Isolated drawing of old twin-fuselage on LiveJournal

[Tophe]

I've been directed to these drawings

at http://pics.livejournal.com/lnago/pic/00013y1g
1/ Which date would you give to such a design (if real): 1939? 1936 ?
2/ If one ever try to build it, what kit to use as a basis? P-38? +?

[PR19_Kit]

An awesome device Tophe, surely worthy of your attention. 

I reckon 1936 is about right, but how about a P-61 Black Widow as a basis? That's a large-ish aircraft and it has radials as well. You could almost say it has spats too, bound to get Brian looking in..... 

[DaFROG]

ingredients could be Abrams explorer two London buses and a SM.79 (or two)

[Tophe]

Thanks for your suggestions

[B777LR]

My guess is the late 20s

[elmayerle]

I'd say early- to mid-30s, more likely early-30s, as it's showing more streamlining than most monoplanes of the late-20s but not as much as later in that decade and it also has fixed landing gear.

[Doc Yo]

 You could start with a couple of Amiot 143's...
  The suggested S.M. 79 would be a better source for the engines. The central pod is a little trickier...It looks
  like an all-glass version of a B-18...

Now the image on the lower right reminds me of a known tr-motor from the mid thirties, and it occurs to me
the whole design evokes the Bleriot 125

Here's a better entry with a picture-an image search also turns up plan views. Given the similarity of the
designs, I'd argue ( Politely ) for a date as early as 1933 for this beast.

[Tophe]

Lots of interesting opinions, thanks.

[Andrew Gorman]

Messing with the design a little, I'd try two Glencoe Seabees for the outer sections:
http://www.seabee.info/seabee_model_kits.htm
The fuselage is skinnier than it looks.  First thought for the center pod was a HP Hampden-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Handley_Page_Hampden
but a B-24 might be easier to find- if more difficult to narrow and whittle into shape.  Neat looking aircraft!

[Brian da Basher]

I agree that a P-61 would make a great starting point. If you had two, you'd have most of what you need to pull this off. I really like the look of this beauty and since it reminds me of something that should've been in the 1937 classic "Things to Come", 1933 - 1936 would be my preferred timeframe.

Brian da Basher

[sequoiaranger]

I like the design of the plane, but I think the engines could be faired into a fuselage "better" than just a nacelle sticking out of it.

I think the basic central body and tails would be P-61's, but the wing of a P-61 is too "modern" and thin. That's where the Amiots would come in--those French uglies had massively thick wings, and the "right" look for the catamaran fuselages. Being a whif, you could "get close" to the concept without actually trying to fully duplicate it. 'Course, it would be fabulous if the drawing were modeled exactly, too!

There was a P-61---based whif called a "jackal bomber" or something. It had the central fuselage pod of a P-61 turned around. If I can find a pic of it I will post it.

I like this project--sounds like fun if you can pull it off!

[Tophe]

Thanks (both for the analysis and the picture, great!)