Curtiss Model 101 (XFC-1 Oceanhawk) jet flying boat fighter +++ Pics on page 3!

[Dizzyfugu]

For entertainment purposes, as this might take a little longer until it's finished and I get appropriate backgrounds for beauty pics, here's a look at my current project - a fantasy aircraft, kind of tribute to one of the (many) dead aircraft developmnent ends after WWII:


New adventures: a tribute to one of the dead ends of military aviation... by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


New adventures: a tribute to one of the dead ends of military aviation... by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

As an addendum: accidently grabbed the wrong HTML code for this post - "live pics" from the bench are to be replaced!

[PR19_Kit]

A Sabre seaplane? Ooooh, NICE one Thomas! 

[ericr]

 A Sabre *flying boat*, even ... I look forward to seeing it

[sturmvogel]

A tribure to the Saunders-Roe SR.A/1, perhaps?

[kerick]

Is the next pics in your album going to be the test pilots?
I'll be keeping an eye on this build!

[sandiego89]

I assume the nose intake will not play a part here.  Maybe some podded engines lear jet style, or wing root engines?  Keep it up- all jet seaplanes/floatplane/flyingboats are good to me! (thus my avitar) 

[ericr]

I assume the nose intake will not play a part here.  Maybe some podded engines lear jet style, or wing root engines?  Keep it up- all jet seaplanes/floatplane/flyingboats are good to me! (thus my avitar) 

I fully agree : jet seaplanes/floatplanes/flyingboats are great!

Some time ago I tried a floatplanization of a Harrier :
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,37467.msg607457.html#msg607457
but I was told it was likely to entail quite boiling buoyancy ... 

[nighthunter]

North American FP2J Sky Shark, is ever any Navy aircraft was deserving of a shark mouth, this one is!

[Dizzyfugu]

Is the next pics in your album going to be the test pilots?
I'll be keeping an eye on this build!

Ah, well, not really (a shame, though) - these are "out of the order" pics, taken spontaneously due to good weather and light conditions; they belong into the Ma.K. universe, both are Brick Works figures. The mechanic is OOB, the pilot a major conversion.  


1:20 Ma.K. - Brick Works' Mercenary Woman Space Pilot A Inner Suit Ver. (conversion) & Mercenaries' Woman Maintenance Worker B by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:20 Ma.K. - Brick Works' Mercenary Woman Space Pilot A Inner Suit Ver. (conversion) & Mercenaries' Woman Maintenance Worker B by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


But back to the actual subject: yes, as guessed correctly, this is going to become a 50ies-style jet flying boat fighter, a conceptual sister of the Saunders-Roe SR.A/1 from the US.
I recently saw a documentation about the P6M Seamaster (someone remember asking me about its top color?  ), and the Saro made an appearance - exotic topic, so I gave it a try...

As also correctly assumed, the nose air intake of the Sabre has to go - and actually there will be little left from the F-86.


1:72 1950ies-style jet fighter sea plane (Scratchbuilt - WiP) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

LOTS of putty work! The hull consists of a F-86 fuselage (Hobby Boss kit) - it's a massive, single piece that makes working in this case easier.
The boat hull is the lower half of a truly ancient Heinkel He 115 swimmer, from a Matchbox kit I guess I bought and built more than 30 years ago!

The fin comes from a MiG-21F, the original Sabre fin looked a little too small for the bulky flying boat.

Worked with 2C putty for the rough bodywork and then NC putty for an even surface.


1:72 1950ies-style jet fighter sea plane (Scratchbuilt - WiP) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Where to put the engine(s)? Good question. I did not want to go Saro SR.1 style (nose intake), and since I want to make this a USN test aircraft I settled for J47 engines - making use of the occasion, that I have a B-47 engine detail set from Pavla in stock, which offers resin intake and exhaust replacements for the Hasegawa B-47!

The engine nacelles were improvised, though, and their position high on a gull wing more of less pre-defined.

At this point the thing got a certain Soviet look that made me consider hitting it with a Red Star... but I stayed true to my initial idea.


1:72 1950ies-style jet fighter sea plane (Scratchbuilt - WiP) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

One step after the other: the wings. These also come from the F-86F-30 (extended span version), and the position of the stabilizer swimmers on the wing tips dictated the gull wing shape, so that the engines sit on the highest position.

Using retractable swimmers (SR.1/A style) would also have been an option, but I thought that this variant (also used on the P6M SeaMaster) is the more simple alternative.

As a benefit, compared to the SR.1/A, we have a swept wing!

Finally, for the moment, the  model in progressive stages of surface finishing; hull is complete now, as well as the wings with their stabilizers on the wing tips.

After two turns with NC putty everywhere, a coat of grey primer was added in order to check the surface - still many dents and notches! So, more NC putty everywhere...
But even THAT is finished sometime, and we can go on with final details like spray dams, gun ports, air scoops, and finally painting! There's also a trolley in the making  


1:72 1950ies-style jet fighter sea plane (Scratchbuilt - WiP) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 1950ies-style jet fighter sea plane (Scratchbuilt - WiP) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 1950ies-style jet fighter sea plane (Scratchbuilt - WiP) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Stay tuned...  

[silverwindblade]

This looks great, can't wait to see the finished result. Great look to it, I can almost believe it from the clever layout!

[CSMO]

It looks like a flying version of one of the Ekranoplans (surface-effect aircraft) from the Soviet Union. Great idea and execution. Adios, Larry.

[Captain Canada]

Very neat ! Love the layout. Is there a way to hyper-link the pics so we can see them all at once ?

[Dizzyfugu]

Hmmm, I wonder why the linked pics do not work properly? Sorry for the inconvenience, as I linked the pics the usual way? I probably grabbed the wrong HTML code? Try to fix it... 

Anyway: Painting started! And I also put together a story - it will be a Curtiss aircraft, Model 101, the XFC-1 'Oceanhawk'. 

Design benchmark is the Martin P6M SeaMaster, which was tested in the early 50ies. Not sexy, but plausible, IMHO.
AFAIK, these aircraft were painted with a uniform FS16081 Dark Grey from above (actually available from Testors, but only in the US), with white undersides. Not 100% sure, but it looks plausible, as the P6M definitively was not dark blue.

Painting started with the lower sides - white is a PITA, so I avoided any trouble and used a light grey, applied with a simple rattle can.
I also went for a very light grey instead of pure white. One benefit is, that this simply does not look as bright/harsh as white, and it would cover the surfaces more easily. Application went smoothly, just two thin coats of enamel paint, nothing more.

For the upper side I used Humbrol 32 (FS 36081), applied with a brush. After basic colors were done, the cockpit was painted with Zinc Chromate Primer (Humbrol 150 and some 80, dry-brushed).


1:72 Curtiss Model 101 (UFC-1 'Oceanhawk '); former second XFC-1 prototype, VX-4, Point Mugu, summer 1956 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Curtiss Model 101 (UFC-1 'Oceanhawk '); former second XFC-1 prototype, VX-4, Point Mugu, summer 1956 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Curtiss Model 101 (UFC-1 'Oceanhawk '); former second XFC-1 prototype, VX-4, Point Mugu, summer 1956 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Curtiss Model 101 (UFC-1 'Oceanhawk '); fomer second XFC-1 prototype, VX-4, Point Mugu, summer 1956 (What-if/Kit-bashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

This thing looks disturbingly realistic... 

More to come soon!

[Steel Penguin]

 
that does look good, slightly Gerry Anderson-y but more to the "realistic" side

[PR19_Kit]

Yes indeedy, I like that too, and I can see it being a Curtiss design as well. Nice work Thomas.