Farley Fairy Penguin - Movie Star! Finished Pictures Page 4.

[zenrat]

Farley Fairy Penguin WIP 21-06-2020 15:25 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Autogyro dive bomber?

Not this one, but read my back story...



<edit>  Done.  With 4 hours to spare.  I forgot I had to rig it.  That took an hour and a half.
Next year, a simpler paint job.  Definitely no white or yellow.  The only reason I got this finished was due to the speed acrylic clean dries and because I used a dehydrator on the paint.
Also, not to self.  Find the transfers before you start, don't go looking through folders at the last minute.

[zenrat]

Farley Fairy Penguin.  Dadswell Bridge People's Museum of Flight.  June 2020.

Farley Fairy Penguin - 30 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

See previously posted historical documentation relating to the history of the Farley Aircraft Company and their various designs.

Farley Fairy Penguin - 6 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

After successfully selling "their" Frigatebird design to The Admiralty Farley were keen to pursue further Autogyro designs.  The first to take shape in the stables development workshop was the Fairy Penguin.
Conceived as an Autogyro fighter the Fairy Penguin was developed just after law suits from Westland had stopped Farley from using the Lysander fuselage as the basis for their designs.  Fortunately, David Farley had, whilst rummaging through the recycle bins at the Ministry of Defence happened to come across a set of Gloster Gladiator drawings and so based his new design upon them.

Farley Fairy Penguin - 9 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Power was by a Bristol Hercules engine to which Farley added a rear mounted clutch and power take-off.  This were used to spin up the rotors for take-off giving a very very short, (but not quite vertical) take off and led to Farley being able to boast production of the worlds first VVS(BNQ)VTOL aircraft.
The whole PTO unit was copied from a Fergusson tractor unit and was not up to the job having an operational PTOBF (Mean Take-Offs Between Failure) of three.
To the top of the fuselage Farley added a rotorhead support frame using wire braced aero section struts.  If these looked suspiciously like Gladiator Interplane struts it is because they were.  They also were not up to the job, being susceptible to warping due to the torque from the rotors being spun up.  This led to permanent deformation of the support frame which can be seen on this example.  Farley often said that all good aircraft designs had a degree of asymmetry and always claimed that he had designed it that way.

Farley Fairy Penguin - 4 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Fairy Penguins biggest drawback as a fighter however was it's armament.  This consisted of two .303 calibre machine guns mounted one on each of the aircrafts stub wings.  This was simply not enough whatever Farley claimed.  Suggestions  were made regarding development of stub wings each holding four guns but both Hawker and Supermarine refused to issue Farley the appropriate drawings and their attempts to design their own foundered when the drawing office staff were found to have eaten all the crayons.
Despite all the above, or maybe because of it the Fairy Penguin actually flew very well.  With the rotor spun up it had a take off run of just over it's own length and as long as the bracing wire maintenance schedule was followed (they had to be tightened after every flight and replaced due to stretching after seven flying hours – two if dogfighting had been undertaken) it could out manoeuvre any fighter in the RAF's inventory.
This manoeuvrability led to it being championed by a number of high profile fighter pilots leading to (possibly just to shut them up) an order for fifty examples which, as was often done with designs that didn't fit the norm, were shipped off to the dominions to scare the living daylights out of the local tribe whose turn it was to be bombed this month.
Farley saw this as a success and as vindication of the Autogyro concept.  Fired up with enthusiasm he bought more crayons, wrote to a friend working for Junkers and began drawing up the Farley Flying Fox – the aircraft which was destined to become known to the world as the Stukadyne...

Farley Fairy Penguin - 14 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Fast forward to 2015.  Studio zenrat, makers of adult movies and animation are in the production planning stages of a live action version of the classic West Asian Destiny Wings on Fire storyline from their dieselpunk anime/manga saga "My Sky the Free Wind".  They are looking for an aircraft to represent the Jabogiros of the mercenary skyclan the Himmelreitter Fliegende Teufel in the final battle scene where the Polish Mechtocratic Empiricum's ground forces are annihilated by a berserker skyswarm while crossing the great African Ice Barrens. 
While computer editing will be used to digitally montage the massed squadrons of the skyswarm, director Jon Carr-Miyazaki insists on actual filmed footage being used as a basis "so as to make it more real".

Farley Fairy Penguin - 27 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

Someone remembers seeing a number of autogyros at the back of a hanger at the Aircraft museum, phone calls are made, a deal is struck and the Fairy Penguin gets a new lease of life as a movie star.
The aircraft pictured is that used to film the principal flight footage.  It was fully overhauled (including a brand new reproduction Grey Fergie PTO – it lasted 5 take-offs showing materials technology may have improved – and carbon monofilament bracing wires) before being painted with the distinctive Iron Cross markings of the Holy German Empire and fitted with dummy guns and Anti-tank missiles.

Farley Fairy Penguin - 28 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

The Model.
Airfix Gloster J-8A.
Airfix Bristol Beaufighter TF X (new mould) engine.
Me 109 drop tank and Soviet AAMs from my parts box.
Airfix Gazelle rotors.

Farley Fairy Penguin - 29 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[Old Wombat]

 

[PR19_Kit]

Once I'd stopped laughing hysterically after reading the OUTRAGEOUS backstory, I felt able to post a reply. 

That is one veritable Tour de Force Fred! The idea is terrific, the modelling is wonderful and the backstory is HILARIOUS! The funniest thing I think I've read all year so far. 

As for the rigging, it's astonishing. 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

Kit.  This is one that doesn't bear too close scrutiny unfortunately.  Given more time there are several things I would have done again.  The rotor mount for example ended up at an angle to the centreline once the glue had dried.  However, not having that luxury I wrote it into the back story.

What this has shown me is that my usual methodical way of building, working in stages (on multiple builds) and not moving on until i'm happy with what i've done, works for me.
I had been wondering if I was being inefficient and should try to change how I worked.  I guess not.
It's not broke and fixing it will break it.

[PR19_Kit]

  However, not having that luxury I wrote it into the back story.

Just following Kit's 2nd Rule of Whiffing. 

'The backstory can always be modified to suit the model'

[Rheged]

That is not only a superb model, but also one of the most creative backstories I've read.  WELL DONE

I have added a link on the original "Farley Files" posting; the Farley Research Group wish to thank you for your valuable addition to the ongoing story.

Most definitely Whiffy 2021 material.

[The Rat]

Truly inspired madness! 

[NARSES2]

That's come out really well mate 

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.

Rheged & Ratty, i'm looking out for a Stuka so I can start thinking about the Farley Flying Fox Stukadyne.

[zenrat]

Thanks BradF.
Rotor is actually further back than where I judged it needed to be with that bigger heavier engine out front and cut down lower wings producing less lift.  But it didn't look right so I moved it back.

[Steel Penguin]

that is absolutely brill ! 
both the back story, which has my in stiches, and the model which looks very much, a fever dreamed coble together. and as such for anything remotely desilpunk absolutely spot on

[Glenn Gilbertson]

Inspired madness and an enjoyable backstory - a good one!

[zenrat]

Thanks folks.
Glad you enjoyed it.