I mentioned in my last post that SirThomas wanted rockets fitted to his aircraft, seems his idea became very popular...



Simm Anthea and Sir Thomas worked around the clock along with the Fairey engineers and their efforts exceeded everyone's expectations.

Calculations were done, measurements made and then the cutting began...



I used as much plastic from the kit as I could. I cut and swapped things around on top.



Then brought in the tail.



Moran felt the elevators would be a bit heavy on the stick so close to the CG so while the Fairey chaps cut and moved back the horizontal stabilizers, Simm relieved the elevators to clear the rudder. Everyone agreed that the wings would be fine in span but should be fixed in the extended position, eliminating the folding mechanisms and thereby eliminating even more weight.



Much bondo and putty to smooth things along.



A coat of Tamiya primer to see where we stand.



Another go at the wing roots with the putty and I think we're good.





I've been assured by surviving Fairey engineers that this is almost exactly as they remember it leaving.



Thanks,
Allan

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

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going into the design. I believe an old mate of mine, Sir Bartholemew Smith-Smythe was instrumental in the redesign of the rear horizontal surfaces.

You were born a little late. If you had been born back in the '20s you may well have had a future as a boffin in somebody's aeroplane works, designing the next "world-beater" fighter or bomber. Adios, Larry.

Field Artillery brings dignity to what otherwise might be merely a vulgar brawl.

http://www.modelingmadness.com/review/allies/gb/attardfirebrand.htm

But the rear visibility looks a bit restricted without a navigator to spot for you. I guess Sir Thomas didn't expect anything would be creeping up behind him. You could add portholes...

Regards,
Adrian

Sir Thomas or his faithful minion could go down to the DIY centre for a pair of those outsize wing mirrors that you use to tow a caravan and bungee them on to his canopy sills. End of problem. Adios, Larry.

Field Artillery brings dignity to what otherwise might be merely a vulgar brawl.

Hi Allan;

I'm liking this a lot! I'd already had similar thoughts myself, but adding a Bristol Centaurus engine instead.

Mighty fine plastic bashing there. One simply wouldn't know that such a drastic change to the airframe has occurred. Old school kit bashing at it's finest!

Regards;
Steve

and modeling as usual.

Color schemes, old bean?

Regards,

Dan From Tacoma, Washington USA

You still have the "eye" for design, Allan! Excellent re-engineering work here - everything looks super smooth under the primer. And you're moving pretty fast on this "fast-mover" of an aircraft! Keep it up, 'ol bean!
Best...Ted...

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Previous WIP Builds:
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and imagination into the engineering aspects, you have put a lot of lateral thinking into it.

The length of that nose certainly blocks forward vision on the ground, you would need an erk on each wing to give you ground directions.

With the shortened rear fuselage, would you need a higher tail wheel to maintain a slightly less steep angle of the wings and fuselage on the ground?

Its great to see

Fred

Hi Allan,

I must agree with your mates, this is a fascinating project you have going. Having looked at the Firebrand picture, if it's not to late I might suggest you consider adding a clear fixed section of canopy to your build, rather like the Firebrand or even the Spitfire; it would give the Boss a bit more rearward visibility and I think it might add a bit more balance to the re-design. Submitted for your consideration...

Cheers, Jim

Hi Allan,

Hope you will not mind another idea. Someone mentioned potential impacts to handling do to the shortened fuselage; nice move to push the horizontal tails back. In the meantime, one way to offset the loss of moment arm for the vertical tail and rudder would be to add contra-rotating props, say from a Spitfire; which might look pretty cool as well.

My two quatloos, Jim

I am skeptical about shortening the fuselage. Does not it up set the weight balance too much? and how about yaw stability? should not be the finn in the need of being enlarged?

Great looking shape though, let's see she at the flying tests
Cheers
Luigi

...my understanding is that there was a mooted future development of installing a very early incarnation of the Peason-Molesworth Elektronik Brane (patents pending) in the Navigator's seat to help out with some of the in flight calculations for navigation etc, although the first real bench tests of this apparatus didn't take place until c. 1954....chiz. This much space would certainly have been required for the very early mark 1 version.

Outline design sketch shown below for illustration purposes only....but please don't rely on the dimesions as these are estimates only, worked out without reference to the latest available logarithms at the time.....







Apparently this would have been available earlier, for say 1948, but for the impact of Grimes on the development.

Fantastic looking model by the way, I wish I had thought of it, and I'm sure you are having lots of fun with it.

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Eddie