AIRCRAFT BRITAIN SHOULD HAVE HAD

[crudebuteffective]

The AVRO agincourt was the name my dad mistakenly gave my RAF arrow

[Rheged]

The AVRO agincourt was the name my dad mistakenly gave my RAF arrow

.............but appropriate when you consider the  English weapon of choice there!

[crudebuteffective]

Here we go, my back story to the RAF Arrow was that they were brought to fill the F155 specification they where equiped with  British engines (gyrons, Olympus) and British radar but didn't know what to call that, problem solved 'blue agincourt'

[DarrenP]

I would sugest that we wasted alot of money on the "British" Phantom the Navy should have gone for a straight F4J Purchase and we should have Goten F4E for the Airforce and RF4E for the Recce role.

[crudebuteffective]

In Feb 47 a crisis hit the British supersonic flight team, the Miles M 52 had flown at over 700 mph but  the need to cool the engine had reduced the space around the engine for fuel tanks thus reducing the fuel tank capacity, this combined with its high fuel consumption prevented it from flying long enough to reach supersonic speeds.
The team decided to help the aircraft to height by slinging it under a stripped down Lancaster and carry it to 20,000 foot thus saving the fuel required
The mods included removal of all turrets and strengthening the fuselage around the bomb bay to enable the rear of bomb bay roof be taken out and  devising a trapeze type system to lower the AC prior to dropping.
THE BUILD
This started with a text to from one part of crudebuteffective ( son no 1) to another part ( dad) stating that he had found a Czech firm that made a 1:72 M52, in the next hour the text back and forward had ideas for the mothership, chase plane and ground handling equipment.
Santa obviously hacked into our mobiles and we now have the M52 and a Lancaster.
The build is complicated in a way airbus industry would be proud of, because one part of CBE is stationed in south west of England and the other part is at home in the midlands so the Lancaster and M52 will be built in different locations ( to keep the domestic manager happy the Lancaster parts may even be built in different rooms LOL

the build so far

M52


THE LANCASTER



rear end of bomb bay roof had to go and fuselage in front of bomb bay had to be turned upside down

[rickshaw]

Looking interesting.  Modifications to Lancaster, rather like for bouncing bombs?

[McColm]

Great build, so far.
I would have thought that Westland would have built the Sikrosky S-61R, known as the CH-3 as they built the Sea King. Augusta built the AS-61R under license.
This could have been used by the Royal Navy/Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force in the transport role.
I also think they missed a trick by not building any Super Pumas, these too could have been used by the Navy.

[DarrenP]

we should have stuck to the original plans and replaced the Belvedere with the Chinook.

[eatthis]

Like the TSR.2 family.   How did you go about the single piece canopies?

Maybe just rub the originals down so you can't see the side window frames?

It looks LOADS better like that, doesn't it? I think I'll try that on some of mine, the current count is SEVEN and I have yet to complete even one. 

iv got 17 in total built about 6 so far and have 2 on the go now
the idea of sanding/polishing the canopies is great imo and i might just nick that idea lol

[crudebuteffective]

Question to the floor

trying to think of a name for the M52, id like to think they named it somethink more interesting and clinical than M52 or "gillette"

im thinking something from greek mythology, ie Miles Pegasus, Miles Mercury/Hermes

I think im settled on a nickname for the Lanc mothership "Helios" the god that carried the sun across the sky

discuss?

[Mr.Creak]

Well Helios had a child (son) called Phaëton - he drove the chariot of the Sun (except that he lost control and crashed it after a lightning strike - maybe a bad omen!)

But Wiki also says "This story has given rise to two latter-day meanings of "phaeton": one who drives a chariot or coach, especially at a reckless or dangerous speed, and one that would or may set the world on fire".

Reckless speed? Yep? Chance of "setting the world on fire"? Ushering in the supersonic age - sure thing.
Oh, the name also means "shining" surely a decent name for a polished NMF aircraft.

[Father Ennis]

Outstanding idea for names,MrCreak ... !!!

[kerick]

Didn't Rolls Royce already use that name?

[PR19_Kit]

Didn't Rolls Royce already use that name?

Yes, and so did Volkswagen  but they were both cars.....

[Hobbes]

Didn't Rolls Royce already use that name?

Phaeton was the name for a car body style, in use up to ca. 1940. A Phaeton was an open car without side windows, and originally without a convertible top as well. So you could buy a RR with a Phaeton body, but it wasn't an RR-specific name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phaeton_body