Got A Monogram B-17 To Whiff.

[Daryl J.]

This sits behind the two P-40's for the GB and the 'Almost Lighter Than Air' ship, thus it may be a time before completion but that suits me just fine.

The preliminary:

B-17's were used by the USAF in limited numbers in Vietnam.
Observable changes:   Elimination of all turrets and side gunnery positions cleaning up the air frame.   Metalizing fabric surfaces but retaining the classic 'Bo-ing curves'.    Bombay converted to munitions hold feeding either two or three SUU-11 pods.   SUU-23's (22?) would be preferred but there aren't enough Monogram F-4C's in Ye Olde Stash to pilfer.     Underwing pylons would either have some sort of daisy cutter or nape.   Green/Green/Tan over black.

In essence, it would be de-barbed, de-bulged, sped up, re radioed, and in service somewhat in the vein of a Puff the Magic Dragon only the attack would come from the front rather than from the side.

One debate is engines.   Hanging P-38 Allisons on it is still an attractive option especially since the props counter-rotate.


Thinking aloud again,
Daryl J.

[dragon]

You might want to look at the B-25 J Mitchell (the gunship version) for inspiration.   Too bad you don't have another set of propellers (that way you can make them look BEAR-ish).  It sounds like it will look positively wicked. B)  

[Sisko]

You could have side mounted guns like puff the magic dragon, mounted in the waist gunners position or in a ventral pack were the bombay would be.

I wouldm't bother going to all the trouble of re-egining it.

I doubt the airforce would have.

 

[elmayerle]

Well, you could re-engine it like the XB-38, but I think larger and more potent radials would make more sense, R2800s or R3350s being the obvious choices without a major cg shift (R4360s would be long enough to cause some problems).

Oh, if you're using a B-17G, keep the nose turret but replace the tso  50-cal machine guns with a 50-cal Gatling in addition to whatever you install elsewhere in the aircraft.

I just had another idea, if you want to do an extreme whif, get someone with the Putnam book on Boeing, I think Peter Bowers wrote it, to copy and send you the three-view of the study of a high-wing, tricycle-gear version of the B-17.

[ysi_maniac]

^^^^^ That sounds cool

[Archibald]

So, if I understand well, the aim is to change a good'ole B-17 into a Vietnam gunship ?
Cool idea!!
Hmmm a B-17 with RR Darts        

[Daryl J.]

So, if I understand well, the aim is to change a good'ole B-17 into a Vietnam gunship ?

Yep!      



The weight reduction of much of the B-17's defensive armament was known to vastly increase the speed of the aircraft.    Seeing Evergreen Aviation put a B-17 aggressively through it's paces above the skies of Forest Grove showed just how manoeuverable it is.    Back then the idea clicked....what if The Seattle Aluminum Company converted the WW-II leftovers into a SEA attack craft of some sort.   The idea has since been pickling in my mind.

And the shape of the machine is just sooooo right to the eyes.  


RR Darts?    I'll have to have a look.   Turbines as well?   Perhaps!  B)  B)  B)


A Safe long weekend Monday to all,
Daryl J.

[GTX]

Well there was also this turboprop B-17 (will dig up some more info later):



On another tangent you could do something similar to this:



Regards,

Greg

[Daryl J.]

Greg,

Thank you for posting those images as they are all new to me.   More information on the turboprop would be great!   The ''looney'' B-17 is just plain cool.

Regards,
Daryl J.

[Damian2]

How about an XB-38?

[bluesteel]

I've tried (still trying) a Merlin engined B17.

Whatever engine refit you are considering it'll probably need a lot of hacking and filler. The Merlin installation was a right pig and re-fitting a repositioned u/c almost as bad (still haven't finished). Unless of course a B17 model maker makes one with engines not moulded to the wings, a la most Lancaster models - but I haven't found one. I used the Revell B-17, a bit of a pig in it's own right, but it was cheap  

Bluesteel

[ysi_maniac]

^^^^ I like this proposal        

[Captain Canada]

Oh yeah, I love the idea, Daryl ! Looking forward to seeing some work done on this baby !

 

[GTX]

Ok, here you go - more info (and pics) on the RR Dart powered B-17:

"In 1960, the first of 23 ex-military B-17Fs and Gs were converted into fire-fighting aircraft. The bomb bay was reconfigured to accept a 2000-gallon tank which carried a water-borate mixture to be dropped on forest fires. The tank was divided into four compartments, each with a quick-opening bottom which allowed the water to be dropped. These planes were operated under contract to the US Forest Service, and a few were still flying as late as 1984.

By the early 1980s, most B-17 water bombers had been grounded, mainly due to the lack of Wright R-1820 Cyclone engines. One water-bomber operator solved this problem by installing Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines in place of the Cyclones. This was done for B-17G Air Tanker N134ON. N1340N crashed in October of 1970, when fire smoke caused engine failure in the Dart turboprops"  Source





Regards,

Greg

[Maverick]

Is it just me or does the engine layout on that -17 look a lot like the Chinese B-29's deal?