HAVE GNAT, WILL SHOOT

[Rafael]

Outskirts of the City, February 2018.

Everybody called him The Artist. In this line of business, you better have no name.

There was a multitude today at the market. The Plaza was bustling with people concentrated on their own businesses. Some buying, some looking. From his vantage point aboard the old Mercedes, The Artist, with other three passengers, impassibly observed the goings-on. And the big, white UN Armored Personnel Carrier on the other side of the plaza.

After the end of the war, a sour taste remained in the souls of his group because of his faction's defeat and ulterior disappearance from the political scene. Ever since, they have become "freedom fighters", practicing terrorism, their only means of conviction to make this peace-starved people understand that power was his group's destiny.

Carpenter and Mason were on foot, herding the three young lads, fanatical recruits about to become a legend....in the newspapers. Almost without warning, Mason nodded to the boys, who stormed towards the Armored car and detonated themselves. The car flipped and fell on its side, a curtain of smoke and flames spewing out. Eight Italian Blue-Berets lay dead, dismembered. The results in the plaza were much worse.

The Artist nodded to his companions and the driver floored the pedal. The Mercedes disappeared in a cloud of smoke and confusion, heading to a side road.

High above, a HALO (High Altitude, Long Endurance) surveillance drone transmitted the entire event to UN HQ, and orders were issued. A platoon of marines was on the lookout for Mason and company, and another, uncommon couple of pursuers was sent after The Artist.

The Artist traveled in silence, while his car was being followed from above, and its location constantly updated aboard his pursuers. He arrived at a dilapidated building, alighted hurriedly from the car and entered. Choppers! The unmistakable sound assaulted him, and he darted into the apartment, already pinned down by the HALO's sensors. The sound was not fading away. Could the Imperialist swine have fixed him? No. Probably a patrol. He was about to get a cold beer from the fridge when something caught his eye outside the window. A giant, almost funny parasol above the most ridiculously looking small aircraft. A cannon underneath, pointing directly at him. It was strange, he was fumbling for his sidearm, already knowing the puny weapon incapable of harming the enemy. And already knowing himself dead, when a hail of 25 mm projectiles hit him, the fridge and his buddies entering the apartment. He lied in a sea of blood and booze.


THE DARPA/WESTLAND FIREBUG:
The HAVE GNAT program was a direct descendant of Sikorsky's ABC (Advancing Blade Concept), X-Wing aircraft and several other concepts from the LHX/SCAT program. HAVE GNAT Progressed as a sideshow, while other projects crashed and its product was an incredible contraption, using a fighter-like airframe and an aerodynamically shrouded Rotor-Wing.

Powered by a little powerplant, the Firebug was a smaller version of a gunship. Originally designed as a scout/attack aircraft, it had all the advantages of a helicopter, besides being able to stop its rotor and make it work like a wing. The characteristic aerodynamic shroud protecting the rotor contributed with lift, and contained an intricate system of blowers to counteract the rotor's torque, making the aircraft a stable platform.

As a requirement it was a single seat aircraft, due to the manpower shortage of the armed forces. Also, maintenance was facilitated by a number of technical features. Carrying a wide array of weapons on stub wings, the Firebug was a formidable adversary in the sky.

It was equipped with multispectral sensors, shared apertures, offboard, networked operation and data feeds.

The Firebug saw combat in several campaigns, and was a favorite for Urban Operation since the absence of tail rotors and the shroud protected it in the city/town canyons. It will see service for many years to come, and is very appreciated by its crews and services.


This design was inspired/copied from a drawing I saw at Secretprojects or Key Publishing.

I hope you like it.
And enjoy it as much as I enjoyed building it.

Rafa

[Rafael]

I always wanted to know what a chopper-fighter would look like. This is my rendition of what I think..........

[Rafael]

Showing its teeth...

[Rafael]

Shrouded rigid rotor-wing

[Rafael]

Turning, showing the simple configuration...

[Rafael]

and a little behind....

[Rafael]

More of the shroud

[Rafael]

The shroud in person....

[Rafael]

and

[ysi_maniac]

This is so GOOD, so ORIGINAL, so ... MAD!

I like it. Five stars            

[Rafael]

   B)    

Thank U Carlitos!!!!

Rafa

[B777LR]

20 stars from me!

Its the predesesor to this one:

[The Rat]

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAH!!!!    

[Brian da Basher]

Wow what a riveting backstory and an awesome model, Rafa! Your imagination, talent and production are incredible! This one is a winner all the way!!!

Now where's my mudpies?

Brian da Basher

[Tophe]

Incredible model!
I like less the story, but such an aircraft able to rush or to fly stationary (without exhaust burning the ground) is amazing. Why do that exist only in your mind?