1/48 Sea Beau

[PR19_Kit]

I was wondering if you might have considered a Z-fold like a Gannet wing?

Or even an EVERYthing fold, like the Barracuda? 

[rickshaw]

I was wondering if you might have considered a Z-fold like a Gannet wing?

Or even an EVERYthing fold, like the Barracuda? 

How did "Winkle" Browne describe it?  Ah, yes, "the Ironmonger's paradise".  Overall, a neat fold but it was a terrible effort with the undercarriage and the flaps apparently.

[PR19_Kit]

I've got an etched brass and white metal conversion kit to do a 'folded' Barracuda, and I've even got the Barracuda to go with it, but I'm not sure that I have the spare year that it'd probably take to actually DO it! 

[Old Wombat]

I was wondering if you might have considered a Z-fold like a Gannet wing?

Doable but no need, the Z-fold was as much to stop the wings smacking into each other as it was to reduce height. With the over-wing fold the Beau's span is not much wider than the tail unit & the wings barely reach the fuselage.

Or even an EVERYthing fold, like the Barracuda? 

Kit, I am many things but a masochist is not amongst them.

The Sea Beau may not have folded up as small as the Barracuda but it gave the ground crew far fewer nightmares.

[Air21]

Or a sweep back like a C-2 or E-2... One benefit is it keeps all the mass low and I suppose easier to manipulate into place with some special tool if you really had to, like a jack on wheels.

[kitnut617]

I was wondering if you might have considered a Z-fold like a Gannet wing?

Or even an EVERYthing fold, like the Barracuda? 

An a good example of 'why' it had to fold up that way, it barely fits on the elevator -- 

[PR19_Kit]

I've always thought the Barracuda could have used a 'twist-and-fold' system like the Grummans did. With that high tailplane the wing tips would have fitted nicely underneath.

Hmmm, there's a thought, build a stock Barracuda with an RW colour scheme and do it with such a wing fold. Perhaps only the die hard FAA fans would notice what was Whiffish about it, the normal Barracuca fold being SO outrageous?

[AS.12]

Fairey seem to have been stuck in a 1930s mindset when it came to the Fulmar and Barra, both folded aft on vertical hinges like the biplanes but then they had to pile-on all sorts of complications to make it work with monoplanes. 

Grumman had a bit more of an innovative mindset, hence the oblique fold.  But Fairey got themselves sorted-out for the Firefly and Spearfish at least, I think the Barra must have been such a nightmare that they were shocked into changing.

British types with an oblique fold, like the Firefly, rotated the wing leading edge up during folding whereas the Grummans rotated it down.  I don't know why, but the Grumman system would seem to protect the control surfaces better since they ended-up elevated away from the deck

[PR19_Kit]

British types with an oblique fold, like the Firefly, rotated the wing leading edge up during folding whereas the Grummans rotated it down.  I don't know why, but the Grumman system would seem to protect the control surfaces better since they ended-up elevated away from the deck

Just BECAUSE we're British old boy! 

The Barracuda would have had to use a LE up type fold as they could then use similar clamps to connect to the tailplane, as it did with the 'fold everything' version. I can't see those clamps working when braced from the ailerons.

[zenrat]

I was wondering if you might have considered a Z-fold like a Gannet wing?

Or even an EVERYthing fold, like the Barracuda? 

An a good example of 'why' it had to fold up that way, it barely fits on the elevator -- 

Did they have written instructions?

Take flap A and fold over Wing B whilst releasing latch C.  Pull and lift Wing B while simultaneously fitting catch D into locking flange E and opening access panel F in order to tuck Flap B over itself.

[kerick]

This guy actually built a model of it in 1/72nd scale! 
http://i-am-modelist.com/2012/06/20/fairey-barracuda-mk-iii/
Glutton for punishment!

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fairey_Barracuda_Mk_II.jpg#/media/File:Fairey_Barracuda_Mk_II.jpg

With those dive brakes its almost a biplane!

[PR19_Kit]

That's SERIOUSLY good modelling! 

Does the Special Hobby kit come with the wing already cut up like that? The old FROG kit has them in two pieces, top and bottom!

And he'd have had to work purely off pics, there being no complete Barracuda left anywhere in the world, but the Yeovilton Museum guys are doing their best to re-build one.

[kitnut617]

That's SERIOUSLY good modelling! 

Does the Special Hobby kit come with the wing already cut up like that? The old FROG kit has them in two pieces, top and bottom!

And he'd have had to work purely off pics, there being no complete Barracuda left anywhere in the world, but the Yeovilton Museum guys are doing their best to re-build one.

I've seen a wing fold conversion somewhere on the internet, lot of PE and stuff. Can't remember who produced it --- 

[NARSES2]

An a good example of 'why' it had to fold up that way, it barely fits on the elevator -- 

Absolutely there's hardly any room at all. It almost needs the rear fuselage to fold forward 

Does the Special Hobby kit come with the wing already cut up like that? The old FROG kit has them in two pieces, top and bottom!

The SH kit's wing is quite simple. Just upper and bottom halves, plus the separate dive brakes/flaps. So 6 parts in total, quite simple in comparison to what it could have been  If you want to fold them you would have a fair bit of cutting to do

[PR19_Kit]

The SH kit's wing is quite simple. Just upper and bottom halves, plus the separate dive brakes/flaps. So 6 parts in total, quite simple in comparison to what it could have been  If you want to fold them you would have a fair bit of cutting to do

The link that Kerick posted shows how the modeller sawed it up, and you're dead right, there IS a fair bit to do then! 

I reckon my idea of a Whiffed fold would be easier, I think I'll search out my ancient FROG kit.........