Avro Z.101 Manned Blue Steel - The Real Missile with a Man in It

Mossie · April 03, 2012, 04:40:26 AM

Thanks guys! It's very much appreciated! Thank you for all the kind words, it's very encouraging to see that people are interested in this build.

This wasn't really a scratchbuild, more a conversion but it'll hopefully give me the skills to attempt more ambitous projects. The main thing with this approach is perserverence, and I remembered Overkillers words about carrying on, not losing heart and not to be afraid of tryin again if an approach didn't work. Here's a smattering of in progress photos I took:

Some of the bits I used, the basic Blue Steel, cockpit tub from a Harrier, seat from God-knows-what, front undercarriage also GKW (I lost this but found a better replacement closer to the plans) and an X-15 Canopy. I didn't use the lower fin as it was to be jettisoned for landing and was too large for it to sit on it's undercarriage with it in place. Other bits used were half a Harrier drop tank for the spine, Harrier wheel well (that Airfix GR.5/7 donated a good chunk of parts for this build) and struts from an SE5a for the skid undercarriage.

Holes drilled for undercarriage bay, this was also from a Harrier being the only one I had that was the right size.

Holes drilled for the cockpit, it was then cut out with a scalpel blade. I found that more holes with a smaller drill made it easier to cut the panel out, something that I'd learnt from trying to cut out the canopy windows.

Blokey. Kindly donated by Overkiller from an SR-71, he was roughly painted to represent the Windak high altitude pressure suit. I'm currentley looking at converting a standing figure from deathjester and/or philip to better represent the suit.

Canopy on, faired into a chopped up half of a Harrier GR.5/7 (that kit came in very handy) drop tank. The canopy was kindly donated by Weaver from an X-15. I removed the 'skirt' and cut out the windows as one was faired over in the X-15A2. In doing this I cut too close to the edge, meaning I had to replace the sills and later knocked of the bridge of it's nose at an annoyingingly late stage.

Primer on, blokey in place. You can just see the crack in the canopy strut that kept coming back to haunt me. I eventually replaced it and still it managed to break again! I also somehow damaged the rear of the frame after this pic was taken, it happened at too late a stage to fix it.

Primer after second round of PSR. My favourite putty is Mr Surfacer 500 which dried up in the pot just before I needed it

and I struggled to get rid of the seam lines. I broke out some gap filling superglue which I don't like (just don't really like the way it feels and I'm suspicous of the stuff since I glued four fingers together when a tube split in a freak work accident!) but it did the job well and I'd use it again were I need a meatallic finish.

PR19_Kit · April 03, 2012, 05:25:38 AM

Mossie, that's a brill build description. I applaud your use of the rear of a drop tank as a canopy fairing, I'm sure I'll find a use for that idea somewhere soon.

NARSES2 · April 03, 2012, 07:56:22 AM

Quote from: kitbasher on April 02, 2012, 02:18:43 PM
This was fantastic. Looked like solid stainless steel, not painted plastic.

It did didn't it

sequoiaranger · April 03, 2012, 09:18:26 AM

Pretty cool build!

Just curious, where did the skids come from, that is, did they extend from the fuselage for landing? Surely they were not "fixed" in place for the Mach 3 run?

Mossie · April 03, 2012, 03:38:04 PM

Thanks! Yes, the skids would have partially retracted into the fuselage in a very similar fashion to the X-15. If I've interpreted the drawing correctly, the rearmost strut would have retracted into a slot with the formost strut and skid flatening against the fuselage. I posted the original Avro drawing here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,30086.msg555038.html#msg555038

The whole project can be regarded as a British X-15 with the broad aims being pretty much identical. Direct comparison is made in some source materials to performance compared to the North American rocket plane.

Tophe · April 04, 2012, 10:24:20 AM

Amazing...

Captain Canada · April 04, 2012, 12:42:02 PM

Neat. Crazy. Scary ! Looks like a sub, or a shark, or maybe an escape pod from a supersonic bomber.

Great job !

James · April 05, 2012, 06:19:49 AM

Quote from: Captain Canada on April 04, 2012, 12:42:02 PM
Neat. Crazy. Scary !

That sums it up rather well.

Mossie · April 05, 2012, 06:56:03 AM

Cheers again guys!

Yep, scary does sum it up well. Landings would have been particularly hairy, the small wings, canard configuration and lack of flaps all adding up to make landing fast, steep and twitchy. A lot of comparison was made with the X-15 (which was wrecked in one landing) and this showed that the Z.101 would have been worse in all these aspects. The proposal was to deploy a parawing, (similar to the experiments for the Gemini capsule) which would have given a nice gentle landing.

Doc Yo · April 05, 2012, 12:52:30 PM

Grand concept, splendid execution-another "Really ShouldaBeen " Whif.

rickshaw · April 05, 2012, 06:42:24 PM

Quote from: Mossie on April 05, 2012, 06:56:03 AM
Cheers again guys!

Yep, scary does some it up well. Landings would have been particularly hairy, the small wings, canard configuration and lack of flaps all adding up to make landing fast, steep and twitchy. A lot of comparison was made with the X-15 (which was wrecked in one landing) and this showed that the Z.101 would have been worse in all these aspects. The proposal was to deploy a parawing, (similar to the experiments for the Gemini capsule) which would have given a nice gentle landing.

An interesting idea to do that. I'd have thought it was just easier to use ordinary chutes. Come in over whichever airfield, slow to stall and pop the chutes and float down. I assume there was no ejector seat?

Thorvic · April 06, 2012, 01:21:00 AM

When i first saw it from behind the stand the skids were hidden by the wings and it just screamed to me Land Speed record contender

(And i knew what it really was !!!

)

Its a cracking looking build and it certainly got the attention of the visitors to the stand at the show, especially the Avro Heritage gang

.

OK Mossie whats next, the Vulcan launch aircraft and maybe a 707 chase aircraft ?

PR19_Kit · April 06, 2012, 02:10:11 AM

Quote from: Thorvic on April 06, 2012, 01:21:00 AM
.......and maybe a 707 chase aircraft ?

With a Derwent? It'd be one loooooong chase, the Z.101 would have been out of sight in milliseconds!

Fitted with an afterburning Olympus it might have stood a chance. Hmm, now there's an idea for a Whiff if ever I had one.

PR19_Kit · April 06, 2012, 06:11:27 AM

Quote from: Overkiller (aka Buffy) on April 06, 2012, 04:42:25 AM
How about an Avro 720 as a chase aircraft?

MUCH more likely to my mind.

Mossie · April 06, 2012, 08:18:00 AM

Quote from: Thorvic on April 06, 2012, 01:21:00 AM
When i first saw it from behind the stand the skids were hidden by the wings and it just screamed to me Land Speed record contender (And i knew what it really was !!! )

Its a cracking looking build and it certainly got the attention of the visitors to the stand at the show, especially the Avro Heritage gang .

OK Mossie whats next, the Vulcan launch aircraft and maybe a 707 chase aircraft ?

Thrust TMB???

Next is something a little different

, I fancy keeping with a theme of Brits in space at the mo. I had wondered about doing some ground equipment and slotting it into Aussierama since Woomera would have been the launch site. An Avro 720 chase plane might be nice, although I can't stretch to one at the mo. Would a SR.177 be sacrilgous??? How about the Z.101 as a chase plane for HOTOL or Syklon???