Project Bunsen- Jet P-39 *refresh*

[Lord_Voyager]

That looks brilliant! I saw someone that had put a Jumo jet into a spitfire Mk. 14(?) bubble top in much the same way and it looked smashing. If you did another, what would you choose as the mount?

[NARSES2]

I'm figuring the little red-lipped lumps (sounds like some kind of fish ) on the fuselage just aft of the cockpit are the (somewhat undersized) jet intakes.

That's my assumption as well. Probably large enough for ground running trials ?

Whatever it is very well done 

[kitnut617]

Very nice sandiego, it's given me an idea for one of my L-39's (which is actually a P-63)

[sandiego89]

I'm figuring the little red-lipped lumps (sounds like some kind of fish ) on the fuselage just aft of the cockpit are the (somewhat undersized) jet intakes.

I should have spoken about, or shown via pictures the intakes better.  The aircraft actually has 4 intakes.  The two small intakes on the fuselage are auxiliary intakes, but the main intakes are via the enlarged ex-radiator intakes at the wing roots.

Inspiration for this piece came form me standing INSIDE the King Cobra at the Military Aviation Museum, Virginia Beach, Virginia USA.  This unrestored aircraft recovered from Russia is without engine or radiator plumbing. There is a small square opening on the belly of the aircraft, under where the engine oil pan would be, and I was able to stand on the hanger floor and stand up inside the King Cobra.  I was surprised at the size of the empty engine bay, tail cone, and the large size radiator trunk areas.  Lots of airflow.  I tough you could practically fit a jet in there.....  With the Welland being centrifugal I though a unique inlet mechanism was appropriate.  I didn't want a huge belly intake as the nose gear would FOD the engine, and huge side intakes would interfere with emergency egress with our hero pilot using the "car-door" doors.     

So I enlarged the radiator ducts and added some small auxiliary inlets.

I needed a simple, quick, project to get the mojo back....bit of a hack rush job, but did the trick

[Tophe]

Congratulations, engineer!

[loupgarou]

Very well done indeed. And it's a shame to cover that so nice Welland. I hope the cover stays removable.

[kitnut617]

Well thought out sandiego, and just like the Ryan Fireball too.

[NARSES2]

Well thought out sandiego, and just like the Ryan Fireball too.

Absolutely 

[sandiego89]

*Refresh*

I was never quite happy with the Project Bunsen Jet P-39, so: 

The original Project Bunsen P-39, which was part of a wider effort to install jet engines into existing piston designs at the depot level with the minimal amount of modification possible, ran into difficulties when the original oil cooler location being used to supply the jet intakes was deemed unsatisfactory.  The engineers at Bell went to back to work and redesigned the jet P-39 with intakes at the mid fuselage position.  While the new design reduced drag and improved airflow, the intakes complicated bail out procedures.  The "car-door" type doors were changed to hinge at the rear to provide a cover over the intakes allowing some chance of egress over the wing.  More than one Bell test pilot were overheard commenting on the new "suicide doors"....


The kit, my Project Bunsen P-39, old Heller, 1/72.  I enlarged the side intakes and blocked off the original oil cooler mounted intakes on the original version. 

   

[Flyer]

 

[Dizzyfugu]

Nice! 

[TomZ]

Looks good!

TomZ

[PR19_Kit]

VERY inventive, I like it. 

I bet the test pilots did too............ 

[zenrat]

 

[NARSES2]

That's very nice