Sea Vixen PR3

[PR19_Kit]

In the light of opinions expressed in the 'What sort of build reports do you prefer' thread, I'll post my thought processes on this project, even though almost no plastic has been cut, just a lot of tape-ups done, plus the drawings and a bit of a backstory....

Here is the Sea Vixen PR3, a short production run built just after the FAW2 was introduced into FAA service. Their Naval Lordships wanted a dedicated PR platform to locate targets and for post strike assessment, the idea being that each strike carrier had a 3-4 aircraft flight aboard, rather in the manner of the Gannet AEW3 Ship's Flights.

The PR3 had much longer wings, of higher aspect ratio and a longer nose, with the radar deleted, holding a 6 camera fit, but no weapons as such. It also had Avon 300 series engines for more oomph, naturally. Model is an old Frog FAW2 with some FAA Models add-ons, U-2 wings (now there's a surprise.... ) and the nose from an RF-84F suitably thinned to fit. Probably finished in Extra Dark Sea Grey on top and PRU Blue underneath.

And no, I haven't worked out how the wing fold would work yet, but think Gannet.......

All of the above probably in about 2 years, when it's finished. 

[Martin H]

oh Yee gods LOL

[Gondor]

and just think what the JNM's and CIA will make of this one.......

Gondor

[GTX]

 

[Army of One]

Oh cool.....u gotta build it.......u just gotta.....!!

[NARSES2]

and CIA will make of this one.......

Gondor

They already know...whilst Kit was sleeping one night......................

[PR19_Kit]

They already know...whilst Kit was sleeping one night......................

Sleep? What's that?

[buzzbomb]

Yowzaaaa!  Nice vision
be waiting to see this in plastic

[Weaver]

Nice concept Kit! 

Wouldn't the sweep be a bit less than that though, to avoid having too much lift aft?

[PR19_Kit]

Wouldn't the sweep be a bit less than that though, to avoid having too much lift aft?

Maybe, yes, but the increased nose length may compensate, and it really depends how the plastic fits together. I may line-up the sweep back with the sweep of the inner wing panels. Conversely I may make the booms longer, which will need more nose weight etc. Do they have these problems in the real world too?

Hawker-Siddley will update the official drawings afterwards of course........ 

[Weaver]

Wouldn't the sweep be a bit less than that though, to avoid having too much lift aft?

Maybe, yes, but the increased nose length may compensate, and it really depends how the plastic fits together. I may line-up the sweep back with the sweep of the inner wing panels. Conversely I may make the booms longer, which will need more nose weight etc. Do they have these problems in the real world too?

Hawker-Siddley will update the official drawings afterwards of course........ 

Yep, they have exactly those problems! 

I'm not sure of the relative weights of the radar vs the cameras, but it looks as though the recce nose would add weight forwards, so you'd either have to add weight aft or move the centre of lift forwards bit to compensate. Adding weight aft is difficult on a twin-boom job: stretching them doesn't add much structural weight and it's more difficult to fill them with black boxes and stuff because they're narrow and full of duplicate control runs. One thing you could do is add slab-sided ECM pods to the fin tips, which would add weight as far aft as possible and also add fin area to compensate for the long nose. However, since they're making new outer wings for it anyway, I'd suggest that the tips should be about level with the jetpipes, or maybe even a little further forwards than that.

[sideshowbob9]

It's not just a CofG issue. With wings that highly swept, it's going to be a handful operating off of a deck with regard to landing speeds and/or angle of attack. It will also need a hingeing nose to go down the elevator.

Looks seven shades of awesome though!  

[pyro-manic]

WRT adding aft weight, what about fattening the booms up (as the FAW.2 did), rather than just lengthening them? You could even mount the cameras in extensions on the front of the booms, allowing more to be carried.

[PR19_Kit]

Actually they're not '....that highly swept'.

The sweep angle is exactly the same as the standard FAW2, 36 deg, it's just the ultra-long aspect ratio that makes them look more swept. And who said the nose didn't fold anyway? 

[Geoff]

Someone warn Langley now. Looks cool!