The de Havilland DH.88A Meteor, aka "MacRobertson Interceptor"

[steelpillow]

"The MacRobertson Interceptor" According to an American contemporary, the British Government will seriously consider the adoption of the winning machine in the England-Australia race for modification as an interceptor fighter. – Flight, 7 June 1934, p.560.

The MacRobertson Air Race was won by de Havilland Comet G-ACSS "Grosvenor House". The Air Ministry later bought the aircraft and had it painted standard silver with RAF markings and the registration K5084 and flown to Martlesham Heath for evaluation. De Havilland proposed a fast bomber variant, which was turned down but would eventually resurface as the famous Moquito. K5084 was presently crashed-landed, sold for scrap, sold on for refurbishment and raced again. Contemporary with the Comet, the Hurricane and Spitfire were under development. Both were to be powered by the Rolls-Royce PV12 engine, also in development and soon to be renamed the Merlin. So much is history. But what-if the MacRobertson Interceptor had gone ahead as proposed?

The Comet is very similar in size to the other two and the Merlin fits it like a glove. You just need to rearrange the undercarriage a little. So here is K5084 after undergoing "modification as an interceptor fighter" to become the prototype de Havilland DH.88A Meteor:



The two Gipsy Six engines were replaced by a single Merlin - and a new wing had to be made because the middle spar had to be moved forward. This was done both to accommodate the repositioned inward-retracting undercarriage and to correctly position the engine firewall. The opportunity was taken to extend the landing flaps due to the anticipated high takeoff and landing speeds. The Ministry then decided it wanted the airframe strengthening to allow evaluation for combat manoeuvring and that meant a new fuselage as well. Note also the de Havilland-style chin intake for carburettor and oil cooler, the "pre-Mossie" style wing-mounted glycol radiators and faired-over rear seating position.

Estimated top speed is slightly above that of the contemporary Spitfire prototype K5054 due in large part to the ruthless reduction of frontal area carried through from the racer to the interceptor. Manoeuvrability is less due to the higher wing loading and greater span. The propeller seen here is an early flying prototype of de Havilland's own variable-pitch type which would later grace many Spits and Hurries in three-bladed form. It is the other reason K5084 beat K5054 in the speed stakes.

In the event, the Meteor came just too late and the early success of the Hurri and Spit meant that a third option was not needed and when its turn came it was canned. A mix-up at Martlesham over the identification plate on the discarded Comet fuselage allowed the scrap dealer to resell it as the bona fide aircraft. That meant two airframes flying with the same ID. This came to the Ministry's attention just as the project was being scrapped, and would have been acutely embarrassing to the Ministry staff responsible had it got out, so the Meteor prototype itself was scrapped just days after the project was.

The model here shows the aircraft as prepared for its final series of test flights in October 1937, following minor modifications including an uprated Merlin with triple ejector exhausts (only the second aircraft to receive them, after the Spitfire prototype K5054), an improved propeller, enlarged radiator housings in the wing leading edges and a tail wheel in place of the Comet's skid.

The back story currently runs to 50,000 words and growing. It includes several more what-ifs dating from ca.1920 through to ca.1970. The next one, like the novel, is now half-built.

I am also finalising a magazine-style article on the Meteor which includes design detail not in the book and 1:72 scale 3-views.

This is my first post here, having been pointed this way by a Britmodeller member, so I must apologise if I have not made my entrance in acceptable fashion.

[Weaver]

I'd say that's a splendid entrance Sir: welcome aboard, and if you carry on in that vein you won't go far wrong. 

[TomZ]

Oh my, that's a beauty!

TomZ

[PR19_Kit]

This is my first post here, having been pointed this way by a Britmodeller member, so I must apologise if I have not made my entrance in acceptable fashion.

You HAVE to be kidding! 

A more impressive entrance would be difficult to see. We've been oggling at your Meteor for a while now, and it's great you've 'Come Over to the Dark Side' with work like that. 

[The Rat]

  Terrific! 

[Dizzyfugu]

As mentioned elsewhere - very nice concept and realisation. Great work. 

[Mossie]

Perfect.

[nighthunter]

Beautiful!

[NARSES2]

Looks just right  

[rickshaw]

This is my first post here, having been pointed this way by a Britmodeller member, so I must apologise if I have not made my entrance in acceptable fashion.

For my sins, it was I who invited you.  Welcome to the dark closet of the modelling hobby.  We are collectively, to the other modellers, the embarrassing old uncle who insists on drinking too much, telling off colour jokes and falling asleep in front of the TV with the channel stuck on the Test pattern.   

[steelpillow]

For my sins, it was I who invited you.  Welcome to the dark closet of the modelling hobby.  We are collectively, to the other modellers, the embarrassing old uncle who insists on drinking too much, telling off colour jokes and falling asleep in front of the TV with the channel stuck on the Test pattern.   

Then, thank you! I lost track of your original message so couldn't reply directly. Sorry about that.

And thanks to all for your kind words, I have this uncomfortable feeling that when we meet in the flesh you are softening me up to buy the first round.

Been dabbling with the dark side of the force since the 1970s: a fictional printed-fabric and paint scheme for an Airfix Albatros scout (unfinished and the paints no longer available) and a small-scale spaceship made from surplus F-14 drop tanks (long vanished). But I blame Revell really. When they released their massively-anticipated F-16 kit, I took one look at my assembled but unpainted model and went shopping for a razor saw.... But that is another model for another thread - now posted here.

[zenrat]

Welcome.

...Welcome to the dark closet of the modelling hobby.  We are collectively, to the other modellers, the embarrassing old uncle who insists on drinking too much, telling off colour jokes and falling asleep in front of the TV with the channel stuck on the Test pattern.   

The interesting ones in other words.
Soon you'll be unable to build anything Real Life without getting twitchy...

[Army of One]

What a spanking entrance........!!!! Welcome............ I really like what you have done....... I have often considered using the kit and arming it in some way and as a single seater.....sort of competition to the whirlwind.......

[comrade harps]

 

[steelpillow]

And now the underside, which I neglected to say before had not been finished. 'twas also back in the hangar for repairs to pitot tube and tailwheel.



Major feature is the wheel wells which pushed the middle spar forwards. The original undercarriage attachment points on the inboard side are re-used but reinforced for the single-leg design. Behind them the landing flaps have been extended outboard.

Note too the under-chin bulge where the air intake pokes down through the underside cowling. Yes the Merlin fits like a glove, but the supercharger air intake points downwards and the associated duct just has to poke down further: the Comet's fuselage is shallower than a Spit or a Hurri. Just in front of it and offset to one side is the oil cooler air outlet. Similar outlets under the wing-mounted radiators mirror the Comet's arrangement on top, to double the airflow capacity of the radiator exit ducting.