Mustang musings

[Jeffry Fontaine]

no shortage of those kits at wal-mart, either.

Apparently your Wal-Mart is better stocked than the one here in Bremerton.  The selection of models is pathetic to put it politely.  The response I got from the "ever helpful" store employee was even more pathetic with the answer to my inquire being "I Don't Know" and "Wal-Mart stores stock different things in different communities."  What that has to do with the original question is still a mystery.  So if you have a Wal-Mart that actually has a good selection of plastic model kits on the shelf, consider yourself very fortunate indeed.  

[Tophe]

I'm kinda partial to a stricter interpretation of the Lightning idea, with no prop in the middle and no cockpits on the outboard fuselages.  I have to say, that twin-pull single-push idea is really cool, too, but I would do it without cockpits on the outboard fuselages.  The question I have about the pusher version would be how that would complicate placing guns in the nose.

As required/ordered by General Noxioux:

(everything is possible with taxpayers' money - on computer, while in plastic, only the best are able to scratch-build that much...)

[noxioux]

That's almost spot-on Tophe!  I think I'd move the cockpit section forward a little bit--depending upon how that affected the COG.  That really is a killer idea.  

Forgive me if I screw this up, but perhaps a British tank-buster variant with 4 40mm cannons mounted under the wings.  I was just reading about an early "Mk I AM106" version with 2 40mm Vickers guns under the wings, so that wouldn't be completely up a tree.  Or maybe 2 cannons and some bombs or missile racks.  

That would make a mean Viermot buster, too--if the germans had happened to have any to shoot down.  With three large fuel cells, you would triple the fuel load (at least), which would give it quite a range extension, and greater loiter time if it was in a stand-by CAS role.

The wally's down here is sometimes hit or miss, but you can usually count on a couple of 1/48 mustangs or Spitfires.  They also had a bunch of 1/48 F-106's (until I needed a couple), and some 1/72 SR-71's.  Lately they've even had the Polar Lights TOS Enterprise and D-7.  I was kinda hoping that new 1/350 enterprise would show up there, but that's probably asking too much.

[Tophe]

I think I'd move the cockpit section forward a little bit--depending upon how that affected the COG.  That really is a killer idea. 
perhaps a British tank-buster variant with 4 40mm cannons mounted under the wings.  I was just reading about an early "Mk I AM106" version with 2 40mm Vickers guns under the wings, so that wouldn't be completely up a tree.  Or maybe 2 cannons and some bombs or missile racks. 
That would make a mean Viermot buster, too--if the germans had happened to have any to shoot down.  With three large fuel cells, you would triple the fuel load (at least), which would give it quite a range extension, and greater loiter time if it was in a stand-by CAS role.

General Noxioux advices (and dollar contracts) helped improving the design into P-515151E, with a cockpit better centered and actual room for the rear engine.
He had also answered a question I was asking myself: why are the fuselages so distant (a feature cancelled on the lighter P-515151F): this was to have propeller clearance for lateral guns or missiles, as well as room to carry fuel in a huge solid span.
All is clear now, thanks...