Unusual Semi Scale Stunt Project?

LAST EDITED ON Mar-24-04 AT 10:30 PM (CDT)
 
Browsing one of my old books from the 1950's I came across something I thought you might enjoy seeing, or toying with the idea as a semi scale bomber.

This unusual configuration (well, to me any ways) of a Wellington I bomber fitted with a 48 ft Dural hoop, energized by an auxiliary motor to produce a magnetic field. It was used to explode floating magnetic mines and clear the way for battle ships. Talk about Tom Swift! Way cool for W.W.II technology.

It makes you wonder what that big hoop did for flight characteristics, and what it would do to a semi scale stunter? Hand flipping the props would sure be fun! Ouch! You would probably need a long starter extension shaft like the R/C helicopter guys use...

I'm kind of April Fooling about the version with the magnetic hoop, but as to the regular Wellington, I think it might not make a bad study for our use. One nice thing about the Wellington is that the wing and tail thrust line look good for our use, as well as the tail moment. An almost straight wing with very little dihedral.

Doug Moon was looking into high A/R wings, well this one would fit the bill. A little too high for me, but hey, it's SEMI scale, right? Fudge it the way you want. Any takers? heh...not me!

LAST EDITED ON Mar-24-04 AT 10:37 PM (CDT)
 
Walt Musciano beat him to the punch MANY years gone- like over 40+ on high aspect ratio semi-Scale Stunters. Walt had two different size Vickers Wellesleys published back in the 1950s. This is the single engine monoplane bomber that is the direct ancestor of the Wellington twin.
It had a long and distinguished career with the RAF from the mid-'30s into WW-II.
Ain't nothin' new under the sun.
BTW, the Germans did the exact same thing with degaussing hoops on He-111s and Ju-52s among other a/c.

Jake

The Wellington could make a fine flying stunt ship, it is almost an inline configuration and would have a narrow fuselage. Build it up geodetic like the real one and you would have a nice package.

Thanks Don. I thought so too. It has "that look" when viewed from the side profile. I think it would be very do-able, with a little stunt-fudging (did I make a new word?). I'm just not up for the task right now, but thougth others might find it interesting. 3 Views are great for this kind of evaluation, where sometimes browsing pictures, you don't get a real feel for the dimensions and proportions.

I HAVE been working on the idea of a certain 3 engine job, even have the plans drawn up with the help of a scale draftsman in our club. The problem is, I only want the middle engine up front to be for real, and 2 nacelles to have dummy engines, essentially pinwheels. But almost EVERY time I mention doing this in front of the more traditional scale guys, they just screw up their face and cringe!

Oh well, can't please everyone. When I get around to building it, I'll just have to tell people not to look too close at the nacelles.

Hey, it's gonna be YOUR airplane, not theirs. So build it!

I scratch built the Musciano Wellington a couple of years ago. He had both a 50+ inch stunter in Flying Models in the '50s, and a 28" job in one of his books. I scaled up the book version to 36", and stuck a .10 on it.

I would post of pic of it here, but don't know how to.

>I scratch built the Musciano Wellington a couple of years
>ago. He had both a 50+ inch stunter in Flying Models in the
>'50s, and a 28" job in one of his books. I scaled up the
>book version to 36", and stuck a .10 on it.
>
>I would post of pic of it here, but don't know how to.
>
>Currell

You mean your Wellesley? I wish you could put it up here- it is REAL cute!

Jake

Picture and plans for the Wellesley are on
http://www.controllineplans.com/
on Stunt Page 2 under Vickers Wellesley
Bare

Barry Baxter