Raafif's profiles

[raafif]

upgraded.

[raafif]

Ravings on another forum re the Bugatti Racer being a fighter inspire me to actually re-design it into a proper fighter.  Note the slightly forward sloped wing.

[Frank3k]

The Bugatti would be buildable by rescaling the 1/72 kit to 1/144, or maybe the 1/48 kit to 1/72.

[perttime]

What engines would be a good size for a fighter-size Bugatti?

https://bugatti100p.aero/history/bugatti-100p/

[raafif]

Two V-6 Renault engines or maybe V-6 Mini-Merlins or one W-24 !  Simplify driving the prop with a single shaft aka P-39 ?

[perttime]

I wonder if a drive shaft in the center would fit. Looks as if the pilot sits pretty low in the cockpit.

[apophenia]

I wonder if a drive shaft in the center would fit. Looks as if the pilot sits pretty low in the cockpit.

Indeed. The pilot of the Model 100 sat virtually on the floor (hence all those JV joints to 'bend' the extension shafts on the racer).

I've seen suggestions that the unbuilt Model 110 fighter proposal might originally be powered by a single HS 12Y. If that approach was taken, I'd suggest reversing the engine to drive pusher props. That way, you can keep that lovely, streamlined nose. I suspect that a fighter Model 100 would also need more tail area ...

[raafif]

With no gearbox in the nose it would enable some (4?) 20mm cannon up front.

[perttime]

Two 20mm guns might fit on the bottom, below the pilot, on an enlarged one. The Bf 109 did fine with just one. Maybe .50 machineguns near wing roots, in addition.

[apophenia]

Two 20mm guns might fit on the bottom, below the pilot, on an enlarged one. The Bf 109 did fine with just one. Maybe .50 machineguns near wing roots, in addition.

Since the fuselage had a slightly 'squashed' section at the leading edges, you could mount those HS 404s to either side of the pilot. The Armée de l'Air would probably want 4 x wing-mounted 7.5 mm MAC 1934s but, by 1939, the French were looking at FN's 13.2 mm Mitrailleuse d'avion Browning.

[Frank3k]

Indeed. The pilot of the Model 100 sat virtually on the floor (hence all those JV joints to 'bend' the extension shafts on the racer)

I wonder how much power they wasted with those joints, plus the maintenance nightmare.

[raafif]

Bought an MLRS kit a few years ago & soon sold off the rocket section to someone else as I had an idea.  So I started the build but now have an idea for the lower chassis.  The top one will get very wide tracks & the bottom one maybe an Archimedes Screw.  Don't know if it will work out but am starting the process of finding out if its possible with some 3D.

[Kerick]

Very interesting! I hope to see this in plastic.

[apophenia]

... The top one will get very wide tracks ...

Cool project. You might have a glance at the Foremost/Nodwell lineup for inspiration on extra-wide tracks:
-- https://www.foremost.ca/foremost-mobile-equipment/tracked-vehicles/

[Frank3k]

Nice find!

[raafif]

Yes the Foremost & Russian arctic vehicles were the inspiration for the Wide-Track -- I have wide tracks for it if the screws don't work out.

[raafif]

I do have a scud kit in the stash but doubt I'll get around to building it.

[raafif]

A few colours for my FA-3-M.

[raafif]

Douglas aircraft