Westland Wyvern - The Mid-Engined P10 Concept

[kitnut617]

Few more --

[Jeffry Fontaine]

From what I can see from your shared images on this subject it looks like the only thing left is painting the canopy framing.  Overall a rather menacing Wyvern with the colours and markings you have chosen.   

[kitnut617]

That's about right Jeff, the canopy is not glued on just yet, I have to paint a couple of things on the instrument panel first, then I can glue the canopy on and paint it up. The other thing is there's some more decals going on, squadron codes and the underwing serial numbers. Then I can call it done. Last night I was re-reading the 4+ Publications bookazine on the Wyvern and realized this model should have a target ranging radar. This was an AS-65/APG-5 and installed in leu of the port outer Hispano cannon.

[GTX_Admin]

Looking good.

[The Big Gimper]

I do really like the mid-engine designs.  Great job!

[finsrin]

Really captures post war ultimate generation prop planes aura.  Cool 

[kitnut617]

Thanks Greg, Carl, Bill.

[apophenia]

Very nice 

Do you know the size of that AN/APG-5, Robert? Since it was used as a ranging radar on the F-85A-5, it must be fairly small. (I'm wondering if the outboard portside cannon 'stub' could just be painted 'radome' colour?)

[kitnut617]

Here's a good photo of it Stephen, it looks like a Spitfire cannon fairing with the front end shortened a bit. The 4+ bookazine says it was painted grey. I think the actual radar part of it is the dome on the fairing end.

[kitnut617]

Thinking up a backstory and timeline for it, I'll re-designate it as a SF.4. The story will explain why ---

I also think I might build another one, this time with a turboprop --- mid-engined of course, maybe with a Tyne    Came to this while thinking up the backstory.

While building the model I noticed something, when standing in front of the TF-1 aircraft and looking at the prop, the front propeller turns clockwise and the rear propeller counter-clockwise. But all the turbo-prop powered Wyverns have them turning opposite to that, interesting ---- I've read that the direction of the front prop's rotation on a contra-prop, is the direction the engine would turn a single prop if one was installed. So the Python would be a good choice as an alternative engine on a B-29/B-50 or something like that.

[apophenia]

Here's a good photo of it Stephen, it looks like a Spitfire cannon fairing with the front end shortened a bit. The 4+ bookazine says it was painted grey. I think the actual radar part of it is the dome on the fairing end.

Thanks for that. Looks very 'do-able' 

Is the Tyne for a later-production variant? (The RB.109 didn't run until 1955 with deliveries begun in 1959.)

Earlier alternatives might be a whif Proteus that didn't suck (3,320 shp) or the Napier Eland (N.El.4 putting out 3,765 hp). Or, how about a pair of Darts (with shaft passing either side of the cockpit)? 

[kitnut617]

Here's a good photo of it Stephen, it looks like a Spitfire cannon fairing with the front end shortened a bit. The 4+ bookazine says it was painted grey. I think the actual radar part of it is the dome on the fairing end.

Thanks for that. Looks very 'do-able' 

Is the Tyne for a later-production variant? (The RB.109 didn't run until 1955 with deliveries begun in 1959.)

Earlier alternatives might be a whif Proteus that didn't suck (3,320 shp) or the Napier Eland (N.El.4 putting out 3,765 hp). Or, how about a pair of Darts (with shaft passing either side of the cockpit)? 

Well, the model I've built is 1956 time line, my story is the technical challenges that the turbines had took longer to resolve so the piston engines were used for a bit longer than what they did. The model would be of the 'last of the line' scenareo and the next variant was a turbo-prop, the Python. Thinking that would be the S.5 and then there would be the S.6, Rolls Royce powered. First with the Clyde but then that was not continued with because RR went onto the Tyne. Reading the BSP book, it says RR/Westland were expecting about 4500hp for a developed Eagle, and the Python was to be around 5000hp, so a Tyne at around 7000hp would be about what I'm thinking of. Some big paddle blade contra-props for that though, maybe square tipped.

[apophenia]

Sounds excellent. I'm especially looking forward to seeing what you do with those paddle props 

[kitnut617]

Well, some time ago I bought a bunch of Tradewind props from Combat Models, I think I'll use one of those on it, with revised diameter though 

I had just been answering a query on the What-If forum on Hawker Typhoons, a photo I posted of a Typhoon suddenly glared at me when I noticed the cannon fairings, they look just like that radar aerial fairing --- at least the rear half of the fairing does.