Fairey "Marlin" Night Torpedo-bomber

[sequoiaranger]

As they say about "children" nine months before they are born, this project is but a "twinkle in my eye". I have had the basic fixings for decades, and I don't know when it might be built, but I am putting it up here so I can pick it back up once I start it.

The "Fairey Marlin" project originated out of a desire to get a monoplane torpedo-bomber aboard British WW II carriers in place of the biplane Swordfish/Albacore for "Furashita's Fleet". Something needs to make the transition from the early biplanes to my late "Fairey Cuttlefish" JET(!) biplane torpedo bomber. Taking a cue from the dowdy "fighter" Fairey Fulmar, I was going to combine the Battle and Barracuda, forsaking the ugliness of the Barracuda, but pirating the Griffon engine and housing. The FROG Barracuda's Griffon nacelle was a PERFECT match out-of-the-box for the Airfix Fairey Battle forward fuselage. Attach a torpedo, and paint the fuselage the dark-blue-fading-to-silver of the marlin fish, and you have the whif. Then....

MPM "recently" came up with the two-seat Battle trainer with two similar canopies in tandem (pic below). VOILA!  Add Yagi radar (GIB is radar operator--night ops precludes need for rear defense MG) and fait accompli.

[upnorth]

Looking forward to this one.

I like Faireys

[rickshaw]

Well, the Fulmar was developed from the Battle.  Personally, I've always like the Iron-Monger's delight, the Barracuda (perhaps one of the most misnamed aircraft I've ever come across).  Its just so British, it isn't funny, IMHO.   

[sequoiaranger]

rickshaw:>Well, the Fulmar was developed from the Battle.<

True enough. In my perverted/distorted whif-world, however, the "Fulmar" aircraft as we know it was skipped, and the name was given to what we recognize as the "Firefly" aircraft, leaving the "Battle" development as the "Marlin". However, my back story will show the operational role of the "Firefly" FROM WHICH IT GOT ITS NICKNAME.

OK--I can't contain myself---The "Fulmar" (think of the aircraft we know as the "Firefly") was to be used in conjunction with the "Marlin" as a team--the "Fulmar"s carried radar, flares, and a rotatable "Turbinlite" in a small ventral turret. The "Fulmar" would scout ahead in the dark, find the enemy fleet, and, somewhat like Pathfinders, illuminate the enemy fleet for the convenience of the following "Marlin"s. A few "Fulmars" would orbit the enemy fleet, taking turns turning on their Turbinlites for a few seconds, then off (so they don't become easy targets). The orbiting, blinking "Fulmars" looked like fireflies to the oncoming Marlins, and the moniker was just too apt NOT to stick. Despite official protests to the contrary, these "Fireflies" were called such throughout the war.

>Personally, I've always like the Iron-Monger's delight, the Barracuda (perhaps one of the most misnamed aircraft I've ever come across).<

How delightful-looking must warthog offspring be to a mother warthog, too!

>Its just so British, it isn't funny, IMHO.<

Au contraire. It *IS* funny!

[upnorth]

I like Faireys

New member title? 

You know, sometimes I just forget where I am on this site!

[PR19_Kit]

ANOTHER 'Marlin'? 

[Gondor]

I like Faireys

New member title? 

Maybe young members title?

Gondor

[rickshaw]

rickshaw:>Well, the Fulmar was developed from the Battle.<

True enough. In my perverted/distorted whif-world, however, the "Fulmar" aircraft as we know it was skipped, and the name was given to what we recognize as the "Firefly" aircraft, leaving the "Battle" development as the "Marlin". However, my back story will show the operational role of the "Firefly" FROM WHICH IT GOT ITS NICKNAME.

OK--I can't contain myself---The "Fulmar" (think of the aircraft we know as the "Firefly") was to be used in conjunction with the "Marlin" as a team--the "Fulmar"s carried radar, flares, and a rotatable "Turbinlite" in a small ventral turret. The "Fulmar" would scout ahead in the dark, find the enemy fleet, and, somewhat like Pathfinders, illuminate the enemy fleet for the convenience of the following "Marlin"s. A few "Fulmars" would orbit the enemy fleet, taking turns turning on their Turbinlites for a few seconds, then off (so they don't become easy targets). The orbiting, blinking "Fulmars" looked like fireflies to the oncoming Marlins, and the moniker was just too apt NOT to stick. Despite official protests to the contrary, these "Fireflies" were called such throughout the war.

Interesting.  But dangerous as well for the "Firefly" crews.  In RL they used to drop flares behind the target (usually an Axis convoy) and them to silhouette the target against the light.  The Wellington Torpedo Bombers out of Malta were masters at this, apparently.

>Personally, I've always like the Iron-Monger's delight, the Barracuda (perhaps one of the most misnamed aircraft I've ever come across).<

How delightful-looking must warthog offspring be to a mother warthog, too!

Are you suggesting, Sir, that my mother was a, a... Warthog?   Whom is your second?

>Its just so British, it isn't funny, IMHO.<

Au contraire. It *IS* funny!

EXACTLY!   

[sequoiaranger]

rickshaw:>Interesting.  But dangerous as well for the "Firefly" crews.  In RL they used to drop flares behind the target (usually an Axis convoy) and them to silhouette the target against the light.<

I knew they did SOMETHING like what I proposed. Only I have some direct lighting, as well.

>Are you suggesting, Sir, that my mother was a, a... Warthog?<

No, just that, to any mother, even the ugliest offspring looks good. Same goes for aircraft, I suppose. I am sure that the Fairey designer thought the Barracuda beautiful. It is the eye of the beholder...

>Whom is your second?<

I wouldn't be so quick to challenge me to a duel. Though it has been over twenty-five years ago, I took a US National Police Pistol Championship in my class, and attained the highest possible ranking (Governor's 50) in the California Combat Association. Still wanna try?

[rickshaw]

rickshaw:>Interesting.  But dangerous as well for the "Firefly" crews.  In RL they used to drop flares behind the target (usually an Axis convoy) and them to silhouette the target against the light.<

I knew they did SOMETHING like what I proposed. Only I have some direct lighting, as well.

Lights!  Camera!  Torpedo!?   

>Are you suggesting, Sir, that my mother was a, a... Warthog?<

No, just that, to any mother, even the ugliest offspring looks good. Same goes for aircraft, I suppose. I am sure that the Fairey designer thought the Barracuda beautiful. It is the eye of the beholder...

Good.  Glad thats cleared up.  Otherwise you'd have to choose weapons.

The Barracuda is beautiful.  Lovely long lines, slim fuselage, dangly bits that appear and disappear...

>Whom is your second?<

I wouldn't be so quick to challenge me to a duel. Though it has been over twenty-five years ago, I took a US National Police Pistol Championship in my class, and attained the highest possible ranking (Governor's 50) in the California Combat Association. Still wanna try?

Only if I get to choose location?  25 feet underwater in the Thames on a dark, moonless night!   

[sequoiaranger]

I am getting WAAAY ahead of myself here, as not only is this NOT my next project (self-imposed hiatus until January on cutting plastic in the "craft room" so as to have it available for SWMBO at least SOME of the time!), but I haven't yet even received the base kit from the seller!! But my mind races forward nonetheless!

Anyway, decades ago when I conceived the project (Battle/Barracuda combo) I was going to paint the fuselage like a marlin fish--deep blue on top, grading through silver-blue to silver on the bottom, with wavy vertical stripes I had even envisioned "stickleback" radar all along the top of the canopy to the tail, again emulating the fin of a Marlin. I may still do the color gradation, but a new thought has entered my head since the (potential) acquisition of the tandem-canopy Battle kit:



Kind of like the above "assembly ship" B-24, paint the "Marlin" to look like two aircraft close together, as their twin canopies might suggest! Tempting!

[sideshowbob9]

^ I like the stickleback radar idea! 

[sequoiaranger]

sideshowbob9:>I like the stickleback radar idea!<

I did, too, but in truth, the "stickleback" radar antennae should be all the same length to function properly. When I first envisioned "my" array, they would have been "whip" antennae of varying lengths forming an "arch", and bending back with airspeed to look like the top fin of a Marlin without the connecting skin. If I am going to keep the "Marlin" somewhere within the parameters of reality, I can't do "my" envisioned array. But we'll see!