Tupolev 57

[McGreig]

The Tu-2 was one of the best and fastest attack bombers of the World War 2, remaining in service long after the war ended. However, its origins lay in Project 57 (or PB). This was a long range dive bomber and two parallel designs were produced, one with two and one with four engines. An important design objective was range - the 57 had to be able to attack the Royal Navy base at Scapa Flow, as Great Britain was perceived as a likely enemy in the late Thirties. Ultimately, Germany's invasion of Poland and Britain's entry into the war against Germany made the probability of bombing Scapa Flow somewhat remote and the twin engined design was chosen. This became Project 58 and ultimately the Tu-2.

But what if the four engined 57 had gone ahead? Unlike Archie's four engined derivative of the MB-174, there is a reasonable amount of documentation on the 57. The fuselage was similar to the initial Tu-2 design, being only 1.7cm longer in 1/72. The wing span was 7.2m greater than the Tu-2, which works out at 5cm for each wing in 1/72. This results in an aircraft which appears to have a relatively large wing in relation to its fuselage, but it is also an aircraft which could easily be constructed in model form by bashing two Tu-2 kits together.

The photo shows the kit parts cut out and taped together to get an idea of whether or not this will work and of what still needs to be done. The most obvious things are that the wing centre section needs to be built up, short nacelles are required for the outboard engines and cockpit interiors have to be added (the Plasticart kit has solid fuselage decking under the canopies - I've cut this open but haven't added any interior detail yet). Also, I haven't yet decided whether or not the tail planes and fins need enlarging, although I suspect that they do.

[McGreig]

I've used the old Plasticart kits as a base and I've also assumed that the 57 would have gone through the same design process - replacement of the AM-37 engines with M-82s and reorganisation of the crew positions and cockpit glazing - that turned the 58 into the Tu-2.

Although the Plasticart kit is crude and uses a brittle, hard to work plastic, I've got quite a few in the stash and I've had reasonable results with it in the past - the photo below (from this year's Telford) is of the experimental Paravane version intended for cutting barrage balloon cables.

[ytown2010]

i SO want to see this when its finished. i think you could probably shorten the wingspan by a inch or two.

[elmayerle]

i agree that the tailfins likely need enlarging and increasing the area of the horizontal tails would likely be good, too.

[gooberliberation]

Perhaps add a third, larger area tailfin in the middle?

[Brian da Basher]

Wow this is one great idea McG! I think you're just about there but I gota agree with Goober and vote for a third fin in the middle just like an early Manchester.

I'm really looking forward to watching you put this one together!

Brian da Basher

[McGreig]

Thanks for the input. I'm not sure about the third fin but, left to my own devices, I'd probably reduce the wing span or area.

However, the 57 was a real project and I'm trying to keep to the published shape and dimensions, subject to my assumption that, if chosen over the twin engined version, the 57 would have undergone the same evolution regarding engines and crew/cockpit layout as the actual Tu-2.

The drawing below (from Bill Gunston's Putnam book on Tupolev) shows the relatively large wing and the overall similarity to the original Aircraft 103 prototype of what became the Tu-2.

[McGreig]

Serious work has now begun. The wing and fuselage extensions have been added from plastic card and the cannibalised second Tu-2 kit, and cockpit floors have been added. Once the glue has set, the next stage is to cover the extensions with putty and then indulge in a marathon sanding session.

[McGreig]

I still have to find suitable outboard engine nacelles. I was going to use spares from a B-29 but they're too big and everything else that I've found so far is too small. The tail planes and fins will be replaced by those from a B-25 which seem to be about the right size.

[ysi_maniac]

Serious work has now begun.

Oh yeah: this is a serious model, indeed
     

[Brian da Basher]

Hewy McG try cutting new engine nacelles from blisterpack material like the packaging batteries come in. I'd think you could use a left-over pack of C-cell batteries to cut the nacelles you need.

Brian da Basher

[McGreig]

try cutting new engine nacelles from blisterpack material like the packaging batteries come in.

Ah, lateral thinking   Thanks Brian, I'll have a hunt round the house and see what turns up.    

[Arc3371]

Can´t wait to see it finished

[Daryl J.]

O ja!!!!!
Daryl J. with a thick Norskie accent

[McGreig]

Finally obtained and fitted the outer nacelles. In the end these were cut down B-25 nacelles from the Italeri Mitchell kit that I'm using as a source for the tailplanes, fins and cockpit interior.

I haven't decided yet whether to cement the (badly fitting) bomb bay doors shut and sand everything smooth, which is what I did with the Paravane version, or to put some simple structural detail into the bay and display it open with a bomb load. I'm the polar opposite of a super detailer and usually go for a minimalist (or, more accurately, lazy   ) approach to internal details but I suspect that in this case the open bay may actually be the easier of the two options   .