Lockheed LT-3300 ShootingStarliner

Tophe · February 13, 2011, 01:23:12 AM

Well, at last I have understood why there were both Fouga Magister and T-33 in my kit box collection: in 1978 I wanted to build all the airplanes flown by my late Uncle Ray (dear "Tonton Raymond") who was a fighter pilot. (Then I died in 1979)... So, now (born again): T-33...
Owh... opening the box, bad surprise: almost all built already, almost impossible to turn it asymmetric or twin-fuselage... My project, so, is to make a 1/350 supersonic ramjet airliner (double-deck) out of this 1/72 trainer... (and the mysterious canopies in this old box, Ki-84? will be used elsewhere).

Tophe · February 13, 2011, 01:25:20 AM

In 1978 I was a serious (JMN) modeller: look at my pilots $:-\$

Tophe · February 13, 2011, 01:30:31 AM

I have glued the air intakes and canopy, then I am going to paint and it will be done...
(in 1978 I thought it was very far from completion, with all the undercarriage to finish - now: no need, the maximum rate "smile per hard work" is the goal)

Tophe · February 13, 2011, 02:24:35 AM

Here is the project of airliner with huge ramjet engine, of unknown precise size when the design came in 1947...

PR19_Kit · February 13, 2011, 05:28:15 AM

Quote from: Tophe on February 13, 2011, 01:23:12 AM
...... almost impossible to turn it asymmetric or twin-fuselage..

I never EVER thought I'd read that in a post of yours Tophe!!

Are you sure you couldn't saw off one wing and the opposite tailplane and swap them over?

Tophe · February 13, 2011, 07:46:59 AM

Don't tease me, Kit, I could... or... I will

Tophe · February 13, 2011, 11:17:21 AM

Well, I have started to paint the underside, there will be no truncating nor tailplane removing (+ puty & sanding).
To be uncommon, I plan to make it a triple-decker, to have enough passengers without the huge ramjet place available:

pyro-manic · February 14, 2011, 11:08:34 AM

Cool! The T-33 shape lends itself quite well to this. And Lockheed's airliners were always prettier than their fighters.

Tophe · February 16, 2011, 09:45:45 AM

Quickly finished, not perfect $:-\$ but good enough for me

Tophe · February 16, 2011, 09:47:53 AM

Other angles:

pyro-manic · February 17, 2011, 01:24:39 AM

Very nice.

Maybe some Pan Am markings?

royabulgaf · February 17, 2011, 08:03:14 PM

It looks like something that would grace the cover of "Popular Mechanics" in the 1940s. Some scheme with a lot of yellows and reds would be appropriate.

Tophe · February 17, 2011, 09:24:17 PM

Thanks both of you for your comments... while my feeling is simply opposite (instead of looking for a Realistic place for it in History, I read historical sources with blindness just to enjoy shapes and design ideas). $:-\$
Each one is different. Fortunately somehow, to enrich Universe...

Weaver · February 20, 2011, 06:10:01 PM

Nice idea, and a lot of potential to explore it further: what other mad small-scale airliners could be made from 1/72nd fighters eh?

Bit late now, but my suggestion would have been to cut the noses and tails off the tanks: use the tank bodies as engine pods (your choice of where to mount them), use two of the nose halves to blank off the original air intakes, and two of the tails to do the same for the original jet pipe.

Tophe · February 21, 2011, 10:29:31 AM

Very interesting idea, thanks. Alas too late for this one, sorry. Thanks anyway.