PROJECT F-104 Star Filter FINISHED!!

[TallEng]

Well here we go again, in which I intend to prove that it's perfectly possible not to finish a group build in time, even though (theoretically) I have plenty of said time.
So to the idea.
Tophe of this parish posted a rather fetching idea based on a twin fuselage Star Fighter.
See here https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=48063.0
What's even more important is that he has allowed me to borrow his idea
So what I hope to do is produce the single fuselage prototype.
I'm also hoping for a bit of help with the backstory, we'll have to see how that pans out. Hopefully it will all work out,
Otherwise you'll have to put up with my gibberish 
So now you've seen the back of a knapkin sketch by Tophe which started me off...
This is the 'Concept' drawing as provided by the Farley Aeroplane and General Engineering Company...

2020-07-01_10-19-59 by , on Flickr


And this is the prototype under construction at the F.A.G.E Co

2020-07-01_10-20-14 by , on Flickr

2020-07-01_10-20-30 by Keith Woods, on Flickr

pictures showing now I hope
(edited using Laptop not ipad.)

Regards
Keith

[PR19_Kit]

Hehehehe, I DO like the look of that. 

It's a good thing it has lots of external tanks or it would run out of fuel before it reached the end of its take-off run. 

[Dizzyfugu]

FlickR offers a convenient way to post pictures elsewhere - in the lower right corner of the black background is an arrow icon that opens a pop-up menu with HTML codes for the addition of pics in various platforms and sizes. In order to post piocs here, use the "BBcode" settinngs.

[ericr]

 

[Weaver]

Hmm, the missile with a mouse in it eh? 

[TallEng]

Done a little more work to the Star Filter this last couple of days, which would mainly consist of bodging the various
bits I've sawn up to fit better by using spacers and splints to help with making them all fit together so i don't have to (Hopefully) use so Much filler

Star Filter by , on Flickr

Star Filter by , on Flickr

And in comparison to a handy Star Fighter.

Star Filter by , on Flickr

Now all that I've got to do is loads of PSR
and build a main U/C Bay, sort out a Rocket pack or two for that extra bit of grunt.....
a 'tad' bit more to do

Regards
Keith

[perttime]

The wing looks about the right size on this one.

[NARSES2]

The wing looks about the right size on this one.

It does, doesn't it. Plus for some strange reason it looks rather Canadian to me 

[TallEng]

It's finished, (could have been better)
not quite how I wanted it, but here it is

But first the backstory ....
Luckily for you lot, I've had a lot of help with this bit, so a huge thank you to Rheged
Who basically took my vague ideas and ran with them, very well even if I say so myself.

Farley F.104  Star Filter

This aircraft began its development as the Farley Filter in 1932.  An unlikely  looking machine described by an RAF engineering officer in 1940 as a cross between  the Vickers Wellesley and the Bristol 138 (and having all the faults of both).  Capable of extremely high altitude and reasonably long range, it had  no payload capability whatever except for a small, ultra-lightweight atmospheric sampling kit.   Produced by Farleys at remarkably short notice, it was designed to take  air samples over Sicily, where it was believed that Mussolini had established  poison gas factories.   Whilst the poison gas itself was heavier than air , it was believed that  many  of the by-products of production would be detectable in the low stratosphere.   Flying from RAF Hal Far in Malta, several sorties at  42,000 feet resulted in traces of  gas by-products  being identified and quiet diplomatic messages of concern were then sent to the Italian government.  The  Poison Gas factories reverted to the production of anti-mosquito sprays, used to protect the workforce of Mussolini's grand project to drain the malaria ridden Pontine Marshes, south of Ostia. The Farley Filter suffered a mainspar failure in 1937 and was scrapped , the only remaining component being the canopy, currently in use as a cold frame in a retired naval officer's garden in Valetta.
In early 1951, the Highdown Test Site near The Needles (Isle of Wight) was established. One of the projects was to use the proposed Black Knight launcher to put a small, maneuverable, manned  craft into a sub-orbital  trajectory.  Farleys were one of the companies to whom the Operational Requirement was issued. Their  design team  was   led by Timothy Farley.  Tim had achieved a Masters degree in engineering at University of Michigan in 1933, and had shared a student room with Clarence Johnson, known to his friends as Kelly.  The two remained in touch with one another , often sharing improbable design ideas. It is highly probable, but not independently confirmed, that  aspects of the Lockheed F-104 starfighter design  were used in the airframe that became known as the Farley F104 Starfilter, as it was deemed to be a logical progression from the task of the original Farley Filter. The Starfilter's main purpose was to carry the Rotating Rhodium Duplex Dioptre unit into the Mesosphere (the layer above the stratosphere) at heights of up to 60 miles (100km) The R2D2 unit, mounted behind the pilot's seat, could then scan this little known region and take samples. On landing, the R2D2 was interfaced with a Command Communication Control Processor Output (C3PO) unit  to interpret the raw data.   The sub-orbital ballistic trajectory would return the Starfilter to lower altitude, where the pilot could make a controlled landing.  The original plan was to used Bembridge IOW airfield, with an arrested landing system. However, after a series of very hairy experiences during testing, a proportion of the  operational landings took place at Boscombe Down.  However, the  hydraulic arrestor system installed at Bembridge did amuse holidaymakers by producing huge fountains of water spray whenever it was used. Interestingly a certain young man (later to become a Film director) was Holidaying on the Isle of Wight with his parents at around this time.

In 1956, Dorothy Lucas won first prize in a PANAM competition, and with the prize tickets took her husband George and 12 year old son George junior to England. Having visited "the sights"....Tower of London....Stratford upon Avon...Stonehenge and so on, they spent three weeks  at Sandown on the Isle of Wight where George senior enjoyed several games of golf. Dorothy's husband suffered two bad asthma attacks whilst in Shanklin, one of them resulting in a two night stay in hospital, with a huge, black, full-face breathing mask. George junior borrowed a bicycle from a friendly member of the hotel staff, and often cycled to Bembridge where Starfilter landing trials were taking place. It was during this testing phase  that the young George Lucas is believed to have met Frank Yoder and Benjamin (Ben) Kennoby, two of Farley's development and test engineers, It has been suggested that several of the ideas and craft in Star Wars are based on his holiday experiences.
The Farley Starfilter is known to have made at least 17 operational sorties, but due to budget cuts in the British Space Agency's funding, the whole program and hoped for production run of Starfilters (a figure of 5 production Airframes has been suggested) was cancelled. information on these flights and the data collected has not yet been made generally available.  It is, however, rumoured that an exchange of letters between Timothy Farley and  Clarence Johnson started the train of thought that resulted in the AQM-60 Kingfisher design of the late 1950s.

Star Filter, on Flickr

StarFilter, on Flickr

StarFilter , on Flickr

Regards
Keith

[ericr]

 

[PR19_Kit]

ROTFL! I love it! 

A wonderful model and an amazing backstory, even with all the name dropping. 

But you didn't half cut that timing close, less than six hours before the GB closed! 

[The Rat]

This Farleyphile says YES!   

[Rick Lowe]

Well Played, Gentlemen, Well Played. 

Cute li'l thang...

Could work also as an escape pod/shuttle for orbital stations.

[Tophe]

Wonderful model, so cute! And very well done!
I have not seen this topic before, sorry, otherwise I would have clapped my hands since July...

Tophe of this parish posted a rather fetching idea based on a twin fuselage Star Fighter.
See here https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=48063.0
What's even more important is that he has allowed me to borrow his idea
So what I hope to do is produce the single fuselage prototype.

I am very happy this idea came from me somehow. I had forgotten.

[Dizzyfugu]