Alternate timeline date:
3rd September 1943
Near the Tasmanian coast
Lt. Kurashita grinned into his oxygen mask as he gently banked his Zero towards the tight group of Allied C-46 Commandoes cruising slowly over the mountain range - joy evident in his voice as he ordered his flight into attack position. Strange, he thought - no fighter cover on these transports. He checked all around for any sign of fighters - nothing!
Kurashita and his wingman roared down on the last two C-46's in the group, and, just as he leant forward in anticipation of their imminent victory, it happened....
....A garbled radio call, and a thunderous explosion off his starboard wing signalled the death of Kurashita's wingman - and as he pulled up hard to avoid the flaming wreckage, he caught a flash of swept wings and stabbing exhaust flames.
In a wild rage Kurashita swung round hard, and dove after the interloper, but it accelerated away as though his Zero were standing still....then he thought to check his mirror, and gasped in horror. Streaming down from high above were more of the deadly fighters, and as he watched, red-hot tracers began reaching for him....
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The model:
What to do, I wondered. I haven't built anything since the PR7, and I've got a commission to finish!
In my experience, the only thing to do is forge ahead, and build something to break the doldrums!
This is a real bitz box special, with 'some Japanese Bomber fuselage' (tm), unknown swept wings from the Darkmaster, and half a Wyvern prop from the Wooksta - so, let us see what transpires! :wacko: :wacko:
Looks interesting if nothing else - look forward to the finished product
I do rather like that. :thumbsup:
However, it has more of a Republic than Hawker look aboutit.
Oh, the POTENTIAL!!!!!!!
bobbo
Stunning design! Can't wait to see it finished! :thumbsup:
Really is a brilliant desing. I follow this thread closely. :thumbsup: :cheers: :bow:
Thats a great looking concept Deathstar. :thumbsup: Looking forward to the u/c arrangement. Looks a bit tricky. :wacko:
.......Oh, and by the way, what did happen to Lt. Kurashita?
The wings look like the outer part of a Frog Sea Vixen's wings, from the wing fold out.
Gondor
Sounds like an Admiral with whom I am well acquainted! ;D
I recognize the B7A fuselage.
Looks like a lot of fun. What's the "thingy" in the "bomb-bay"?
Methinks that thingy is the undercarriage, although it looks like Hawker had some help from DeHavilland :wacko:
Other than that My Gob is thoroughly Smacked and my Flabber is truly Gasted :rolleyes:
SUHWEEEEET! :wub:
Quote from: JayBee on June 27, 2011, 08:45:57 AM
Methinks that thingy is the undercarriage, although it looks like Hawker had some help from DeHavilland :wacko:
Other than that My Gob is thoroughly Smacked and my Flabber is truly Gasted :rolleyes:
Nope - 'tis a turbosupercharger for her Rolls-Royce Crecy!
>Methinks that thingy is the undercarriage, although it looks like Hawker had some help from DeHavilland<
>Nope - 'tis a turbosupercharger for her Rolls-Royce Crecy!<
And I suppose the slots in the underside of the wing will be for spatted landing gear?? :wacko:
Quote from: sequoiaranger on June 27, 2011, 10:44:25 AM
>Methinks that thingy is the undercarriage, although it looks like Hawker had some help from DeHavilland<
>Nope - 'tis a turbosupercharger for her Rolls-Royce Crecy!<
And I suppose the slots in the underside of the wing will be for spatted landing gear?? :wacko:
Mmm, tempting thought! AHAH! Retractable spats! - I
knew I'd get to use them
someday!
very pleasing to the eye! :thumbsup:
very cool :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Quote from: deathjester on June 26, 2011, 03:03:40 PM
<...> let us see what transpires! :wacko: :wacko:
Something great, that's what! :thumbsup:
The Hellion story didn't have an auspicious start - Hawker was having terrible trouble with its new fighter, slated to be called the Typhoon. The Rolls Royce Vulture engine it was originally to use spent more time on fire than in the air, the replacement, the Napier Sabre, was proving too complicated to even keep running. To cap it all, the airframe itself showed weakness in some manouvers, losing the entire tail assembly in some cases!
To say there was an air of despondency at Hawkers would be quite an understatement, however, things were about to improve drastically. Despairing over the engine choices available, Sydney Camm sent a member of his design staff over to Rolls Royce, to enquire about Vulture project shortcomings, and any possibility of wringing yet more power out of the Merlin. It was while waiting for his appointment that the designer got into conversation with a young engineer on the Crecy project, and the rest, as they say, is history. He rushed back to Hawkers, and once Camm heard about the prospect of a 5000hp+ engine, he immediately started work on a fighter that could handle that amount of power. He had some further good fortune when he happened upon Some of Jack Northrop's papers on flying wings, and swept leading edges in particular. This, he reasoned, would allow his new fighter to have blazing speed, and better agility at high speeds!
It didn't take long for people to sit up and take notice of the new plane, especially the Australian Purchasing Commission - a couple of full bore flypasts had them signing on the dotted line, and within a few months the Hellion, as it was soon named, was quickly in action against Japanese forces.....
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Wow!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Epilogue -
Autumn Airshow 2011,
Duxford, Cambridgeshire
The crowd cheered appreciativley as the Belgian airforce F-16 roared away in full afterburner at the end of its display. As the man made thunder abated, and peoples hearing returned, the tannoy crackled to life once more. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, a display from Duxford's own pair of Hawker Hellions, and these particular fighters...." The anouncement went on, partly drowned out by the angry howl of two RR Crecy's at full power; and while the crowd gazed up at the up at the two warbirds, only a few people wondered why the aged Japanese gent in the wheelchair, on the front row with his family, scowled so mightily as the fighters roared past....
Erm, it is finished now!
:thumbsup: Especially love the epilogue ;D
Quote from: NARSES2 on July 25, 2011, 07:26:17 AM
:thumbsup: Especially love the epilogue ;D
Both the build and the backstory are superb!
Thanks guys, I thought you'd like the epilogue!!