It's a WHAT? It's a Predator actually.

[kerick]

Need some honk'n big gas bags to be able to get anywhere!

[Weaver]

It looks like someone did to a Fairey FD.2 what Dassault did to the Mirage IIIV.

[PR19_Kit]

One thing will an all-resin kits like this is that it doesn't take long to produce an assembly once all the filing and fettling have been done.

Thus I've got this far with the first Predator by now.



Both wings are attached with some previous PSR to ensure the joints were OK before gluing, and I've added one of the retractable lift engine intakes.



This bit wasn't as straightforward as it might have been as without removing the vestigial intake stubs that you can see on the rear set of engines, the intake won't sit down far enough. That took a bit of scalpel shaving as it's impossible to get a file in there, but it worked fine. As you can see on the forward pair of lift engines, the intake just sits high enough to make it look as if really would retract.



The underside view shows the large amount of PSR needed to cover the air bubbles, where most of them are. My Presto filler did the job with one coat usually, and only some really deep bubbles needed a second layer. The wing joints need a bit of PSR, but not too much, and generally it's proceeding apace.

The landing gear will be a different matter though, and I still have a couple of Harrier kits on standby in case they're needed.

I'm going to do this one as the prototype, as in the TV show, and use the second set of bits as an operational RAF Predator GR3. Originally I was thinking of lengthening the wings of course, but that's not easy with a plain delta. As you can see from the pics using larger and wider wings won't be easy as the fuselage itself is quite short, and I've tried wings off an F-106, and they're HUGE, and ones from an XFY-1 Pogo, and they're smaller than the standard wings, so bit more thought is called for here.

I've already figured out what to do with the nose............ 

[scooter]

I'm going to do this one as the prototype, as in the TV show, and use the second set of bits as an operational RAF Predator GR3. Originally I was thinking of lengthening the wings of course, but that's not easy with a plain delta. As you can see from the pics using larger and wider wings won't be easy as the fuselage itself is quite short, and I've tried wings off an F-106, and they're HUGE, and ones from an XFY-1 Pogo, and they're smaller than the standard wings, so bit more thought is called for here.

What about a Draken/F-16XL style double delta using the stock resin and Pogo wings?  That would give you space to rearrange the outriggers into something more Harrier-like, add a couple of  hardpoints inboard of the existing outriggers for droptanks and weapons, and a pair of wingtip stations for light AAMs

[PR19_Kit]

What about a Draken/F-16XL style double delta using the stock resin and Pogo wings?  That would give you space to rearrange the outriggers into something more Harrier-like, add a couple of  hardpoints inboard of the existing outriggers for droptanks and weapons, and a pair of wingtip stations for light AAMs

Yeah, that's a good idea, thanks. 

A double delta was just the fashion around that time too, I'll see if I have an actual Draken kit knocking about.

[kerick]

What about a Draken/F-16XL style double delta using the stock resin and Pogo wings?  That would give you space to rearrange the outriggers into something more Harrier-like, add a couple of  hardpoints inboard of the existing outriggers for droptanks and weapons, and a pair of wingtip stations for light AAMs

Yeah, that's a good idea, thanks. 

A double delta was just the fashion around that time too, I'll see if I have an actual Draken kit knocking about.

I was thinking the same thing.

[killnoizer]

One thing will an all-resin kits like this is that it doesn't take long to produce an assembly once all the filing and fettling have been done.

Thus I've got this far with the first Predator by now.



Both wings are attached with some previous PSR to ensure the joints were OK before gluing, and I've added one of the retractable lift engine intakes.



This bit wasn't as straightforward as it might have been as without removing the vestigial intake stubs that you can see on the rear set of engines, the intake won't sit down far enough. That took a bit of scalpel shaving as it's impossible to get a file in there, but it worked fine. As you can see on the forward pair of lift engines, the intake just sits high enough to make it look as if really would retract.



The underside view shows the large amount of PSR needed to cover the air bubbles, where most of them are. My Presto filler did the job with one coat usually, and only some really deep bubbles needed a second layer. The wing joints need a bit of PSR, but not too much, and generally it's proceeding apace.

The landing gear will be a different matter though, and I still have a couple of Harrier kits on standby in case they're needed.

I'm going to do this one as the prototype, as in the TV show, and use the second set of bits as an operational RAF Predator GR3. Originally I was thinking of lengthening the wings of course, but that's not easy with a plain delta. As you can see from the pics using larger and wider wings won't be easy as the fuselage itself is quite short, and I've tried wings off an F-106, and they're HUGE, and ones from an XFY-1 Pogo, and they're smaller than the standard wings, so bit more thought is called for here.

I've already figured out what to do with the nose............ 

That looks very good , nice Design.

[PR19_Kit]

I'm going to have to change the title of this thread, I can't remember what it's called and it takes ages to find it now!

The Predator has its fin on now, and that needed 'contour filing' to ensure its base matched the fuselage. I'm also on the 20th PSR session by now, every sanding session seems to burst another air bubble which needs filling.

The starboard rear intake is in place too, and they take some filing to get them to sit down in place.

It's looking pretty good so far, but I can't help feeling that with eight 4500 lbs thrust lift engines and a 20000 lb thrust main engine (that's Gyron sized!) where the devil did they put all the fuel? The wings are tiny and pretty thin and they have the outriggers inside them too!

[scooter]

It's looking pretty good so far, but I can't help feeling that with eight 4500 lbs thrust lift engines and a 20000 lb thrust main engine (that's Gyron sized!) where the devil did they put all the fuel? The wings are tiny and pretty thin and they have the outriggers inside them too!

Extra-dimensional fuel storage?  Small holding tanks that are plumbed to accept fuel from the JP-5 dimension?

[kerick]

Obviously a Time Lord aircraft. Bigger on the inside.

[Rick Lowe]

"Time Lord Tech", as used by the Daleks.

[PR19_Kit]

Perhaps the production Predators took off already hooked up to a tanker? 

So far I've broken the fin off twice................ 

[kerick]

Perhaps the production Predators took off already hooked up to a tanker? 

So far I've broken the fin off twice................ 

Time for some pins?

[PR19_Kit]

Maybe, but it's pretty thin.

Better be more careful.

[Rick Lowe]

You could still use pins, just cut notches for them instead of drilling holes.
They'd need filling, but that's doable.