3D design and printed collection of British prototypes and proposed designs

[Space Ranger]

Is that 1/72? Looks a bit small, unless those are 1/48 missiles and drop tanks.

[qn30jEkPz7]

It is a bit bigger than a Javelin so maybe it is deceptively shot - I was rooting around for the biggest drop tanks etc. that I could find to try and stay in proportion

[qn30jEkPz7]

Meanwhile, back on the ranch...

 

DH117 ready for download and a first run at printing (along with a couple of Red Dean missiles for the wingtips)

 

and after a bit more work on the Saunders Roe I thin k this might even be ready for a test print as well

 

 

 

[qn30jEkPz7]

Since I needed an example for the 3D print bit of site to talk about a bit of Fusion 360 I started a fresh plane - the Armstrong Whitworth AW58 which never saw the light of day as the English Electric P.1 was preferred (I wonder whatever became of it)

 

So, general shape compared to the planned plane - no innards or cockpit to speak of yet but the general shape is well on the way

 

And here it is as it currently stands, a bit basking shark like with that oval gob open but hopefully as I add innards and details it'll start to grow on me. Squished mig-15ish 

 

[Space Ranger]

I see some MiG influence, all right.

[qn30jEkPz7]

11 hours ago, Space Ranger said:

I see some MiG influence, all right.

The article I’ve got on it describes wing fences at 50% and 70% of span although the sketches don’t show them. I’m swithering on whether to add them as I fear it’ll become even more MiGish

[TheBaron]

That Saunders Roe wouldn't look out of place in a 50s scifi film!

How I'm picturing your studio after printing Alastair:

😁

[qn30jEkPz7]

49 minutes ago, TheBaron said:

That Saunders Roe wouldn't look out of place in a 50s scifi film!

How I'm picturing your studio after printing Alastair:

😁

When Worlds Collide? Love that era of Sci-Fi films. That’s how I aspire the workshop to look eventually but at the moment everything is piled haphazardly in the loft as I’m between workshops so it looks like a fossil dig in the middle of a geometry convention with part finished hominid, sabre toothed cat and dinosair printed skulls and lots of lasercut scultures are mounded up 

 

The SR does have a firm Thunderbird 2 thing going on. The raising/lowering nose really adds a bit of retrofuturism

[qn30jEkPz7]

Lo and behold! It has innards and a canopy. 

 

Still doesn’t look very charismatic mind you. The more I work on it the less I like the lines of it. Wheel bays, undercarriage, leading edge slats and maybe a rudimentary seat and then it is possibly time to print and see how it looks in the flesh. Most things look better once they’ve gained a roundel or two and got some serial numbers on them

Edited July 30, 2020 by LostCosmonauts

[qn30jEkPz7]

No two ways about it - this plane is ugly as sin. I've faffed about adding wheel bays and undercarriage and growing to like it less and less. I'm not sure even some roundels and a sharkmouth could rescue this monstrosity

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gorby]

13 hours ago, LostCosmonauts said:

this plane is ugly as sin.

Odd that you say that - I like it. I certainly think it looks better than the Lightning in my opinion. And I think it's remarkable that this was designed in the 1950's, only a few years after the Spitfire was the pinnacle of fighter development.

 

(Having said that, it definitely looks better from the side than that 'hungry mouth' front view).

[qn30jEkPz7]

3 minutes ago, Gorby said:

Odd that you say that - I like it. I certainly think it looks better than the Lightning in my opinion. And I think it's remarkable that this was designed in the 1950's, only a few years after the Spitfire was the pinnacle of fighter development.

 

(Having said that, it definitely looks better from the side than that 'hungry mouth' front view).

Even earlier than that, I think it was about 1948 that this was drawn up. That Lightning point is one I keep coming back to - the P1A initial sketches also looked a bit unpromising but it blossomed once it had grown past gawky adolescence

 

I might do a 2nd version based on the tailed delta, Sapphire engined redraft and print and finish both off to compare 

[qn30jEkPz7]

I have to concede the point to @Gorby and say that I'm finding it less and less ugly now that it is closer to the point of printing plastic (and having checked in Tony Buttler's Secret Projects book 1 it is very clear that the P.1 at the same point in development was no oil painting)

 

@Mattlow - this is where I ended up with that model I was using for our discussion about lofting and rails

 

So. Checking it out against the drawings... not looking too bad

 

 

In dim light, from the right angle and after a couple of drinks it might even consider itself ok looking. Add the couple of 30mm cannons specified and you almost have a 2nd generation jet fighter

 

Exported as the stl with wheels up, wheels down and as a kit of parts it almost looks like it has a bit of purpose about it

 

 

[Mattlow]

Nice work Alistair

 

I'm struggling along with my learning. It has the look of Kurt Tank's Pulqui II, a design he took to Argentina after the war.

 

Matt

[Andwil]

Been watching this last one with some interest as the AW58 (a type I’d never come across before) has my initials and birth year.  Must say it looks like a cross between a MiG 15/17 and an F-100.

 

AW

[Space Ranger]

3 hours ago, Andwil said:

Must say it looks like a cross between a MiG 15/17 and an F-100.

I was thinking that exact same thing.

[qn30jEkPz7]

4 hours ago, Andwil said:

Been watching this last one with some interest as the AW58 (a type I’d never come across before) has my initials and birth year.  Must say it looks like a cross between a MiG 15/17 and an F-100.

 

AW

Now that seems like destiny. If this prints out ok would you like the prototype parts to assemble for your collection? I’ve got a lot of other half-done projects to do so there’s every chance that this’d languish for ages waiting for me to get round to doing it

 

5 hours ago, Mattlow said:

It has the look of Kurt Tank's Pulqui II, a design he took to Argentina after the war.

It does, reading the chapter on early transonic designs that led to the Fairey Deltas and English Electric P.1 there were a couple that had that look about them. A Fairey swept wing proposal, a Bristol and a Gloster... hmmm... I can feel a new to-do list brewing in the back of my mind already

[Andwil]

6 hours ago, LostCosmonauts said:

Now that seems like destiny. If this prints out ok would you like the prototype parts to assemble for your collection? I’ve got a lot of other half-done projects to do so there’s every chance that this’d languish for ages waiting for me to get round to doing it

That’s a very generous offer, it would certainly be something unique for my collection.

 

AW

[qn30jEkPz7]

5 minutes ago, Andwil said:

That’s a very generous offer, it would certainly be something unique for my collection.

 

AW

No problem, you’re taking an item off my to-do list. Once I’ve got a real version in hand just drop me a line with your address (I probably owe @Aardvark one as well as a thanks for helping with the background info)

[heloman1]

Just found your thread, I'm liking what you are doing. As a one time industrial modelmaker, I used to do this sort of thing out of solid timber. I'm no computer 'fundi' (expert) so looking at the scematic drawings is interesting.

 

I do like the Saro and Avro aircraft. I'll follow with interst.

 

Colin

[qn30jEkPz7]

Weather has been miserable so I cracked on this afternoon with reworking the AW.58 into the slightly larger tailed delta and reheated Sapphire engine development of the original design. Still needs wheels etc. but...

 

 

 

 

[qn30jEkPz7]

On 03/08/2020 at 11:44, heloman1 said:

Just found your thread, I'm liking what you are doing. As a one time industrial modelmaker, I used to do this sort of thing out of solid timber. I'm no computer 'fundi' (expert) so looking at the scematic drawings is interesting.

 

I do like the Saro and Avro aircraft. I'll follow with interst.

 

Colin

I'm a long way from being a computer expert - I was a scientist by training but always drew so I'm kind of learning as I go. today's revelation has been in how to add surface features like airbrakes and panel lines

[qn30jEkPz7]

I've had a bit more quiet contemplation and time to have a play with this so it now has legs and had a bit of  a tidy up. Another one ready to test print (and I like this iteration of the design rather more than I did the first)

 

 

 

 

 

[Andwil]

The delta wing configuration somehow looks more “British” and less “Russian”.

 

AW

[qn30jEkPz7]

8 hours ago, Andwil said:

The delta wing configuration somehow looks more “British” and less “Russian”.

 

AW

With the T-tail it looks from some angles like the Short SB5, in others like a mini-Javelin