Apophenia's Offerings

[apophenia]

Upnorth is running a story on the Aermacchi MB-326 in Canadian service (instead of the Canadair CL-41 Tutor). [1] That brings in all sorts of interesting questions and possibilities. But I got hung up on who would make these license-built trainers if Canadair was the competition?

For my take on this Aermacchi, I decided to start a new company. So, whif, a group of Italian-Canadian investors band together to give Aermacchi a local presence during the RCAF trainer competition. The former Cub Aircraft of Canada hangar at the underutilized Hamilton International Airport is leased with plans to build modern assembly sheds once the trainer contract was secured. In the interim, Aermacchi bases its Canadian operations out of YHM.

Although submitted as the Aermacchi MB-326, the newly-formed Arrow Aircraft Company [2] dubbed the Canadian assembled trainers as AAC-326Cs. Once adopted for service, the RCAF designated the Aermacchi trainer as the Arrow CT-132 Astre. [3] The first prototype was assembled from Aermacchi-supplied major sub-components. Production CT-132 Astre would be more fully produced in Hamilton with only a handful of parts imported from Italy.

Top First prototype CT-132 Astre (RCAF s/n 10843). This aircraft was briefly returned to Arrow Aircraft for publicity work - hence the bogus '326' serials (applied for photography purposes).

Bottom The sole CT-132R 'Radar Astre' fitted with the NASARR R-24A radar from the CF-104 Starfighter. The CT-132R was seen as superior to the aged Douglas CT-129 Dakota transport fitted with the same radar set. In the end, however, it was decided that the CT-129 'Pinocchio' added extra flexibility by carrying multiple radar-operator pupils simultaneously.

________________________________

[1] Jackrabbit https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=9948.0

[2] The chosen name was highly political. The out-going government was infamous for cancelling the CF-105 Arrow interceptor. The corporate name allowed the in-coming government to rub the new Official Oppositions' noses in the Arrow débâcle without all the expense of reviving Avro Canada.

[3] The RCAF chose the French-language name Astre was chosen for its 'star' association with the in-service CT-133 Silver Star (since étoile was thought to be more difficult for Anglophones to pronounce).

[kitnut617]

Actually, you could do the entire brochure in 1/72 - although that would mean a hen's teeth Aeroclub C-23A Sherpa for the Shorts 330 

You mean this kit   

My plan is to build what's on the brochure Stephen ---     I've actually got all the kits to do it too ---

[kitnut617]

Actually, you could do the entire brochure in 1/72 - although that would mean a hen's teeth Aeroclub C-23A Sherpa for the Shorts 330 

I've got a few others planned too, I bought some FASS domes from Harro to do the Challenger, but I got the scale wrong and they turned out too small. But they fit perfectly for a Dominie --- plans are already in progress to build one.

And the dome arrangement shown for the Sherpa and Puma (?) has led me to this.

[apophenia]

You mean this kit   

My plan is to build what's on the brochure Stephen ---     I've actually got all the kits to do it too ---

That's the one! And looking forward to seeing the built collection 

Going back to jet trainers ... Upnorth's story had the RCAF wearying of unspecified technical flaws with the Canadair CL-41. It struck me that a simpler backstory would be an RCAF flip-flop on tandem versus side-by-side seating preferences for its primary jet trainer.

Of course, if it went that way, Canadair may well have developed a tandem-seat Tutor. So that got me wondering how such a 'Tandem Tutor' might appear. Well ... not much of a looker as it turns out 

[kitnut617]

That's the one! And looking forward to seeing the built collection 

Yeah! me too --- just need to get my butt in gear --- 

[apophenia]

... and Puma (?) ...

Question mark indeed! The helicopter drawing in that brochure is dreadful but - based on engine position alone - I'm wondering if that was supposed to represent an EH101 

[kitnut617]

... and Puma (?) ...

Question mark indeed! The helicopter drawing in that brochure is dreadful but - based on engine position alone - I'm wondering if that was supposed to represent an EH101 

I was wondering the same, but looking at photos and 3-views, it doesn't look like either. I'll take a browse through the helicopter trilogy of Chris Gibson's tonight and see if there's anything there. Thing is, Puma and Super Puma were flying in 1984 (same as all the other aircraft shown), EH-101 was years away from first flight (first in 1987)

EDIT:  what it looks like is a NH-90 ---

[jcf]

You mean this kit   

My plan is to build what's on the brochure Stephen ---     I've actually got all the kits to do it too ---

That's the one! And looking forward to seeing the built collection 

Going back to jet trainers ... Upnorth's story had the RCAF wearying of unspecified technical flaws with the Canadair CL-41. It struck me that a simpler backstory would be an RCAF flip-flop on tandem versus side-by-side seating preferences for its primary jet trainer.

Of course, if it went that way, Canadair may well have developed a tandem-seat Tutor. So that got me wondering how such a 'Tandem Tutor' might appear. Well ... not much of a looker as it turns out 

What about using the "long nose" of the proposed CL-41T dedicated ground attack version?

[apophenia]

What about using the "long nose" of the proposed CL-41T dedicated ground attack version?

That's an interesting idea Jon! Since the entire CL-41T nose 'drooped' down, you could do more modern, stepped seating in the 'tandem' 

Robert: A more contemporary candidate might be the unbuilt Westland WG31 (albeit with shortened sponsons)?

[kitnut617]

Yes, I see what you mean there --- but the brochure basically shows aircraft that were 'flying' at the time and converted. Seems odd to add in something that wasn't even in the built category.

[upnorth]

Those are some cool Macchi profiles!

I've been distracted from further work on the story due to some real world stuff. Hopefully I'll get back to it before too long.

[apophenia]

kitnut617: Okay, so Occam's Razor says the winner is ... World's-Worst-Puma-Drawing 

upnorth: Cheers! Looking forward to seeing where your story goes 

-------------

So, this one is a bit off the wall but the concept was prompted by Greg's Australian Combined Arms Capability in Interwar Period scenario:
-- https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10079.msg191295#new

My image is a what-if Australia had taken up the easy-to-build US 'Skeleton Tank' - a prototype of which was produced during WWI by the Pioneer Tractor Co. of Winona, Minnesota.

Part of Greg's scenario involves armoured forces with the Medium Mk V and the Medium Mk A Whippet mentioned amongst other tank types. For its time, the Whippet was fast [1] and had four machine guns. Problem was, only two of those Hotchkiss guns could be fired at any given time - the guns having limited fields of fire and there being only two crew members to fire them. (A rotating turret had been part of the original concept but this was later abandoned for simpler flexible gun mounts). A bigger problem was that the 16-foot long Whippet was incapable of crossing wider, late-war German trenches.

The innovative (or just bizarre?) 'Skeleton Tank' got around both problems. Being 25 feet long, [1] the 'Skeleton Tank' had the track length to cross late-war trenches. And being much lighter than the British rhomboid tanks, the 'Skeleton Tank' would be less likely to collapse the sides of that trench. The US tank also had a 360° traversing machine gun turret. Best of all, only the most vulnerable parts of the 'Skeleton Tank' were heavily plated - the engines and crew compartment. Those were situated in an armoured 'box' suspended between the tracks and several feet off the ground.

As mentioned, much of the vehicle was 'open'. The track frames having no centres and being connected to that armoured crew compartment 'box' by a fretwork of struts. Each of those struts was a length of threaded 3-inch water pipe joined together with standard plumbing fittings. By only armouring essential areas, the 25 foot 'Skeleton Tank' weighed little more than the 16 foot Renault FT 2-man light tank - about 8 short tons vs 7.2 short tons. (For comparison, the 20 foot-long Whippet weighed 15.68 short tons.) Being of circular section, those steel water pipes were also capable of deflecting glancing impacts by bullets and shell fragments. Perhaps less well appreciated at the time would have been the vehicle's potential resistance to the blast effects of nearby shell bursts.

I have named my Australian what-if the 'Monash Medium'. A few changes from the original 'Skeleton Tank' are obvious. First, I faceted the crew compartment to further enhance blast resistance. Second, I have replaced the cylindrical American turret with a cast turret - a later type (fitted to some Renault FTs) to be imported from France. [1] Athough not detailed here, I'd imagine some 'Anglicisation' of equipment as well - perhaps using more powerful British-made engines instead of American to boost top speed? Possibly substituting the superior tracks from the Whippet? Otherwise, this Aussie Spider Tank would be unchanged from the Pioneer Tractor original.

_____________________________

[1] The French turret is shown here rotated to the rear. (The white-painted top is a recognition mark ... which also served to lower interior temperatures.) Turret armament is a single 0.303-inch Hotchkiss Mk.I (with another Hotchkiss mounted in the hull to be forward-fired remotely by the driver).

[jcf]

Reading the description of the Skeleton it states it had two "50hp Beaver 4-cylinder engines".
Doing some digging I came up with this on a site about "Milwaukee Gasolene Locomotives", the kind
of machinery used in mines etc.
H-6 a 50 HP, 6 ton locomotive, using a Beaver model JE, 4.75x6" 4 cylinder engine.
The Beaver JE displacement comes out to slightly over 425 in³.
The 1910 Mercer 30 was powered by a 30hp 285 in³ Beaver 4-cyl.


Evidently Beaver was a successful early manufacturer with most of their engines being used in
in the truck, rail, marine etc. businesses after a short stint in passenger cars.

The Tylor JB.4 engines in the Whippet were 45 hp 7.72 liter (463 in³).


Towards the end of the war the Harry Ricardo designed 105hp alloy six-cylinder started coming on line, but I don't
think it would really be an option in post-WWI Australia, ditto the Armstrong-Siddeley V-8 etc. Some sort of truck
or industrial engine would probably be more likely.

A.E.C. seem to have been dominant in Australia in period and, drum-roll, was a user of Tylor engines, the most
common one being the JB.4 which was produced in the thousands of units, and which, as we've seen, was used
in the Whippet A.

Later in the 1920s Tylor produced the Tiger which was designed as a drop-in replacement for the JB.4, it
was very conservatively rated at 40hp by the RAC , it was actually measured at 76.5hp at 1,650 rpm on a
dynamometer, highest attained by the old JB.4 was 60.05hp. Torque also increased.
https://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/16th-november-1926/50/an-interesting-proprietary-engine

Monash Medium originally built with Tylor JB.4, as per the Whippet A, in place of the US Beaver engines.
It was later re-engined with Tylor Tiger engines. 

[apophenia]

...
Monash Medium originally built with Tylor JB.4, as per the Whippet A, in place of the US Beaver engines.
It was later re-engined with Tylor Tiger engines. 

Great stuff! Thanks Jon 

Here is another thought on Greg's Australian Combined Arms Capability in Interwar Period scenario:
-- https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10079.msg191295#new

____________________________________________

As part of the Imperial Gift, Australia received 31 x Airco DH.9A and 28 x Airco DH.9s. The Liberty-powered DH.9As were excellent light day bombers. But Puma-engined DH.9s were seriously underpowered. As a result, many DH.9 airframes went straight into long-term storage at No. 1 Aircraft Depot (1 AD) at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. By contrast, the DH.9As served the new RAAF well until 1925-26 when they were due for reconditioning and updating.

Most RAAF DH.9A airframes were rotated through a refurbishment programme by various civilian contractors. Some equipment updates were made but, other than extra cowling ventilation for improved engine cooling and the fitting of Handley Page wing slats to improve low-speed handling, few other changes were thought necessary. To speed these DH.9A rebuilds (and reduced their costs), stored DH.9 airframes were often raided for suitable parts and components.

Bottom RAAF Airco DH.9A A1-17 (ex-F2779), C Flight, 1 Squadron, RAAF, Point Cook, Victoria, late 1926. This aircraft carries a Hythe Mk.III gun camera on its Scarff ring mount. The unofficial Flight Lieutenant pennant shows A1-17 to be the mount of 1 Sqn C/O Flt Lt Harry Cobby, DFC, DSO.

DH.9A A1-17 would have just been returned from reconditioning by Pratt Bros. at Geelong. [1] Obvious upgrades are the Handley Page wing slots, Mort's Dock [2] cowling with extra ventilation, and Matthews & Hassell [3] auxiliary radiator beneath the engine.

A Local Mod - the Airco DHA.9 Dingo

Along with being robbed for parts, most of the stored DH.9s had lost their engines. [4] That proved a blessing in disguise. Beginning in 1929, the stored airframes were reconditioned and rebuilt in a very different form. The concept for what emerged as the DHA.9 Dingo rebuild originated with Flt Lt AW 'Spud' Murphy at the RAAF Experimental Section (under the tutelage of Wg Cdr Lawrence Wackett). The inadequate Puma engines were replaced by more powerful Bristol Jupiter radials. To further improve to speeds, the lower wings were 'bobbed' creating a sesquiplane configuration. Perhaps invariably, the 'new' DHA.9 Dingo was dubbed the 'Nine-Bob'.

Top RAAF Airco DHA.9 Dingo A6-28 (ex-C6323, combined with parts from A6-8 ex-F1295) in late August 1930. This aircraft served with the RAAF's first ground-attack unit - the newly-reformed 6 Squadron based at Richmond, NSW. Note the revised forward fuselage, new 'spung' main undercarriage, and absense of HP wing slats on the DHA.9.

__________________________

[1] Properly the Aircraft Manufacturing Supply Company of Australia, the Pratts were proprietors of the Belmont Common aerodrome at Geelong.

[2] In full, Mort's Dock and Engineering Co. Ltd. of Balmain (Sydney), New South Wales.

[3] Matthews & Hassell Engineering Co. Ltd. based at Essendon aerodrome (Melbourne), Victoria

[4] The Siddeley Puma 6-cylinder engines were repurposed by the Victorian Railways (VR) for use on fast petrol-engined trains for their non-electrified suburban routes. A variation on these Puma-powered 'Red Rocket' trains were also adopted for some New South Wales Government Railways routes - the NSWGR interurbans having their own distinctive bodywork.

BTW: These sideviews are based on Ronny Bar's Wingnut Wings DH.9A profile.
__________________________

[GTX_Admin]

 

[apophenia]

Another one sparked by Greg's Australian Combined Arms Capability in Interwar Period scenario:
-- https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10079.msg191295#new

I wanted something a bit different from a straight Rolls-Royce armoured car. So, here is the half-tracked Holden-Kégresse armoured car of 1932.

The Holden-Kégresse was a rebuild of worn-out, WWI-vintage Rolls-Royce armoured cars (akin to 're-chassising' of RAF cars in Iraq). Armour plating from those vehicles was adapted for a Holden-modified GMC 1/2-ton truck frame. [1] The prototype conversion used GMC 'dualies' in the rear axle. Later, when Holden demonstrated a Chevrolet truck fitted with French Kégresse tracks, it was decided to combine that configuration on the 'new' Holden-Kégresse half-tracked armoured car.

Power was provided by a 60 hp 194 cubic-inch GMC 'Stovebolt Six' engine. With 20 hp less than the original Rolls 6-cylinder and 'rubber band' tracks, the Holden-Kégresse was no 'speed demon'. That modest performance and its bobbed tail appearance are probably the origins of the Holden-Kégresse's nickname - 'Shingleback'.

Further development resulted in body modifications to better-suit Australian operating conditions. Sliding armour panels were cut into either side of the body to reduce interior temperatures for the driver. The turrets had their roof removed, again with the object of reducing dangerously-high interior temperatures. Later the turret were modified to Mk.II standard with higher armour plating riveted on.

Shown here is a Holden-Kégresse Armoured Car Mk.II - markings revealing it to be Car No.18 of the 1st/21st Light Horse Regiment. The main turret armament is a .303-inch Vickers but a Lewis Gun with higher elevation has been added for air defence.

[GTX_Admin]

 

[apophenia]

A bit of futuristic silliness ...

https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10104.msg191828#msg191828

[upnorth]

A bit of futuristic silliness ...

https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10104.msg191828#msg191828

A modification of the Hammerhead fighters from the "Space Above and Beyond" show if I'm not mistaken. 

[Litvyak]

I hope the Arrow Astres didn't rust out as quickly as the Pontiac product of the same name!

[apophenia]

I hope the Arrow Astres didn't rust out as quickly as the Pontiac product of the same name!

   Fortunately, Arrow got it right ... aluminum body, steel engine 

Back in the day, the neighbour of a friend lucked out on a complete recall for their hated Chevy Vega. Flush with cash, said neighbour rushed out and bought a brand-new Pontiac Astre. Go figure!

[Litvyak]

Oooof...  though I actually have liked the look of the Astre since I was a kid.

[apophenia]

Spinning off from Greg's Jagdverband 44 (JV 44) escapes to Switzerland at end of WWII ...

-- https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=10156.msg192952#msg192952

By 02 May 1945, Heinz Bär was under extreme pressure from Luftwaffe brass to relocated Jagdverband 44 to Prague (where JV 44 was to be redesignated IV./JG 7 to continue the fight). But the collapse was nearly complete and Oberstleutnant Bär knew it. Bär was being loyal to the creator of JV 44, Generalleutnant Adolf Galland (who was even then attempting to negotiate his unit's surrender to the Americans from his hospital bed). During the evening, Bär made his decision - he would feign agreement with the move to Prague. But, in the morning, willing JV44 personnel would instead fly into exile in Switzerland.

In its last act as Jagdverband 44, almost all serviceable aircraft took off from Salzburg-Maxglan before the sun rose on 03 May. Forming up over western Austria, the pilots then wheeled westward. Just after dawn, wing-waggling JV 44 aircraft with undercarriages down and landing lights turned on began their approaches to Militärflugplatz Mollis, less than 50 km from the Reich's border. Swiss authorities were caught completely off guard. But it took Swiss air force planners at Dübendorf little time to realize that, with this technological windfall, their country was about to enter the jet age!

After disarming, inspecting, and refueling the Me 262s, these jet fighters were transferred to the longer airstrip at Militärflugplatz Emmen - 75 km to the west. There, 'Heino' Bär and his staff pledge the oaths of Swiss citizenship. Then, with the Swiss rank of Oberst, Bär oversaw the official formation of Fliegerkompanie 22 in early September 1945. Switzerland's first jet fighters were operational. But Swiss authorities were less certain as to what to do with these jets' former Platzschutzschwarm. The Swiss had decided that the former German unit should be separated by aircraft type to better maintain control.

To that end, the former JV 44 Focke Wulf Fw-190Ds remained at Militärflugplatz Mollis where they were assigned to Fliegerkompanie 20 (alongside D-3801 Moranes). The 'Dora Staffel' remained under the command of Heinz Sachsenberg (now raised to the Swiss rank of Major). Through the Summer of 1945, the Fw 190Ds were refurbished and stripped of their camouflage and German markings. In the Swiss scheme of all-over aluminized paint with black anti-glare panels, the restored 'Doras' entered full operational service with the Schweizer Luftwaffe on 01 September 1945.

(Top) Mjr Sachsenberg's J-913 of Fl Kp 20 at Mollis, November 1945. As shown, this 'Dora' briefly wore Sachsenberg's personal colours on its spinner (later repainted entirely in Swiss red). As C/O, Sachsenberg was entitled to wear the Fl Kp 20 badge on his aircraft's fin.

At this stage, Swiss underwing markings were squares not circles. Note that this aircraft also has a black panel along the fuselage to camouflage exhaust staining.

(Bottom) J-919 of Fl St 20 in late 1948. [1] The fighter is seen in exercise colours (red fuselage band) while visiting Militärflugplatz Emmen. National markings have now changes to circular roundels but bold ID flashes are worn on the starboard wings. Fl St 20 cowling and spinner colours (red and white) have also now been standardized.

This aircraft lost power on take-off from Militärflugplatz Mollis in February 1949, with no way to safely return to Mollis and no alternate landing ground, Hptm Klaus Faber ditched the stricken fighter in the Walensee. The wreckage of J-919 was recovered but, ultimately, would be broken up for spares.

____________________________________

[1] The Fliegerkompanies became Fliegerstaffels in 1948. Prior to the Focke Wulfs, Fl Kp 20 had flown D-3800 Moranes.

[GTX_Admin]

 

[ysi_maniac]

Me too!