Tempest GR.1

[pyro-manic]

Hokay, here's another project from me (I seem to be jumping from build to build rather rapidly at the moment!). I picked up a Revell 1:72 Eurofighter Typhoon a while back, after hearing lots of good things about the kit. Unfortunately, the one I have is a complete dog, with flash galore, a bit of warping and other issues. So, to remedy this, I am going to build a "Strike-phoon", a dedicated attack variant of the Typhoon (as is supposedly going to be used for the FOAS programme or whatever it's called these days), inspired by the Su-34 Fullback. I am going to build a new nose and cockpit section, a la the Su-34, and I'm going to enlarge the wings slightly and modify the engine intakes to be more "stealthy". I will also be adding conformal fuel tanks, and possibly a "stinger" like the Flanker/Fullback has. Possibly new twin V-tailfins as well, depending on what it looks like. I've decided to name it the Tempest, after the much-modified version of the Hawker Typhoon seen late in the Second World War. Weapons will probably be Storm Shadows, Paveways, etc., with a couple of ASRAAMS for self defence.

No pictures as yet - I'm still testing out shapes with the main parts, some card and tape. More to follow when I decide on the basic layout.

[Hobbes]

Interesting!

[lancer]

Same idea as me then. I got mine built. I used the 2 seat version for my strike version. I'll have to post some pice of it.

[pyro-manic]

Please do!

After fiddling around with the parts, I decided on the new wing. Here's a (very basic) mock-up of the size it'll be:



This should allow me to get a second pair of heavy pylons under the wing, to carry a second pair of Storm Shadow cruise missiles. I may also fill in/modify the under-belly missile grooves, to allow carriage of other weapons (ALARM missiles maybe?)

I'm trying to work out how to get a side-by-side cockpit on there, and I think I'm going to have to do it pretty much from scratch. I want to do a big hump-back style one, like the Fullback, and that means most of the nose section will have to be replaced.

[Shasper]

You could go the Su-27KUB route:




Here's a link to Ken Duffy's Flanker page that covers the build of his Su-27KUB. While you're not building a -27, his method of making the side-by-side cockpit section from the Fullback fit onto a singleseat airframe may help:

http://www.lindenhillimports.com/su-27kub.htm


Shas

[pyro-manic]

Thanks for that, Shasper - that will come in handy! I'll have to scratch the cockpit internals, though, which should be an "interesting" task to say the least! I'm going to pick up another Typhoon tomorrow, which will have it's ejector seat, pylons and Storm Shadows robbed for this build, so I'll build a basic cockpit tub around the two seats, and use decals for the instruments. No way I'm trying to build them in 1:72...

The other main problem I can see with this is getting a suitable canopy. I've no idea how I'm going to do that...

[Shasper]

in 1/48? choices are quite limited. . . either a Vark canopy or possible a 1/72 Backfire transp. might work. . . .

Shas

[pyro-manic]

1:72 actually. I do have a Su-24 canopy spare, but it's got a great big pillar down the middle, and doesn't look very modern.

[Mossie]

Airfix's Strikemaster/Provost is back out.  The Strikemaster has a nice rounded large single piece main canopy, & the windscreen has a single slim split.  IIRC, the split isn't actually moulded(?) so you don't have to include it.  I always thought this modern-style canopy looked out of place on an old jet.  The A-37/T-37 has a similar canopy, but has a slim split on both the main canopy & windscreen

[pyro-manic]

Oooh - I have a Dragonfly kit somewhere - I'll dig it out and see if it's any use.

EDIT: The A-37 canopy is a good size, but it's completely the wrong shape - it's rather flat, and almost "boxy". I need something a bit deeper. I thought maybe an F-111 canopy? Other than that, I'll have to see if I can heat-form something, though that could get a bit messy (I've never attempted anything like that before). I'll have a look at the Airfix Strikemaster, though buying a whole kit just for the canopy seems a bit excessive. Maybe I can find somebody with a spare one they're willing to part with.

Incidentally, the canopy from the Typhoon is almost a perfect fit on the Phantom I'm doing for the profiles GB (just needs a bit of trimming round the edges of the cockpit), so I'm going to grab a cheap kit from somewhere (maybe the Italeri F-4S?) and do a fully modernised version - bubble top, AMRAAMs, FLIR turret, CFTs, stealth intakes, the works. 

[Mossie]

If you can't get hold of a spare from someone, Aeroclub do a Jet Provost T.5 vacform canopy (it's the same as the Strikemaster) for a little over a quid.
http://www.hannants.co.uk/search/?FULL=ABC058

[pyro-manic]

Thanks for that suggestion, Mossie - I may yet have to use one of those. I'm thinking of going with the Fencer canopy after all - it's about the right size, and it's pretty much the right shape and size. Still not sure if it'll actually work, though...


A few more pics, showing where I'm at with this at the moment. I've chopped the nose off, widened the cockpit tub to take two seats, built a new instrument panel, and cut and extended the wings (they still need skinning, obviously).

The whole thing as it stands at the moment:


A close-up of the cockpit tub "in situ":


I'm currently trying to decide how to do the nose - should I go for the standard nose (stretched out, of course, with a bulge for the new cockpit), or build a new one from scratch, more like the Fullback's nose? This is a sort-of mock-up of it with the standard nose:



I'm also not sure whether to leave the single tail fin, or go for two slanted ones instead.

[Shasper]

Try mocking up both to see what looks good to you

Shas

[Weaver]

Interesting project Pyro - best of luck!

How about going for triple-paddle-style thrust-vectoring and NO fin, possibly with small, swept "finlets" on the wing tips?

[Ed S]

I'd keep the single fin.  It will help people identify it as a variation on the Tyhpoon.

It's looking good so far.

Ed