tc2324

cockpit looks good to me. Great progress.

Nicely blended there dambuster. Looking forward to the next shots.

your right..., no idea! But looking forward to the next picture post.

Outstanding so far gishuk.

A little bit of progress done tonight. Bucc`s main airframe weighted and then put together, also the cockpit decals applied and bang seat painted. (the decals are slippery little buggers ain`t they) The intruder`s cockpit painted and control panel decaled. I`m not one for cockpits but I`m trying to improve my skills. Thank god they are 1/72 and the canopy will hide some of the rubbish....

Looking good Bexy. Like the squadron insignia on the tail as it`s starting to make it look like a military aircraft.

Thanks Bex, that looks fantastic in the all over wrap and has boosted my confidense no end on how an Intruder will look like in wrap around FAA blue.

robw_uk - Going to do the Intruder in the middle colour scheme thats on the Buccaneer`s box and the Buccaneer in the USN 70`s scheme thats white, grey and tan colour. Straight forward builds, just the colours to be reversed and perhaps the weapons kits depending on what I can find in the stash. Daniel - Cheers for that. Bex - Like the sound of that wrap around Intruder. Do you have a link to it or can you post a pic on here? Would love to see it.

Always wondered what a Buccaneer would have looked like in USN colours so I bought a kit but then needed to buy an Intruder kit for the decals. That got me thinking about what an Intruder would have looked like in RN colours? Well, theres only one way to find out........, Build...!!!!! Hope the mods don`t mind my adding another couple of kits to the GB. Kits in question below and both will be finished in eachothers shemes from the mid 70`s. Let the commence.

Liking the look of this. Not a type you would think the Japanese would fly so this will be interesting.

Glad you liked it Fredjocko. Took a bit of a gamble on the pictures as I would have liked a concrete diorama runway and a picture of an American desert type back drop. North Weald will have to do.

Lockheed XP-55 `Skunk` Jet Engines and Jet Planes The history and development of the Lockheed XP-55 began after Major General Henry H. Arnold had become aware of the British jet programme when he attended a demonstration of the Gloster E.28/39 in April 1941. He requested, and was given the plans for the Gloster`s power plant, the Power Jets W.1. By September 4th 1941 he had instructed General Electrics to produce an American version and then approached the chief designers from Bell and Lockheed Aircraft companies. Bell was later to incorporate the copied engine into it`s Bell XP-59 fighter project which flew for the first time on 1st October 1942. Design and Background. Lockheed`s chief designer Clarence `Kelly` Johnson had reviewed the data and was not convinced that the copied jet engines supplied by General Electric were powerful enough to produce an effective fighter aircraft. He was however interested in designing, developing and studying jet technology and dynamics and set a small team, headed by himself, the task of integrating the engines into a testbed aircraft by the end of 1942. At that time Lockheed was producing two main types for the war effort, the Hudson and P-38 Lightning. The team did not have the time or materials to design a new testbed and it was quickly decided that an existing airframe would be modified to accommodate the new engines. The Hudson was quickly dismissed due to the fact the jet engines would struggle to cope with it`s size and weight and so it left the P-38 as the only option. By November 1st 1942 the modified P-38, now given the unofficial designation XP-55 was delivered by road to Muroc Army Airfield and assembled. Various modifications had been carried out and the first thing that most personnel noticed about the new aircraft was it`s very `squat` appearance, but as test pilot Tony LeVier later remarked, `it`s a lot damn easier to jump into,,,!` In place of the two Allison V-1710 111/113 V-12 piston engines were now two W.1. turbojets each producing 1,700 lbf (7.7 kN) of power. The wing span was also increased by 3 feet on each wing partly due to the width of the jet engines but also because Clarence `Kelly` Johnson also wanted to investigate and explore how high a jet aircraft could operate. He surmised that the increased wing area would aid the aircraft and pilot in the thinner air at higher altitudes. (Much of this basic original data from the XP-55 test flights was used by Lockheed 10 years later when the U-2 spy plane was in development). Other changes to the airframe had been the increased width of the tail booms by 6 feet, retracting undercarriage placed between the cockpit and engines, which in turn led to the removal of the fuel tanks. This again in turn led to the development of wing tip fuel tanks technology which was used on the next Lockheed project the XP-80 Shooting Star. The horizontal stabiliser was also lifted to avoid burning from the jet exhaust. The standard P-38 cannon and .50 cal machine gun weapon load was kept as live fire exercises were planned during the testing phases. What's in a name? The unflattering and unofficial nickname `Skunk` was given to the XP-55 after it was visited by the engineers one morning to find that the word `Skunk` with an arrow pointing down towards the undercarriage, had been written on the side of a tail boom near the port engine in chalk. When they asked the armed guard as to what it referred to, the guard replied that during the night a Skunk had set up home by the tyre on the port side and did not want to move. The guard had tried to remove it with the butt of his rifle and then thought better of it when the animals tail was raised at him. The guard wisely decided to leave it be, but felt it best to write a warning on the side of the aircraft so everyone was aware of the potential smelly danger. The engineers and ground crew thanked the guard for his consideration and started the port engine in short order. The poor creature was last seen scurrying away as quick as it could across the pan and into the undergrowth to escape the loud noise. After this incident, the name stuck. The XP-55 is also credited with creating another well known phrase associated with Lockheed, although no-one has ever confirmed if the story is true. It is alleged that after the XP-55 obtained it`s `Skunk` name tag the engineers alway refered to the hangar it was stored and maintained in as the `Skunk Works`. It seems too much of a coincidence that not 6 months later those same designers and engineers that worked on the XP-55 started work on the XP-80 at what is now known as the legendary Lockheed `Skunk works` buildings situated in Burbank, California at that time. Test Flights and Secrecy Shortly after the first test flight on the 1st December 1942, the XP-55 went on to complete a further 28 test flights. No records exist, or at the very least been made public regarding these flights, however it is understood that after completing basic handling at low and high speeds, it went on to set an `unofficial` altitude and speed record after climbing to height and then commencing a shallow dive. The height and speed has never been admitted or released. It is reported from sources that a few days later when a similar flight was taking place the vibration was so intense that the pilot lost control for a short period of time. Control was regained at around 3,000 feet and after this near disaster Clarence `Kelly` Johnson banned all further high speed `testing`. Further flights were completed with regards to air to air and air to ground weapons testing and they all seem to have been completed without mishap. A second incident however did occur in mid February 1943 when during the testing phase of jettisoning the wing tanks in flight, the port wing tank was released, caught in a reportedly `unusual` airstream and hit the port tail boom causing considerable damage. Luckily for the test pilot the wing tip tank was empty at that time and the aircraft was able to return to base and make an emergency landing. It is also said that the XP-55 also took part in air to air refuelling tests, however no pictures exist of it in this configuration and their are no records of any modifications to support this story. Verdicts and Moving on The verdict on the XP-55 was simple. On the up side it was reported to as easy to fly, was very stable in most aspects of flight and able to out fly all the propeller aircraft of the day when involved in air to air dogfights. However, on the down side, as Clarence `Kelly` Johnson had guessed correctly the XP-55 was never going to be a production aircraft. The P-38 airframe was outdated and the W.1. turbo jets were not powerful enough to take the project forward. The `Skunk` was destined to be a `one off` test bed aeroplane only. By June 1943 Lockheed had started work on the XP-80 and the XP-55 aircraft and project were quietly drawn down. The XP-55`s final flight is reported to be on the 3rd July 1943 to an undisclosed storage facility in Arizona. But that's not where the story ends....? In 1957 a `Jet`, looking like a P-38 was reported flying low over Interstate Highway 375 heading south towards what is now known as Groom Lake. It`s never been confirmed, but perhaps Lockheed did not send the `Skunk` to a scrappers yard like so many aircraft were in those early days. Perhaps the `Skunk` is sitting in a small hangar within the Groom Lake facility as a reminder and memorial to the new generation of designers of what the original `Skunk works` designers had built, flown and tested in a very short period of time? Listed below are the only known poor quality B+W photo`s of the XP-55 at aN undisclosed location.

Thanks Chaps. Found some time tonight to get the picture I wanted, so..., on with the show....!!!! Lockheed XP-55 `Skunk` Jet Engines and Jet Planes The history and development of the Lockheed XP-55 began after Major General Henry H. Arnold had become aware of the British jet programme when he attended a demonstration of the Gloster E.28/39 in April 1941. He requested, and was given the plans for the Gloster`s power plant, the Power Jets W.1. By September 4th 1941 he had instructed General Electrics to produce an American version and then approached the chief designers from Bell and Lockheed Aircraft companies. Bell was later to incorporate the copied engine into it`s Bell XP-59 fighter project which flew for the first time on 1st October 1942. Design and Background. Lockheed`s chief designer Clarence `Kelly` Johnson had reviewed the data and was not convinced that the copied jet engines supplied by General Electric were powerful enough to produce an effective fighter aircraft. He was however interested in designing, developing and studying jet technology and dynamics and set a small team, headed by himself, the task of integrating the engines into a testbed aircraft by the end of 1942. At that time Lockheed was producing two main types for the war effort, the Hudson and P-38 Lightning. The team did not have the time or materials to design a new testbed and it was quickly decided that an existing airframe would be modified to accommodate the new engines. The Hudson was quickly dismissed due to the fact the jet engines would struggle to cope with it`s size and weight and so it left the P-38 as the only option. By November 1st 1942 the modified P-38, now given the unofficial designation XP-55 was delivered by road to Muroc Army Airfield and assembled. Various modifications had been carried out and the first thing that most personnel noticed about the new aircraft was it`s very `squat` appearance, but as test pilot Tony LeVier later remarked, `it`s a lot damn easier to jump into,,,!` In place of the two Allison V-1710 111/113 V-12 piston engines were now two W.1. turbojets each producing 1,700 lbf (7.7 kN) of power. The wing span was also increased by 3 feet on each wing partly due to the width of the jet engines but also because Clarence `Kelly` Johnson also wanted to investigate and explore how high a jet aircraft could operate. He surmised that the increased wing area would aid the aircraft and pilot in the thinner air at higher altitudes. (Much of this basic original data from the XP-55 test flights was used by Lockheed 10 years later when the U-2 spy plane was in development). Other changes to the airframe had been the increased width of the tail booms by 6 feet, retracting undercarriage placed between the cockpit and engines, which in turn led to the removal of the fuel tanks. This again in turn led to the development of wing tip fuel tanks technology which was used on the next Lockheed project the XP-80 Shooting Star. The horizontal stabiliser was also lifted to avoid burning from the jet exhaust. The standard P-38 cannon and .50 cal machine gun weapon load was kept as live fire exercises were planned during the testing phases. What's in a name? The unflattering and unofficial nickname `Skunk` was given to the XP-55 after it was visited by the engineers one morning to find that the word `Skunk` with an arrow pointing down towards the undercarriage, had been written on the side of a tail boom near the port engine in chalk. When they asked the armed guard as to what it referred to, the guard replied that during the night a Skunk had set up home by the tyre on the port side and did not want to move. The guard had tried to remove it with the butt of his rifle and then thought better of it when the animals tail was raised at him. The guard wisely decided to leave it be, but felt it best to write a warning on the side of the aircraft so everyone was aware of the potential smelly danger. The engineers and ground crew thanked the guard for his consideration and started the port engine in short order. The poor creature was last seen scurrying away as quick as it could across the pan and into the undergrowth to escape the loud noise. After this incident, the name stuck. The XP-55 is also credited with creating another well known phrase associated with Lockheed, although no-one has ever confirmed if the story is true. It is alleged that after the XP-55 obtained it`s `Skunk` name tag the engineers alway refered to the hangar it was stored and maintained in as the `Skunk Works`. It seems too much of a coincidence that not 6 months later those same designers and engineers that worked on the XP-55 started work on the XP-80 at what is now known as the legendary Lockheed `Skunk works` buildings situated in Burbank, California at that time. Test Flights and Secrecy Shortly after the first test flight on the 1st December 1942, the XP-55 went on to complete a further 28 test flights. No records exist, or at the very least been made public regarding these flights, however it is understood that after completing basic handling at low and high speeds, it went on to set an `unofficial` altitude and speed record after climbing to height and then commencing a shallow dive. The height and speed has never been admitted or released. It is reported from sources that a few days later when a similar flight was taking place the vibration was so intense that the pilot lost control for a short period of time. Control was regained at around 3,000 feet and after this near disaster Clarence `Kelly` Johnson banned all further high speed `testing`. Further flights were completed with regards to air to air and air to ground weapons testing and they all seem to have been completed without mishap. A second incident however did occur in mid February 1943 when during the testing phase of jettisoning the wing tanks in flight, the port wing tank was released, caught in a reportedly `unusual` airstream and hit the port tail boom causing considerable damage. Luckily for the test pilot the wing tip tank was empty at that time and the aircraft was able to return to base and make an emergency landing. It is also said that the XP-55 also took part in air to air refuelling tests, however no pictures exist of it in this configuration and their are no records of any modifications to support this story. Verdicts and Moving on The verdict on the XP-55 was simple. On the up side it was reported to as easy to fly, was very stable in most aspects of flight and able to out fly all the propeller aircraft of the day when involved in air to air dogfights. However, on the down side, as Clarence `Kelly` Johnson had guessed correctly the XP-55 was never going to be a production aircraft. The P-38 airframe was outdated and the W.1. turbo jets were not powerful enough to take the project forward. The `Skunk` was destined to be a `one off` test bed aeroplane only. By June 1943 Lockheed had started work on the XP-80 and the XP-55 aircraft and project were quietly drawn down. The XP-55`s final flight is reported to be on the 3rd July 1943 to an undisclosed storage facility in Arizona. But that's not where the story ends....? In 1957 a `Jet`, looking like a P-38 was reported flying low over Interstate Highway 375 heading south towards what is now known as Groom Lake. It`s never been confirmed, but perhaps Lockheed did not send the `Skunk` to a scrappers yard like so many aircraft were in those early days. Perhaps the `Skunk` is sitting in a small hangar within the Groom Lake facility as a reminder and memorial to the new generation of designers of what the original `Skunk works` designers had built, flown and tested in a very short period of time? Listed below are the only known poor quality B+W photo`s of the XP-55 at aN undisclosed location.

Very nice work on the bay. Very jealous of your attention to detail to say the least. Keep it up old chap.

Diorama and backstory presentation to finish this build will have to wait until the weekend but thought you may like a few colour pics of the completed model and profiles. Decals being very old were a nightmare to apply with all that white halo stuff around them all so out came the fine paint brush again. Overall I`m petty happy with this model and I think the back story is a cracker. Untill the the weekend...........!

Looking good so far. Cant wait to see it in USN colours.

Thanks for the compliments chaps. robw_uk, I did consider putting the Meteor tail it at one point but then it would have gone against the backstory and looked too much like a Meteor.

Thought I`d be finished by now, but alas the other `arf keeps giving me chores around the house. So heres an update on what she looks like now. (the model, not the wife..!)

Ok, last picture of the build before the reveal and backstory. Airframe primed and first coat of `warpaint` has gone on. Need to fill that section by the nose cone, attach u/c, u/c doors, wing tanks and some touch up painting of the exhausts and cockpit area and I should be about done.

Pretty much completed the build and put the covers on everything. U/C still to be done but added a couple of bits to make it interesting, so now the `tweaking` begins.....!

And now for the moment of truth...., will the old girl hold it together..?????

Cheers CPNGROATS, with a bit of luck something like this one hasn`t been done before. Put the u/c in place today, (but not fixed as I still have work to do on them), to sse what it looks like standing on its own legs. Looks pretty `squat` to me but seems about right for jets of that time. Also got most of the smoothing down of the wing and tail section and seems to coming on ok.

Update and pics as usual. I have `dug out` a new u/c bay and attached the engines. The tail length has been shortened and attached to the out wings. I used some 1/72 fuel tanks to `cap` the front of them and used sponge to slot the wings into the tail..! (Don`t ask...) have put plenty of filler around the tail and wing connection and will file it into shape tomorrow. Also added blue tack to the cockpit section to add weight and started on the u/c which is from the Meteor. Happy days.....!

A couple of pictures to give you an idea of what the finished model will look like. All held together with blue tack at the moment with lots of filing and filler ahead of me to make sure I get those few important millimetres so the tail section straightens out.

Cracking colours there. Nearly blinded myself at work when I first saw it.