Beyond The Sprues

Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: Acree on May 19, 2018, 04:05:23 AM

Title: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Acree on May 19, 2018, 04:05:23 AM
The Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company was founded by American William Pawley in 1933 with a factory in Hangzhou, China.  The company assembled American aircraft from kits, including Curtiss Hawk II and III fighter-bombers, Curtiss H-75 fighters, Vultee V-11 and V-12 attack bombers, and Curtiss-Wright CW-21 interceptors.  They also assembled and repaired P-40 fighters, including those of the American Volunteer Group (the “Flying Tigers”).  Along the way, the company moved as the long-running Sino-Japanese war drove them from Hangzhou to Hankou to Henyang to Loiwing.  In the spring of 1942, the remnants of the organization evacuated to Bangalore, India, where it was nominally merged with the Indian firm of Hindustan Aircraft Ltd. 
At Bangalore, Hindustan license-built the Harlow PC-5A for Indian Air Force use and was later nationalized by the Indian government and then absorbed by the US Army Air Forces as a repair depot.
After the war, Hindustan resumed independent operations.

This is where our [fictitious] story picks up. 
After the Japanese surrender in 1945, William Pawley returned to China where he re-started CAMCO, first Hankou, but soon circumstances once again required relocation.  By 1947, CAMCO had settled in the city of Taipei on the island of Formosa (as it was generally known then).  Drawing on his experience with the PC-5A in India, Hawley had maintained his relationship with the PC-5s designer, Max Harlow.  Working together, they created CAMCO’s first original design, the CAMCO AS-1-MK Mǎfēng (Hornet).  The AS-1-MK was a twin-engine attack fighter, powered by surplus US Allison V-1710 engines, and armed with twin 37mm cannon under the nose.  It also had five underwing hardpoints for drop tanks, bombs, or rockets.  150 AS-1-MKs were built and went into service with the Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) and participated in combat across and over the Strait of Taiwan. 
The AS-1-MKs remained in service with the ROCAF until 1964, when the last were withdrawn and scrapped.

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/910/41296199515_33f89edc4d_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25VcPnV)AS-1-MK (https://flic.kr/p/25VcPnV) by cacree (https://www.flickr.com/photos/144515244@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/955/41296199375_2a4ef105a5_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25VcPkv)AS-1-MK (https://flic.kr/p/25VcPkv) by cacree (https://www.flickr.com/photos/144515244@N05/), on Flickr
 
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/946/41475637154_d393ddab54_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/26c4tWj)AS-1-MK (https://flic.kr/p/26c4tWj) by cacree (https://www.flickr.com/photos/144515244@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/946/41296199455_f872270957_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/25VcPmT)AS-1-MK (https://flic.kr/p/25VcPmT) by cacree (https://www.flickr.com/photos/144515244@N05/), on Flickr
(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/954/28324101628_83bde67baf_k.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/K9UqBN)AS-1-MK (https://flic.kr/p/K9UqBN) by cacree (https://www.flickr.com/photos/144515244@N05/), on Flickr
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: GTX_Admin on May 19, 2018, 04:08:55 AM
 :smiley:
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: ed s on May 19, 2018, 06:15:16 AM
Interesting. Where did the parts come from?

Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Acree on May 19, 2018, 06:26:55 AM
Quote from: ed s on May 19, 2018, 06:15:16 AM
Interesting. Where did the parts come from?


Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that! 

All 1:72 scale.  Most of the airframe is a HobbyBoss Easy Assembly Pe-2.  I bought a second kit to part out for my PeM-2 Troika build; I used the second engine from that kit for another build so that left me with an engineless Pe-2.  That kit is less-than-stellar, even compared to some of the other EasyAssembly kits.  I sanded off the overwing louvers and filled in the terrible radiator inlets.  I also filled the vague representation of a dorsal window and all side windows, and I used a canopy left over from a Douglas XB-43 to fill the flat portion under the nose which became the housing for the twin 37 mm cannon. 

The engines were Quickboost P-38L engines, but I used Quickboost Ju-88 propellers and spinners.  The canopy is a vacformed unit from the Falcon set of French canopies - I think this one was for a Sud-Est Mistral (l.b. de Havilland Vampire).  The centerline tank came from an F6F Hellcat and the vertical fin was from a B-26 Marauder, but HEAVILY modified (obviously).  ll the other bits and pieces from the spares box.  Most of the decals came from the Williams Bros. Martin B-10 sheet.
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Frank3k on May 19, 2018, 06:33:40 AM
Great kit surgery (I couldn't quite tell what the kit donors had been) and fantastic camo pattern!
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Brian da Basher on May 19, 2018, 07:53:40 AM
Nice. I like how the camo is complimented by the markings.

Well done!

Brian da Basher
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Old Wombat on May 19, 2018, 03:10:57 PM
Good job! I couldn't pick the source at all*! :smiley: :smiley:



(*: Mind you, my knowledge of Russian aircraft is pretty abysmal.)
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Camthalion on May 19, 2018, 05:37:24 PM
very nice
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Acree on May 22, 2018, 03:47:41 AM
thanks, guys!
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: ChernayaAkula on May 24, 2018, 09:23:52 PM
Very elegant design! And a great camo scheme!  :smiley:
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: apophenia on May 25, 2018, 01:43:21 AM
Oooo, that is lovely  :-*  Once mentioned, you can see the Pe-2 but it was impossible to tell before hand!

I don't suppose that CAMCO went on to reverse-engineer any captured Japanese designs, did it? hint, hint  ;)
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: Acree on May 25, 2018, 12:04:23 PM
Quote from: apophenia on May 25, 2018, 01:43:21 AM

I don't suppose that CAMCO went on to reverse-engineer any captured Japanese designs, did it? hint, hint  ;)

Interesting idea!  I'm thinking R-2800-powered Ki 84 (or J2M) or late-model V-1710-powered Ki-61, armed with M-2 .50's.  I'm not sure if any of them served in China, though....  Hmmmm.  Still, could be a future project...

Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: elmayerle on May 25, 2018, 12:31:51 PM
Quote from: Acree on May 25, 2018, 12:04:23 PM
Quote from: apophenia on May 25, 2018, 01:43:21 AM

I don't suppose that CAMCO went on to reverse-engineer any captured Japanese designs, did it? hint, hint  ;)

Interesting idea!  I'm thinking R-2800-powered Ki 84 (or J2M) or late-model V-1710-powered Ki-61, armed with M-2 .50's.  I'm not sure if any of them served in China, though....  Hmmmm.  Still, could be a future project...
Well, it is known that, postwar, some Ki-61's flew in ROC markings; there's at least one decal sheet that has them.  So, one with a late-model V1710, or possibly a V1650 (Merlin) is not that impossible.  I really need to see how a conversion for a Fiat G.59-1 works for a Ki-61.  Another thought is to transplant the firewall-forward portion of the XP-40Q to the Ki-61.
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: GTX_Admin on May 26, 2018, 01:43:40 AM
Quote from: Acree on May 25, 2018, 12:04:23 PM
I'm thinking R-2800-powered Ki 84 (or J2M)

Looking at very quick and rough comparison of engines one can see that the R-2800 might be a tad big/heavy for the likes of a Ki-84.  Not impossible to do but not a straight out swap.  The J2M might get by a little easier (on size at least) though the weight will still be an issue and not sure how well the R-2800 will perform if given the same arrangement:

Nakajima Ha-45-21 Homare from Ki84
Length: 1,778 mm (70 in)
Diameter: 1,180 mm (46.5 in)
Dry weight: 810 kg (1,785 lb)
Power output: 1,485 kW (1,990 hp) at altitude
Mitsubishi MK4R-A Kasei 23a from J2M3-21
Diameter: 1,340 mm (53 in)
Dry weight: 780 kg (1,720 lb)
Power output:
   1,680 horsepower (1,250 kW) at 6,889 feet (2,100 m) Low blower rated with water injection)
   1,570 horsepower (1,170 kW) at 18,044 feet (5,500 m), Rated high blower with water injection)
R-2800-32(E) from F4U-5
Length: 81.4 in (2,068 mm)
Diameter: 52.8 in (1,342 mm)
Dry weight: 2,360 lb (1,073 kg)
Power output: 2450 hp at 2800 rev / min during takeoff
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: elmayerle on May 26, 2018, 02:20:49 AM
Wonder how a Bristol Centaurus or Hercules would compare with those Japanese engines.
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: GTX_Admin on May 26, 2018, 02:58:05 AM
The Centaurus is once again much bigger/heavier.  The Hercules is similar in size to the Kasei though of lower performance on paper.

Centaurus VII
Diameter: 55.3 in (1,405 mm)
Dry weight: 2,695 lb (1,223 kg)
Power output: 2,520 hp (1,880 kW) at 2,700 rpm		Hercules II
Length: 53.15 in (1,350 mm)
Diameter: 55 in (1,397 mm)
Dry weight: 1,929 lb (875 kg)
Power output:
   1,272 hp (949 kW) at 2,800 rpm for takeoff
   1,356 hp (1,012 kW) at 2,750 rpm at 4,000 ft (1,220 m)
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: apophenia on May 26, 2018, 03:53:47 AM
Quote from: Acree on May 25, 2018, 12:04:23 PM
...  I'm thinking R-2800-powered Ki 84 (or J2M) or late-model V-1710-powered Ki-61, armed with M-2 .50's.  I'm not sure if any of them served in China, though.... 

The ROCAF had Ki-84s in service from 1945 to 1948 with the 6th FBG (18th Squadron and & 19th Squadron). They retained Japanese schemes with overpainted Nationalist markings. (There's online references to blue and white rudder stripes although I don't think there's any evidence of that.)

BTW, Srećko Bradić also did a speculative profile of a Ki-84 in early PRC markings.
Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: ericr on May 28, 2018, 03:46:15 AM

nice tiger stripes

Title: Re: CAMCO AS-1-MK Mafeng
Post by: pigflyer on June 25, 2018, 01:04:31 AM
Terrific build and a stunning paint job.  Very real.