Inapertwa

[rickshaw]

Inapertwa

The first GAF-built Canberra Mk 20 (A84-201) flew in May 1953 and entered service with No 82 Wing in December of the same year. No 2 Squadron was the first to receive the Canberra, followed by No 6 Squadron in 1955 and No 1 Squadron in 1958. The 48th and last Canberra Mk 20 was delivered in September 1958. Five aircraft (A84-201 and 203-206) were converted to dual control Mk 21 trainers in 1958-59.

 

RAAF Canberras achieved some national fame in 1953 when A84-201 and 202 participated in that year's England to New Zealand Air Race, the latter finishing a close second outright to a RAF Canberra. Long-distance flights were a feature of early RAAF Canberra operations, including goodwill trips to the USA.

 

In 1958, the RAAF began seeking a replacement for the Canberra bomber.  The CSIRO (Commonwealth Science and Industrial Organisation) was approached by GAF (Government Aircraft Factories) to help in designing an indigenous aircraft.  CSIRO had long had an interest in computerisation and automatic guidance systems.  They appointed Dr. Mark Golf to head the study team and his team in six months produced a proposal for a self-guided air-breathing missile.  Powered by a Rolls-Royce Avon jet engine, fed by a dorsal intake, the Inapertwa (Aboriginal for "simple creatures"), the missile would have sufficient range to reach northern Manchuria from bases within Australia's "top end".  Equipped with a initially a 5,000lb conventional warhead, later updated to a multi-kiloton nuclear device, it was to be capable of destroying it's intended targets which were cities and military complexes.  Road mobile, the missile was to be kept in large, concrete bunkers and in times of stress, dispersed to the surrounding countryside and readied for launch using zero-length rocket boosters.

 

 

More building:

 

Finished!

 

The Model

 

As can be seen from the pictures this is a reissue of the aged Revel 1/80? something Snark.  I cut the  rear fuselage, with it's belly scoop and reverse it, making it a dorsal intake.  I removed the tail and placed it back on top of the fuselage.  I then cut out some tail planes, using the fin as a template and stuck them to the sides of the fuselage after some sanding to remove the rough edges.  Then I applied the launcher to a road trailer.  Then I painted them both with a hairy stick.  The decals came from the spares box.

Edited August 26, 2017 by rickshaw

[bhouse]

Unfortunately your picture links lead to a log in page for Imageshack rather than actual photos.

 

And it's Fairey Rotodyne, not Fairy 🤔😉