Chance-Vought XF5U-1 'Flying Pancake'

[ruzlkampf]

"Flying hubcap?" Bwhahah!, ....I like that. I think you're daring me to do a Marines F5-U digitally? Dare I say, 'double-daring me'?! Hmmmm, I may actually have to ponder that.

Funny you should mention the armament there, Derek. I'm getting ready to darken that door-step tomorrow. When I flip this tater over to putty the bottom, I wanted to cut the shell ejection link holes. Gotta decide what the base gun package is going to be. It was originally designed to have 6-50cals., with the option of having 4-20mm cannon. Check out these gun arrangement pics. One of the things that killed this design was the (obviously) lack of space for forward firing....anything, cause of the large prop arc.

 

 

Here's the mock-up (still with 3-blades props) about the time of the Midway battles. Check out that insignia, and 2-tone blue/gray camo. You can see where the blast-tubes for the .50's would be. I'm going with the 4-20's.

 

[ruzlkampf]

Here's where the gun package would be located. Behind the pilot,(oh..ehrm, Aviator) is the oil tank, behind that is the main fuel tank with the guns 'racked' up on both sides of that. Because this AC design is so 'stubby'(it's shorter than a Bearcat!), I'm thinking they might not have ejected the brass to keep the CG 1/2-way tolerable? Dunno.

Guns are circled in red.

 

[ruzlkampf]

Here's a pic of the 'hub-cap' earlier this evening after I got the starboard side pretty much smoothed out. Other side is now done too, and I'm ready to flip this turtle over and do the same to the bottom. I have placed a 20mm, and a .50cal. weapon from a -1 & -2 Bearcat (hey, stuck the props on to see what they'd look like too. Yargh, another diversion) over the areas they'd be if I had open bays to show them. Actually, they were accessed from the bottom, meh. Maybe I'll show some more pics tonight of this thing smoothed out on top. After doing this to the bottom,...all the hard parts are done. It'll be on to the canopy and props! Whoohoo! More pics as things progress. Russ

 

[Spads57]

Russ,

The Lump is looking better all the time.Just plain outstanding! I love the idea of the four 20 mm's and the superchargers.Happy New Year my friend.

Highest Regards,

Gregory Jouette

[Derek B]

All beginning to look very smooooth Russ - I wonder why they never considered fitting a centreline weapons pod?

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[Loic]

Hey dude,

 

This engine nacel looks just smooth as glass!

It all looks superb, I really am waiting to see it painted.

Cheers,

 

Loic

[blackbetty]

excellent work, russ, always nice to watch it come together

[ruzlkampf]

I'm pissed off!!! :angry: Oh,...not at anybody here, of course. Came within a whisker of being done with the top of this...this...LUMP (you're sooo right, Greg! he he) Just had to put one more itty-bitty swipe with some 1200 grit cloth, and it took it down just enough for me to notice a few 'soft spots'. Grrr. Guess I didn't mix my Milliput good enough before I put it on this one area/cold & rainy/for whatever reason. Had to cut it out, cuz I couldn't hang with it like it was. Aaaargh.

Easy enough fix though. I feel better now that I've vented. A pox on cold weather, and model building though. Nothing like a few leprous blotches to share with my friends. Eeeeeewwww. OK, here's where I'm at;

 

 

Nice little cankerous sores on that nacelle, eh?!

 

[ruzlkampf]

Thanks for all the positive comments Gentlemen, but as can be seen...I'm having one of those days. Nothing terminal, though.

Ya know, Derek...I've been re-drawing my plans for this into a converted night-fighter, and I do have an underslung gunpod (ala, like the P-61) designed for it. Put a second seat where the oil tank is, moved that back into the fuel bay after enlarging it by taking the guns out, and fairing them into the bottom. I'm going to be hanging 2-150 gal. Bearcat droptanks under it anyway for xtra endurance. Geesh, this thing just might morph into a night-fighter before it's all over with. If I can only finalize a nice canopy shape to fit 2 aviators under....it'd be a done deal. hmmmmm. Anyway, just wanted to show that I've basically got the top 1/2 done, and I'll be working on the bottom. Reached the go/no-go point on any future mods I can cram onto this flapjack....so I'm going to pause and reflect on this awhile. This might get interesting.

 

 

Again, thanks for all the kind words. Happy New Year to You too, Greg! Later, All...Russ

[Derek B]

Ya know, Derek...I've been re-drawing my plans for this into a converted night-fighter, and I do have an underslung gunpod (ala, like the P-61) designed for it. Put a second seat where the oil tank is, moved that back into the fuel bay after enlarging it by taking the guns out, and fairing them into the bottom. I'm going to be hanging 2-150 gal. Bearcat droptanks under it anyway for xtra endurance. Geesh, this thing just might morph into a night-fighter before it's all over with. If I can only finalize a nice canopy shape to fit 2 aviators under....it'd be a done deal. hmmmmm.

 

Russ

 

I love all black nightfighters - especially the P-61, but then I'm pretty biased! Your idea is completely 'doable'. Either extend the canopy line aft (which would create a quite pronounced hump - a bit like a Harrier T.2), or raise the cockpit line to the horizintal. Use the existing sliding canopy as a fixed aft portion, and the existing windscreen as is, all you'll need is a simple side hinged flat section to cover both occupants? You are correct about needing a AI radar nose (the P-61 used an SCR720). I would love to see what nose art you would pin onto such a nightfighter?

 

Cheers

 

Derek

[ruzlkampf]

Well, Derek...I tried. A 2-seater just won't work. Had a cockpit/gun arrangement kinda like an HE-219 with the radar operator sitting backwards, and a 'stepped' lower gunpod below,...with a late-war 'Berlin' type radar nose. Because of the transfer-case arrangement, and shaft that joins the 2 motors where they are,...and everything being at 30% wing-chord area to keep this little stubby 'bumble-bee' at some semblance of balance....well. It's like trying to get 5 gallons into a 1 gallon bucket. Maybe if I enlarged the airframe 25%, and did a major re-design? Whahhhh! :angry:

Anything is possible in plastic, but it just wouldn't be realistic.(not that something like that ever stopped me before. ) Still mulling over possibilities. Won't be doing the P-38 turbo-supercharger arrangement either, as it already HAS one! Check out the isometric drawing showing my armament location. Very nice elegant design that's internal for low drag,(inter-coolers on top using cooling air drawn in by the engine fans and vented out thru ducts on top) and uses on large exhaust outlet for a measurable amount of extra thrust. Efficient, well thought out, and compact vertical instead of horizontal design. I like it.

So....after fixing my upper surface putty job last night, I have boxed in all the lower surfaces...put in my exhaust outlets, and puttied the bottom. Here are some pics I took before filling everything in.

 

 

 

When I get everything carved into shape and sanded, I'll post more pics. Next step will be the props/spinners, or the cockpit/canopy. Landing gear is already done. Later, Russ

[aldur]

Hi Russ,

 

This is really starting to look great.

Keep it going, it's a real joy reading your posts.

 

greetings,

Ian

[LSP_Kevin]

Looking very cool Russ. I still can't believe you built this thing from scratch. Even at this stage it looks like you're using a kit!

 

Kev

[vvwse4]

Hi Russ,

 

Looks great!! Just like Kevin said it is hard to believe that you're building this from scratch. Looks like another challenge for me too, order some drawnings and a lot of evergreen......hmm like the sound of that also. Where do you order drawnings of planes, the Dornier Do335 Pfeil comes suddenly in my mind

 

But apart from this distraction, it looks like it is almost time for syrup on your pancake

 

Happy new year Russ!!

 

Rick.

[Derek B]

Well, Derek...I tried. A 2-seater just won't work. Had a cockpit/gun arrangement kinda like an HE-219 with the radar operator sitting backwards, and a 'stepped' lower gunpod below,...with a late-war 'Berlin' type radar nose. Because of the transfer-case arrangement, and shaft that joins the 2 motors where they are,...and everything being at 30% wing-chord area to keep this little stubby 'bumble-bee' at some semblance of balance....well. It's like trying to get 5 gallons into a 1 gallon bucket. Maybe if I enlarged the airframe 25%, and did a major re-design? Whahhhh! :angry:

 

Later, Russ

 

Yeah, you're probably right Russ - they would need to increase the aircraft size for this role, otherwise, it would not have the room or perfomance for the task (and be overweight!). Had they done so, it would probably put development back to after the war (say 1946-47?), and they may have well decided to utilise turbo-prop engines by then (Licence built RR Derwent/Nene/Dart maybe?).

 

Your hub cap is looking superb - a really unusual and great build - scratch building at its best

 

Derek