Discussion concerning a jet-powered Supermarine Spitfire

[Dizzyfugu]

Yes, this will be what the name suggests. 

I wondered what a light impromptu jet fighter with an early Whittle engine, based on as much Spitfire DNA as possible, could look like? The bigger Meteor came rather late, and maybe the RAF tried to field something less complex against incoming V-1s?

The plan is a kitbashing of a FROG Spitfire Mk. XIV (from 1969, AFAIK, looks very good for that age) with a (Hehe) Yak-23 from Kovozavody (1981), for a Yak-15-style pod-and-boom layout.
Not certain about feasibility and result, but I like the challenge. 

I feel PSR ahead... 

[Captain Canada]

This will be good !

[Dizzyfugu]

...and probably butt-ugly! 

[Old Wombat]

This will be good !

...and probably butt-ugly! 

I see no problem with this.

[TsrJoe]

take a looksee here for some conceptual 'Whittle' engine 'jet Spitfires' ...  http://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php/topic,22689.0.html

[Martin H]

Heres my take on the jetfire, I built this way back in the stone age...............





Im very interested to see what Dizzy comes up with. Im sure it will be good

[Gondor]

I can sincerely say that since you build that model OGL your modelling has improved 

Gondor

[loupgarou]

I can sincerely say that since you build that model OGL your modelling has improved 

Gondor

I've seen people sent as slave labour in uranium mines for less than that!   

[zenrat]

Tail dragger or Tricycle Dizz?

[Dizzyfugu]

Tail dragger, very conservative. What surprises me about the many other "JetFire" builds is that a bulbous Whittle engine has been rarely used - most have a slender axial engine, and that does not make sense to me for an in-wartime design. Hence my choice of the Yak-23 as "nose donator" for the kitbash - and the plan is to replace the Griffon with as little of the jet engine as possible - but the round shape and the exhaust will become tricky. On the other side, the result could look pretty sleek, at least for a pod-and-boom layout with the engine in front of the wings. The fuselage length in front of the cockpit is very similar on both the Spitfighter and the Flora, just the bigger, round diameter of the Whittle jet engine worries me a little. That will take the most effort (PSR, PSR, PRS...) Dry fitting of the parts (on the sprues, no work has been done yet!) revealed that the exhaust should end up way far back, under the cockpit, with only a small "belly tunnel" for the jet pipe - my "JetFire" could even look like a decent aircraft, if calculations are correct! 

[zenrat]

 

[Martin H]

I can sincerely say that since you build that model OGL your modelling has improved 

Gondor

I've seen people sent as slave labour in uranium mines for less than that!   

Im in a good mood. He's off to a salt mine instead   

[Dizzyfugu]

The Yak-23 is it! 

[sandiego89]

The exhaust pipe(s) are indeed a challenge for a fat round jet engine, and keeping the engine in a place with a realistic center of gravity, looking forward to your solution.

For my whittle engine WHIF P-38 I went around both sides of the tail booms- Sea Hawk style...

[Captain Canada]

Cool stuff guys. The early jet age is a lot of fun !