"Zeb" Twin-Engined Zero

[sequoiaranger]

This next project will commence in a month or so (mid-May), to give SWMBO a break from my concentration and mess. There was an illustration (model?) that I found that is something like what I have in mind:



My base model will be the 1/72 LS Mitsubishi "Dinah". I will HARDLY have to do ANYTHING to it except:

Chop off the nose and attach a "solid" nose from an old A-26 (8 gun holes). Chop off top fuselage and blend in Hasegawa Zero top fuselage and cockpit/canopy. Chop off rear fuselage and substitute Hawk Dauntless (Yes! It has nearly the same tail configuration as Zero, but taller and has the strake!). Chop off main wings outboard of engines and substitute Zero 52 wings (will shorten wingspan of Ki-46 a little, but be greater than a Zero). Chop off tailplane tips and substitute Zero tips (more rounded--"Zero-looking" but actually slightly longer). I may have folding wings (less complicated scheme than my "Jinpu-Kai"). The resulting "Zeb" (nicknames given by the Technical Air Intelligence Unit were generally "backwoods" names. "Zeb" is short for "Zebulon"--"Zeke" is short for "Ezekiel") should look VERY "Zeke"-like.

So let's see now. All that is left of the "original" Ki-46 is the lower central fuselage and inner wing/engine section. SIMPLE whif!!  

Markings will be Thai (Elephantine) and the "tiger" camo of similar Ki-43 Hayabusa's (I think I will call it "Thai-grr" camo!).

[Captain Canada]

Very cool. That first piecw of artwork looks awesome.

[Tophe]

Courageous project, strong changes, great!

[Taiidantomcat]

Cant wait to see more 

[jcf]

Very cool. That first piecw of artwork looks awesome.

More of the artwork in the Zero thread:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,21855.msg418028.html#msg418028

[johnsjunk]

Sounds awesome!! Can't wait for more pic's!

[sotoolslinger]

Yes please

[sequoiaranger]

CapCan, SoTool, j-junk, Taiid, Tophe and J-carr---Thanks, but....not so fast!      Though I always enjoy the enthusiasm of this esteemed What-if group, I have just completed TWO new whiffs (Bison and Newt) this month, and the "family" needs a respite from my hobby concentration. I have tried to make a habit of a 1-month hiatus after finishing a whif, tidying up the "craft room", and shifting hobby emphasis to domestic tranquility. This ALLOWS the creative process in modeling to be nurtured and personal enthusiasm retained.

So, as much as I truly appreciate the encouragement to proceed with the Zebulon (and I will likely clandestinely open the boxes and "dry fit" and mentally ponder the procedure), I have to "lay low" for a while. I will pick up this thread, and start hacking and tweaking the Zebulon in a few weeks, but for now I have to "bow out" of the destruction/construction and illustrations that normally accompany a whif model thread by me. I hope the "anticipation" is not too overwhelming.  

Cheers!!

[Sauragnmon]

Looking forward to seeing this...

[Cobra]

Super Cool looks similar to a Plane i unlocked  in the Video Game,'Heroes of the Pacific'! Keep up the Great Work Dan

[arkon]

OK ,we will wait

[dumaniac]

great concept - I do Luft46 - the twin engine Me109 is on my "to-do" list and the Fw190 would also benefit from 2 donks.  I am just finishing the 109 with twin jumos and want to do the same for the Fw190

so many projects - so little time

nice artwork - its an inspiration for my projects - I like the brown tiger pattern  -will have to think about using that for the Africa Luft46 scenario

[sotoolslinger]

Dang ol families, always interferin with whiffery

[sequoiaranger]

>the twin engine Me109 is on my "to-do" list and the Fw190 would also benefit from 2 donks.  I am just finishing the 109 with twin jumos and want to do the same for the Fw190<

Got me confused here---is the twin-engined 109 on the to do list (future project), or currently being finished? Tell you why--I have two Me-109"H" kits that have the extended constant-chord inner wing (which I think would be perfect for a twin-engined Bf-109--put the engines at the crank in each wing). I am someday going to do a "Super-Traeger" Bf-109 and will use ONE set of them (and have the second as a back-up), but you would be welcome to the second set when I'm done.

>so many projects - so little time<

I hear you loud and clear there!

PS--I once did a 109 Zwilling (real aircraft) with two fuselages, but I guess that wouldn't count as a twin-engined 109 along the lines we are thinking, eh?

[sequoiaranger]

Eye-balling and measuring, I have come up with some basic specs for comparing the Zero, the early Dinah, and my "Zeb":



I think the "original" artwork, especially the "green" version (another thread), just had two engines slapped onto a standard Zero airframe with wingspan and length unchanged (VERY unlikely). My "Zeb" will have a "skoshe" more dimension than a Zero 21 (but will use the stubbier Zero 52 wingtips that fit the Dinah wing better), but less than the Dinah. I am presuming it will be a bit faster than the early Dinah (smaller airframe, despite the more prominent canopy and "heavy" armament). The late-war Dinahs with improved engines (and the "cool" canopy) went almost 400 mph, but my Zeb is slated to be an early-war machine so it will "compromise" on speed. I am also forgoing cannon, but may be using eight "heavy" 12.7mm (.50 cal equivalent) guns instead of the 7.7's (.30 cal equivalent) commonly found on early-war aircraft. In truth, the eight .303's of the Hurricanes/Spitfires were pretty deadly, but think of the eight .50-cals of the P-47!! The eight gunports will be on the "underside" of the nose (the four gunports shown in the illustration in my first post here are on the topside) more like a DeHavilland Mosquito. I may have one or two drop-tanks, as well.

PS--I just discovered that the Gruman Hellcat has exactly the same wing/length dimensions as my proposed "Zeb".