My Next Project

[AeroplaneDriver]

It may be a week or two before I can get building, but I think when I do this will be my next project.  I'm going to one of my favorite subject areas for this; USAF at the height of the Cold War.

The drawing is downloaded from the USAF site and fiddled with in Paint (my first attempt at this sort of thing!!)

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Following the cancellation of the F-12 program in 1966 Soviet bomber development surged.  Several high-altitude/high speed prototypes are built and by 1969 the first units are flying operationally.  At the same time Soviet satellite overflights of the US are growing, leaving the US military feeling very naked.

To counter these threats Lockheed returns to the F-12/SR-71 design to produce the YF-13.  With a shorter forward fuselage the YF-13 needed small canards to retain the stability and lift lost with the loss of a great deal of the forward fuselage chine.  The YF-13 is designed to carry two Hughes SIM-11 anti-satellite missiles in a profile which sees the YF-13 climb to 90,000 feet where it releases the missile while cruising at mach 3+.  The WSO guides the missile under remote control until the missile's onboard guidance acquires the target at an altitude thought to be over 40 miles.

The YF-13 was also designed for defence of the US from the new generation of Soviet bombers.  In this role it could carry 4 Hughes AIM-47 missiles.

The USAF were impressed with Kelly Johnson's "midget Blackbird", and in late 1968 58 F-13As were ordered, with "Raven" chosen as the official name.  Raven's seved with the USAF Aerospace Defence Command from 1970 until the command was deactivated in 1980.  F-13s continued in service with with TAC until the type was retired in late 1985.  

The F-13's greatest claim to fame was the shootdown of a US satellite in 1979.  The crippled satellite was projected to re-enter the atmosphere and impact in central Georgia.  To eliminate the risk to the civilian population the satellite was destroyed by a Raven firing a SIM-11C missile on June 18, 1979.

[Archibald]

I think I'll love this project...  

[B777LR]

Call it the "SR-71 SP"!  

[Aircav]

Hi Nick
what are you going to do with the main undercarriage, leave it where it is or move it back a bit, only ask cos I'm on with a shortened YF-12 (Luftwaffe) and the undercarriage looks odd left in its original position.
Steve

[AeroplaneDriver]

Hi Nick
what are you going to do with the main undercarriage, leave it where it is or move it back a bit, only ask cos I'm on with a shortened YF-12 (Luftwaffe) and the undercarriage looks odd left in its original position.
Steve

I havent really looked that far ahead yet Steve.  I'll be using the 1/72 Monogram kit, and I have lots of parts for that kit in the spares box, Including a lower fuselage with the gear bays.  Since I do have the luxury of a screw-up I may look at moving it back a little.  

Alternatively I'll live with it where it is or do an inflight model with a stand.  The latter would be a last resort, since I plan on scartchbuilding the ASAT missiles and posing it with the missiles on a cart with the weapons bay doors and canopies open.  I've been thinking ahead to a diorama with it on a ramp bordered with snow for an Alaska-based machine waiting for Ivan's bombers.

[Madoc]

Nick,

This might not have much of an affect on your model but you might consider doing away with all those little triangle lines on the wing's leading edge.

On the A-12 and SR-71 those we anti-radar structures which were designed the defract incoming radar beams.  Their covering was radar transparent and the triangular sections were set such that they'd bounce those radar beams around - but not directly back at their source.

On a spy plane that's a nifty thing.  On a long range interceptor that'd still be a nifty thing.  On this short range / satellite interceptor I don't think the weight and cost of the structures would be as easily justified.

Madoc

[AeroplaneDriver]

Thanks for that info Madoc!  I was wondering how I could clean up the awkward seam where the upper/lowe fuselage meets without destroying that particular detail.  Now the problem is solved!

[LemonJello]

This is one I'll be looking for updates here.  Strikes me as a very cool idea that will look good in plastic.  

[The Rat]

I can't wait to see this finished! Gonna be one mean kickass machine!  

The drawing is downloaded from the USAF site and fiddled with in Paint (my first attempt at this sort of thing!!)

You can do a heck of a lot with that simple program, but most people don't even try, they just splurge megabucks on Photshop. Certainly you can do more with that, but Paint is nothing to sneeze at.

[John Howling Mouse]

Who was it that first downloaded that on the What If site long time ago?
Didn't someone here actually build it, too?

Am I losing my mind or doing the Merlin thing (aging in reverse time)?

 

[John Howling Mouse]

Ah!  I'm not crazy (well, that's not really true).  

It was ZAC himself who cut and chopped an SR-71:

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/forum//index...c=8307&hl=sr-71

Cool!

[AeroplaneDriver]

Awww man....there I was thinkning I was doing somethng original, when Zac already did it not even 9 months ago!  

Oh well...I think I'll still press on with it since Zac's looks so cool, though he deserves credit for the idea that obviously lodged somewhere in the back of my brain.

[Aircav]

If you look even further back may be two years or more there are some drawings somewhere as well  
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/forum//index...owtopic=763&hl=

[John Howling Mouse]

Awww man....there I was thinkning I was doing somethng original, when Zac already did it not even 9 months ago!   

Oh well...I think I'll still press on with it since Zac's looks so cool, though he deserves credit for the idea that obviously lodged somewhere in the back of my brain.

Heh, heh, and you had actually responded to his post and generously offered decals at that point.  Now, did the NZ-Kid ever get that model done?

But it doesn't matter who first comes up with an idea around here.  There could be ten modified SR-71's on the go (Group Build anyone?) and yours will still be unique.

Keep her going!