Spitfire Bomber variant for Group build.

[Ed S]

Ok.  I'm in.  I picked up a Hobbycraft 1/48 Mk XIV yesterday. 

Back story:
In the early days as war was starting in Europe, the RAF realized it needed a high performance aircraft that could perform bomber and attack missions and not be as vulnerable to enemy fighters as it's existing bombers.  So Supermarine was asked to design a plane for this mission, which they based on the Spitfire since it was the most high performance a/c in the RAF at the time.

Ed

[Joe C-P]

Ok.  I'm in.  I picked up a Hobbycraft 1/48 Mk XIV yesterday. 

Back story:
In the early days as war was starting in Europe, the RAF realized it needed a high performance aircraft that could perform bomber and attack missions and not be as vulnerable to enemy fighters as it's existing bombers.  So Supermarine was asked to design a plane for this mission, which they based on the Spitfire since it was the most high performance a/c in the RAF at the time.

Ed

Dive bomber or level bomber?

[Ed S]

Dive bomber or level bomber?

Yes.   Did I mention that this will be the twin engine variant and will be in 1/72 scale.

Ed

[Ed S]

Back story continued:  To meet the RAF requirement for a high performance bomber and attack a/c, the Supermarine company decided to base this new a/c on their Spitfire.  They went to work enlarging the Spitfire by 50%.  Called the Stormbird, it was designed for a crew of 3; pilot, bombadier/navigator and radio operator/gunner.  The greater size and weight meant that more power was needed.  So they made it twin engined.  The original prototype was quickly built and flew using two Merlin powerplants.  However, the Merlins were a higher priority for the high altitude fighters and bombers, so the a/c would have to be re-engined.  Normally aspirated Bristol Hercules engines were fitted and the Stormbird Mk II flew.  It proved to be an able performer at low altitudes, but without superchargers, it's high altitude performance was less spectacular.  Fitted with 4 forward firing 20mm cannons in the wings and two flex mounted .303 machine guns, the Stormbird was an affective strafing platform as well as a difficult target for enemy fighters.  It could carry 4 500 pound bombs in the fuselage bomb bay and had racks under the wings to carry additional weapons.  Capable of either level or dive bombing, the Stormbird found great favor with the RAF in SE Asia and the Pacific theater.

Here is what I'm starting with.  The Hobby Craft Spitfire Mk XIV in 1/48.  It is being converted to the 1/72 Stormbird Mk 2.




Here is the wing with the radiators and wheel wells filled.  New wheel wells have been cut in the wing.  The l/g retract into the engine nacelles.  The exhaust locations on the forward fuselage have also been filled.




Here, the top and bottom wings have been glued up.  You can see the new wheel wells also had to be cut into the upper wing.



That's where it stands right now.  Hopefully I'll get some more work done on it in the next couple days.

Ed

[jcf]

Interesting build and concept Ed.

One thing though, there were no un-supercharged Hercules engines, all Hercules had an integral supercharger,
they were divided into two types: single speed/single stage and two speed/single stage.

Generally speaking those engines optimized for low to medium level had the supercharger locked in the M (medium) setting
or a cropped impeller, the M lock and cropped impeller were also used together.

Jon

[Ed S]

Thanks, Jon.  Obviously, I didn't do much homework on the engines.

Ed

[jcf]

Hi Ed,
I'm one of those aero-engine geeks so I read things like Lumsden's British Aero-Engines for fun. 

May I be so bold as to suggest the cropped impeller Hercules XVIII two speed/single stage low-altitude engine as used in the Beaufighter TFX, XIC and 21?

Sea-level takeoff rating: 1,700 hp at 2,900 rpm with 8.25 lbs boost

Normal continuous rating (medium supercharged): 1,720 hp at 2,400 rpm with 6 lbs boost at 1,250 ft
Normal continuous rating (fully supercharged): 1,600 hp at 2,400 rpm with 6 lbs boost at 10,500 ft

Max power, Emergency - combat 5 minutes (medium supercharged): 1,820 hp at 2,900 rpm with 8.25 lbs boost at 500 ft
Max power, Emergency - combat 5 minutes (fully supercharged): 1,600 hp at 2,900 rpm with 8.25 lbs boost at 9,500 ft

That should move your aircraft along smartly. 

Jon

[Ed S]

Works for me.  Thanks Jon.

Ed

[Ed S]

Continuing to work on this one.  The nose has been opened and a form made to vacuform the new clear nose for the bombadier station.  A new opening has been cut in the upper fuselage for the new cockpit and rear gunner/radio operator station.  A form will be made to allow vacuforming a new canopy. The old cockpit will be filled and faired into the fuselage.  New nacelles have been added to the wings to mount the radial engines.  I found a couple egines in the spares bucket that fit.  Still have a lot of PSR to do.  The engines aren't glued on yet.  Just stuck in place with tacky putty for the photo.



Here it is from a slightly different angle.



Ed

[puddingwrestler]

And I thought my idea was insane!


... now wait, mine is still insane, just possibly not quite as insane, and a heck of a lot less believabe.

[Brian da Basher]

Ohhh yeahhh Ed that rocks! I love the way your Spitfire looks with those two radial engines on the wings! Definitely looks the part for a ground-attack aircraft! Sweet!

Brian da Basher

[puddingwrestler]

You know, looking at it again, it just begs to have an enourmous anti-tank cannon sticking out the front like those Henschel ground attack birds! Some sort of giant recoiless 24 pounder! (I believe such a weapon was developed)

[Weaver]

This is really good ed - SERIOUS whiffery. 

Do you plan to extend the original spine to the new cockpit?

[ysi_maniac]

Absolutely amazing!

[Ed S]

This is really good ed - SERIOUS whiffery. 

Do you plan to extend the original spine to the new cockpit?

Thanks.  Actually, my original intention was to cut down the spine and fair it in with the forward fuselage.  But, I'm still playing with that area and haven't decided which way to go.

Ed