The lump under the fuselage is a fuel tank scabbed onto the outside of the rotary bomb bay door. Basically the door flipped 180 deg and the tank and the bombs swapped places. The door tank wasn't in the original design: if you look at Navy Buccs as opposed to RAF ones, it's not there.

You're right that the bomb bay has to go if you're making it single-engined. The fuelage frames were huge forgings that have a ring around each engine, linked by a shallow A-shaped truss that goes over the bomb bay. With a single engine in the middle, the structure would have to be totally different.

Buccaneer internals:

Note that the original engines are forward of the front wing spar: most of the "engine pods" are just jetpipe.

If I was to undertake such a thing, I'd cut the intakes in half vertically, scrap the inside half, put a flat plate so it looked a bit like a Phantom intake but rounded instead of flat - like this:



Then use a drop tank or something to fare the original exhaust into the fuselage - call it fuel storage or summat,  Fit a single exhaust into the under belly of the tail, keeping the downward angle of the original, and keep the air brakes above the out-take.

It's a lotta work, though ...

Quote from: Scotaidh on October 20, 2024, 01:56:47 PMIf I was to undertake such a thing, I'd cut the intakes in half vertically, scrap the inside half, put a flat plate so it looked a bit like a Phantom intake but rounded instead of flat - like this:



Then use a drop tank or something to fare the original exhaust into the fuselage - call it fuel storage or summat,  Fit a single exhaust into the under belly of the tail, keeping the downward angle of the original, and keep the air brakes above the out-take.

It's a lotta work, though ...

Pretty damn close to what I've actually done matey 👍
I haven't removed the upper part of the intakes where they meet the wings ..left it as is ..those will now be fuel tanks integrated into the structure.
I've used some form of tank to extend the area behind the wings from where the original exhausts were and I'm smoothing that into the fuselage.
It's looking very messy right now ..not pretty at all 
Gonna be alot of PSR I can tell ya 

Quote from: Wardukw on October 20, 2024, 05:49:48 PM

Quote from: Scotaidh on October 20, 2024, 01:56:47 PMIf I was to undertake such a thing, I'd cut the intakes in half vertically, scrap the inside half, put a flat plate so it looked a bit like a Phantom intake but rounded instead of flat - like this:



Then use a drop tank or something to fare the original exhaust into the fuselage - call it fuel storage or summat,  Fit a single exhaust into the under belly of the tail, keeping the downward angle of the original, and keep the air brakes above the out-take.

It's a lotta work, though ...

Pretty damn close to what I've actually done matey 👍
I haven't removed the upper part of the intakes where they meet the wings ..left it as is ..those will now be fuel tanks integrated into the structure.
I've used some form of tank to extend the area behind the wings from where the original exhausts were and I'm smoothing that into the fuselage.
It's looking very messy right now ..not pretty at all 
Gonna be alot of PSR I can tell ya 

Too true, mate - why do you think no-one else is doing it?   

Seriously, though - it's kind of a step backwards, doncha think?  Like making a F-4 Phantom into a F-3 Demon ....

Quote from: Scotaidh on October 21, 2024, 01:08:27 PM

Quote from: Wardukw on October 20, 2024, 05:49:48 PM

Quote from: Scotaidh on October 20, 2024, 01:56:47 PMIf I was to undertake such a thing, I'd cut the intakes in half vertically, scrap the inside half, put a flat plate so it looked a bit like a Phantom intake but rounded instead of flat - like this:



Then use a drop tank or something to fare the original exhaust into the fuselage - call it fuel storage or summat,  Fit a single exhaust into the under belly of the tail, keeping the downward angle of the original, and keep the air brakes above the out-take.

It's a lotta work, though ...

Pretty damn close to what I've actually done matey 👍
I haven't removed the upper part of the intakes where they meet the wings ..left it as is ..those will now be fuel tanks integrated into the structure.
I've used some form of tank to extend the area behind the wings from where the original exhausts were and I'm smoothing that into the fuselage.
It's looking very messy right now ..not pretty at all 
Gonna be alot of PSR I can tell ya 

Too true, mate - why do you think no-one else is doing it?   

Seriously, though - it's kind of a step backwards, doncha think?  Like making a F-4 Phantom into a F-3 Demon ....

Not if it's a big honk'n engine!

Quote from: Scotaidh on October 21, 2024, 01:08:27 PM

Quote from: Wardukw on October 20, 2024, 05:49:48 PM

Quote from: Scotaidh on October 20, 2024, 01:56:47 PMIf I was to undertake such a thing, I'd cut the intakes in half vertically, scrap the inside half, put a flat plate so it looked a bit like a Phantom intake but rounded instead of flat - like this:



Then use a drop tank or something to fare the original exhaust into the fuselage - call it fuel storage or summat,  Fit a single exhaust into the under belly of the tail, keeping the downward angle of the original, and keep the air brakes above the out-take.

It's a lotta work, though ...

Pretty damn close to what I've actually done matey 👍
I haven't removed the upper part of the intakes where they meet the wings ..left it as is ..those will now be fuel tanks integrated into the structure.
I've used some form of tank to extend the area behind the wings from where the original exhausts were and I'm smoothing that into the fuselage.
It's looking very messy right now ..not pretty at all 
Gonna be alot of PSR I can tell ya 

Too true, mate - why do you think no-one else is doing it?   

Seriously, though - it's kind of a step backwards, doncha think?  Like making a F-4 Phantom into a F-3 Demon ....

Matey this version I'm building will be supersonic which the original Buccaneer wasn't...the original Rolls-Royce Spay engines were non afterburning so only had 11.000lbs thrust ..subsonic only which is was what the aircraft was built for anyway so all good .
What ever engine I chuck in there is going to be as Ken put it so well and I quote "Not if it's a big honk'n engine!" ..this thing will move 
Hell it might even be a afterburning version of the Spay which was in the F4s ..im kinda wanting something more powerful tho .
One thing is with only one engine the plane will also be much lighter ..making it faster 

Now to the build...im gonna have to dump that massive airbrake...no matter where it goes it's going to interfere with something.
Lifting it out of the exhaust flow I end loosing more than a quarter of the rudder ..to low and it's gonna get cooked ..part of the reason for it was to stabilize the plane when bombing in a dive ..well this is a strike bomber so no diving...it's a pretty good excuse 😉 😜
I'm gonna give it a braking shoot ..it will still have the  similar look of the Buc but alot smaller .
I thinking it'll look OK.
First part of the PSR is done ish..much more to follow.

Remember that if you're putting in an after-burner you can't cant the exhaust, it has to be straight, otherwise you'll overheat the rear of the exhaust ... & the aircraft.

Quote from: Old Wombat on October 21, 2024, 08:02:27 PMRemember that if you're putting in an after-burner you can't cant the exhaust, it has to be straight, otherwise you'll overheat the rear of the exhaust ... & the aircraft.

Yep ..I had that thought which is why it's alot like the exit of a F4 Phantom..that area will be protected from the heat and with the burner lit its a straight shot out the back away from the brake chute .

Ok heres what this girl is all about now ,,one engine ..a few pics to take a look at ..so far so ,,average ..
DSCF4844 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4845 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4846 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4847 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4848 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4849 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4851 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4855 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4856 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4857 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4860 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4863 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr

Tell everyone it's a J75. It worked for the F-105 and F-106.

Pics look great.

Quote from: kerick on October 22, 2024, 07:50:00 PMTell everyone it's a J75. It worked for the F-105 and F-106.

Pics look great.

Hmmmm ..a J75 ya say??    ..why the hell not huh ?
I'm gonna take a looksie at that mate 

I have decided on the new paint scheme..desert camo ..dirty desert camo ..I love the look of the Gulf War Buccaneers so that's what I'm gonna try and do .

That exhaust nozzle looks like it's from an F-111. You could call it the TF30-P-109 version with much better thrust. The -100 version came out about 1970 with the -109 after that. It might need some enlarged intakes to feed that turbofan.
Like I said, a big honk'n engine!

Quote from: kerick on October 23, 2024, 07:18:36 PMThat exhaust nozzle looks like it's from an F-111. You could call it the TF30-P-109 version with much better thrust. The -100 version came out about 1970 with the -109 after that. It might need some enlarged intakes to feed that turbofan.
Like I said, a big honk'n engine!

I'm liking that Ken 😆
The exhaust nozzle is from no idea ...it was in a box with other bits and pieces..it was that one or a mig 23 one ..this one looks cooler and it fills the space better with its length.
The intakes are annoying for me at the mo...F-15/F-14 ain't going to work at all ..I'd have to destroy a F-15 just to get it's ones ..I have 2 F-4s but there complete and Hasegawa ones ..yummy