discussion Wonwings Diary-a blog with a difference.

[Guest]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7620890100890480&hl=enJust take a look at this,the replica Me.262 built in America that was shown at Berlin this week,with those modern reliable engines,and had they been available then,we would have been in serious trouble had these saw action.

What a wonderful piece of history has been created with this aircraft.

The other machines in the same batch are still awaiting buyers,once they are sold then those will be completed from the shells created by craftsmen.

I 've never really thought of the 262 as a gracefull aircraft until now. Didn't it look superb! Thanks Barry I enjoyed watching that.

Have you seen the footage of the Flying Styro one in the air? Also very impressive. Check it out on their site, two ducted fans, very nice model.

 

[wonwinglo]

Richard,I think functional beauty is the word for the Me.262.

The patterns for these replicas were cut from the original aircraft,they used a museum 262 to partially dismantle and measure up,then alloy metal panels were guillotined,I think the original plan was to make four sets and complete four airframes.

What surprises me is the lack of buyers for the others ? surely there must be people out there who want their very own Me.262,an airline pilot friend has been to the factory where they build them.

Did you notice the beautiful landing the pilot made on that stalky undercarriage.

Yes two electric ducted fans would fly one of these easily,I could do with one myself to cope with this windy weather we have had recently.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Antonov AN.26 NATO code name 'Curl'

The Small Air Force

Antonov AN.26

The An-26 (NATO reporting name 'Curl') is a militarised development of the An-24 airliner, which first flew in April 1963. The pressurised An-26 (first flight in 1968) differs from the An-24 in featuring a rear loading freight ramp, more powerful lvchenko turboprops and a turbojet APU which can serve as an auxiliary engine for takeoff. More than 1400 An-26s and An-26Bs (with improved freight handling system) were built until the type was replaced in production by the improved An-32 (NATO reporting name 'Cline').

The An-32 first flew in the 1976 and features much more powerful engines for improved hot and high performance (the type finding favour with air forces which operate in such environments). The An-32 features improved systems and is visually identifiable by its above wing mounted engines, which give greater ground clearance for the increased diameter propellers.

Meanwhile Xian in China has developed the Y7 and the Y7H from the An-24, and some are in Chinese military service.

Performance: An-26B - Cruising speed 435km/h (235kt). Max initial rate of climb 1575ft/min. Takeoff run on sealed runway 870m (2855ft). Range with max payload and no reserves 1240km (670nm), range with max fuel and no reserves 2660km (1435nm). An-32 - Max cruising speed 530km/h (285kt), economical cruising speed 470km/h (254kt). Service ceiling 30,840ft. Takeoff run on sealed runway 760m (2495ft/min). Range with max payload 1200km (645nm), range with max fuel 2520km (1360nm).

Powerplants: An-26B -Two 2075kW (2780ehp) ZMKB Progress (formerly Ivchenko) Al-24VT turboprops driving four blade propellers, and one auxiliary 7.85kN (1765lb) Soyuz (formerly Tumansky) RU-19A300 turbojet. An-32 - Two 3760kW (5042ehp) ZMKB Progress Al-20D Series 5 turboprops.

Made from a VEB Plastikart kit.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Avro Avian Monoplane.

The Small Air Force

Avro Avian Monoplane

Well there are no blue skies here today,so here is a studio re-take on my scratch built Avro Avian,well two of them were built as a matter of fact,this one in ipressment colours with the R.A.F and the other green example as flown from Elmdon aerodrome in 1940.

Both were a rush job in order to get them completed for the ATC 50th Anniversary event.

As I had no plans they had to be redrawn from some flying model drawings in my possession,scaling them down rather than up ! Hard balsa wood was chosen as a convenient material,both easy to work with and available,the final finish was red oxide car paint brushed on and sanded well down,this was followed with about three coats of matt white Humbrol and then the final finish.

Two propellers were carved up,then a plug made for the small shaped windscreen which is like nothing else that I have ever seen ?

The wing rigging wires are simply 22 swg piano wire ( unavailable these days ) from my wire box,these push into holes made with a large dressmakers pin.

A pound shop bamboo blind was ripped to pieces, and has provided me with a quantity of bamboo to make undercarriages and struts etc from for some years now,the pilots were carved from balsa and painted with Artists acrylic pant,this soaks into the wood nicely and gives a good sheen which is ideal for the pilots flying suite.

The under cutting on the engine cowl was done by scribing a line first,then with some masking tape placed onto the chisel to signify the correct depth to dig to I plouged into the balsa going carefully.

The wheels made from pre-war cloth buttons with the centre filled with Milliput,and the novel wing ribbing were adequetly covered last time.

The results of two weeks of labour working into the wee hours produced the two candidates displayed on the day at Tamworth.

And before I start getting swamped I no longer build models to order ! simply not enough time these days to fit everything in.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Brewster Buffalo.

The Small Air Force

Brewster Buffalo

Recognizing in 1936 that the day of the biplane flying off carrier decks was ending, the US Navy sent a proposal to manufacturers specifying a monoplane configuration, wing flaps, arrester gear, retractable landing flaps and an enclosed cockpit. Brewster’s design, the F2A, featured all-metal construction except for fabric control surfaces, a Wright Cyclone piston engine (allowing the airplane to exceed 300 mph), four fixed machine guns and attachments for two 100 pound bombs. In June 1939 the first of 54 F2A-1 production planes was delivered, the first nine sent to equip VF-3 aboard USS Saratoga.

By late 1940 the Navy was receiving the F2A-2, an improved version with a more powerful engine, better propeller and built-in flotation gear. Unfortunately the airplane was overweight and unstable, especially compared to the Japanese Zero, and would soon be replaced by the Grumman Wildcat.

About 200 land-based versions were bought by the British, who called it the Brewster Buffalo; they were sent to the Far East in an attempt to free up Spitfires and Hurricanes in Europe. Used in the defense of Burma and Singapore, the Buffalo was overmatched by the Japanese and eventually withdrawn from service. In fact, the only successful combat enjoyed in the Far East was the 100 Buffaloes of the Netherlands East Indies Army fitted with a larger (1,200 hp) Wright engine. Only by maintaining a high altitude and diving suddenly out of the sun were the Dutch able to defeat the Zero in Java and Malaya.

A significant user of the Buffalo was the Finnish Air Force. Though unloved by the British, Australians, Americans, Belgians and Kiwis, 44 Buffaloes were flown by the Finnish LLv24 Squadron, and the aircraft was beloved and found to be very effective in the hands of its Finnish pilots. No fewer than 12 pilots became aces in Buffaloes, and the aircraft is remembered fondly by many.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Canadair CT-114 Tutor.

The Small Air Force

Canadair CT-114 Tutor

Tutor, a Canadian-designed and -produced single-engine subsonic jet trainer that entered service in the mid-1960s, was used for basic and advanced pilot training until it was replaced by the CT-156 Harvard II and CT-155 Hawk in 2000.

Since it was retired from the training role in 2000, the two operators of the Tutor have been 431 Air Demonstration Squadron -

The Snowbirds and the Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment. Both units will continue to fly the nimble Tutors for the foreseeable future.

 

[Guest]

Great modelling skill mate....but the last two planes posted are amongst the pug ugliest designs i have ever seen.!!!

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder though.

 

[wonwinglo]

Well Tiger there used to be a well known saying in the aviation world 'If it looks right,then it should fly right' but looking at say the F.4 Phantom that theory seems to go out of the door !

As you say beauty is in the eye of the beholder,as my aims are to record aviation history in miniature,then the occasional ugly ducklings do surface.

There are some vehicles that I just could not own or live with no matter how good they are,one is made by Saab and the other looks akin to a pregnant frog ! it is a very personal thing,all to do with asthetics and shape and as we see things in our own minds.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Douglas C-47 Dakota.

The Small Air Force

Douglas C-47 Dakota

The Douglas Dakota is without doubt one of the most famous and most successful designs of aircraft in history. It was originally known as the Douglas Sleeper Transport and has been known as DC-3 (civilian versions) C-47 Skytrain, AC-47 Gunship, C-53, R4D, C-1117 and Dakota (in UK and Commonwealth service). An amazing 70 years after the design's first flight on 17th December 1935 the aircraft is still in service throughout the world. It is a design which has truly changed history. The forerunner of the DC-3 flew in 1933 and a small number of orders for these forerunners were placed. This was to change in 1941. With the likelihood of the United States joining the Second World War increasing orders were placed for the C-47 Skytrain also known as model DC-3A-360 and the C-53 (R4D-4) Skytrooper.

Known as the Gooney bird the C-47 could transport 10,000 lbs of cargo or 27 passengers while the C-53 lacked the cargo door and could carry 28 paratroopers on permanent seats. Under the lend lease program large scale deliveries were made to the UK with nearly 2,000 being delivered by the end of the war, with another 600 bought after the war and 650 leased. Many of these were diverted around the world to Commonwealth air forces, which ensured many saw action in the post war colonial uprisings and wars of independence.

In the US deliveries started from Santa Monica in October 1941, while licensed production started in the USSR for military use. In all over 10,000 were produced in the US. The C-47 was a very advanced design for its time, a low winged cantilever monoplane with an all-metal stressed skin with fabric covered control services. Its smooth classic lines still don't look out of place 70 years later. Variants included a floatplane, a glider tug, and even a ski equipped version, which visited both north and south poles after the war, and the famous Gunship known as 'Puff the Magic Dragon', which saw service in Vietnam. The type became a standard military transport throughout the world, for example in Europe only Austrian, Irish and Swiss air forces didn't acquire the type. In the early 1990s it was estimated that the C-47 was in service in at least a third of the world's air forces with a likely 400 in service in 49 countries, an amazing achievement. Although no longer seeing frontline service the fact that spares are still cheap and plentiful means it can be hard to replace for many poor countries.

Empire Test Pilots School Dakota ZA947 climbs away on another positioning flight,this aircraft is now in service with the Battle of Britain Memorial flight based at Coningsby.

And on finals to West Freugh in Scotland.

The model is the Airfix Dakota painted with Tamiya acrylics and adorned with the Model Decal transfer sheet.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The De Havilland DH.82a Tiger Moth

The deHavilland D.H. 82 Tiger Moth was developed from the D.H. 60M Gipsy Moth. First flown in October of 1931, the D.H. 82 faced stiff competition to become the basic trainer for Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF). However, after the trials were held, the Tiger Moth emerged the clear winner, with 35 of the craft being ordered.

Given that the Tiger Moth had not been the easiest to fly among the competitors, with a degree of sloppiness and slowness in response to control inputs, one wonders whether the design succeeded despite or because of those factors. Some have argued that those factors highlight poor piloting technique without seriously endangering the student pilot, a process that would enable instructors to identify and correct the fledgling pilot's deficiencies early in a training program. In any case, the Tiger Moth to this day exhibits the same flight characteristics of its early period.

The first model, the D.H.82, was powered by a 120hp Gipsy III inverted inline engine, and was also sold to the air forces of Brazil, Denmark, Persia, Portugal and Sweden. An improved model, the D.H. 82A Tiger Moth II, was equipped with a Gipsy Major engine rated at 130hp, as well as structural changes that included the replacement of fabric with plywood for the rear fuselage decking, and the ability to shroud the rear cockpit for instrument flight training.

Prior to the outbreak of WWII, Tiger Moths were manufactured by deHavilland Aircraft of Canada, and under license in Norway, Portugal and Sweden. During the war, Tiger Moths were manufactured by deHavilland affiliates in Australia and New Zealand, while a winterized version, the D.H.82C was manufactured in Canada, with a 145hp Gipsy Major engine, revised cowling, enclosed, heated cockpits, wheel brakes and a tail wheel instead of a skid. Another interesting variant was the four-seat Thruxton Jackaroo, with two pairs of side-by-side seats in an enclosed cabin.

More than 8,700 Tiger Moths were eventually manufactured, with approximately 4200 going to the Royal Air Force, where it trained thousands of pilots for World War II service, and continued to serve the post-war RAF until 1951.

Now, long after its retirement from active service, the Tiger Moth is still actively delighting aircraft devotees in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US. Not very long ago, as D.H. 82 time is measured, one United States aviation magazine featured two articles, one about the Tiger Moth and its worldwide clubs, the other about an 80% scale reproduction version of the Tiger Moth in one issue. Whatever magic there is in having the wind whip by one's ears in an open cockpit, the deHavilland D.H. 82 Tiger Moth must have it in abundance, if one judges by the many aviation clubs around the world still dedicated to the aircraft.

This model of the Tiger Moth was made from a combination of parts,firstly the model started life as an Aurora 1=48th scale kit,this became badly damaged and some of the parts became lost,then I found my old Merit model which was also damaged at some stage,the parts from this were married to make one good model,as can be seen she now needs another rebuild,the rigging on one side is missing and the model needs a repaint and tidy up.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The Mc Donnell F.4 Phantom

The wonderful world of scale model aircraft.

Mc Donnell F-4 Phantom.

The big F-4 fighter-bomber was gradually evolved from the F3H, with which it had no more than a configurational similarity. Despite its size and bulky look, the F-4 had excellent performance and good manoeuvrability; it was adopted by both the USN and the USAF. Early F-4's had no fixed gun, but this was corrected after combat experience in Vietnam showed the need for one. Over 5000 were built, making the F-4 one of the most numerous modern combat aircraft. Many are still in service. Now and then, plans are announced to upgrade the F-4 with new engines and electronics. The RF-4 is a recce version of the F-4 fighter with a camera nose. Currently retired F-4s are being converted into QF-4 target drones.

Type: F-4E

Function: fighter

Year: 1967

Crew: 2

Engines: 2 * 8120kg GE J79-GE-17A

Wing Span: 11.71 m

Length: 19.20 m

Height: 5.03 m

Wing Area: 49.24 m2

Empty Weight: 13397 kg

Max.Weight: 17964 kg

Max. Speed: 2410 km/h

Ceiling: 21600 m

Max. Range: 4180 km

Armament: 1*g20mm 1370 kg 5888 kg 4*AIM-7

Airfix Phantom.

 

[wonwinglo]

Wonwings diary-The EF-111 Raven (F-111 Ardvark)

The Small Air Force

The EF-111 Raven (F-111 Ardvark)

The F-111 is a multipurpose tactical fighter bomber capable of supersonic speeds. It can operate from tree-top level to altitudes above 60,000 feet. The F-111 can carry conventional as well as nuclear weapons . It can carry up to two bombs or additional fuel in the internal weapons bay. External ordnance includes combinations of bombs, missiles and fuel tanks. The loads nearest the fuselage on each side pivot as the wings sweep back, keeping ordnance parallel to the fuselage. Outer pylons do not move but can be jettisoned for high-speed flight.

The F-111A first flew in December 1964. The first operational aircraft was delivered in October. A models were used for tactical bombing in Southeast Asia. Developed for the U.S. Navy, the F-111B was canceled before its production. F-111C's are flown by the Royal Australian Air Force.

The F-111D has improved avionics with better navigation, air-to-air weapon delivery systems, and newer turbofan engines. The E model has modified air intakes to improve the engine's performance at speeds above Mach 2.2. The F-111F has Improved turbofan engines give F-111F models 35 percent more thrust than previous F-111A and E engines. The avionics systems of the F model combine features of the F-111D and E. The last F-model was delivered to the Air Force in November 1976. The F models have been modified to carry the Pave Tack system in their weapons bays. This system provides an improved capability to acquire, track and designate ground targets at night for delivery of laser, inlfared and electro-optically guided weapons.

The Airfix kit of the F-111 which has been converted into the EF-111 ECM aircraft.

 

[Guest]

Just a thought.

Looking at some of the models It kinda struck me that the technology used to get aircraft airborn has not changed a great deal in almost 100 years, rockets, props and jets. Ok so the jet is something of a "newbie" in these terms, but still its basic engine design has been around for 70 odd years.

I reckon we are about due something ground breaking and amazing...

Its just a gut feeling and has no basis in fact

 

[wonwinglo]

Tiger,you are quite correct,now lets think about the way that most aircraft have become airborne in that time ? well they run along the ground to gain flying speed,this most dangerous and antiquated part of the flight ( except for VTOL ) has not changed in all of those years,what is needed to make the present airliners obsolete is to get them airborne vertically,to do this at present is totally un-economic due to the sheer amout of fuel required to do so,the idea to get larger aircraft airborne this way has plagued designers since the inception of flight itself.

There must be another way ? it will probably entail the use of a reliable and plentiful fuel that has not yet been discovered,or dare I say it when harnessing energy from the sun can be achieved to give plenty of power for aero engines,it could and probably will happen,but until that day arrives we will still be running them along the ground to take off.

Just a thought.Looking at some of the models It kinda struck me that the technology used to get aircraft airborn has not changed a great deal in almost 100 years, rockets, props and jets. Ok so the jet is something of a "newbie" in these terms, but still its basic engine design has been around for 70 odd years.

I reckon we are about due something ground breaking and amazing...

Its just a gut feeling and has no basis in fact

 

[Guest]

This is exactly why I said only again recently that airships have not been fully investigated in thier design possibilities.

The trouble is we are preoccupied with the desire to have things instantly. Things have to be shipped around the world, and passengers all have to get there as fast as possible. Items that are shipped have to be offloaded at a port and transported by road, rail or air to a final destination.

We should be using our technology to predict cargo requirements more accurately so that goods can be transported globally at a slower pace. Much will be gained by using an airship that can transport goods over sea or land which will save a lot of fuel and tremendous amounts of time. The amount of fuel we use to get an aircraft off the ground nowadays is a joke when you realise we already have the technology to do much better.

Then look at the surface area available to an airship. Shouldn't that be used to mount cells to collect natural radiation to be converted via accumulators into power to drive electric motors for the propulsion?

Unfortunately we still seem to lack the drive.

 

[wonwinglo]

Notwithstanding the terrestial kind.the concept of a flying saucer has not been fully explored,if kinetic energy can be used to expend lift around a circular body, then this could possibly be the answer to obtain vertical rather than forward transitional lift,so why not combine the saucer thing with airships proven technology ? if only a company could work on such a design then it could be a real winner,what we have to convince people to do is travel at a more economic pace,we have become obsessed with speed as opposed to economy of operation,the days of relaxed reliable leisurely travel seem to be a thing of the past,apart from your own field Richard.

Will the airship ever return ? well it is doubtful in its past format but could certainly be looked at again given new technology to improve it,perhaps one of its drawbacks was the inability to withstand severe weather across long routes,but who knows a comeback in some shape or form,could happen if someone was prepared to pour money into such a project.

 

[Guest]

I seem to be full of mad thoughts today!

Gravity.

There must be a substance/gas/molecule (call it what you will) that does not like gravity and will do its utmost to get away from it. I am just going on the premise that everything has its opposite part.

Now (Go with me on this) If there was such a substance, where would it be?

At the furthest point from any gravitational field. I find it hard to believe it does not exist...but there again, I may be a looney.

 

[wonwinglo]

Tiger,I think if it existed then someone would have discovered it by now,at least on this planet ? we are straying into the science fiction field now.

I seem to be full of mad thoughts today!Gravity.

There must be a substance/gas/molecule (call it what you will) that does not like gravity and will do its utmost to get away from it. I am just going on the premise that everything has its opposite part.

Now (Go with me on this) If there was such a substance, where would it be?

At the furthest point from any gravitational field. I find it hard to believe it does not exist...but there again, I may be a looney.

 

[Guest]

How many ideas that start out as science fiction become reality?

Anyone for a space ship, satelite, mobile phone, microwave, computer, robot, aircraft, car, submarine, the list is endless. But the antigrav thing...a step too far?

i wonder.

 

[wonwinglo]

Boeing and their anti-gravity interest.

Take a look here- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2157975.stm

Boeing had been experimenting but nothing ever came to it as far as I remember ?

How many ideas that start out as science fiction become reality?Anyone for a space ship, satelite, mobile phone, microwave, computer, robot, aircraft, car, submarine, the list is endless. But the antigrav thing...a step too far?

i wonder.