Author Topic: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas  (Read 35636 times)

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #75 on: January 19, 2020, 03:31:17 AM »
Well, theoretically the power:weight ratio for the R4360 would be better but it also depends upon what other changes would be necessary especially to the airframe.
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Offline jcf

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #76 on: January 19, 2020, 06:08:06 AM »
Here's a comparison of the standard F4U R-2800 installation and the R-4360 installation
of the F4U-1 WM testbed.



Note that the length from the firewall to the front of the cowling is pretty much the same,
the installation used a standard cowling with a new section added to the rear.

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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #77 on: January 19, 2020, 06:12:26 AM »
Interesting Jon, where did they position all the equipment that's behind the R-2800 in the F4U-1?

Offline jcf

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #78 on: January 19, 2020, 06:25:59 AM »
The engine had a single-stage variable speed supercharger which met the requirement
of high-speed at low level so all the ductwork, intercoolers etc. for the two-stage engine
were eliminated, the oil tank was moved to behind the cockpit.
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #79 on: January 21, 2020, 10:39:26 AM »
For an outrageous bit of over-powering, how about a R4360 installed in a Bearcat?  I suspect the tail surfaces would need to be moved farther aft for weight and balance purposes, but it could be interesting to see with either a 5-bladed prop or counter-rotating 3-bladed props (as on first XP-72).


My take on an R-4360 Bearcat: http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=351.msg164859#msg164859
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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #80 on: April 27, 2020, 03:08:14 AM »
Kind of odd to see a Hellcat on grass:



Click on image to see larger version.
« Last Edit: May 31, 2020, 03:21:45 AM by GTX_Admin »
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Offline Small brown dog

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #81 on: May 30, 2020, 10:16:39 PM »
Kind of odd to see a Hellcat on grass:

It doesn't look stoned

;)
Its not that its not real but it could be that its not true.

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #82 on: May 31, 2020, 03:21:23 AM »
 ;D
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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #83 on: September 28, 2020, 03:02:14 AM »
Something different:

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Offline Sport25ing

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #84 on: September 28, 2020, 05:15:45 AM »
All from Comrade Harps in WhatIfModelers (apart from last two, from Dizzyfugu):










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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #85 on: August 08, 2021, 04:00:17 AM »
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #86 on: November 11, 2021, 03:00:10 AM »
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline perttime

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #87 on: November 11, 2021, 12:36:28 PM »

That reminds me of a Finnish story about the Brewster Buffalo, AKA the Gentleman's Travelling Airplane. The pilot flew with two passengers, a large dog, and a good amount of luggage in the fuselage.

Offline ysi_maniac

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #88 on: September 19, 2022, 02:09:49 PM »

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #89 on: January 01, 2023, 02:05:46 AM »
Random idea:  Finnish Wildcat instead of Buffalo and done in this sort of scheme:

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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #90 on: January 01, 2023, 02:09:18 AM »
The Buffalo was chosen because it could be built out of wood, and was. Do you think the Wildcat could've done the same Greg ?

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #91 on: January 01, 2023, 02:34:11 AM »
The Buffalo was chosen because it could be built out of wood, and was.

First I have heard of that.  Do you have any references?
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #92 on: January 01, 2023, 02:39:18 AM »
The Buffalo was chosen because it could be built out of wood, and was.

First I have heard of that.  Do you have any references?

I read it in one of the Air-Britain quarterlies I get, Air-Britain's Aviation World. Wasn't that long ago so should be able to find it quick enough if I can get downstairs. My condition has prevented me from doing that this last couple of months ---
It was in an article about the same Finnish company that built the Buffalos, who were proposing building reversed-engineered Mosquitos.

Offline apophenia

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #93 on: January 01, 2023, 05:21:16 AM »
The Finnish Buffalo copy was the VL Humu (Whirl) powered by a Soviet M-63 bought from German captured stocks.

Sources vary on the Humu's structure. Some say almost entirely wooden, others say wooden fuselage over steel-tube structure; still others wooden wings only. The latter refers to the one-off prototype which was a B-239 fitted with wooden wings. (The prototype Humu HM-671 is preserved and rivets on the Buffalo's original aluminum fuselage are plain to see.)

The Ilmavoimat ordered 90 Humu fighters but they were cancelled after the completed HM-671 proved 250 kg overweight (a not uncommon weight growth when substituting wooden parts for aluminum). Armament was to be twin, fuselage-mounted 12.7 mm LKK/42 machine guns (but with the suggestion of other options).

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Offline perttime

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #94 on: January 01, 2023, 02:33:34 PM »
Finland never built the Buffalo. They were taken from USA by ship to Norway and assembled at SAAB in Sweden. The Buffalo was bought just because it was the only somewhat current type that was available, and orders were to get something, NOW. Wildcat production had only just started.  All Seversky EP-1 production was going to Sweden.

As far as I can tell, the Humu fuselage is metal, and the wing is wooden. The fuselage looks riveted in a Wikipedia photo. Initially, the Shvetsov M-63 engine was found lacking in power, and not very reliable. Later on, manuals for it became available  and proper tuning made the engine stronger than the original Cyclone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VL_Humu

The Finnish Air Force Museum has the one prototype, but looks like it is in storage now. I remember seeing it at an airshow in Tampere, near the former VL site, in late 70s (?), together with the Pyörremyrsky prototype.

Offline elmayerle

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #95 on: January 04, 2023, 07:29:06 AM »
It was in an article about the same Finnish company that built the Buffalos, who were proposing building reversed-engineered Mosquitos.
That suggests an interesting possibility of reverse-engineered Mosquitos with DB605 or DB603 engines.

Offline perttime

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #96 on: January 04, 2023, 01:42:56 PM »
It was in an article about the same Finnish company that built the Buffalos, who were proposing building reversed-engineered Mosquitos.
That suggests an interesting possibility of reverse-engineered Mosquitos with DB605 or DB603 engines.
From Wikipedia:
"Footnotes

This aircraft is not to be confused with the Finnish fast bomber variant of De Havilland Mosquito, with DB 605 engines, a project which never materialized. In 1943 the FiAF HQ asked VL if it would be possible to build a copy of the Mosquito with DB605 engines. Two crashed British aircraft would have been requested from Germany to serve as models. The primary attraction was the wooden construction (something that the VL was familiar with). The inquiries indicated that serial production could be started sometime in 1946, as there were other aircraft on queue, and there were difficulties in getting just about everything needed to produce a new aircraft. The new aircraft was also to be named "Vihuri".
"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valmet_Vihuri#Footnotes

There's a night fighter whif model at https://pienoismallit.net/galleria/malli_11353/

Google finds a few relevant pics: https://www.google.com/search?q=vl+vihuri+mosquito&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwien_eZmq38AhWMuIsKHf89Cs4Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1536&bih=739&dpr=1.25

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Grumman Wildcat/Hellcat/Bearcat Ideas
« Reply #97 on: January 04, 2023, 10:08:13 PM »
It was in an article about the same Finnish company that built the Buffalos, who were proposing building reversed-engineered Mosquitos.
That suggests an interesting possibility of reverse-engineered Mosquitos with DB605 or DB603 engines.

The article said DB605's