Hawker Cyclone FR Mk.II, 1 Sq. (Tigers) Royal Indian Air Force, 1949

Dizzyfugu · May 13, 2018, 01:08:36 AM

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Some background:
The Hawker Cyclone was an evolutionary successor to the successful Hawker Typhoon and Tempest fighters and fighter-bombers of the Second World War. The Cyclone's design process was initiated in September 1942 by Sydney Camm, one of Hawker's foremost aircraft designers, to meet the Royal Air Force's requirement for a lightweight Tempest Mk.II and V replacement.

The project, tentatively designated Tempest Mk. VIII, was formalised in January 1943 when the Air Ministry issued Specification F.2/42 around the "Tempest Light Fighter".This was followed up by Specification F.2/43, issued in May 1943, which required a high rate of climb of not less than 4,500 ft/min (23 m/s) from ground level to 20,000 feet (6,096 m), good fighting manoeu rability and a maximum speed of at least 450 mph (724 km/h) at 22,000 feet (6,705 m). The armament was to be four 20mm Hispano V cannon with a total capacity of 600 rounds, plus the capability of carrying two bombs each up to 1,000 pounds (454 kg). In April 1943, Hawker had also received Specification N.7/43 from the Admiralty, who sought a navalized version of the developing aircraft, what eventually led to the Hawker Sea Fury, which was a completely new aircraft, which only shared the general outlines of the Tempest.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The Royal Air Force was looking for a quicker solution, and Camm started working on a new laminar flow wing, which would further improve the Tempest's speed. Further refinements were done to other aerodynamic components, too, like the radiator, since the Tempest V's liquid-cooled Napier Sabre engine was to be used. After some experiments with new arrangements, an annular radiator directly behind the propeller was chosen – certainly inspired by fast German aircraft like the Fw 190D and developed by Napier.

A total of three prototypes were ordered; the first one was powered by a Napier Sabre IIA liquid-cooled H-24 sleeve-valve engine, generating 2,180 hp (1,625 kW), but the second and any following aircraft carried the more powerful Sabre V with 2,340 hp, driving a Rotol four-blade propeller. Later aircraft were even to carry the Napier Sabre VII, which was capable of developing 3,400–4,000 hp (2,535–2,983 kW) and pushing the top speed to 485 mph (780 km/h) and more. The third airframe was just a static test structure. However, since the differences between the Tempest and the new aircraft had become almost as big as to its predecessor, the Typhoon, the new type received its own name Cyclone.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The first Cyclone Mk. I to fly, on 30 August 1944, was NV950, and it became clear soon that the modifications would improve the Cyclone's top speed vs. the Tempest by almost 30 mph (50 km/h), but the new components would also require a longer testing period than expected. The annular radiator frequently failed and overheated, and the new, slender wings caused directional stability problems so that the complete tail section had to be re-designed. This troubling phase took more than 6 months, so that eventual service aircraft would only be ready in mid-1945 – too late for any serious impact in the conflict.

However, since the Hawker Fury, the land-based variant of the Sea Fury, which had been developed from the Tempest for the Royal Navy in parallel, had been cancelled, the Royal Air Force still ordered 150 Cyclone fighters (F Mk. I), of which one third would also carry cameras and other reconnaissance equipment (as Cyclone FR Mk.II). Due to the end of hostilities in late 1945, this order immediately lost priority. Consequently, the first production Cyclone fighters were delivered in summer 1946 – and in the meantime, jet fighters had rendered the piston-powered fighters obsolete, at least in RAF service. As a consequence, all Cyclones were handed over to friendly Commonwealth nations and their nascent air forces, e. g. India, Thailand or Burma. India received its first Cyclones in late 1947, just when the Kashmir conflict with Pakistan entered a hot phase. The machines became quickly involved in this conflict from early 1948 onwards.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Cyclones played an important role in the strikes against hostiles at Pir Badesar and the dominating Pir Kalewa. The taking of Ramgarh fort and Pt. 6944 on the west flank of Bhimbar Gali was to be a classic close support action with Indian forces carrying out a final bayonet charge against the enemy trenches whilst RIAF Cyclones and Tempests strafed and rocketed the trenches at close quarters. On a chance reconnaissance, enemy airfields were located at Gilgit and 40 NMs south, at Chilas. Cyclones flew several strikes against the landing strips in Oct and Nov 48, cratering & damaging both and destroying several hangars, barracks and radio installations. This attack destroyed Pakistani plans to build an offensive air capability in the North. Already, with Tempests and Cyclones prowling the valleys, Pakistani re-supply by Dakotas had been limited to hazardous night flying through the valleys.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

After the end of hostilities in late 1948 and the ensuing independence, the Cyclone squadrons settled into their peace time stations. However, constant engine troubles (particularly the radiator) continued to claim aircraft and lives and the skill required to land the Cyclone because of its high approach speed continued to cause several write offs. The arrival of the jet-engined Vampire were the first signs of the Cyclone's demise. As the IAF began a rapid expansion to an all jet force, several Tempest and Cyclone squadrons began converting to Vampires, 7 Squadron being the first in Dec 49. By this time it had already been decided that the piston-engine fighters would be relegated to the fighter lead-in role to train pilots for the new jet fighters. A conversion training flight was set up at Ambala in Sep 49 with Spitfire T Mk IXs, XVIIIs and Tempests to provide 16 hrs/six weeks of supervised Tempest training. This unit eventually moved to Hakimpet two years later and operated till the end of 1952. Some Cyclone FR Mk. IIs remained in front line service until 1954, though.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

General characteristics:
Crew: One
Length: 35 ft 5 3/4 in (10.83 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 5 1/2 in (12.96 m)
Height (tail down): 15 ft 6 3/4 in (4.75 m)
Wing area: 302 ft² (28 m²)
Empty weight: 9,250 lb (4,195 kg)
Loaded weight: 11,400 lb (5,176 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 13,640 lb (6,190 kg)

Powerplant:
1× Napier Sabre V liquid-cooled H-24 sleeve-valve engine with 2,340 hp (1,683 kW)

Performance:
Maximum speed: 460 mph (740 km/h) 18,400 ft (5,608 m),
Range: 740 mi (1,190 km)
1,530 mi (2,462 km) with two 90 gal (409 l) drop tanks
Service ceiling: 36,500 ft (11,125 m)
Rate of climb: 4,700 ft/min (23.9 m/s)
Wing loading: 37.75 lb/ft² (184.86 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.21 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg)

Armament:
4× 20 mm (.79 in) Mark V Hispano cannons, 200 RPG
2× underwing hardpoints for 500 lb (227 kg) or 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs
or 2 × 45 gal (205 l) or 2 × 90 gal (409 l) drop tanks
plus 6× 3" (76.2 mm) RP-3 rockets

The kit and its assembly:
Another episode in the series "Things to make and do with Supermarine Attacker wings". And what started as a simple switch of wings eventually turned into a major kitbashing, since the model evolved from a modded Tempest into something more complex and conclusive.

The initial spark was the idea of a Hawker alternative to Supermarine's Spiteful and Seafang developments – especially with their slender laminar flow wings. Wouldn't a Hawker alternative make sense?

Said and done, I dug out a NOVO Attacker kit and a Matchbox Tempest, and started measuring – and the wing transplantation appeared feasible! I made the cut on the Tempest wing just outside of the oil cooler, and the Attacker wings were then attached to these stubs – after some gaps for the landing gear wells had been cut into the massive lower wing halves. The stunt went more smoothly than expected, the only cosmetic flaw is that the guns went pretty far outboard, but that's negligible.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

But the different wings were not enough. I had recently seen in a book a picture of a Tempest (NV 768) with an experimental annular radiator for the Sabre engine (looking like a streamlined Tempest II), and wondered if this arrangement would have been the aerodynamically more efficient solution than the bulbous chin radiator of the Tempest V and VI? I decided to integrate this feature into my build, too, even though not as a copy of the real-world arrangement. The whole nose section, even though based on the OOB Mk. V nose, was scratched and re-sculpted with lots of putty. The radiator intake comes from a FROG He 219, with the front end opened and a fan from a Matchbox Fw 190 placed inside, as well as a styrene tube for the new propeller. The latter was scratched, too, from a Matchbox He 70 spinner and single blades from an Italeri F4U, plus a metal axis. The exhaust stubs were taken OOB, but their attachment slits had to be re-engraved into the new and almost massive nose section.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Once the wings and the nose became more concrete, I found that the Tempest's original rounded tail surfaces would not match with the new, square wings. Therefore I replaced the stabilizers with donations from a Heller F-84G and modified the fin with a new, square tip (from an Intech Fw 190D) and got rid of the fin fillet – both just small modifications, but they change the Tempest's profile thoroughly.

In order to underline the aircraft's new, sleek lines, I left away any ordnance – but instead I added some camera fairings: one under the rear fuselage or a pair of vertical/oblique cameras, and another camera window portside for a horizontal camera. The openings were drilled, and, after painting, the kit the camera windows were created with Humbrol Clearfix.

Painting and markings:
Somehow I thought that this aircraft had to carry Indian markings – and I had a set of standard Chakra Wheels from the late Forties period in my stash. The camouflage is, typical for early IAF machines of British origin, RAF standard, with Dark Green and Ocean Grey from above and Medium Sea Grey from below. I just used the more brownish pst-war RAF Dark Green tone (Humbrol 163), coupled with the rather light Ocean Grey from Modelmaster (2057). The underside became Humbrol 165. All interior surfaces were painted with RAF Interior Green, nothing fancy. The only colorful addition is the saffron-colored spinner, in an attempt to match the fin flash's tone.

As a standard measure, the kit received a black ink wash and some panel post-shading with lighter tones – only subtly, since the machine was not to look too weathered and beaten, just used from its Kashmir involvements.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) - WiP by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

The national markings come from a Printscale Airspeed Oxford sheet, the tactical code with alternating white and black letters, depending on the underground (the sky fuselage band comes from a Matchbox Brewster Buffalo), was puzzled together from single letters from TL Modellbau – both seen on different contemporary RIAF aircraft.
As another, small individual detail I gave the machine a tactical code letter on the fuselage, and the small tiger emblems under the cockpit were home-printed from the official IAF No. 1 Squadron badge.

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

1:72 Hawker Cyclone FR.2; aircraft "HB 253/G" of the Royal Indian Air Force No. 1 Squadron "Tigers"; AFS Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, 1949 (Whif/kitbashing) by dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Despite the massive modifications this one is a relatively subtle result, all the changes become only visible at a second glance. A sleek aircraft, and from certain angley the Cyclone looks like an A-1 Skyraider on a diet? Not the most crisp creation, but I like the purposeful look of this aircraft.

TheChronicOne · May 13, 2018, 03:25:17 AM

Oh that's fantastic! I like the new wings and it's pretty fun seeing those roundels.

kitnut617 · May 13, 2018, 05:12:37 AM

Inspirational !!!!! and I have a pair of Attacker wings which I found I had put inside a Transall box (don't ask why because I have no idea) and I might just do something similar dizzy if you don't mind me borrowing the idea.

NARSES2 · May 13, 2018, 05:23:35 AM

An absolute stunner

Dizzyfugu · May 13, 2018, 05:34:01 AM

Quote from: kitnut617 on May 13, 2018, 05:12:37 AM
Inspirational !!!!! and I have a pair of Attacker wings which I found I had put inside a Transall box (don't ask why because I have no idea) and I might just do something similar dizzy if you don't mind me borrowing the idea.

You're welcome!

That's what the forum is IMHO good for.

Many thanks, everyone.

zenrat · May 13, 2018, 06:28:48 AM

Looks good Dizz.

Scotaidh · May 13, 2018, 12:46:53 PM

Very nice! Well up to your usual standard of excellence.

kitnut617 · May 13, 2018, 01:56:24 PM

Quote from: Dizzyfugu on May 13, 2018, 05:34:01 AM
Quote from: kitnut617 on May 13, 2018, 05:12:37 AM
Inspirational !!!!! and I have a pair of Attacker wings which I found I had put inside a Transall box (don't ask why because I have no idea) and I might just do something similar dizzy if you don't mind me borrowing the idea.

You're welcome! That's what the forum is IMHO good for.

Many thanks, everyone.

Cheers Dizzy ---- so I went looking for the Matchbox Tempests I have in the stash and in the box of the first one to get re-discovered, what do I find ---- a pair of Hawker Sea Hawk wings in there------ I honestly can't remember when I put them in there or even what the plan was for them, because there was the Sea Hawk inboard parts of the wings too --- hmm! wonder what I was thinking of

Doug K · May 13, 2018, 02:30:25 PM

Just brilliant, concept and execution

Old Wombat · May 13, 2018, 08:49:11 PM

Ni-ice!

Dizzyfugu · May 14, 2018, 03:36:25 AM

Quote from: kitnut617 on May 13, 2018, 01:56:24 PM
Cheers Dizzy ---- so I went looking for the Matchbox Tempests I have in the stash and in the box of the first one to get re-discovered, what do I find ---- a pair of Hawker Sea Hawk wings in there------ I honestly can't remember when I put them in there or even what the plan was for them, because there was the Sea Hawk inboard parts of the wings too --- hmm! wonder what I was thinking of

Well, one of the options for the Attacker wings was actually a PM Model Sea Fury - potentially in Australian Navy markings, as a domestic update with new outer wings...

Snowtrooper · May 14, 2018, 04:40:35 AM

You had me fooled there for a while - I could have sworn that you had actually begun with a 190 instead of Tempest and simply transplanted the engine, radiators, and bubble canopy there!

F-84 tailplanes do look awfully lot like 190 ones, and together with the rudder the illusion definitely is there.

Dizzyfugu · May 14, 2018, 05:28:12 AM

I see what you mean - but the Fw 190 would have been much too small and slender, even though a full wing transplantation might work.

The Wooksta! · May 14, 2018, 07:11:00 AM

It doesn't work for me, despite being a good model. The finished product doesn't look like a Hawker designed aircraft - all of Sydney's Camm's products have graceful curves and you can see his design work in everything from HSA from the 1930s all the way to the 1970s.

AeroplaneDriver · May 14, 2018, 11:14:10 AM

Well I like it!