: November 05, 2019, 10:54:09 PM by kitnut617 »

Offline jcf

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2356 on: November 06, 2019, 04:45:09 AM »
P&W's R-1830 powered take on a radial engined Hawk 81/P-40, evidently it regularly out flew Merlin powered P-40Fs
stationed at a nearby base:


Drawings from a Russian monograph, take with a grain of salt.  ;D :icon_fsm:




« Last Edit: November 06, 2019, 05:03:53 AM by jcf »
“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
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-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2357 on: November 06, 2019, 07:07:11 AM »
Those are some very sleek P-36s and the new engine at least adds a fast look!

The OD one up top appears loaded for bear. Whether or not it could catch said bear remains to be seen... ;D

Always great to see your latest, apophenia!

Brian da Basher

Offline jcf

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2358 on: November 06, 2019, 08:49:34 AM »
Here's a goofy thought, a three-row radial using R-1535 components, the R-2300,
that way you get a 44" diameter allowing a sleek profile. 
;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 apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2359 on: November 07, 2019, 09:28:38 AM »
Thanks folks.

Brian: You touch it with a needle! If yer gonna be called a 'pursuit', you'd better be able to catch something  ;D

Robert: My first thought was the ASh 82 too ... but there's not much to distinguish the Shvetsov (roughly 'R-2515') from the available R-2600. Power outputs are similar but so too are dry weights (~ 2,045 lbs for the R-2600, 1,900-2,000 lbs for most ASh 82 variants).

I'm not sure why but I was expecting the ASh 82 to be lighter. It occurred to me later that my whif engine was roughly the same size as a Gnome-Rhône 14N. The French engine was lighter (1,370 lbs dry) but, in our timeframe, only generating 1,180 hp for T/O  :P

Jon: Thanks for that. I had P&W's Hawk 81 testbed in mind but had never before seen in drawings.

I like your idea of less Junior Twin Wasp  :smiley:  Just because Armstrong-Siddeley couldn't get a triple-row radial to work, doesn't mean it couldn't be done. Indeed, at that time, Pratt would've been the one to put your money on to make it happen!
_________________________

Okay ... new stuff. I had another go at a P-36/radial P-40 evolution which I'm a bit happier about. (Still not really fitting into the GB though, I reckon.)

In this case, the top profile is a P-42B engine testbed for the Wright XR-2600-1. As before, the tail has been moved aft in an attempt to restore c/g. As shown, a small spinner has replaced the original, large spinner removed in a not entirely successful effort to cure engine overheating. Note the gun barrel aperture in the cowling for synchronized .50s.

The production-model P-60B Superhawks eliminated the cowl guns in favour of four wing-mounted .50-calibres. A new, forward-fuselage fuel tank replaced the P-40's rear fuselage tank in some models of P-60 and augmented that rear tank in others. Less obvious is that the entire forward fuselage has been lengthened, pushing the cockpit aft (relative to the P-36/P-40).

The lower profile shows a P-60B-CU-2 - one of the longer-range Superhawk models that retained the rear fuselage tank. The 18th Pursuit Group was based out of Hawaii but the 44th Pursuit Squadron was redeployed to the Azores in July 1940. [1] By the beginning of 1941, the 44th's P-40Cs were being replaced with higher-performing P-60Bs.
___________________________

[1] The US occupation of the Azores was completed under 'War Plan Gray'. Just as British forces invaded and 'secured' Iceland in May 1940, the US occupied the Azores without Portuguese permission on 22 June 1940.
« Last Edit: November 07, 2019, 09:30:34 AM by apophenia »
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2360 on: November 08, 2019, 06:18:36 AM »
Oh my now these are even better!

I never thought I'd see the P-36 look, dare I say it, sleek and sexy!

Fantastic!

You've outdone yourself on these apophenia.

Brian da Basher

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2361 on: November 09, 2019, 01:49:07 AM »
Hmmm....one of these would look good with a ducted spinner me thinks... ;)
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2362 on: November 09, 2019, 02:28:51 AM »
And a bubble canopy ---

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2363 on: November 09, 2019, 07:15:01 AM »
Hmmm, might have to try those. But, meanwhile ...

Sometimes one aircraft type is simply overshadowed by another, better design. Such was to be the fate of the Brewster F3A Barracuda naval fighter. Somehow the Barracuda could never escape association with the more powerful Vought F4U Corsair. It was also - however unfairly - always connected with its mediocre predecessor, the F2A Buffalo.

It rankled management at the Brewster Aeronautical Corporation that its submission for the US Navy's Competition SD112-13 had been overlooked. Instead, the Bureau of Aeronautics had chosen Vought to build this R-2800-powered naval fighter. But things seemed to be looking up for Brewster when Vought's XF4U proved all but impossible to carrier land. Dayton Brown in Brewster's design office quickly drew up a rival scheme as an unsolicited F2A replacement fighter.

The Brewster Proposal 40 concept was obviously derived from the Buffalo but there were so many changes as to make it a fresh design. It was based on the less powerful Wright R-2600 14-cylinder radial which was viewed as being further along in development than Pratt's 18-cylinder R-2800 engine. The BuAer accepted Brewster's proposal and ordered a prototype built as the XF3A-1. This prototype matched the F2A wing with engine power more than 50% higher. By comparison with the F2A, the XF3A-1's performance was spectacular but the fine handling of the former was lost.

Top Brewster XF3A-1 prototype. Note SB2A-style cowling, F2A-type canopy, [1] wings, and under-fuselage viewing window.

Nevertheless, a small batch of F3A-2 production aircraft were ordered. These differed from the prototype (and the cancelled F3A-1 series) in having an enlarged tailplane and squared off wing tips. A 'full-blown' canopy was also introduced after production had begun. Alas, by then, the Barracuda (as Brewster's marketing department had dubbed the F3A) was revealing its true nature. As a carrier fighter, the Brewster was a dead loss. In some aspects, the F3A-2's landing-on characteristics were even worse than the Corsair's. By the time that F3A-2s were being delivered, US Navy planning had already shifted emphasis to Grumman's superior F6F Hellcat.

Anticipating the fate of US Corsairs, the F3A-2s were diverted to the USMC. The first to take on the new Brewster was Marine Fighting Squadron 221 which had just given up its F2A-3s upon return to Hawaii. The unit then 2e-equipped with Brewster F3A-2s at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa on Oahu. In February 1943, the squadron and its aircraft were loaded aboard the USS Nassau (CVE-16) for transport to Espiritu Santo. VMF-221 joined attack squadron VMA-214 for the fight on Guadalcanal.

Guadalcanal would be the high point in the career of the Brewster F3A. A handful for even experienced pilots when landing-on, the US Navy wisely moved on. The Marines were happy to replace their F4Fs ... but the Brewster's armament was limited (six-gunned Wildcats were now appearing). After Guadalcanal was liberated, both Marine units would re-equip with F4U Corsairs.

Bottom Brewster F3A-3 Barracuda fighter on Guadalcanal. Note the square-tipped wings, extended fin, and lack of belly glazing. This F3A-3 features a 'clear-view' canopy.

This aircraft was flown by Major William C. Humberd, USMC. Note that the individual aircraft number has been partially over-painted by the newly-added 'bars' on the national insignia. [2] A new aircraft number in white features on the cowling. Other, less official, markings include a '221' Barracuda on the cowl and 'kill' flags beneath the cockpit.
__________________________

[1] Although hard to spot, the XF3A-1's rear glazed area is slightly reduced compared with the F2A type.

[2] Red outlines were applied only to the fuselage rounder. Wing roundels had only plain white bars added.
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2364 on: November 09, 2019, 09:23:27 PM »
Wow that's one beautiful Brewster! Now those are two words you don't see together often...

Your modifications look entirely plausible and the new canopy is something I could see them doing if the Buffalo had been successful enough for a follow-on. You did a fantastic job representing a nicely worn USN scheme and those cool red-surround 1943 U.S. markings are a nice bonus!

Another feast for the eyes, apophenia! Very well done!

Brian da Basher

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2365 on: November 09, 2019, 11:04:13 PM »
Looks, oddly, a little like a short, tubby F6F. :-\


("A little", I said! ::))
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2366 on: November 10, 2019, 03:28:22 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2367 on: November 10, 2019, 07:18:17 AM »
Thanks folks!

Hmmm....one of these would look good with a ducted spinner me thinks... ;)

And a bubble canopy ---

Had a go ...

The top one with the ducted spinner I'm calling the Curtiss Hawk 81S - since the XP-42 was a Hawk 75S ;)

The bottom one was just going to have a sliding canopy similar to that on the XP-40Q-2. Then its started sprouting a turbocharger, belly intercooler, got stretched, and (eventually) a completely new tail and a new wing centre section with a slight inverted gull (for prop clearance with the same main undercarriage).

Can't say that I really like either of them. An evolved P-36 or P-40 might look good with that 'bubble' canopy ... but a bit incongruous as well, me thinks.

Back onto whif engines ... I'd forgotten that Pratt & Whitney's R-2180-1 Twin Hornet was proposed for at least one fighter design - the Republic P-44 Rocket (cancelled as obsolete in September 1940). Although I'm not sure why Pratt called their R-2180 a Twin Hornet. It had slightly more bore and half inch more stroke than the R-1830 Twin Wasp but less than either of the RW Hornet engines.

So, what about those historical Hornets - the R-1690 (beginning in 1926) and the R-1860 (from 1929 on)? What happens if you turn those Hornets into twin-row radials? The obvious whif developments would be an R-2628 Twin Hornet (a 14-cylinder to rival Wright's R-2600) or an R-2890 Double Hornet. Jumping up to 18-cylinders gives you a whif R-3380 Duplex Hornet (a rival for the Wright R-3350) or a jumbo R-3720 (nudging into RW R-4360 territory).
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2368 on: November 10, 2019, 07:46:44 AM »
That bubble top looks great Stephen   :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2369 on: November 10, 2019, 07:59:47 AM »
That bubble top looks great Stephen   :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Concur. Now that's hot!

Your imagination is totally boundless and most enviable, apophenia.

As is your talent for rendering those fantastic finishes!

Brian da Basher

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2370 on: November 10, 2019, 11:21:39 AM »
 :smiley:
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2371 on: November 15, 2019, 12:32:03 PM »
Another one intended for the U.S. Enters WWII Early (1940) GB which just won't fit that timeline ...
_________________________

The unexpected 1940 entry of the United States into the war in Europe precipitated a crisis at the Glenn L. Martin Company. The firm had contracts from both the US Navy and the Air Corps. The M-162 Mariner - known to the Navy as the XPMB-1 - was underpowered, had needed needed considerable redesign, [1] and remained troublesome. The M-179 prototype for the advanced B-26 Marauder bomber had flown in November 1940 but trouble was brewing there too.

As expected, the short-winged Marauder was a 'hot' ship to fly. Alas, the need to quickly enlarge the USAAC for overseas operations did not allow time for the degree of pilot training dictated by B-26 flying characteristics. Trial airframes were also demonstrating a range of equipment failures - from Curtiss propellers to landing gear. Not surprisingly, the type experienced a high accident rate but the Air Corps could not afford such routine failures in their latest bomber.

Martin Model 191B - Enter the XA-23A Marion

Fearing outright cancellation of the B-26, Martin's Project Engineer Peyton Magruder, drafted a fresh attack aircraft based on the B-26's 65 foot wings. These wing panels were matched with a shorter, more slender, and simpler to manufacture fuselage. This new structure was almost as narrow as the M-167F, dictating a single pilot cockpit. The tail gunner position was also eliminated (to save weight and improve streamlining) while the rear fuselage stepped down to accommodate the Martin 250 CE-1 dorsal turret. [2]

Bottom The XA-23A Marion prototype showing its defensive armament in their low-drag positions. (On the XA-23A, the Martin 250 CE was a 'dummy' due to non-availability of these turrets.)

Ordered by the Air Corps in a trial series, the XA-23A and Y1A-23B attack bombers were better-handling than the B-26 while retaining the larger aircraft's wings, tailplane, and many minor components. [3] The USAAC assigned the name Marion to the XA-23A/Y1A-23B series - following a short-lived Air Corps scheme to name bombers and attack aircraft after heroes of the Revolutionary War. [4] Initially, the A-23 was to powered by the same R-2800 18-cylinder radials as the B-26. However, PMB experiences had shown Martin that Wright's R-2600 14-cylinder radials were at a more advanced stage of development than the Pratt & Whitney R-2800s.

The R-2600-3 powered XA-23A was delivered to Wright Field in January 1941 for trials. In the meantime, the Martin factory outside Baltimore was laying down a dozen pre-series Y1A-23Bs. The trials at Wright Field went off without a hitch - the lighter XA-23B did indeed handle better than the B-26. However, the XA-23A performed rather less well in comparison with the Douglas A-20 Havoc attack aircraft about to enter USAAC service. With the same engines, the A-20A Havoc carried the same payload as the XA-23A but was lighter and simpler to produce. (The Havoc would ultimately prove capable of adopting the Martin powered turret but they were not essential - initial A-20s deliveries were armed with a simple, manually-operated flexible gun in the dorsal position.) There would be no production orders for the A-23 Marion.

Top A Y1A-23B Marion delivered for service trials. Note that, despite its Attack designation, this Marion has been delivered to a Bomber Squadron for trials.

Also note that the functional 250 CE-1 turret is rotated into its high-drag position with the guns facing forward and rear spine fairing retracted. The radio-operator's belly gun positions are also open and ready for action.

__________________________________

[1] The XPBM-1A featured a redesigned hull and dihedral added to its horizontal tails. These changes were incorporated into the production PBM-1 but the underpowered Mariner's remained brutes compared with the contemporary Consolidated PBY Catalinas.

[2] Development of this turret was running late but Martin was certain that it would be available in time for its new attack aircraft. For the record, that 250 CE-1 military designation stood for 2 x .50-calibre guns in a cylindrically-shaped, electrically-powered turret in its first variant.

[3] The 'A-23' designation was actually re-assigned from an earlier Martin project with twin Wright R-3350 radial engines.

[4] The XA-23A/Y1A-23B series were named after General Francis Marion - celebrated (and reviled) as 'The Swamp Fox' during the US war for independence.
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2372 on: November 15, 2019, 10:27:33 PM »
Loving the Curtissess (pluralise that! :-\) and the A-23! Sort of a Baltimore/Marauder hybrid.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2373 on: November 16, 2019, 03:13:55 AM »
Cheers EH!  Yeah, exactly right on the A-23. The Marion was meant as Magruder's attempt to blend the B-26 with roughly a Maryland's layout ... which would then pre-empt the Baltimore.

ps: More Curtissesses to come  ;)
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Apophenia's Offerings
« Reply #2374 on: November 16, 2019, 10:54:04 AM »
What a positively (Swamp) foxy aircraft!  You have a real eye for combining parts there.