BAC Excalibur Experimental T.1 ++FINISHED++

[McColm]

I'm not too sure if the BAC TSR.2 was considered for the Royal Navy or Fleet Air Arm but I have added the arrestor hook from the Academy 1/72 F-14A Tomcat to prevent a tail sitter along with the cockpit instrument screens and chin mounted FLIR. The vertical tail fin is from an old Airfix Avro Vulcan B.2 and I have gone with single tyres on the main landing gear.

[McColm]

This is what I have managed so far,yes it's a tail sitter,  the snips aren't part of the build.
Front view.




Around the back.





As you can see,  there's plenty of PSR to be done.
The leftover parts are going to be used on my other builds.

[McColm]

I had a rummage this morning and found a few parts of a 1/72 F-18 Super Hornet these will be added to the front end,  I think that the arrestor hook can be salvaged.

[McColm]

I haven't decided on what the BAC Excalibur will be, but a research development aircraft seems a good idea. I will know once the PSR process begins.

[perttime]

The Super Hornet leading-edge root extensions look interesting in the nose   

Needs weight somewhere in the front?

[Vulcan7]

looking good   

[Dizzyfugu]

Will probably be only good for straight and fast flight, because the chines will block the airflow into the intakes even at a mild angle!?

[McColm]

I've removed the F-18 leading-edge root extensions for now and added a pair of lifting-engine jets similar to the Yak-38/Yak-141with nozzles.

[McColm]

The leading-edge root extensions are back on, turned the correct way round this time, surprisingly they add nose weight. Once again the build doesn't look symmetrical to me, something is twisted but as this is an experimental aircraft I suppose that's normal and with a fly-by-wire control system the on board computers can correct this, a bit like flying the F-117.

[perttime]

NASA has had some very asymmetrical experiments with the F-16XL, and then there was the oblique wing  AD-1.

[McColm]

The BAC Excalibur is now a three engined V/STOL aircraft with a swivelling rear tail pipe which comes from the broken 1/72 Airfix Lockheed F-35B model kit. It needs filler/putty for the gaps. The nose is a different shape owing to the ballast I'm using which came out of one of the electric motors from a R/C Monster Truck. In fact there's a lot of reclaimed parts from the Airfix kit but not as the instructions suggest.

[McColm]

This is the concept that I have decided on, it needs PSR to refine it. Parts used so far are the:
1/72 Airfix BAC TSR.2
1/72 Airfix Lockheed YF-22 Lightning II
1/72 Airfix Lockheed F-35B
1/72 Airfix Avro Vulcan B.2
1/72 Revell TXF F-111
1/72 HobbyBoss F-18 Hornet

Influenced by the design of the Yak-141.

From the back, the Excalibur doesn't look too bad.


The underside when taped up.


Side view



Front view ,it's not pretty!

[McColm]

It's amazing how a little bit of filler/putty changes the profile of this build. Still along way to go,PSR until my arms start to ache.

[McColm]

The single vertical tail fin has been replaced with parts from the Airfix 1/72 Lockheed YF-22 Lightning II rear end-twin tail fins. As for the main engine air intakes, this is now chin mounted in a similar fashion to the F-16. Scrap plastic has been used to cover over the previous engine air intakes.

[McColm]

Funding from Ling-Temco-Vought/LTV before they became part of the Northrop Grumman Company changed the look of the Excalibur. A in-flight refuelling probe was plumbed in and a nose-chin engine air intake fitted. Blanking plates were welded over the pervious air intakes. The downwards exhaust pipes replaced with grids to reduce the hot gases.