Finished Entries

[Hobbes]

Please put a brief overview of your finished entry in this thread. You know the drill: one or two photos, plus the backstory and a link to your build/showoff thread in one post.
This thread is meant as a list of finished items, and not for discussion.
Of course you can always create a new thread to show off your model in more detail and invite comments.  

[Brian da Basher]

Here's my Curtiss P-52 Super Tomahawk that I made using a 1/72 Academy P-40B. The thread with the backstory is Here. Enjoy!

Brian da Basher

[seavixen]

I was going to do something new for this build but due to my worsening eye problems I'm gonna have to stick with my Bundesmarine Sea Fury T.20. 

Thread with back story and photos can be found here: Click Me! Hope you like it!

SeaVixen

[Glenn Gilbertson]

When the UK reached an accomodation with Germany in 1939, her own industry was free to develop her existing aircraft. With a robust airframe and good handling, the Defiant was an obvious candidate for a single seat, ground attack aircraft - preferably with a damage-tolerant radial engine.. Westlands had spare production capacity and were close to Bristols. The Defiant V was developed with  a Hercules engine: as the canopy line had to be raised to give the pilot an adequate view Westland adapted their Whirlwind cockpit to fit. With the Vickers 40mm canon a great tank buster and anti-shipping aircraft was created.
Boulton Paul Defiant Vd, 20sqn RAF Burma 1945:

[Spey_Phantom]

Belgian Sea Fury FB.11  B)
(better pics to follow)

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/forum//index...showtopic=17680

[Glenn Gilbertson]

With the failure of the British-backed coup in 1941, Yugoslavia continued as a member of the axis. The ZMAJ concern had good results from experimentally fitting a DB 601 engine in one of the Hurricanes that they were building, so they took out a license to adapt the DB 605 as used in the Bf 109G. With a 20mm FF cannon, four 13mm MG 131 machine guns, good handling and maintainability the Hurricane DB became a favourite with Balkan air forces.

[kitbasher]

Supermarine Sweptfire FR.1
By the beginning of 1944, three strands of development work were in hand to further enhance the performance of the Spitfire.  The first, an adaptation of the Mk IV/XX prototype, married the proven Mk 14 fuselage to a new wing that would lead to the Spitfire 20-series and the ultimate Seafires.  The second, to Specification F1/43, called for a laminar flow wing and would emerge as a test airframe known as the Spiteful, whilst the last – produced to the same specification – incorporated a radical departure from the traditional Spitfire appearance, namely swept flying surfaces and a revised engine cowling.
Whilst the name 'Valiant' had been proposed but rejected for the 20-series Spitfires, the name was rejected and the small number of 20-series aircraft (and the more widely produced naval equivalents) retained the name Spitfire (and Seafire for the naval equivalents).  However, so radical was the departure from its Spitfire origins that the name Sabre was suggested for the new aircraft by Supermarine.  The Air Ministry was of the opinion that there could be confusion within the logistics chain with the Sabre engine and, keen both to acknowledge the new aircraft's shape whilst not overlooking its origins, decided upon the name 'Sweptfire'.  Although an armament of 4 x 20 mm cannon had been proposed, 2 x 30 mm cannon became the standard fit.  This packed a considerable punch against all enemy aircraft, whilst delivering a considerable ground attack 'punch'.
The type was afforded 'super priority' production status.  The swept wing afforded the aircraft a significant performance increase over the Spitfire 14, P-51D, FW190D and could hold its own against the emerging Me 262.  However, the war in Europe ended before delivery of the first examples to the RAF.  Plans were changed and the type was shipped out to the Far East and the ongoing war against Japan to replace Spitfire 14s (these returned west for service in Europe), only for the war to end before the first squadron (11 Sqn) was declared operational.  Nevertheless, the build up of Sweptfire squadrons continued, albeit in much lower numbers than would have been the case had the war continued.
In early 1946, Sweptfires of 11, 17 and 4 (RIAF) Squadrons moved to Japan as the fighter element of the British air component of the Commonwealth Occupation Forces, where they remained on policing, deterrent and firepower demonstration duties until February 1948.
Meanwhile, Sweptfire FR.1s also began to equip home-based RAuxAF units from 1947 onwards.  These saw sterling service with the part-time squadrons until 1951, when they began to be replaced by jet-powered Vampires.
The Sweptfire FR.2 was produced in small numbers.  Featuring a cut down rear fuselage, bubble canopy and an 8-blade contra rotating propeller unit, it equipped only one squadron – 80 Sqn, based in Hong Kong - from 1948 to 1952.   
(donor kits: Kopro Spitfire VII; Italeri Spitfire IXc; Ventura Spitfire FR.18; CMK Spitfire F.22/24; Matchbox Alpha Jet)

plus more shots at http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,17757.45.html

[lenny100]

Spitfire 25 delta


When in late October 1944 documents were recived via the Swedish government from somebody in the Lippisch aircraft company in Germany on the use of delta wings, on a new type of V1 . This was expected to fly around 650 mph faster than most types of intercepter aircraft.

Vickers aircraft were given the task to developed a counter to these. Using the information given, a spitfire serial number PK 555 was taken from the production line and fitted with a experimental  Griffon 102 with fuel injection and a two-stage, three-speed supercharger giving some  2,820 hp. This was an increase of 900 hp over a standard griffon 61 used on the normal porduction spitfires.
After several fights with several wings types from the extended high level wing to a cut down short wing gaining information on the new engine, on 5 March 1945, the spitfires 11th birthday, from Eastleigh Aerodrome PK555 flew for the first time with a delta wing.
On 28th october the spitdelta achieved a sustained speed of 606 mph (mach0.89) and 690 (mach 0.95) mph in a 45 degree dive from an altitude of 50,000 feet, setting a new world record for piston engined propeller driven engine, but it time in the air was found to be limited due to small fule tanks in the new wings. 

With the end of the war and the development of jet aircraft PK555 disappeared, although rumours abound that the RAF had prepared the aircraft with floats for use in a proposed Schneider Trophy in 1948 which never happened!

[ysi_maniac]

Please follow my thread:

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,17359.0.html

[kitbasher]

Gloster Mercury F.3 - What if Frank Whittle had never been born?  
The war in the Far East demanded a major Air Ministry rethink on future equipment.  If the RAF was to take the air war back to the Japanese (and ultimately to Japan itself), an agile long-range fighter was required – something sadly lacking from the RAF's inventory both at home and overseas following the rejection of the Lockheed P-38 Lightning.  Also, were the RAF to return to daylight strategic bombing in the European Theatre, such a type would be used as a long range escort fighter.  In the meantime, the RAF would soldier on with relatively short range fighters, although the Beaufighter was proving its worth in the Coastal Command strike fighter role.
The Westland Whirlwind had proved, conceptually at least, the value of a twin-engined, single seat fighter.  Equally, experience with the Peregrine engine pointed to the need for a proven, reliable powerplant.  With this in mind, the Air Ministry specification (F.12/43) called for the new fighter to be Merlin-powered and to have sufficient development potential for the Rolls-Royce Griffon to be fitted.  The powerplant was key; with intelligence reports referring to a revolutionary gas turbine engine under development in Germany (and no equivalent available to the Allies) it was essential that every last horse power could be wrenched from the new type's piston engines.
With Hawker concentrating on Typhoon and Tempest development and production, Fairey on its Fox fighter-bomber and various Fleet Air Arm types and de Havilland on the Osprey reconnaissance aircraft and other niche aircraft, the Air Ministry was of the opinion that of all the traditional 'fighter houses', only Gloster had sufficient production capacity and design experience to produce a fighter to its specification.  Hence the Mercury was born.
Development of the type progressed smoothly, unfortunately the war in Europe ended before the type could enter front line service, and the bomber escort role fell from sight.  The sudden end of the war in the Far East put paid to the pressing long range fighter requirement and, with Britain swiftly putting to good use captured German gas turbine technology development of the Mercury was no longer a priority (indeed, development of Britain's first jet fighter, the de Havilland Hornet, was extremely rapid and would make its first flight in February 1946).  Nevertheless, production was to continue (albeit in much reduced numbers) and the type saw useful service at home and overseas for a number of years.
Type development was as follows:
Prototypes – 3 airframes built.  Used for trials and airframe development work.
F.I – 20 airframes built.  Used for trials and service test flying by Glosters and the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down.  Also the Central Fighter Establishment for operational evaluation and tactical trials.
PR.II – Proposed photographic reconnaissance version. 2 built for trials purposes.
F.III/F.3 – Initial production variant.  Entered service with 74 Sqn in late 1945.  Equipped a total of 6 squadrons in UK (as fighter) and Germany (as fighter bomber/intruder).
F.4 – Clipped wing development of F.3.  10 production aircraft, remainder conversions of F.3s.  Entered service early 1948.
F.5 – Development of F.4, revised fin, rudder and tailplane.  Retained windscreen of earlier versions but with bubble canopy similar to P-51D Mustang.  Equipped total of 6 squadrons in UK and Malaya.  Retired from service 1955.
F.6 – Projected Griffon-engined version of F.5.  Did not proceed beyond the design proposal stage.


EE318 4D-Z, 74 Sqn RAF, Horsham St Faith 1947
(donor kits: Airfix Meteor III; Frog Hornet F3; Frog Spitfire XIV x 2)
see more at http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,17757.0.html

[gooberliberation]

Mitsubishi A6M9 "Zac"
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,17932.0.html

No backstory worth mentioning, just wondering what would result if the Empire tried making the Zero watercooled.

[Glenn Gilbertson]

The Air Ministry, London December 1939:
Air Marshal: "The Lysander, Battle and Blenheim are hopeless. We need a fast light bomber for close army support that can also dive-bomb."
Man from the Treasury: "The war is costing a fortune, so, apart from being cheap to build and operate, we should like this aircraft to also be able to carry out maritime patrol carrying torpedoes, depth charges or bombs, be adaptable for carriers, carry the odd passenger and be suitable for use throughout the Empire. Twin-engined safety and defensive armament would be desirable. We could call it the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft, or MRCA for short. Did I mention that it should be cheap?"
Committee: "Oh, Dear"
Fairey Aircraft salesman: "Fortunately, we have just such a project. Forget the Napier Sabre, push development of our P.24 Monarch engine instead - we should get 3,000 HP out of it, and it is a double engine - either half can be shut down to extend range. Then our Barracuda can be built, as we wished, with the Monarch instead of the treasury's favourite Merlin -  the RAF version can have fixed wings to reduce weight, the FAA version folding wings and arrestor hook. Offensive load 2,000 lb, two forward-firing 0.303" Brownings in each wing and twin 0.303" flexible mounting for rear defense. It will do everything that the RAF, FAA and treasury want. Just order quickly and turn over the production lines earmarked for Battle, Blenheim and Lysander to us. We could also grant the USA a license to build the aircraft and engine and then they would have a proper combat aircraft as well."
Committee: "Hurrah, we'll order thousands - it will be the best-loved and most famous warplane ever built!"
Fairey Aircraft shareholders: "Hurrah, we'll be rich!"
Fairey Great Barracuda 62 sqn RAF Malaya January 1942:

[McGreig]

The Russians received 1,337 Spitfires during the Great Patriotic War, but they weren't really designed for the low altitude Eastern Front air war or the relatively primitive conditions on frontal airfields, so most of them were relegated to PVO air defence units, based round major cities. The Russians had a plan, which ultimately came to nothing, to re-engine Hurricanes with more robust and more easily available Ash-82 radials. I've adapted this idea for the Spitfire, to improve it's reliability and suitability for Eastern Front conditions (and to make it look more aggressive!)

The donor kits were the Airfix Spitfire Vb and the Revell La-5. For real piston perfection I should probably have used the MkIX/XVI and the La-7 but the result would have looked fairly similar.

[Hobbes]

Ladies and gentlemen,

we've come to the end of the time period allotted to us. I'll wait a few more hours, and then set up the voting poll (this will be around 9 AM Western European time tomorrow). This is your last chance to enter models for the GB.

The prize for this GB is the winner's choice of
a. Tony Buttler's British Secret Projects: Jet fighters since 1950, or
b. a Revell 1/72 Faun Elefant tank transporter.

[kitnut617]

This is going to be a very hard decision, all the entries are in my view equally good, all are just fantastic.

Robert