F7U Cutlass

[Aircav]

I can not remember where I got this picture from, so apologies to anyone if I am breaking any copyright.
I think it looks so cool.

If I remember right its from Fine Scale Modeller magazine

[Daryl J.]

Let's push the envelope a bit:

Are there any CG problems with the engine from a Draken?    I know there are diameter problems but that is fixable in the Wiff World.   Here's the thought:   Lengthen the section aft the canopy/before the intakes a bit, convert to the single engine, add twin booms a la Sea Vixen and the raised horizontal stabs keeping the general vertical stab plan.       

I'm running the debate of putting the Draken engine in the Lindberg F-11F (likely) or the Cutlass but do want an off chance of it actually being possible.    Gotta love resin accessories, eh?

Another Cutlass idea for the 1/48 Hobbycraft kit or 1/72 Fujimi kit:   Again, stretch the section just behind the cockpit a bit.   Add spine behind the closed canopy extending the fuselage aft the engine outlets and have a swept butterfly tail.   Reduce nose gear length a bit to keep the lengthened tail from dragging.   Mains retract per usual but now that the wing mounted tails are gone, use Tupolevesque gear fairings.    Add additional wing span by about 1.5 inch per wing.

That's some more ideas anyways.    On an alcohol-spurred little buying trip, the Draken nozzel, the HC Cutlass (w/ metal gear aftermarket), and a couple of Lindberg Cutlasses (Cutli??) got ordered,  but there are no regrets.   

Daryl J.

[jcf]

Vought put forth two designs to the requirement that became the F7U, the V-346A configuration that we are all familiar with
and the V-346B, a higher aspect ratio swept-wing aircraft with a conventional tail. A tailed Cutlass would not need the big low-aspect
ratio wing, indeed the stock Cutlass wing would be a performance liability on a tailed aircraft, butterfly or not.

Draken engine = Swedish produced R-R Avon with Swedish afterburner and as fate would have it one of Westinghouse's final turbine
projects was the Avon-based XJ54... an engine far superior to the J46 but for which Westinghouse could find no customers. 

The mounting envelopes for all four types (J34, J46, Avon and XJ54) are all fairly close, close enough for whiffery at any rate,
so an XJ54 powered Cutlass would be pretty close to being Draken engined.

Jon

[dy031101]

The mounting envelopes for all four types (J34, J46, Avon and XJ54) are all fairly close, close enough for whiffery at any rate,
so an XJ54 powered Cutlass would be pretty close to being Draken engined.

That's one rather long-standing question of mine answered.

Oh actually, you mean a F7U-3 could take not just one Avon but two?   

[Daryl J.]

The Electric Knife:

With the Lindberg kit-----> Add a cockpit w/ a Martin Baker or ACES-II ejection seat and Squadron canopy for the -3/3M as it will fit with some modification to the styrene fixing that bread loaf shaped clear part.   Twin underwing very long electronic jamming pods  that have something special:  leading edge controllable 'canards' to help with stabilizing the Cutlass rectifiying its propensity to tumble end over teakettle.   Pods ruggedly anchored to wing.   Uprated engines of course in order to carry the added weight.    Non carrier based, USAF perchance, USCG possible.    Electonics, avionics, engines continuously upgraded to match technology changes.

Violates the US dogma of faster, faster, faster; costlier, costlier, costlier.
Serves for 50 years or better with dependability.
Operates in pairs or multiples known as a Set of Knives.


Daryl J.

[tinlail]

I am looking at this plane and am thinking with an all glass canopy, carnards, mounted up above the intakes (better engine of course). It might start looking like a possible modern dog fighter.

[Daryl J.]

I am looking at this plane and am thinking with an all glass canopy, carnards, mounted up above the intakes (better engine of course). It might start looking like a possible modern dog fighter.

The same thought passed through my mind last night when taping the kit up for a preliminary fit check.   If the YB-35 & YB-49 can be stable as the B-2, the Cutlass ought to have some better chance of stability in today's world.    Additionally, the Eurofighter was what led to the idea of canards off the underwing pods.   That way those control surfaces keep the airflow to the intakes clean.  The solid mounts keep the canards in place rather than jiggling about, a problem that those aboard likely would be resentful of.  And rather than filling the pods with fuel, why not ECM gear; thus the 'Electric Knife' idea was born.     

I'm glad to see someone else thinking along the same lines as it was really late when the idea was thought up and had plenty of help from 3 shots of Drambuie. 


Daryl J.

[tinlail]

So I see you did. What is a -3/3m canopy? I can't get a plane from that nomenclature so I missed your thoughts.

My thought was mount the canards high above the intake, more like a gripen that might mean pulling the intakes forward to get a good look. I have to admit that I don't think the Cutlass is area ruled, and I have no idea, in what way it fails that, or how to fix it.

[Daryl J.]

Lindberg's kit is essentially an XF7U-1.  Squadron make a vacuform replacement canopy for Hobbycraft's F7U-3/3M which is an entirely different airplane much the way a F-86A and F-86 differ if not more so.   It just so happens that the bread loaf shaped Lindberg canopy bothers me and the vacuform piece should fit with some relatively simple modifications.  The canopy for the series 3/3M Cutlass is huge when compared to the series 1 machines.

Sorry to confuse and feel free to PM me if you'd like more info (not that I'm any expert.   )

Daryl J.

[jcf]

Daryl,
have you seen the pics of the early F7U-3 with -1 type nose and canopy?

Jon

[Daryl J.]

Jon,

I'd love to see them.  Where?


Daryl J.

[KJ_Lesnick]

A supersonic F7U would totally rock.

KJ Lesnick

[Archangel]

I saw over at Secretsprojects forum that there was a ground attack version planned but never made it past one prototype. Called the A2U-1 and based on the F7U-3.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,6044.0.html

[Daryl J.]

Called the A2U-1 and based on the F7U-3.

With that in mind, work with the aircraft proportions a bit and add Sea Vixen style booms and tail, and have a Wild Weasel for the Navy.  A2U-7 (or whatever suits the fancy).   


Daryl J., wishing each a great weekend. 

[Daryl J.]

Today, 25 Feb 09, I pulled a tooth on a WW-II Navy veteran who'd worked on SBD's, TBD's, PB4Y's, and ''all the early jets''.   While he was numbing up, he spoke mostly of the 'Gutless Cutlass' and remembered it with quite ill favor not surprisingly.   They were so bad, the Navy finally took them off the carriers or at least his.   He maintained the biggest problem with them was the landing gear couldn't hold up to the impact of landing.   They lost 3 in fairly short order.   He also remembers being in the intake working on the turbine blades when somebody jumped in the cockpit with intent to start the engines up for a test.   His CO saw what was happening and yelled at the guy in the cockpit preventing tragedy.   

His comment about the F8U, however, was pretty interesting.  Very quietly, he said 'Now *that* was an airplane!".    Since he's a very loud individual it just added emphasis to his point, but that's for a different thread.


Daryl J., glad to help out an old vet today.