HAL Ajeet II; ‘S810’ of Indian Air Force No.2 Squadron, Ambala Air Base, 1988

PR19_Kit · March 23, 2015, 03:12:12 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on March 23, 2015, 01:52:41 AM
Concerning mods: I actually had, at a weak moment, the idea to try a VG Gnat... The Ajeet II here looks, from certain angles, VERY much like a half-size Tornado(!), and it layout is similar. Maybe, with 1:144 wings from a donation kit...?

Hehe, that's GOT to be worth doing! We'll look and see if it's sorted by about Thursday then, OK?

Dizzyfugu · March 23, 2015, 04:23:46 AM

DogfighterZen · March 23, 2015, 06:18:29 AM

That's great!

I like them small jets and this one is one seems like it's a mean little thing.

Weaver · March 23, 2015, 06:22:15 AM

That's excellent - well done!

Actually Folland did study twin-engined layouts for the Gnat Mk.5 and they produced a distantly related concept with swing wings, the Fo.148.

http://www.airvectors.net/avgnat.html

Dizzyfugu · March 23, 2015, 07:28:03 AM

Quote from: Weaver on March 23, 2015, 06:22:15 AM
That's excellent - well done!

Actually Folland did study twin-engined layouts for the Gnat Mk.5? and they produced a distantly related concept with swing wings, the Fo.148.

http://www.airvectors.net/avgnat.html

OMG! Did not know that - but it's a nice whif project...

PR19_Kit · March 23, 2015, 07:31:20 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on March 23, 2015, 07:28:03 AM
Quote from: Weaver on March 23, 2015, 06:22:15 AM
That's excellent - well done!

Actually Folland did study twin-engined layouts for the Gnat Mk.5? and they produced a distantly related concept with swing wings, the Fo.148.

http://www.airvectors.net/avgnat.html

OMG! Did not know that - but it's a nice whif project...

Get on with it then!

Dizzyfugu · March 23, 2015, 07:35:03 AM

Found this... The 148 in full glory. Reminds a bit of the illegitime child of a Gnat, a Mirage F.1, and the nighbors wonder where the VG winmgs come from...?

Feel tempted, though, it's a beautiful aircraft!

PR19_Kit · March 23, 2015, 09:30:37 AM

What is it with the curved wing tips for VG aircraft of that period? The VG TSR2 was the same, and it doesn't look anywhere near as good as straight cut tips, so there must be some aerodynamic reason.

The Fo.148 DOES look terrific though, curved tips or not. I expect to see one emerging from the Dizzy Hangar before the month is out.

Weaver · March 23, 2015, 01:11:14 PM

The earlier version of the Fo.148 had no tailplanes. Instead, it had a canard surface under the nose that turned 90 deg and retracted in high speed flight.

Weaver · March 23, 2015, 01:21:40 PM

Originally posted by Mossie here: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,18130.15.html

Gnat Mk.2 and trainer variant

Gnat Mk.2 with tip tanks

Gnat Mk.4 and naval variant

Gnat Mk.5 twin engines

Folland Light Bomber. This was a proposal to the TSR.2 requirement! Obviously it had neither the range nor the speed the RAF was asking for, but it was part of the attempt, by several manufacturers, to convince the RAF that it's requirements were over-ambitious and it should adopt something simpler instead.

PR19_Kit · March 23, 2015, 03:42:50 PM

LOVE the Mk 5!

Every kid's idea of a jet fighter.

comrade harps · March 24, 2015, 12:54:34 AM

Another excellent whif!

It kind of reminds me of the Grumman F11F Tiger, only with 2 engines. Now, there's an idea for someone: Super Tiger, Twin Tiger, Freedom Tiger, something like that.

Dizzyfugu · March 24, 2015, 01:41:53 AM

Also found this one of the Fo.148:

Interesting that it carries Bullpups on its fuselage pylons - but this gives a good indication of its size... BTW, put orders out yesterday: an Airfix Gnat and a Revell/Dragon 1:144 Tornado. Maybe...?

But probably after the One Week GB. That reserved kit is already waiting, currently another pre-WWII quickie is on the bench, and I have a finished whif ready for pics next weekend. Busy...

PR19_Kit · March 24, 2015, 01:54:54 AM

Interestingly the Fo.148 uses inboard wing pivots.

I'm not sure if any successful VG aircraft used them, apart possibly for the XF-10F Jaguar, and I'm not sure that that could be called 'successful' really.

[Later] Further reading on the Jaguar revealed that the wing sweep was just about the only part of the aircraft that DID work properly!

It was based on the Bell X-5's system, where the wing root moves rearwards as the sweep decreases, thus minimising the CoL movement.

PR19_Kit · March 24, 2015, 01:57:19 AM

In passing, why do I get this popping up whenever I try and reply to one of Dizzy's posts? I have to delete the 'Re:' bit every time, but others don't seem to get it as they have the whole thread title text on their replies.

I even got it when I tried to post THIS entry!!!