A bit of an F.155T theme developing

[kitbasher]

English Electric Canberra F.10 (inspired by the EE P.12)

The Subject


Canberra F.10 XM341, 85 Squadron RAF Leeming, September 1962

In the dying days of the F.155T tender submission process English Electric (EE) proposed an all-weather fighter version of the Canberra.  EE argued that the necessary F.155T airborne interception (AI) radar and very large radar-guided Red Dean missile were of such a size that carriage of both would be problematic for conventionally-sized and/or supersonic fighters.  Also, collision course weapons did not require high-performance aircraft, they simply needed to be taken aloft and put into a position ahead of the incoming enemy bomber. 

A 'Canberra Fighter' could carry the complete system at an adequate speed without suffering the endurance, stowage or other limitations of a supersonic aircraft.  The Red Deans would have adequate all-round scan due to their location on the tips of an unswept wing and would offer sufficient endurance for a standing patrol. Operational flexibility was foreseen to be far greater than on other fighters, due to the ability to operate off small airfields and to disperse rapidly overseas.

The EE P.12 fighter retained the Canberra Mk.8 pilot canopy with accommodation being provided for a radar operator within the fuselage. The AI.18 scanner was carried in the nose, the PR.9 high-altitude wing and power control ailerons would be fitted and the Red Deans carried on modified wingtips.  EE claimed that a fully equipped prototype of the P.12 could be available by March 1958, with a first squadron of Canberra fighters becoming operational during 1959. 

Several Canberra airframes were involved in trials of various components and one of them, WD956, was used for firing trials using Red Dean prototypes.  How ironic that, given all the cutting edge, hi-tech designs presented by British companies in response to F.155T the final design to be submitted for consideration by their Airships – the only proposal to get anywhere near close to actually flying – was based upon a subsonic bomber designed in the 1940s.



The Kit
It's the old Airfix B-57B Canberra, bought not long after it was first released.  Not having an Airfix EE Canberra in the stash, the plan was to mate the B-57 with an Aeroclub conversion kit plus Aeroclub Canberra ejection seats bought around the same time.  Well, despite cutting off the nose and using the cockpit interior to flesh out an ancient Revell 'fit-the-box' F-100 (part of a failed attempt to draw boy child into the hobby) it languished in the stash until the Freightdog English Electric P.12 conversion kit was released.

The Build
The Freightdog set provided me with the impetus to build a whiffed version of the P.12.  EE and Martin collaborate on a new cockpit configuration at the behest of the USAF but it's also taken up by the UK for the B(I).8, PR.9 and the F.10, which was developed from the B.6.  That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! 

It's essentially an OOB build, except for fitting the beautifully cast Freightdog radome, Red Deans and Spectre rocket fairing plus filling in the gaps around the B-57 air brakes.  A replacement scratch-built B-57B cockpit interior would be needed. 

Half of the removed nose and a new cockpit floor was fitted (as far as I got with the cockpit interior).  The fairing aft of the canopy had previously been removed in anticipation of the planned Aeroclub-based Canberra build, so the back end of a Matchbox F-16B cockpit fairing was attached as the basis of the B-57B's.  That was 2011, and back into the cupboard the build went, then last year I caught the F.155T bug and the P.12 was revived.


progress made in 2011!

Big shout out to Mossie for Italeri B-57B cockpit parts, they were an immense help in overcoming 'builder's block'.  Without Mossie's help I probably wouldn't have bothered to accelerate the build had I had to scratch build a rudimentary cockpit interior; thankfully the Italeri parts fitted after minimal fettling, as did the Aeroclub seats.  The Freightdog parts were a doddle to fit, by the way.  The Red Deans are impressive bits of kit but I added a pair of ex-NOVO Lightning F.6 Red Tops under the wings - two Red Deans just didn't seem enough.



'Painting and decorating' was straightforward – Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey uppers and High Speed Silver undersides as per the 16 Sqn Canberra B(I).8 as featured on Modeldecal sheet 25, and indeed the Freightdog P.12 instructions.  Stencils came from Modeldecal sheet 85 (informed by the T.4 option), serial letters and numbers from Modeldecal sheets 34, 35 and 36.  National markings came from Modeldecal 47 except the fuselage roundels – 'refugees' from a Matchbox Meteor and the instigators of my recent 36" roundel whinge. 



Unit markings were from Modeldecal sheet 35.  I chose 85 Sqn as it had operated Javelins in the fighter role prior to operating Canberra T.11s in the target facilities role.  The T.11s were B.2s converted into Airborne Intercept radar trainers and had originally served with 228 Operational Conversion Unit – the Javelin OCU.  The serial (XM340) had been assigned to a cancelled batch of Javelin T.3s.

So yes, it is a whif not an F.155T model, but certainly inspired by a real F.155T proposal.

[NARSES2]

I like that Dave  and it seems like something the RAF could have actually operated even if it was only on a temporary basis whilst awaiting the "real" F.155T proposals to see fruition. Well that would have been the official story given to the press  In reality it would have probably soldiered on through umpteen upgrades and a re-sparring and re-engining or two. 

[PR19_Kit]

Looks an excellent job Dave. I'll look forward to seeing it for real before long.

At this rate we'll be able to field an entire squadron of various Canberra 'fighters' before much longer. 

[Wardukw]

I like it ..its a prefect plane for a stop gap aircraft as Chris mentioned and i agree with him on it very lightly being a stop gap for a long time   
Lovely build of a very cool plane ..old as hell and still in service i believe with some dudes somewhere 

[Rheged]

I've heard it said that "The answer is a Canberra........now what was the question?"

Years ago, when the Tornado was still under consideration, it was known as the MRCA,    which the cynics said stood for " Must Refurbish Canberra Again"

[The Wooksta!]

I've one that's stalled, although it's getting the gunpack underneath and Red Tops under the wings.  Need to get some more filling done on it when I can scrape up some enthusiasm.

[su27rules]

 

[rickshaw]

I built two similar models, the Canberra F.12 in RAF service and the Canberra F-114 in USAF service:

[Pellson]

Love your F.10! Right up my alley! 

[DogfighterZen]

The Canberra is a plane i've never looked at much but i do like it with the big nose. 

[zenrat]

Looking at those pics i'm thinking back date a Canberra to a WW2 era medium bomber by fitting a pair of Merlin undercarriage nacelles (Lanc inners of Mosquito), a dorsal turret, framed canopy, and glazed bomb aimer nose.

[NARSES2]

Looking at those pics i'm thinking back date a Canberra to a WW2 era medium bomber by fitting a pair of Merlin undercarriage nacelles (Lanc inners of Mosquito), a dorsal turret, framed canopy, and glazed bomb aimer nose.

Must admit I'm musing a turboprop one

[kitbasher]

Looking at those pics i'm thinking back date a Canberra to a WW2 era medium bomber by fitting a pair of Merlin undercarriage nacelles (Lanc inners of Mosquito), a dorsal turret, framed canopy, and glazed bomb aimer nose.

Must admit I'm musing a turboprop one

A 'Merlin Canberra' did the rounds of the UK model shows a few years ago, IIRC it was a tail dragger.

The 16 Sqn sharkmouth Canberra B(I)8 scheme was apparently inspired by a B-26 Marauder scheme, so maybe a radial-engined Canberra?  Marauder or A-26 Invader wings/engines mated to a Canberra fuselage maybe?

While thumbing through a Canberra book at Milton Keynes I spotted a pic of a B(I)8 'modified' with 4-bladed propellers.  A joke of course, done as a parting gesture  to the Senior Engineering Officer upon his posting away from the unit.  Looked pretty good.  Grumman Tracker blades might work as a template.

[The Wooksta!]

Looking at those pics i'm thinking back date a Canberra to a WW2 era medium bomber by fitting a pair of Merlin undercarriage nacelles (Lanc inners of Mosquito), a dorsal turret, framed canopy, and glazed bomb aimer nose.

Erm, the glazed nose of the B2, B6 and B.(I) 8 IS for manual bomb aiming.  The radar bombing system developed for Canberra didn't work, so they cancelled the B1 and went for manual bomb aiming with the B2 onwards.

I'd go with remote barbettes rather than turrets as the UK was working on them and they were fitted to the Vickers Windsor, the Fairey Spearfish, the Lincoln and the Shackleton prototype.

Sabres may be better than Merlins, and the leading edge radiators and Mosquito nacelles would look more sleek.

I was considering the use of a Canberra fuselage as a basis for an enlarged Mosquito style four engined bomber or strategic reconnaisance aircraft.

[kitbasher]

Hawker Siddely Arrow F.1

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The Subject

The Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow needs little or no introduction (for example, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avro_Canada_CF-105_Arrow).  I'd say it is to Canada what the TSR.2 is to the UK or the XB-71 to the USA – one of those iconic 50s/60s designs that could be turned into flying metal but only at huge expense, and which would never enter production.  Without doubt a good-looking aircraft with the potential to become a classic fighter.  One of the great 'what ifs'.

The Arrow was the only foreign design considered for F.155T (even then it was something of an outsider), although the parent company was British.

The Kit

It's the Hobbycraft CF-105 kit, Hobbycraft's first attempt (of three) at a CF-105 to be precise and the one with the upside-down aileron actuators.  Another longish term stash resident, bought second-hand at a show somewhere.

Plenty of reviews available on the internet – in sum it's a basic kit, inaccuracies abound, but if you want a CF-105 there's not much to choose from and they do seem to be getting rarer.

The Build

Originally intended to be a real-world build, it looks like I started work on it in 2018.  First job was to turn the ailerons the right way up (seen here – only the wings have been assembled, the rest is just pushed together).  The next job was to either buy some suitable markings (the kit items are poor) or make my own.  Well, the former could be sourced from Canada but a price, and I never got round to making my own.

And then the Dan Sharp bookazine came along (I'd quite forgotten that Tony Buttler covers the Arrow's F.155T candidacy in 'British Secret Projects: Jet Fighters since 1950') and the CF-105 was back on track, also spurred on by Gannet Scale Models' F.155T range. 

Other than the ailerons, build is basically OOB with some ballast added to the nose.  The only concession to detailing is a rudimentary cockpit interior made up of pieces of plastic sheet for side consoles and Matchbox Meteor pilot instrument and navigator radar panels to add a bit of clutter to the 'office'.  The kit seats were used, albeit with some masking tape straps and fuse wire ejection seat firing handles added.  There's not much to see, to be honest.

The canopy.  Hmm, what to do.  Like the P.8 and DH117 it's a heavily-framed coal hole that I can't believe would have made it into service, so some license with the framing has been applied. Hey, if it was good enough for the F-4, F-8, F-101 and F-105 then it should be good enough for the CF-105.

Colour scheme was the by now regular Dark Sea Grey/Dark Green/High Speed Silver undersides.  National markings came from Modeldecal 47 and Xtradecal X72041, serials from Modeldecal 33/35/48; the 111 Sqn markings are Phantom FGR.2 items from sheet 27.

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The Arrow has been completed as XN103 'X' of 111 Sqn as seen on 15 June 1968 at the RAF's 50th Anniversary Display at RAF Abingdon.  The real XN103 was one of a cancelled batch of Lightning T.4s.

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