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Supermarine Type 500 - 'Jet Spitfire'


dambuster

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That's looking great Peter, I was expecting a twin jet for some reason! Nice cowling.

Paul Harrison

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  • 2 weeks later...

Progress to date. During development of the design Spermaine realised that there could be a substantial heat and pressure build up in the engine compartment and incorporated some dissipation vents into the rear of the upper cowling as seen here and added a cooling flap underneath as part of the wing structure.

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Someone asked how the jet thrust would work:

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Still some touching up and panel lines to do..... in case anyone is wondering the exhausts were made from a couple of pieces of very thick sprue from the kit, heated over a candle, bent to shape for each side, trimmed and drilled out.

Peter

Edited by dambuster
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Latest update. Need to fill and finish the folding-wing joint, especially the underside, add cannon, tidy up a few minor blemishes and then the aiframe is complete. Engine jet pipe temporarily removed to get access to wing roots. Tricky getting the Seafire 47 wings to fit at the root; designed an underfuselage fairing at the leading edge - made from miliput wet shaped then sanded to shape. Next update will probably be at the end of the month when I hope to have it filled, scribed and primed.

Peter

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  • 3 weeks later...

From the Aeroplane Spotter, 14 Nov 1944.

We have been supplied these pictures by a correspondent who obtained them from a source inside the RAF. Of poor quality they appear to substantiate the rumours that have persisted since October about a new variant of the Spitfire powered by an as yet unidentified engine. The last photograph is most interesting as it appears to confirm that a new 'thrust compression' engine has been developed that does not require a propellor to act upon the air. Note what appears to be a large exhaust pipe on the side of the fuselage, well back from where a normal piston engine would exhaust. The characteristic underwing radiators and underfuselage carbouretter housing of the Spitfire are also missing, which leads to the conclusion that the new engine is air cooled and has some direct form of fuel injection. It is believed that the propellor that can be seen fitted in the initial photographs is non-functioning and is removed before flight. Its purpose may be to make the aircraft appear to a casual observer the same as all other Spitfire variants. The exacy unit that operates this aircraft is unknown, but sources suggest that it has been newly formed and may be No 629 Squadron. Code letters appear to be 'XL', which have previousy been allocated to non-operational units; again a possible disguise as to the true purpose of the Squadron.

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Peter

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From the Aeroplane Spotter, 14 Nov 1944.

We have been supplied these pictures by a correspondent who obtained them from a source inside the RAF. Of poor quality they appear to substantiate the rumours that have persisted since October about a new variant of the Spitfire powered by an as yet unidentified engine. The last photograph is most interesting as it appears to confirm that a new 'thrust compression' engine has been developed that does not require a propellor to act upon the air. Note what appears to be a large exhaust pipe on the side of the fuselage, well back from where a normal piston engine would exhaust. The characteristic underwing radiators and underfuselage carbouretter housing of the Spitfire are also missing, which leads to the conclusion that the new engine is air cooled and has some direct form of fuel injection. It is believed that the propellor that can be seen fitted in the initial photographs is non-functioning and is removed before flight. Its purpose may be to make the aircraft appear to a casual observer the same as all other Spitfire variants. The exacy unit that operates this aircraft is unknown, but sources suggest that it has been newly formed and may be No 629 Squadron. Code letters appear to be 'XL', which have previousy been allocated to non-operational units; again a possible disguise as to the true purpose of the Squadron.

Peter

There's something fishy about this: I can't find this article anywhere in my 16 (not 14) Nov 1944 copy of "Aeroplane Spotter".

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There's something fishy about this: I can't find this article anywhere in my 16 (not 14) Nov 1944 copy of "Aeroplane Spotter".

Following publication of this article the security services quickly clamped down on the story. Most copies of the Aeroplane Spotter dated 14 Nov 1944 were destroyed, and a censored issue was quickly published on the 16th. :closedeyes:

Peter

Edited by dambuster
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Looking strangely plausible, Peter. This is what Whiffery is all about - lots of putty and sanding, and if it doesn't fit, engineer a solution. I like the idea of fitting a fake prop for misdirectional purposes, very wartime MoD. Personally I think I'd mount the prop on permanently and call it a turboprop Spitfire!

I love your attention to detail such as removing the underwing radiators, and in that spirit, one or two comments if I may - the horizontal bar across the intake was only on the Meteor because it was the leading edge wing spar, and wouldn't be needed in your installation. All it would do is serve as an impedance to the intake airflow. Also your hot jet exhaust gases would do nasty things to the thin ally of the Spit's fuselage - are you intending to fit some sort of deflection plates there, as seen on the Seahawk and the Harrier for instance? Not intended as criticism, but I can see you're putting a lot of work into this and if something doesn't ring true you might want to change it.

Really looking forward to seeing the full colour rollout - Kodachrome was available in 1944 you know!

Cheers,

Dean

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Hi Dean,

Thanks for the comments. Initially I omitted the horizontal bar in the intakes but then I decided that it would be necessary in the real aircraft to provide some additional structural support for the engine. Regarding deflection plates - this too had occurred to me - at one point I considered adding a strip of reinforcing material along the exterior of the fuselage and leaving it natural metal to act as a form of heat shield. Who knows, maybe the Supermarine engineers are even now working on some modifications......

Peter

Looking strangely plausible, Peter. This is what Whiffery is all about - lots of putty and sanding, and if it doesn't fit, engineer a solution. I like the idea of fitting a fake prop for misdirectional purposes, very wartime MoD. Personally I think I'd mount the prop on permanently and call it a turboprop Spitfire!

I love your attention to detail such as removing the underwing radiators, and in that spirit, one or two comments if I may - the horizontal bar across the intake was only on the Meteor because it was the leading edge wing spar, and wouldn't be needed in your installation. All it would do is serve as an impedance to the intake airflow. Also your hot jet exhaust gases would do nasty things to the thin ally of the Spit's fuselage - are you intending to fit some sort of deflection plates there, as seen on the Seahawk and the Harrier for instance? Not intended as criticism, but I can see you're putting a lot of work into this and if something doesn't ring true you might want to change it.

Really looking forward to seeing the full colour rollout - Kodachrome was available in 1944 you know!

Cheers,

Dean

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OK - gone as far as I want to with this one. To recap - Academy Spitfire XIVe fuselage, Airfix Seafire FR47 Wings, AMT Meteor engine cowlings, Tamiya Meteor F1 engine, finished in Xtracrylix with assorted decals.

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With its stablemate

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Peter

Edited by dambuster
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