Inspiration

[Weaver]

SRN.4, of course, and as Kit has pointed out in the past, the Bell LCAC has almost the same footprint
as the BHC.7. Building most real world BHC.7 out of one of the 1/144 or 1/72 LCAC kits would require
a lot of kit-bashing/scratchbuilding for the superstructure, but, there were other concepts of both
the SRN.6 and BHC.7 that would be more easily adaptable.

Veeeeery interesting JCF, bags of scope there.

I've got both scales of the Bell LCAC, but I'm somewhat frightened about all that rubber skirting, I'm sure it 's going to rip when I try and install it. Those BH7 variants look really good, a pity they didn't build any of them.

They built six BH.7s for Iran, at least some of which were supposed to be armed with Standard ARMs as surface-to-surface missiles (the Standard ARM was used as an interim AShM for US & allied forces pending availability of the Harpoon). Not sure how much they were modified from standard BH.7s though. Some old books I've got imply that they had the narrow cabin to accomodate missile boxes, but it's not clear if the pics are of production craft or the BHC demonstrator. None of them show the twin 30mm gun mounting.





All images from here: http://www.jameshovercraft.co.uk/includes/gallery.php?galName=g_bh7hmMk5&imageNo=10&pgURL=https://www.google.com/&hoverMus=1

Got a 146 and a couple of 1/144th A-10s to nick the engine nacelles from. The problem is the flattened engine nozzles: I suppose I could learn how to smash/vac mould and make them that way, but that would depend on me not being a lazy git....

What flattened engine nozzles are they?

All Upper Surface Blowing STOL aircraft that I'm aware of (QSRA, Asuka. YC-14, AN-72/74) have their engines exhausting via flattened nozzles in order to maximise the amount of flap that gets blown. It's these nozzles that you'd have to scratchbuild in order to make a model of such an aircraft. Looking at the QSRA and the Asuka gave me the idea that a 146 would make an ideal similar testbed for the UK if there'd been any interest.

[CANSO]

Some pictures of flying boats (real and surreal) I keep for general inspiration match the idea of this GB very well:

[PR19_Kit]

They built six BH.7s for Iran, at least some of which were supposed to be armed with Standard ARMs as surface-to-surface missiles (the Standard ARM was used as an interim AShM for US & allied forces pending availability of the Harpoon). Not sure how much they were modified from standard BH.7s though. Some old books I've got imply that they had the narrow cabin to accomodate missile boxes, but it's not clear if the pics are of production craft or the BHC demonstrator. None of them show the twin 30mm gun mounting.

The Iranians obviously didn't want the microwave cooker option then.  On the BH7 in the Lee-on-Solent museum the cooker is right at the front of the cabin on the port side, just where it's as flat as a pancake on those BH7s in your pics. I've never seen them before, very interesting.

All Upper Surface Blowing STOL aircraft that I'm aware of (QSRA, Asuka. YC-14, AN-72/74) have their engines exhausting via flattened nozzles in order to maximise the amount of flap that gets blown. It's these nozzles that you'd have to scratchbuild in order to make a model of such an aircraft. Looking at the QSRA and the Asuka gave me the idea that a 146 would make an ideal similar testbed for the UK if there'd been any interest.

Ah, I'm with you now. Yes, building those nozzles could be a pain. A Model do both the QSRA and the An-72/74 in 1/144, don't they? Perhaps a bit of cross kitting?

[Weaver]

All Upper Surface Blowing STOL aircraft that I'm aware of (QSRA, Asuka. YC-14, AN-72/74) have their engines exhausting via flattened nozzles in order to maximise the amount of flap that gets blown. It's these nozzles that you'd have to scratchbuild in order to make a model of such an aircraft. Looking at the QSRA and the Asuka gave me the idea that a 146 would make an ideal similar testbed for the UK if there'd been any interest.

Ah, I'm with you now. Yes, building those nozzles could be a pain. A Model do both the QSRA and the An-72/74 in 1/144, don't they? Perhaps a bit of cross kitting?

Well I thought A-Model did a QSRA but I can find no evidence of it on the net. I recall saying that I hoped they made it at the time I bought the XC-8A, and I seem to have convinced myself that they actually did....

[PR19_Kit]

Well I thought A-Model did a QSRA but I can find no evidence of it on the net. I recall saying that I hoped they made it at the time I bought the XC-8A, and I seem to have convinced myself that they actually did....

You and me both H, we must have both been smitten with the same bout of wishfull thinking.

[jcf]

Iranian BH.7 are; Mk.4 (2) full width superstructure, and Mk.5A (4), coastal defence with the narrowed
forward superstructure.





Sources Jane's Surface Skimmers 1975-76, and From River to Sea: The Marine Legacy of Sam Saunders.

[ChernayaAkula]

Inspired by ericr's wonderful blue Be-200... 

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... I've wondered about a plane similar to the Beriev in appearance, but built from Bae146 parts.

[ericr]

Inspired by ericr's wonderful blue Be-200... 

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... I've wondered about a plane similar to the Beriev in appearance, but built from Bae146 parts.

good idea !

along the lines of the QASR with engines above the wings? 

[PR19_Kit]

That's a similar idea to Weaver's STOL BAe 146. Should look good, KI can't imagine why BAe didn't try it!

[perttime]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piaggio_P.7

Oh yes, one awesome machine, such a pity it didn't work too well. It could have held the World Water Speed Record and Air Speed Record at the same time! 

Just needed a pilot with four hands to operate the clutches....

[Weaver]

That's a similar idea to Weaver's STOL BAe 146. Should look good, KI can't imagine why BAe didn't try it!

The 146 was always an airliner, a duty where cruise-efficiency is king and you only need just enough STOL to get into the airport of your choice. Extreme as-much-STOL-as-possible is more applicable to military transports which require a tail ramp and giving the 146 one of those involved essentially a completely new fuselage.

This is onr reason why the 146/RJ faded out over time BTW: runways get longer not shorter over time, and faster, more fuel-efficient types like the Embraer 145 started to eat the RJ's lunch on routes where STOL was no longer mandatory. I see that Bombadier have managed to get the CS100 cleared for London City Airport (which was always the acid test for an RJ replacement) and Swiss are now using them as RJ replacements on that route.

[ChernayaAkula]

Found this the other day by pure chance. Might provide some food for thought.

[rickshaw]

Well, that'd fix all those fly over states... 

[NARSES2]

Someone obviously told Micro Mir we had a GB coming up 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MM72-012

[ericr]

Someone obviously told Micro Mir we had a GB coming up 

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MM72-012

not to forget the open-air version

https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/MM72-010