BAE Wyvern MR/A.1

[waynos]

Hi, I'm a newbie here and not a prolific modeller by any means these days but have been reading the site for many months and felt I would like to join in.

I wonder how some of you RN buffs will react to my little what if, which doesn't feature an exciting combat jet but more of a bread and butter type.

My starting point was when I read of the RN considering a purchase of the E-2 Hawkeye for the Navy's new aircraft carriers and I began to wonder about the feasibility of a new British multi purpose type instead, designed for carrier ops it needed to be able to operate in the AEW, ASW, COD and even tanker roles and I came up with this design based on a shortened BAe 146.

It features 2 engines in the V2500/CFM-56 class instead of the four ALF-502's of the civil type and this allows the installation of 6 underwing pylons for missiles/torpedoes/ECM equipment etc. Although already a STOL design its characteristics in this department are further enhanced by a variable incidence wing which allows the engine thrust to be directed downwards up to 20 degrees making for even shorter take offs and landings, the latter with a massively reduced landing speed.

I have also schemed an AEW version with disc radome and a land based tactical transport in the G-222/C-27 class with the arrestor hook displaced by clamshell doors (such a version of the 146 was designed by BAe way back in 1978. Well here's the pictures, sorry about the poor quality;

[elmayerle]

Errm, wouldn't this in the transport role be the equivalent of the C-2 since the E-2 is the AEW version of the basic airframe.  For soemthing "different", you might consider adding an AEW antenna like that used on Australia's "wedgetail" aircraft.

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

[waynos]

As a COD version yes, it would be equivalent to (but a little bigger than) the C-2, the fuselage would actually be exactly the same size as the G-222 or C-27 as it is known, (but I am unsure about the diameter but it looks near enough to me) hence my comparison for the land based version.

I'm smitten at the moment with redesigning the tail for a disc antenna, a low tail and twin fins like the An 225 is one option, I've seen a picture of an AEW Hercules with an antenna mounted on top of the fin so that might also be an avenue to look at.


Hmmm, on second thoughts how about the twin finned option with a wedgetail type antenna that is between them at its rear end? This seems a bit more interesting now, thanks. That Wyvern AEW.2 is looking like a goer.

[Deino]

Hey ... nice idea !!! What about an engine arrangement linke the An-72/-74 ?

Deino    

[Hobbes]

Magnificent! Good to see another hotrod 146 (working on one with 4 Pegasus engines myself...).
The CFMs are nicely overdone (at 3+ times the thrust of the original engines). Where did you shorten the fuselage? Just in front of the wing?

[waynos]

Thanks, I figured it would need the extra power for carrier ops! to shorten the fuselage I took out a parallel section just ahead of the wing and also immediately behind too. This latter one demanded some careful cutting around the wing and undercarriage fairings but it helped make the join stronger when the rear fuselage was re-attached, I was thinking of using the spare sections on a stretched 'Super Wyvern' to replace the Nimrod for the RAF (unless inserting them into a BAe 146-300 is going too far, lol. I also would need four engines and a bigger wing for this version.

The four pegasus version sounds brilliant, have you seen the very early proposals that led to the 146? The original scheme started out of a redesign of the HS 141 VTOL airliner with four 'pegasus type' engines under the wings to compete with a Dornier design based on the Do 31 so you are taking it back to its roots with that one.  

[elmayerle]

As a COD version yes, it would be equivalent to (but a little bigger than) the C-2, the fuselage would actually be exactly the same size as the G-222 or C-27 as it is known, (but I am unsure about the diameter but it looks near enough to me) hence my comparison for the land based version.

I'm smitten at the moment with redesigning the tail for a disc antenna, a low tail and twin fins like the An 225 is one option, I've seen a picture of an AEW Hercules with an antenna mounted on top of the fin so that might also be an avenue to look at.


Hmmm, on second thoughts how about the twin finned option with a wedgetail type antenna that is between them at its rear end? This seems a bit more interesting now, thanks. That Wyvern AEW.2 is looking like a goer.

There is another option for mounting the "disk", a forward-swept vertical fin with the disk on top ala' the AN-71 Madcap.  

For yet another approach, cosider the one RP-3D with the antenna (originally tracking radar, now range telemetry) in a huge dorsal fin faired into the vertical.  Much the same approach was used on some surviellance 737's for Indonesia.

[Captain Canada]

Wayout, Waynos !

Beauty job of a beauty a/c. Always been a fan of the 146, since I saw one at the CNE airshow back in the 80s. Was a little dissappointed at how quiet it was, tho !

Too bad nobody made them in 350th scale, as your idea would be perfect for my carrier project !

Cheers, and welcome aboard !

Toadman

[Gary]

Coooooooolllllll

I know some folks here ahve had their hands in 146's and done some nifty stuff. I like the thought process dude. Not too sure what you mean by prolific... but dang good is an accurate discription!

Love it.

[The Rat]

waynos, that's one helluva way to introduce yourself. Great idea for a great plane, and a damned fine model to boot.  

Competition's heating up guys!