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Author Topic: Raafif's profiles  (Read 182675 times)

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #225 on: December 13, 2012, 10:23:57 AM »
Neato!  How about a ship based seaplane with a boat hull?

as if I haven't got enough ideas for this one ............ oh, ok ;)


Here's two heavy versions for beach strafing ....



Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #226 on: December 13, 2012, 02:46:57 PM »
I am surprised BdB hasn't comment yet...after all there are spats...
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #227 on: December 14, 2012, 05:50:13 AM »
I am surprised BdB hasn't comment yet...after all there are spats...

he's probably frantically rummaging thru his bits & Airfix boxes to find the necessary parts to build it ;D


Ship-board recon aircraft ...... would it be strong enough to survive a catapult launch ? .....

Offline Doom!

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #228 on: December 14, 2012, 06:47:59 AM »
The Sea Spat is just too cool!  :)
Doom!
Jeff G.

Offline Cliffy B

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #229 on: December 14, 2012, 07:36:36 AM »
Mmmmmm very nice sir, very nice indeed!  Now hang a pair of anti-ship torpedoes under the wings   ;)
"Radials growl, inlines purr, jets blow!"  -Anonymous

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Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #230 on: December 18, 2012, 02:39:11 PM »

Offline arc3371

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #231 on: December 18, 2012, 05:27:22 PM »
Now taht is interesting, Allison engine?

Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #232 on: December 18, 2012, 09:37:36 PM »
You know, I have an engineless Boomerang and a Griffon off of a Firefly I going spare and your Boomerang looks pretty tasty!  :D

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #233 on: December 19, 2012, 06:32:49 AM »
thanks, I always thought the Boomer should get an in-line engine sometime but immediately disregarded the Merlin as it's too powerful for the airframe.  I discounted the Allison too so I've used an indiginous V-10 -- the Syd. Lusty-designed one built at Lidcombe, NSW ;D

Cowling is scaled down from a Barracuda (very curved top lines) -- initialy it looked a bit long to me so I did try to shorten it but didn't look so nice.

Should really lengthen the aft fuselage a bit as the Boomerang is very short-coupled & tends to go arse-over-tit landing on rough ground -- the pilot of the first flying genuine restoration nearly wet himself on his first grass-field try (big hump in the ground) & had to do a go around :-[


EMPTY .... a Firefly nose is similar in shape so should look good too !!! When will you have the model done & pics posted ?? ?? ?? :)
« Last Edit: December 19, 2012, 06:40:05 AM by raafif »

Offline Tophe

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #234 on: December 19, 2012, 07:53:30 AM »
The Miles Sombrero asymmetric aircraft is a delicious design :-*
Congratulations to the designer!

Offline apophenia

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #235 on: December 19, 2012, 11:49:07 AM »
Love the Boomerang II  :)  Easy-peasy to stretch the rear fuselage since it's welded steel tubing. Although you could always go the P-40M route and just push the vertical tailplane aft.

Since the Real world Lidcombe Engine Plant produced Merlins, I'd assumed that was what it was (and it looks a bit like a Barracuda cowling). Is your Lusty a totally new design or a Merlin derivation (like a V10 version of the Rover Meteor V12 to Meteorite V8 evolution)?
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #236 on: December 19, 2012, 09:16:31 PM »
EMPTY .... a Firefly nose is similar in shape so should look good too !!! When will you have the model done & pics posted ?? ?? ?? :)

Done? Done?!!!! You mean you have to finish them??? Not just look at the bits and go, yeah that will look cool? Arrrrrgggghhh!!!!!!!

Erm.... if I go alphabetically..... 6 months!  :D

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #237 on: December 20, 2012, 08:02:43 AM »
A development installation (designed by Frank Bullard) of an inverted version of the Lidcombe Lusty engine - the radiator, mounted above the propellor's final-reduction housing, has side-outlets which also helps draw the hot air from the engine area -- however the airflow tended to suck seeping oil from the engine bay & swish it up over the cockpit canopy.


After the war, Mr Bullard converted the engine to a dry-sump which cured the oil-seepage problem & used it in pylon racing.



When the RAF rejected the Westland Pterodactyl as too heavy & slow for a fighter, they built a twin version as a Bomber-escort -- it was known to the test-pilots as the "Twinner-Dactyl".

Offline apophenia

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #238 on: December 20, 2012, 08:23:23 AM »
For some reason, the Bullard I says 'Italian'. And is it just me, or does that Twin Pterodactyl cry out for variable-geometry on those outer wing panels?
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Tophe

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #239 on: December 20, 2012, 08:43:44 AM »
Wonderful Twin-Pterodactyl :-* :-*
I qualify it as "most efficient turret-fighter ever" at http://cmeunier.chez-alice.fr/Asymm_addition.htm
Thanks again!

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #240 on: December 21, 2012, 04:50:30 AM »
is it just me, or does that Twin Pterodactyl cry out for variable-geometry on those outer wing panels?

apophenia -- stay tuned in ..... more to come ....... Tophe will flip when he sees my next Pterodactyl version :-\ :D

Offline apophenia

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #241 on: December 21, 2012, 01:34:00 PM »
Well that sounds very promising ... or ominous ... or both  ;D
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #242 on: December 22, 2012, 03:48:34 AM »
As stated before, when the RAF rejected the Pterodactyl as too heavy & slow for a fighter, Westland built a twin version (known to the test-pilots as the "Twinner-Dactyl") as a Bomber-escort for the RAF's Heavy Bomber squadrons (currently flying the Handley-Page Heyford) -- it was accepted & went into service as the WHF-1 "Twin-Dactyl".  The RAF squadrons practised their mission profiles often with the opposing light-fighters coming from other squadrons - it was on one such mission that a Twin-Dactyl collided with a Heyford, bending the Dactyl's starboard wing forward to an alarming degree.  The Heyford spiralled down crashing in a field - the crew escaping with moderate injuries.  The twin-Dactyl however performed a sight never seen before .... initially entering a flat spin ... normally impossible for that design ... & that no-one thought would end.  The pilot fought valiantly then gave up and the three crew prepared to bail-out .... if they could against the centrifugal forces.  On letting go of the control-column, the aircraft suddenly straightened out for a second, then performed what can only be described as a one-turn, nose-up 360deg spin & vertical "jump" before starting to fall again.  The crew didn't care for these antics & with a seriously damaged aircraft they wisely opted to complete their exit.

Examination of the wreckage brought nothing to light - all damage was consistent with a mid-air collision & subsequent crash.  However the reports on the bent aircraft's behaviour seemed to match the thoughts of Westland's wing-design theoretician - ie:- that a wing of certain orientation could behave in some amazing ways .... the wing & attachments would have to be strengthened considerably but it was quite possible that a revolution in fighter tactics was on the cusp of attainment.  A prototype was modified from a standard Twin-Dactyl & tested in every possible way -- it was found that by advancing the starboard-side main-plane, the observed gyrations were possible.  The asymmetric power application (both engines being on one side of the aircraft) made the turn much better to the left than to the right and this suited pilots. ((it was a long-standing physicological rule, known to many Aces, that is more "natural" for people to bank left, than right, giving those who knew about it an advantage)).

The Westland "Zag-a-Zig", named after the wing plan-form, was a radical departure from normal aircraft design & was the first ever "swing-wing" aircraft to fly.  Due to its deliberately stable / unstable flight-characteristics (depending on the pilot's selection in flight), it could evade even the most nimble light-fighter sent to destroy it.  It was immediately seen that a normal RAF pilot wouldn't have the required training to fly this aircraft -- it was thought that at least 3yrs of aerobatic training was necessary for full proficiency -- a standard that very few pilots had.  An ideal opportunity to test the aircraft in a real arena came with the Spanish Civil War and as war with Germany was already seen as inevitable, the RAF started offering pilot's commissions to all who qualified as advanced aerobats.  Many barn-stormers saw that their world was coming to an end -- stunts were becoming "old hat" & "routine", crowds, & income from them, were getting smaller and many of their sort, ex-WW1 pilots, were getting too old for this type of activity.  Most accepted the RAF's offer of a regular pay-cheque -- those still young enough to have fast reactions were offered Active pilot's commissions in a special squadron - the others were offered commissions to train the increasing number of fighter-pilots now being sort for the war ahead.

A small batch of twenty Zag-a-Zigs were built &, after a year of secret training, five were sent to Spain to observe developments there as part of a League of Nations observer team -- it was rightly seen as a testing-ground of the future war.  Being prohibited in joining in any fighting apart from the most dire self-defence, these Zag-a-Zigs of 000 (Triple-Zero) Sqdn -- whose pilots were all ex barn-stormers -- had the turrets removed & faired over - only twin, fixed 303's being mounted in the nose of the right-hand fuselage.  000 Squadron went as ordered, hoping to be challenged by all sides in the air as interlopers.  Being prohibited from firing their guns didn't faze them - they were confident in their mounts to evade anyone that got on their tails & had their secret banks of ten Delco-Remy "air-guns" either side of the right fuselage & two bottles of compressed-air mounted inside to "fire" them.

They soon made a nuisance of themselves -- flying above the general area, they waited for the protagonists to clash.  Then they would dive and fly in & out of the ensuing melee, causing much annoyance to those who had just lined-up on an enemy machine.  The Polikarpovs welcomed this interruption to their deaths, but the pilots of the Me-109a's of the Kondor Legion's Herman Goring Squadron saw it as un-Knightly behaviour & unforgivable poaching on their ground.  The Me-109's thought they'd teach these arrogant Englishmen a lesson - they knew that their aircraft were faster & they could catch them in a run any time.  But the Englishmen didn't run .... in fact they slowed down a bit & tempted the Messerschmits to shoot at them by lazily waggling their wings & waving to them.  This was too much !!  One pilot, a holder of the Knight Cross with 35 kills to his credit in the Great War, decided to shoot the offender down.  He positioned himself behind the Zag-a-Zig & closed in .... the British pilot held his position, continuing to wave at him !!  Just as he was about to fire his guns, the Zag-a-Zig disappeared !!  His wing-man warned him -- "Ze Englander hast spun below you !"

The pilot had moved the lever of the wing-actuation mechanism to "U" for unstable & the right wing swung forward, the spoiler popping out as it did so.  The Zag-a-Zig dropped the wing-tip & the aircraft performed it's special turn - a fast 360deg spin & extremely rapid climb, temporarily blacking out the pilot, it put him right behind his enemy in just a fraction of a second.

       "Aaaargh-oooooh-Gaahh !!!", "Aaaargh-oooooh-Gaahh !!!" went the Englander's "air-guns" -- the extremely loud, old-fashioned, car horns blasting the Messerschmitt pilot with sound, urging him to get out of the way of the Zag-a-Zig, now quite unexpectedly, immediately behind, causing the German pilot to soil his clothes ...

The lessons of the Spanish Civil War had indeed been learned ... by the German Pilots.  Triple-Zero Squadron had the desired effect -- zero "kills" & zero losses in Spain resulted in zero aggression towards the RAF bombers on their way to Keil when-ever they were in the air.

An asymmetric swing-wing ....

Offline Tophe

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #243 on: December 22, 2012, 07:45:44 AM »
Great aircraft and great story, thanks! :-*

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #244 on: December 23, 2012, 01:16:21 PM »
 here's the .....
            Heinkel tri-motor Flying-Wing ...

Offline Tophe

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #245 on: December 23, 2012, 01:35:11 PM »
Still another diamond! Thanks! :-*

Offline apophenia

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #246 on: December 24, 2012, 01:20:53 PM »
here's the .....
            Heinkel tri-motor Flying-Wing ...c

Love your He-331  :)
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline raafif

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #247 on: December 29, 2012, 11:12:29 AM »
A German Mixer ....
For power Heinkel wanted the new jet engines for his Flying-Wing bomber but these were still being developed and some time was expected to pass before they were ready for service so, forced to accept propeller engines, he sought some of the new prop-jet types.  Hensch-Mess had one that worked well & two were coupled together to drive one propeller ..... but it destroyed gear-boxes at a fast rate.  Engineer Helmuth von Würthnöt designed a set-up that used the usual two gear-boxes with inter-meshing propellers that provided good power-delivery with only the occasional catastrophe ....



Retro Time .... pantaloons are back !!


Offline Tophe

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #248 on: December 29, 2012, 12:06:14 PM »
Your lovely He-333 design is probably the first asymmetric aircraft with intermeshing propellers... :-*

Offline apophenia

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Re: Raafif's profiles
« Reply #249 on: December 30, 2012, 12:10:44 PM »
There just aren't enough aircraft with trousered undercarriages! Thank you for doing your bit to redress the natural balance  :)
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."