RELEASED - 1/72 Early Merlin Spitfire Family - IBG Guessing Game Round 2

[The wooksta V2.0]

I think a Ju 52 is possibly it.  Early ones were single engined, then they changed to three BMW 132s.  How many different props did they have?

[Tbolt]

3 hours ago, Giorgio N said:

 

Yes, in some cases they were just small or very small differences. In the case of the AO Smith type I even think they just made the blades for Curtiss Electric rather than entire propellers....

The thing is that really this kind of guess-the-plane games from model companies are just that, a fun game. A game where they trickle down hints to keep us modellers interested in their forthcoming new product so it makes sense to be cryptic, search tiny details and drop hints that must be dissected to find something, it just adds to the speculation.

Now I came to the P-47 idea just because I had somewhere in my mind that the Thunderbolt used more propeller types that most think but there were other aircraft types with 7 or more propeller types, like the Spitfire. Guess that the Bf.109 line may have also used a similar number of propellers but I don't know 109s enough to comment on this. And there could be several more...

So I'd say the P-47 is at the moment as likely a guess as many others (but I'd be pretty happy with it). Of course tomorrow we may get a new hint pointing at a 2-engined aircraft and my guess would suddenly be totally wrong.

 

O 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Yes I only know what's quoted in the EMI regarding fit of the hub and blade combinations, but not if there's any physically differences between some of them. 

 

Anyway still hoping it is a P-47. My bank account is hoping it's not.

[Adam Poultney]

8 minutes ago, DominikS said:

So which is right one? Allied or Axis?

Perhaps one of the hints we will receive in the coming weeks?

[Giorgio N]

1 hour ago, 12by12 said:

Well, you could imagine a P-47 series from B to N not excluding the prototype J and you might need several props.  But say you want to do some schemes from photos, are you really going  to, or even be able to, get the prop version right. Of course you must distinguish between narrow and paddle blades, and the different hubs, but really? 

 

Whereas if you were doing the Spitfire from K5054 to Seafire 47, you just must do at least seven props. Must. And that's the only type where that applies. Now IBG may have a type in mind where they MAY do seven props but I can't see that they must.

 

But I could be wrong and ignorant of the type.

 

Your line of thought would be perfect if the hint said clearly something like "we're doing a type of aircraft that used 7 different types of propeller"

However the hint just says "7 different propellers in the project", that can be interpreted in a number of different ways ! Of which the idea of the 7 different propeller types is sure a valid one but it may also be a series of 2-engined aircraft that used 3 different counter-rotating props, so you have port and starboard that phisically different... and maybe one version did not have counter-rotating propellers so it would be one single propeller for this, making 7 in total (P-38? Hs.129?)

It could also be relative to the actual number of propellers in the box... now maybe not my suggested 7 props for the Kalinin but say a new He-111Z (5 propellers...) that for some reason is towing a Go.244 or another 2-engined type so making a total of 7 propellers in the box of 2 different types)., and what about a what-if Mistel with a Ju-88 on top of a He-111Z? That would be pretty impressive wouldn't it? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Or could be a project with an aircraft that had variants with different number of engines.. like a 3-engined aircraft with one set of props with 2 2-engined variants with different props (S.79 for example). And really I could go on with a lot of other weird suggestions 😂

 

 

Edited January 16 by Giorgio N

[Piotr Mikolajski]

16 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

However the hint just says "7 different propellers in the project", that can be interpreted in a number of different ways!

 

It's just literally 7 different propeller types on all sprues of this family. Maybe there is one of each, maybe there are several of each, maybe in 3D printing it is possible to make some more - you'll see.

[Dennis_C]

18 minutes ago, Giorgio N said:

but it may also be a series of 2-engined aircraft that used 3 different counter-rotating props, so you have port and starboard that phisically different...

I think this is a big point - if it is a two-engine aircraft - then it should just have 3 or 4 propeller types. 

 

One more point - from purely modelling perspective the same type propellers with and without spinner are likely two different propellers on the sprues (what about two different spinners?). Is this an argument that the model may have seven propellers but not seven types of different propellers in the box?

[Dennis_C]

2 minutes ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

It's just literally 7 different propeller types on all sprues of this family. 

So it's seven different propeller types?

 

By the way - are helicopters' airscrews are called 'propellers' in English?

[The wooksta V2.0]

No, usually main rotor and tail rotor.  Oh, and a rotor has a number of blades.

[Dennis_C]

24 minutes ago, The wooksta V2.0 said:

No, usually main rotor and tail rotor.  Oh, and a rotor has a number of blades.

Okay... so it's not a helicopter likely. In Russian the rotor is not a 'propeller' either. It's an airscrew or just screw. 'Carrying screw' and 'steering screw' for main and tail rotors respectively.

[Caerbannog]

2 hours ago, steh2o said:

I sincerely hope that the seven different propeller types come out better than IBG's own Fw190D's ones!!!😂

 

Maybe it is just 6 wrong and one correct propeller included so each can pick the one they like most?

[352nd Fighter Group]

I was Thinking a  Target Tug    Fairey Firefly TT1 

 

Propellers:  Three -bladed constant-speed propeller  then it did The winch was typically powered by a small wind turbine on the outside of the aircraft, driven by the airflow and attached to the winch via a clutch. 

Edited January 16 by 352nd Fighter Group
remove a word

[Dennis_C]

Could it be an aircraft used as a propeller testbed? I have no idea if any such aircraft existed at all but probably there should have been some. 

[12by12]

 

Could it be an aircraft used as a propeller testbed?

 

Folland F.108 'Frightful' probably had more than seven props, and previously not done in plastic or any other medium AFAIK.

But not likely, I think.

 

[352nd Fighter Group]

🙏

Edited January 16 by 352nd Fighter Group

[Karearea]

I was wondering about Sea Furys too- there’s the Centaurus, then all the R-3350 conversions which may have had a different prop. Then all the Unlimited Class racers which had some exotic propellers. But would IBG actually include all these?

[Piotr Mikolajski]

1 hour ago, 12by12 said:

Could it be an aircraft used as a propeller testbed?

 

IBG Models makes models from steel moulds, so until it starts producing them in parallel with other technology, there can only be talk of profitability out of steel moulds.

 

Generally if it's a popular aircraft like the Lancaster, B-17 and so on that has been used for testing, then a version with a engine test bed might be considered. Especially if just a few additional parts are needed to release it or it can be done with small 3D printing. In the case of IBG Models, the former option is the PZL.42 (modified PZL.23 Karaś) or the P.11g Kobuz (modified P.11c). The 3D print was used for the various Fw 190D prototypes.

 

For prototypes or short series such as Folland Fo.108, the chances of them being released are close to none.

 

12 hours ago, JWM said:

A WW2 stuff not present yet on market?

 

It doesn't matter whether a model of a particular aircraft has already been on the market or has never been released. Depending on the criteria, 1000-1500 aircraft types took part in the Second World War. Most of them were not released as injection kits and that does not mean they are an attractive subject for manufacturers.

 

12 hours ago, JWM said:

I hope it will be: Set 7k, IAR-27, Kaproni-Bulgarski KB-4, KB-5, KB-6 or KB-11 or  simply AW Ensing....  If German sells better then He 116 perhaps?

 

It's obvious that it won't be any of these. Of these seven, only Ensign was announced, five years ago by One Man Model, and still is an announcement.

 

Manufacturers are not people incapable of calculating the economic potential for one model or another, who need enlightenment from a modeller to understand the market they have been operating in for years.

If a particular subject is not available on the market these days as injection kit, it is not the result of conspiracy or stupidity on the part of the manufacturers. It is either none of them want to risk their own money because they do not see a profit in the subject, or they do not have the documentation for such an aircraft good enough to make a model at the quality level currently expected. No matter how many times this or that name will be repeated, it won't change anything. Neither good documentation for the Breguet XIX will suddenly materialise from this repetition, nor will the sales potential of the Bulgarian training aircraft, produced in a dozen copies, increase a hundredfold.

[JWM]

24 minutes ago, Piotr Mikolajski said:

It's obvious that it won't be any of these. Of these seven, only Ensign was announced, five years ago by One Man Model, and still is an announcement.

Yeeeh, I was joking

 

[Piotr Mikolajski]

Sure, Schrödinger's jokes.

[LN-KEH]

Hawker Typhoon and Tempest went through quite a few engine and propeller changes.

The same with Republic P-47 

[Seboo]

Seeing as IBG seems to be more into Axis stuff ( with PZLs and RWD being only exception) I wonder if it could be Fw-190A/F. Did it use 7 different props?

[Dennis_C]

45 minutes ago, Seboo said:

Seeing as IBG seems to be more into Axis stuff ( with PZLs and RWD being only exception) I wonder if it could be Fw-190A/F. Did it use 7 different props?

From what I'm reading - there were several airscrews. Metal and wooden with different blade chords. Not sure if that gives 7 though. There is no lack of Fw-190 on the market though... On the other hand the sudden issue of early A-0...A-4 variants by KP suggests that someone may come in with new Fw-190 series and start exactly with the early A. 

 

BTW - should it be a 1/72 at all?

Edited January 17 by Dennis_C

[steh2o]

38 minutes ago, Dennis_C said:

From what I'm reading - there were several airscrews. Metal and wooden with different blade chords. Not sure if that gives 7 though. There is no lack of Fw-190 on the market though... On the other hand the sudden issue of early A-0...A-4 variants by KP suggests that someone may come in with new Fw-190 series and start exactly with the early A. 

 

BTW - should it be a 1/72 at all?

You have a good point here!

Given that IBG has some of the design still available from the -D series, it would be a great choice, considering that A-0 to A-8 has nothing really good on the market (including Tamiya and Eduard) except perhaps the very simplified Zvezda and Airfix. It is a real possibility!

[Dennis_C]

23 minutes ago, steh2o said:

considering that A-0 to A-8 has nothing really good on the market

Eduard did A-5, but anything before A-5 is really scarce. I think it is only Tamiya and I can assume it is a nicely molded and very easy going kit but should probably be somewhat basic. So there should be an opportunity in early Fw-190s. 

There are also V prototypes thar had varying engines and some strange looking propellers

 

Edited January 17 by Dennis_C

[352nd Fighter Group]

I have a few in mind but would IBG do them 

 

 

Seafire FR.47 

 

Seafire Mk XV

 

Seafire Mk IB

 

Seafire Mk III

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 17 by 352nd Fighter Group
delete

[Giorgio N]

2 hours ago, 352nd Fighter Group said:

I have a few in mind but would IBG do them 

 

 

Seafire FR.47 

 

Seafire Mk XV

 

Seafire Mk IB

 

Seafire Mk III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Considering all the Seafire variants, they sure used 7 different propellers, so it would satisfy the hint. However...

A "family" of Seafires would be a family in name only! Yes, all Spit/Seafires share the same central fuselage (at least shapewise, with the obious differences for the low-back variants) but this does not mean that a model company can design all variants as part of a family. A kit of a Seafire III and a kit of a Seafire 47 would have very little in common! Different fuselage, different wings, different tailplanes, different canopy and windscreen, different radiators, landing gears, wheels..... Even a hypothetical "common parts" sprue, like the one Eduard uses in all their Mk.IX/VIII/XVI kits, would be difficult since even most of the details would differ. it would have to feature a huge number of different parts to cover all variants.

Offering such a family would really require 2 or 3 different "subfamilies", each based on a kit totally different from the kits of the other subfamilies. Would IBG, or any other manufacturer take a similar challenge ? Sword did issue a number of Seafire variants but really each of their kits is totally different from the others (although of course certain details are the same... but they never did the 40 series ones).

Edited January 17 by Giorgio N