Author Topic: Logan's Profiles - 8x8 Scimitar  (Read 367356 times)

Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #550 on: March 29, 2014, 10:02:24 PM »
Talos, Logan, thanks for the info.

I'm always looking forward to learn something new  :)
... and kill me again
or take me as I am,
for I shall not change...
never...

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #551 on: March 29, 2014, 10:09:13 PM »
How did the He 100 actually rate against the BF-109, it was a nicer looking aircraft but what did the pilots thing and what was the performance like?

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #552 on: March 29, 2014, 11:01:49 PM »
Everything I've read about the He 100 seems to indicate that it was just better than the 109.  It was better in almost every way that I can see, except for one.  Its armament was worse.  As standard, the Bf 109E-3 had two 20mm cannons and two 7.92mm machine guns.  The He 100 had one less 20mm cannon as designed.  Even then, though, the armament of the Bf 109 was improved throughout its life and the He 100 would have been no different.

The main thing against the He 100 was that the Bf 109 was already in service and far better than anything in service anywhere else.  Imagine someone trying to replace the F-16 just a few years after it entered service with an aircraft that uses the same engine and is just 10-20% better.  I doubt anyone would have bitten.  Look at what happened to the F-20, for example.  The He 100 was in the same position.

Also, I have to admit, the He 100 never really got its cooling system worked out.  The evaporative cooling system and the retractable radiator both had their issues.  The Luftwaffe didn't consider it worth their time to try to get all that worked out when they had a perfectly good fighter already in service.

Cheers,

Logan
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 12:40:09 AM by Logan Hartke »

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #553 on: March 29, 2014, 11:27:50 PM »
Thanks for that and the second I read f-16 I thought F-20 ;)  Good example that gets the point across, it was better in many ways but at the time it didn't matter enough to get it over the line.  I suppose the Martin Baker designs MB3 and in particular the MB5 are in the same boat so to speak, very good, maybe even superb, but the Spitfire was more than good enough at the time.

Offline GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #554 on: March 30, 2014, 04:11:39 AM »
It was better in almost every way that I can see, except for one.  Its armament was worse.  As standard, the Bf 109E-3 had two 20mm cannons and two 7.92mm machine guns.  The He 100 had one less 20mm cannon as designed. 

Though one should consider that in the F model onwards, the Bf-109 did reduce down to 3 guns for most models (ignoring the various Rüstsätze kits that added additional armament) and indeed, it has been regularly reported that pilots were happy with this set up for most encounters (heavy bombers being perhaps the only exception).  If it had entered service, I can easily see the He-100 ending up with something akin to the Bf-109G-6 onwards with twin 13 mm (.51 in) MG 131s and either a 20 mm MG 151/20 or a 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 engine-mounted cannon (Motorkanone) fitted. 

Perhaps the biggest issue counting against the He-100 was its use of the Daimler-Benz DB 601 which was heavily used already at that time.  This was one of the reasons why the Fw-190 with its BMW801 found favour (Kurt Tank, did originally want the DB601 as well I seem to recall).  Perhaps if Heinkel used either a DB 603 or DB605 or even a Junkers Jumo 213 they might have had more luck.  I somehow doubt the production facilities would have existed at this stage though.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 09:03:55 AM by GTX_Admin »
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #555 on: March 30, 2014, 08:54:39 AM »
Oh, absolutely.  I don't think there was anything insurmountable preventing the He 100 from entering service.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #556 on: March 30, 2014, 09:05:16 AM »
Nothing on the airframe side, though I do believe it would have been difficult on the engine front.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #557 on: March 30, 2014, 09:06:37 AM »
If you phase out production of the 109 in favor of the He 100, you get the engines you need.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #558 on: March 30, 2014, 09:10:37 AM »
True, though at the time the He100 was being put forward, the Luftwaffe were happy with the Bf109 and didn't see a need for an immediate replacement.

Yes, in the whiffverse one can do anything they like and I am certainly not trying to discourage such ideas.  It's just that in the real world, it didn't happen for valid reasons.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #559 on: March 30, 2014, 09:34:50 AM »
Agree completely, as I pointed out in my reply to Volkodov.  There's another reason, as well, that we haven't mentioned.  The RLM at the time had a desire for manufacturers to specialize in certain aircraft types.  For example, they wanted Heinkel to focus on bombers after the success of the He 111 and they wanted Messerschmitt to focus on fighters.  This desire helped kill promising designs such as the He 100, He 280, and Me 264.  It also frustrated Heinkel's efforts to get the He 219 Uhu into service.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Talos

  • First candidate for the BTS Gulag...
  • It's riveting!
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #560 on: March 31, 2014, 11:53:19 AM »
As I recall, there was also a little bit of concern about growth potential of the plane, since it was built around the DB 601 as the smallest airframe possible (which keeps drag to a minimum). Literally so if you take into account the way the engine mounts are integrated.

Mind you, I still had fun putting a Merlin on the He 100 Buchon, though.  ;)

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Teodor Moscu's Heinkel He 100D-2
« Reply #561 on: March 31, 2014, 12:30:30 PM »
That's another reason why Talos and I both doubt the feasibility of the DB603 or Jumo 213 as viable alternatives on the airframe.  Those engines are really too beefy for that airframe.  It's not that re-engining is out of the question, however.  Something like the DB605 or Merlin would almost certainly work.  They fit on the basic 109 airframe and it was no bigger than the He 100.

I'd also point to the P-51 as a good comparison to the He 100.  It was the smallest production single seat airframe ever put behind the Allison V-1710.  It was designed to be that way.  Despite that, it took well to the Merlin and racers have even put Griffons on it.

All that to say, we don't really consider any of these impossible, but we do take these modifications very seriously.  We look at the weights, the internal layout, the engine dimensions, etc.  We scale all modifications and make sure they will or won't work to the best of our abilities.  Fortunately, though, with the exception of the troubling cooling system, Heinkel did most of the job right the first time.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - RAF B-51 Panther - 100 Squadron
« Reply #562 on: April 06, 2014, 01:36:24 PM »
As always, click on the image below to see the picture at 100% or view it at my DeviantArt page.



Here's another profile that I've done in collaboration with talos56.  In 1952 the RAF decided that it needed a low-level nuclear strike aircraft and that the Canberra did not fit this requirement.  This was in no small fact due to the US denying the British request to type approve the Canberra for carriage of the Mk 7 tactical nuclear weapon.  They obtained the production license for the aircraft, immediately transferring Handley Page's Canberra contract to Shorts while contracting Handley Page to quickly redesign the B-51 Panther to meet British service requirements.

The license production aircraft began reaching squadrons in the late 1950s, supplementing the V-bombers entering service at the same time.  Some squadrons used the Panther as an interim training aircraft to assist in transitioning to V-bombers such as the Vulcan and Victor.  Other squadrons operated the Panther in the nuclear deterrence role, based in mainland Europe.  One unit to transition from the Canberra to the Panther was No. 100 Squadron.  Painted in anti-flash white, this profile depicts an aircraft in 1963, after the adoption of the toned down roundels and squadron markings.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline lauhof52

  • Dutchie
  • The Decimator Guy!
Re: Logan's Profiles - RAF B-51 Panther - 100 Squadron
« Reply #563 on: April 07, 2014, 04:28:37 PM »
Very nice that white-wash color scheme!! :) :)

regards
Lauhof

Online finsrin

  • The Dr Frankenstein of the modelling world...when not hiding from SBA
  • Finds part glues it on, finds part glues it on....
Re: Logan's Profiles - RAF B-51 Panther - 100 Squadron
« Reply #564 on: April 07, 2014, 04:43:10 PM »
Another sweet B-51 :)
Each one you do increases my desire for styrene injected 1/72 B-51. 
Doggone,,, where are model companies on doing this gem ?

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Estonian Heinkel He 46G
« Reply #565 on: April 08, 2014, 03:11:21 AM »
Thanks, guys!  I'm glad you like it!  Here's one that I've been planning for a while, but just started yesterday.  I've also submitted this to the The Snoops, Sensors, Spooks, & Spies GB.



I hope everyone likes it!  Information on the Estonian Hs 126s is a little light and what is out there is contradictory, so I combined the elements that I liked the most aesthetically to arrive at this profile.  By the way, this is the first Estonian profile that I've ever done, so another first on the list of countries I've done.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: Logan's Profiles - Estonian Heinkel He 46G
« Reply #566 on: April 08, 2014, 07:06:49 PM »
 :)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Estonian Heinkel He 46G
« Reply #567 on: April 10, 2014, 12:25:15 PM »
You ever have one of those cases where you decide to start a little project, then it turns out that it was a MUCH bigger project than you thought it was going to be?

You want to know what is worse?  It's a project that I originally turned down because I decided that it was too hard.  I then managed to convince myself that I was being a sissy and just start working on it.  Turns out that the project is about twice as hard as I ORIGINALLY feared it would be, maybe worse.  So much work left to do...

Cheers,

Logan

Offline apophenia

  • Perversely enjoys removing backgrounds.
  • Patterns? What patterns?
Re: Logan's Profiles - Estonian Heinkel He 46G
« Reply #568 on: April 11, 2014, 06:21:42 AM »
Ouch!  Love the Estonian Heinkel, though  :)
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline GTX_Admin

  • Evil Administrator bent on taking over the Universe!
  • Administrator - Yep, I'm the one to blame for this place.
  • Whiffing Demi-God!
    • Beyond the Sprues
Re: Logan's Profiles - Estonian Heinkel He 46G
« Reply #569 on: April 11, 2014, 08:14:37 AM »
You ever have one of those cases where you decide to start a little project, then it turns out that it was a MUCH bigger project than you thought it was going to be?

You want to know what is worse?  It's a project that I originally turned down because I decided that it was too hard.  I then managed to convince myself that I was being a sissy and just start working on it.  Turns out that the project is about twice as hard as I ORIGINALLY feared it would be, maybe worse.  So much work left to do...


Oh, stop complaining ya big girl!  Get to it!!! ;)
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Northrop XF-15A Reporter
« Reply #570 on: April 12, 2014, 12:20:12 AM »
A bit of a rarity for me, this one is actually a real world profile, not a Whif.  As always, click on the image below to see the picture at 100% or view it at my DeviantArt page.  I've also submitted this to the The Snoops, Sensors, Spooks, & Spies GB.



The loss of Army interest in the XP-61E escort fighter was not to be the end of the line for the Black Widow. In the summer of 1945, the surviving XP-61E was modified as an unarmed photographic reconnaissance aircraft. All the guns were removed, and a new nose was fitted, capable of holding an assortment of aerial cameras. The aircraft was redesignated XF-15 (in the pre-1948 F-for photo recon series, not to be confused with the post-1948 F-for-fighter series). It flew for the first time on July 3, 1945, with Northrop test pilot L. A. "Slim" Parrett at the controls.

A P-61C-1-NO (serial number 42-8335) was also modified to XF-15 standards as the XF-15A. Apart from the turbosupercharged R-2800-C engines, it was identical to the XF-15 and flew for the first time on 17 October 1945. The nose for the F-15A-1-NO Reporter was subcontracted to the Hughes Tool Company of Culver City, California. The F-15A used the existing P-61C wings (without fighter brakes), engines and tail sections but with an entirely new, more streamlined fuselage housing a crew of two under a continuous bubble-canopy.

As a result of continuing development trouble with the Howard Hughes-designed XF-11, the staff of the Army Air Force Headquarters determined an immediate need for 320 F-15 Reporters. Even before the first flight of the XF-15 an initial contract for 175 aircraft was signed in June 1945. Following testing it was determined that the F-15 Reporter possessed similar performance and flight characteristics to the troublesome XF-11, despite the Reporter being powered by less powerful engines, and using mostly pre-existing parts. This spelled the end to further development of the XF-11.



As you can see, there was actually a lot of effort that went into the new nose.  The shape is different, the panels are different, the rivets are COMPLETELY different and had to be redone from the XP-61F variant.  The camera fairings were new, as well.

So, why was I griping about this so much?  Why did I complain about it being so hard?  Well, a few reasons. First of all, the existing line art for Reporter noses is terrible.  It's almost all wrong.  Second, the left side and the right side of the nose are different, so you can't used any photos of the right side of the nose as reference.  Some of the line art is actually wrong because you can tell they mirrored the two sides of the nose.  The next problem is that there were a few variations of the nose between the prototypes and the production examples, even over the lifetime of the same aircraft.  There aren't a lot of good detail shots of the nose, either.  There's no surviving examples of the variant.  Those that were used postwar were generally modified to either use different cameras or eliminate the windows entirely, so they're also no help as references.

In short, it sucked.  But I think it turned out nice.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Northrop XF-15A Reporter & NASA V-507!
« Reply #571 on: April 12, 2014, 05:16:44 AM »
As always, click on the image below to see the picture at 100% or view it at my DeviantArt page.  I've also submitted this to the Space GB.



NASA 991, an F-14 Navy Vagabond designated the F-14 (1X), the 1X signifying that it was Vought's experimental testbed, was used at Dryden between 1979 and 1985 in extensive high-angle-of-attack and spin-control-and-recovery tests. The NASA/Navy program, which included 212 total flights, achieved considerable improvement in the F-14 high-angle-of-attack flying qualities, improved departure and spin resistance, and contributed to substantial improvements in reducing "wing rock," (i.e., tilting from one side to another), at high angles of attack.

NASA 991 had numerous special additions for high-angle-of-attack and spin-recovery research. These included a battery-powered auxiliary power unit, a flight test nose boom, and a special spin recovery system, consisting of forward mounted, hydraulically actuated canards and an emergency spin chute. NASA's F-14 was first flown by NASA research pilots, but was later flown by Vought, and by Navy test pilots from Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River . The Navy test flights with the spin research vehicle constituted the first program that incorporated air combat maneuvering in its test flights at Dryden. The Navy brought F-14s from Point Mugu and NAS Miramar in San Diego to test the new spin control laws in combat situations.

Among the 212 flights completed for this research project, the F-14 also tested a flush air data system, for gathering data about air speed; provided an updated aeromodel, which is currently in use on Navy F-14 training simulators; created natural laminar flow baseline data for many of NASA's later laminar flow programs; and tested low altitude, asymmetric thrust. F-14s were later used in laminar flow studies in the Variable Sweep Transition Flight Experiment program (VSTFE) on NASA's F-14 #834. NASA 991 was delivered back to the Navy on September 6, 1985.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline lauhof52

  • Dutchie
  • The Decimator Guy!
Re: Logan's Profiles - Northrop XF-15A Reporter & NASA V-507!
« Reply #572 on: April 13, 2014, 01:25:47 AM »
Bingo! Top drawing, Logan :) :)

regards
Lauhof

Offline Logan Hartke

  • High priest in the black arts of profiling...
  • Rivet-counting whiffer
Re: Logan's Profiles - Nakajima A9He1 Herman - Rabaul
« Reply #573 on: April 13, 2014, 10:06:46 AM »
Thanks lauhof!  As always, click on the image below to see the picture at 100% or view it at my DeviantArt page.



The IJNAF pilots gained experience with the Mitsubishi A6M Zero in combat over China and through continued testing, complains and recommendations began to come in to the Kōku Hombu.  The most vocal complaint concerned the fighter’s poor lateral control at high speeds.  As air speed increased above 180 mph, aileron response deteriorated rapidly, and above 230 mph, the Zero-sen became more difficult to roll.  Additionally, pilots wanted better performance at altitude.

In response, the IJNAF began delivering initial production A9He1s to combat units following successful flight trials in late 1941.  As a result of delays at Hitachi, Nakajima soon caught up in to combat units following successful flight trials in late 1941.  As a result of delays at Hitachi, Nakajima soon caught up in production of the A9He1 and the first units operated a mix of aircraft from both manufacturers.

The first unit to receive the new fighter was the 2nd Kōkūtai during the spring of 1942.  Operating in the New Guinea area, the A9He1’s short range prevented the 2nd Kōkūtai from reaching the battle over Guadalcanal during its early stages.  Other units received the A9He1, mainly in the Solomons area, but the new fighter was initially not well received by front line units due to its shorter range, complex inline engine, and worse maneuverability when compared to the A6M2 Zero.  This profile depicts Q-122, an A9He1 of the 2nd Kōkūtai during the summer of 1942 at Rabaul.  It has a blue fuselage band denoting a section leader and is missing its radio mast.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Matt Wiser

  • Newly Joined - Welcome me!
Re: Logan's Profiles - Nakajima A9He1 Herman - Rabaul
« Reply #574 on: April 13, 2014, 01:37:22 PM »
Good work on both, Logan! I take it the He-100 is a land-based interceptor, and the Zero stays on the carriers?
Treat everyone you meet with kindness and respect. But always have a plan ready to kill them.

Old USMC Adage.