Westland Wyvern S.6c - Mid-Engine (take 2)

[kitnut617]

In my other mid-engine Wyvern thread I mentioned I'd do a turbo-prop variant which would be powered by a RR Tyne. I had thought about using one of the other CMR TF.1 kits I have, but I recently got hold of a Trumpeter 1/72 Wyvern S.4 which made the partly built old Frog kit redundant.

Until I started thinking about what I needed to do to make a S.6.

So here's the idea ---- as it's will be designated a S.6c, I'm saying the Tyne was one of the most powerful version, say around 6800hp ---- to absorb that power a pair of De Havilland wide chord 3-blade props in contra-prop form were used.

I put this together over the last couple of days so I can get a real idea what it's about. Because the engine is mid mounted, the exhaust pipe will be moved further to the rear, one photo here shows I've cut the starboard side one out and filled it in with styrene card, while the port side one still has to have the work done.

[apophenia]

Looking good Robert! 

And that forward-placed cockpit really does make sense for a carrier aircraft.

[kitnut617]

Thanks Stephen

[GTX_Admin]

Almost requires a nose wheel...

[kitnut617]

I've been refining it, I've shortened the nose by 6mm   

The idea is that the RN didn't can their carriers and the Wyvern's swan song was the Falklands --- going to be XDSG over white, still armed with the Oerlikon 35mm revolver cannon, but with four of them and four Martel/Sea Eagles on pylons (maybe a pair of each)

[apophenia]

I've been refining it, I've shortened the nose by 6mm ...

Was that by pushing the white/beige bits aft into the blue bits? (Sorry for all that technical lingo.)

[kitnut617]

I've been refining it, I've shortened the nose by 6mm ...

Was that by pushing the white/beige bits aft into the blue bits? (Sorry for all that technical lingo.)

Yes, I trimmed off 6mm from the white part where it joins the blue bit, that's up the sides, over the top and also under the fuselage. I thought that there was too much overhang which put the prop way out in front.

At first I was trying to make it so that I would use a Python engine, but with the air intake for that engine being right at the back end, meant it would have to have some sort on intake/duct at the rear end of the fuselage, just in front of the exhaust. So then I thought about it would be Clyde powered, but in the end, changed my mind and went with the Tyne. The Clyde/Tyne route makes for a much tidier looking aircraft with the intake under the spinner, which also gives it a similar appearance as the TF.1/SF.4 has.

The tail surfaces on the original S.4 Wyvern are massive, way bigger that the TF.1 tail surfaces. But I did re-profile the fin slightly at the top to make it look like the TF.1 fin, but still keeping it quite a bit bigger. Once I get it a bit further advanced, I'll take some comparison pics.

[kitnut617]

Here's some updated pics

[apophenia]

Good call on shortening the front. That looks much more practical - you can imagine this aircraft taking the wire without chewing up the decking 

[kitnut617]

Thanks.

The forward fuselage is now the same length as my first Wyvern, measured from the rear of the spinner to the wing root leading edge. The difference now is the longer spinner the wide blades need but then the prop center line has moved up about 3mm because of what I used for the new forward fuselage, which is a F-86K nose conversion off an Air Model sheet. The cockpit has been suitable moved forward though --- 

[kitnut617]

I've got it mostly glued together and a coat of undercoat so I can see what I need to fix up. I'm also thinking of a different camo scheme, especially after looking at the light grey finish the undercoat has --- how about in Barley Grey ?

Still working on the exhaust positioning though ---

I've also revised what the loadout will be, first, the wing pods will have AN/APG-53A Air to Air/Air to Ground targeting radar with its associated ground avoidance and weather radars, it will have an AN/ALQ-131 ECM pod on one of the outer pylons, with the other outer pylon having a twin launch rail with Sidewinders, the inner pylons will have one MARTEL on each one, and for fixed armament, a single Oerlikon 35mm revolver cannon in each outer cannon bay, the inner cannon bays being deleted and the space used for wing tanks. The center pylon has a 450 Gal drop tank.

[apophenia]

That looks the business! Very nice 

[GTX_Admin]

 

[kitnut617]

Thanks Stephen, Greg ---

[ChernayaAkula]

Lookin' very cool so far!  A British Skyshark, sorta. 

[kitnut617]

It's got the look hasn't it Moritz , cheers -----

[kitnut617]

I've been playing with camo schemes, I gave the S.6c a coat of Barley Grey just so I could see what it might look like. I've also played with an idea for the spinner.

These two pics show what I did, plus it shows how the exhaust nozzle is orientated --

[apophenia]

It's got the look hasn't it Moritz , cheers -----

Well, maybe Skyshark's better-looking sister 

Liking the exhaust position 

[kitnut617]

Cheers Stephen ----

[Buzzbomb]

Still getting my head around the different lines of a Wyvern, but terrific work getting it to meld so well

[kitnut617]

Thanks buzzbomb

[finsrin]

Can see Wyvern S.6c and Skyshark competing in RAN flyoff.  Has look where can be on model show table with RW type paint and fool some as being the real deal.   

[kitnut617]

An evil plan is forming in the little grey cells -----   

Thanks Bill ----- I need to find another Frog Wyvern (although I could use a Trumpeter kit)

[kitnut617]

After a lot of PSR and getting the exhaust to look right, the model got really tatty so I gave it another quick coat of paint ---- and just so I could get my head around it --- in overall XDSG

[Buzzbomb]

Well the engine move certainly changed the lines, but it does work and has a mean look around it