Henschel Hs 127: Luftwaffe Torpedo Bomber

zenrat · October 04, 2015, 04:07:47 AM

As I had cleared space on the bench by finishing the Skyray & Bulldog I started work on something new for the GB

What If the RLM had, instead of putting all their eggs in the dive bombing basket put out a specification for a Torpedo Bomber?
The Hs 127 was a real schnellbomber which never went beyond the prototype stage. I am not attempting to build something that looks like it, merely appropriating its number.
My aircraft will be powered by twin BMW 801 engines, carry 2 crew, have a tricycle undercarriage to avoid clearance problems with it's payload of 2 torpedoes, have a dorsal turret for defence and possibly have other fixed offensive weapons.
Paint will be the Luftwaffe seaplane scheme of RLM71/72/65 (wow - it DOES sound like you know what you are talking about if you throw RLM numbers around!).
It is currently 100% Airfix being mostly Pe 2 with additional parts from a Do 217 and an SM 79. The trick will be to make it not look like a Pe 2 with german engines and turret. I may have to perform a nosejob grafting on the Do 217 nightfighter nose. This, being deeper than the Pe 2 nose would also give space to 1) house the retracted nose wheel and 2) put all the weight it's going to need to avoid tail sitting.

So far i've got the Dornier dorsal turret to fit (surprisingly easy), glued all the in-fuselage windows into place (they'll be smoothed over), modified the nacelles to reverse & move rearwards the landing gear and glued the wings and fuselage together.

PR19_Kit · October 04, 2015, 04:33:03 AM

Quote from: zenrat on October 04, 2015, 04:07:47 AM

Paint will be the Luftwaffe seaplane scheme of RLM71/72/65 (wow - it DOES sound like you know what you are talking about if you throw RLM numbers around!).

See? I told you so.............

You're hereby appointed the Forum Luftwaffe Farben Experten.

rickshaw · October 04, 2015, 07:25:51 AM

You do realise that nosewheeled undercarriage was viewed with considerable suspicion by the hierarchy in the Luftwaffe for most of the first half of the war?

Captain Canada · October 04, 2015, 07:31:29 AM

Sounds like an interesting mix of bits ! I like the idea of using the 217 nose, as I think the more German looking the better.

Dizzyfugu · October 04, 2015, 08:55:03 AM

German seaplanes would be in RLM 72/73/65... slightly different tones.

zenrat · October 05, 2015, 01:47:44 AM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on October 04, 2015, 08:55:03 AM
German seaplanes would be in RLM 72/73/65... slightly different tones.

Correct. Well done. You passed the first test.

Quote from: rickshaw on October 04, 2015, 07:25:51 AM
You do realise that nosewheeled undercarriage was viewed with considerable suspicion by the hierarchy in the Luftwaffe for most of the first half of the war?

Nope, didn't know that. That was obviously the reason this particular Hs 127 wasn't widely adopted.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on October 04, 2015, 04:33:03 AM
Quote from: zenrat on October 04, 2015, 04:07:47 AM

Paint will be the Luftwaffe seaplane scheme of RLM71/72/65 (wow - it DOES sound like you know what you are talking about if you throw RLM numbers around!).

See? I told you so.............

You're hereby appointed the Forum Luftwaffe Farben Experten.

Seeing as I had got it wrong already i'd better refuse the appointment.

Performed the nose job today. It looks more German already.

Captain Canada · October 05, 2015, 06:59:28 AM

Nice to hear. Looking forward to seeing some shots of her.

RAFF-35 · October 05, 2015, 01:23:50 PM

Damn it, I thought I'd come up with a novel idea for a specifically designed torpedo bomber then

hopefully mine will be substantially different

sounds an interesting build though, and I look forward to seeing it built

zenrat · October 06, 2015, 03:07:41 AM

If you are not using a Pe 2 as the basis then you should be OK.

Today I built up the sides of the nose gear bay and cut a slot in the underside of the nose for wheel clearance.

Captain Canada · October 06, 2015, 05:40:20 AM

Cool. It's funny the lengths we go to add 'realism' eh ? I was thinking the same thing with my builds. I would have been too easy to drill a hole under the wing and insert an oleo, but oh no.....a full bay with details that nobody will ever see

RAFF-35 · October 06, 2015, 07:25:42 AM

Quote from: zenrat on October 06, 2015, 03:07:41 AM
If you are not using a Pe 2 as the basis then you should be OK.

Nope, mines going to a Blohm and Voss of some description

zenrat · October 07, 2015, 03:36:41 AM

Quote from: Captain Canada on October 06, 2015, 05:40:20 AM
Cool. It's funny the lengths we go to add 'realism' eh ? I was thinking the same thing with my builds. I would have been too easy to drill a hole under the wing and insert an oleo, but oh no.....a full bay with details that nobody will ever see

But i'll see it...

I won't be going so far as to fully box out and detail the nose bay but the doors will be visible from the side and to get their size I need to know the size of the hole.
At least, that's how I justify it to myself...
Nothing today but should slap on some filler tomorrow.

zenrat · October 08, 2015, 11:37:19 PM

I've P'd it and S'ing is underway. R will be required.

I'm not sure if the new nose shape, engines and trimmed wings makes it look German or not? Certainly looks less like a Pe 2. The close coupled turret is certainly a German touch (although it's in exactly the same place as the Russian original).

Captain Canada · October 09, 2015, 06:21:28 AM

Hard to say sans colours and markings, but I'm guessing it's going to look extremely German then ! The new nose looks great.

zenrat · October 11, 2015, 04:04:44 AM

Round one PSR complete. In addition to the ones already obvious priming revealed lots of places to smear more filler.
The BMW engines are a push fit onto the Pe 2 mountings (which is nice - doesn't usually happen that way) but there are gaps to be filled due to fitting oblongish pegs into ground holes.
I have moved backwards and rotated the Pe 2 undercarriage bays which has the effect of putting the gear legs at the back of the openings and closer to the trailing edge. I'm hoping this won't look too odd when I put it on tricycle undercarriage.
Or need too much weight.
For the nose gear I plan to use a modified Bf 110 main gear leg (i toyed with using one off a Viggen but it has two small wheels which makes it look too modern).