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+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Messerschmitt Me 262 F was a series of multi-purpose jet planes designed by Messerschmitt for the Luftwaffe that entered service during the final phase of the Second World War in Europe. The aircraft’s design was begun in the summer of 1943 under the project handle P.1099, intended as an improvement to the successful Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter and also as a replacement for the Arado Ar 234 bomber/reconnaissance aircraft. The primary focus was on more payload, being either usable for more fuel (since early jet engines had poor mileage and therefore range and endurance) or for weapons, including bombs in an internal bomb bay that would enable the aircraft to fulfil a similar tactical role as the British de Havilland Mosquito. Beyond this high-speed bomber (Schnellbomber) variant, the P.1099 would also be a suitable basis for a fast reconnaissance plane, interceptors and night fighters, and trainer versions were also planned.
The Messerschmitt P.1099 was a 12 m long, conventional-looking aircraft with a wingspan of 12.6 m. It had a much wider fuselage than the Messerschmitt Me 262. It had a circular shape with a diameter of 1.7m (5 ft 6¾ in) and the cockpit was now moved closer to the aircraft’s nose, above the front landing gear well. The baseline aircraft featured a side-by-side cockpit for a crew of two, even though different layouts were envisioned for the specialized variants, including single-seaters. To save development time and to use existing jigs and tools as much as possible, the P.1099 retained the wings and the tail section of the Me 262A-2a. Despite a higher total weight (the P.1099’ MTOW was about 3 tons higher), the planned powerplants were initially two uprated Junkers Jumo 004 turbojet engines, later to be replaced by more powerful Heinkel HeS 011 turbojets.
In January 1944 the P.1099 was accepted by the RLM and received, despite the aircraft’s different structure, the designation “Me 262 F”. The first variant, the Me 262 F-1 (internally designated P.1099A), was the baseline aircraft under the handle “Jäger I”, a jet-powered single seat daytime fighter. There were three planned versions, differing mainly in armament: Version F-1a was armed with four MK 108 30 mm cannon in the lower fuselage, comparable with the earlier Me 262 A fighter, just with more fuel and ammunition. Version F-1b carried two MK 103 30 mm cannon with longer range, firepower and ammunition supply, and Version F-1c was a heavy daytime fighter with two MK 108 and two MK 103 cannon in the nose.
In parallel the Me 262 F-2 was developed as a more heavily armed and armored variant, as a dedicated heavy bomber interceptor (“Pulkjäger” or “Zerstörer”) under the handle “Jäger II”. Again, three versions were foreseen: Version F-2a would be armed with a single MK 108 cannon and a heavy MK 112 55 mm cannon in the nose. Version F-2b was the same, but it was armed with a MK 114 50 mm cannon instead of the Mk 112. Both were single seaters with a heavily armored cockpit and canopy.
The F-2c was a more thoroughly modified two-seater version; it was armed with a single MG151/20 in a small nose turret, a pair of Mk 103 in the rear of the cockpit firing up- and backwards and two defensive MG 131 in remote-controlled FDL 151 barbettes in the tail. Due to the significant changes this model had the internal project designation P.1099B.
Another two-seater, the F-2d, remained very close to the original baseline aircraft with a crew of two in a side-by-side cockpit. This aircraft was armed with the standard four MK 108 in the nose, plus one launch rail under each wing for Ruhrstahl X-4 guided missiles, which were launched and steered by the second crewman via a wire connection with the mothership. This variant did not come to fruition, however, after the X-4 missile project had been cancelled in early 1945.
All P.1099 fighters also had hardpoints under the outer wings for racks with twelve 55mm R4M unguided air-to-air missiles each, a detail taken over from the Me 262 A, even though the fuel load had to be reduced to carry them. The radio equipment of all these versions would be a FuG 16, Peil G6, FuG 101 radio altimeter, FuBl 2 blind landing equipment, as well as the FuG 25a Erstling identification friend or foe transceiver.
Beyond these initial day fighter variants, further types based on the P.1099 airframe were envisioned, too. The F-3 was a dedicated night fighter version, developed in parallel to the Me 262 G. It was based on the F-2a heavy day fighter, but it carried a crew of two (the pilot and a rearward-facing radar operator) and was equipped with a FuG 240 “Berlin” radar set and a rotating dish antenna under a streamlined plywood cover in the nose. The armament consisted of four MK 108 under the nose, similar to the F-1a day fighter, plus two additional, upward-firing MK 108 cannon (“Schräge Musik”) in the rear fuselage.
Other proposed variants (with less priority, though) were the F-4 and the F-5, which were to become the basis for fast bombers and reconnaissance aircraft with only light defensive armament, typically only a pair of MG 131 in remote-controlled tail barbettes was to be carried. The F-4 resembled the baseline P.1099A, with two bomb bays in front of and behind the main landing gear wells and a crew of two seated side-by-side in a pressurized cockpit. Two MK 108 were carried in the nose, plus the MG 131 tail barbettes. The F-5 was similar but featured a glazed bomb aimer/navigator station in the nose instead of the MK 108’s and the glazing above the pilot’s station was reduced and asymmetrical. In both bomber variants the fuselage tanks were re-arranged to make room for a single SC 1.200 in the front bomb bay, but combinations of smaller bombs could be carried, too. Alternatively, mounts for up to three cameras or a 1.350 l auxiliary tank for extended range could be carried in the bays, too.
Initial flight tests of the Me 262 F in late 1944 showed severe directional instability: especially after fuel and ammunition had been depleted and the center of gravity shifted the aircraft tended to become nose-heavy and ditch down if it was not carefully monitored and trimmed by the pilot. To cope with this problem, the engine mounts were modified, so that the CoG was shifted back. Compared with the original Me 262 the engines were placed roughly 900 mm (35.5 in) further back under the wings. The emptying sequence of the fuselage tanks was also changed, and this mostly mended the problems. Another measure to mend the directional instability issues was the enlargement of the tail surfaces, even though later production aircraft frequently had smaller Me 262 A stabilizers fitted due to material shortages and simple lack of parts.- However, due to the higher weight the Me 262 F’s handling and agility were very limited – but most of its intended roles rather relied on speed, anyway, so that dogfights could be avoided.
From 1944 on the war situation worsened considerably, and production of the new Me 262 F superseded the A variant only on selected production lines. A disused mine complex under the Walpersberg mountain was adapted for the production of complete aircraft. These were hauled to the flat top of the hill where a runway had been cleared and flown out. Between 20 and 30 Me 262 Fs were built here until early 1946, primarily fighters, the underground factory being overrun by Allied troops before it could reach a meaningful output. Wings were produced in Germany's oldest motorway tunnel at Engelberg, to the west of Stuttgart. At B8 Bergkristall-Esche II, a vast network of tunnels was excavated beneath St. Georgen/Gusen, Austria, where fully equipped fuselages for the Me 262 at a planned monthly rate of 450 units on large assembly lines were to be produced from early 1945.
After the type’s introduction to frontline units in early 1945 further handling problems arose through the aircraft’ weight, resulting from its high wing load. Both starting and landing run were excessive, so that the number of airfields from which it could be operated was relatively small. No real short-term solution could be found without fully re-designing the wings, so that RATO bottles were frequently used to get a fully loaded Me 262 F up into the air from standard airfields. These were typically fitted to racks which were mounted under the fuselage, flanking the rear bomb bay.
The Me 262 F’s landing speed was dangerously high, too. A retrofittable brake parachute, housed in a simple tubular fairing under the tail, was developed to reduce the landing distance and save brakes, which frequently overheated and could set the landed aircraft aflame.
From the Me 262 F-2a “Pulkzerstörer I”, only a small number were built and eventually entered service. Its main armament, the MK 112, was a heavy German machine cannon produced by Rheinmetall-Borsig from 1945 on – in fact, the MK 112 was basically a scaled-up MK 108, a very compact weapon with relatively low weight. The MK 112 had a caliber of 55 mm and thus fired much larger shells than the 30 mm MK 108, but the rate of fire was significantly lower (300 rounds / min compared to about 600-660 rounds / min of the MK 108). This large-caliber gun was designed primarily to combat heavy bombers, its rate of fire would have been too slow for effective aerial battles with escort fighters – but the Me 262 F would not have been a dogfighter, anyway, so that the “hit-and-run” mission profile suited the aircraft well. Fire tests showed that a single MK 112 hit with mine grenades could destroy a bomber, and with a rate of fire of five shells per second this weapon could inflict considerably higher losses on the incoming streams of Allied bombers compared to other on-board weapons used on the German side. Only the unguided R4M missiles were as effective, but the MK 112 offered considerably higher accuracy and the opportunity to execute more than just a single attack run on an incoming bomber formation.
The MK 112 was mounted in the lower starboard section of the Me 262 F-2a’s nose, its barrel protruded more than 2 m (7 ft) from its nose. The gun’s drum magazine with sixty rounds partly took up the rear space of the cockpit behind the pilot and the gun mount even used up space of the weapon bay on port side, so that only a single MK 108 with 100 rounds as an additional weapon was mounted in the lower port side weapon bay.
Its sister, the Me 262 F-2b, remained on the drawing board, because its main weapon, the 50 mm MK 114 autocannon that had been derived from the 5 cm Pak 38 anti-tank gun, had turned out to be over-complicated, overweight and unreliable. A refined version was developed as the MK 214A, though, but after flight test from February 1945, but the weapon was not deployed operationally.
Only a handful Me 262 F-2a Pulkzerstörer were eventually fielded and operated before the end of hostilities – beyond the low production numbers the lack of fuel and loss of suitable airfields highly limited the aircraft’s potential. Probably less than ten were used by operational units, including JG 53 “Pik As”, in which they served alongside other interceptors, including other Me 262 variants. Typically, bomber formations were approached from the side of a bomber formation, where their silhouettes were widest, and while still out of range of the bombers' machine guns. This broadside-attack tactic was very effective, and the aircraft’s high speed allowed the interceptors to turn around 180° and make at least a second attack run from the opposite side, before the machines dashed off and returned to their bases.
General characteristics
Crew: One
Length: 14,32 m (46 ft 11 in) overall
12,00 m (39 ft 3¾ in) fuselage only, w/o brake parachute housing
Wingspan: 12,61 m (41 ft 3¾ in)
Height: 4,43 m (14 ft 6 in)
Wing area: 24,2 m² (236 sq ft)
Empty weight: 5.061 kg (11,148 lb)
Loaded weight: 8.762 kg (19,300 lb)
Max. take-off weight: 10.062 kg (22,163 lb)
Powerplant:
2× Junkers Jumo 004 C turbojets with 12 kN (2,697 lb st) each
Performance
Maximum speed: 930 km/h (577 mph, 505 kn)
Cruising speed: 805 km/h (500 mph, 438 kn) at 6.500 m (21,290 ft)
Range: 1.340 km (830 ml, 728 nm) at 6000 m with internal fuel only
Service ceiling: 11,450 m (37,570 ft)
Rate of climb: 18 m/s (3,540 ft/min) at max. weight
Armament:
1× 55 mm (1.96 in) MK 112 machine cannon with 60 rounds
1× 30 mm (1.18 in) MK 108 machine cannon with 100 rounds
Hardpoints under the outer wings for racks with twelve 55mm R4M unguided air-to-air missiles
The kit and its assembly:
This became a submission to the late 2021 “Gunships” group build at whatifmodellers.com – what would such a competition be without at least one gun-toting German Luft ’46 interceptor? The Messerschmitt P.1099 lent itself for such a build. Since 1996 Revell offers a 1:72 IP model kit of this paper aircraft, depicting more or less the two planned versions: a basic single-seat day fighter and a heavy two-seater Zerstörer, both based on the same basis.
This what-if model was based on Revell’s interpretation of the P.1099A, and the kit goes together well. Fit is very good, even though some designs are IMHO a bit dubious. The kit’s weakest point: Revell unfortunately missed the important detail of the modified engine nacelles: the kit comes with standard Me 262 wings and engines, but due to CoG reasons the P.1099 would have had its engines moved back by about 900 mm, as mentioned in the background. I corrected this on this build with some PSR – sounds simple, but since the nacelles are not expected to be stuck to the wings in their new position roughly 1 cm further back, some serious bodywork had to be done.
Otherwise the kit was basically built OOB. I just left away the inner wheels from the main landing gear because I found the twin wheels to be “too much” for this upgraded Me 262. The P.1099 might have been heavier than the Me 262, but…? And the wheels’ tractor-like tread design looks IMHO out of place, too, so that I replaced them with a pair of MiG-21 wheels, left over from a KP kit.
The cockpit was taken OOB, even though I have doubts concerning the canopy. And when you look at mockup pictures of the P.1099 you realize that cockpit access had been facilitated through a side door at starboard, similar to the D. H. Mosquito. The cockpit tub does not consider this hatch at all, and the engraved door on the fuselage (it’s actually there!) is so tiny that only a Halfling might use it?
Well, I stuck with it “as is” and just added a pilot figure (specifically from a Matchbox Hawker tempest, because it is one of the rare cases that you get a WWII pilot wearing an oxygen mask) and a “barrel” behind the bulbous pilot seat because there’s a lot of free space in this single seat variant that is otherwise occupied by a rear gunner in Revell’s P.1099B kit. I also have doubts concerning the kit’s canopy, since the original P.1099 had a cockpit for two seated side-by-side, with a canopy that resembled the D.H. Mosquito’s a lot. I am also not certain about the stabilizers – the kit comes with standard Me 262 parts, but trustworthy sources I consulted suggest that not only the fin had been enlarged (depicted well in Revell’s kit), but also the stabilizers? To improve this, I implanted a pair of modified stabilizers that came from a Heller PZL P.23 light bomber. Sounds odd, but they were a very good match in size, shape and thickness!
The only major modification concerns the armament, even though it became just a “graft-on” solution. On the lower left side, the upper gun port was PSRed away. On the right side I added a bulged fairing for the MK 112. It was sculpted from a Matchbox Saab J29 drop tank and blended into the hull with PSR. Protruding spent cases fairings were added for both guns. The MK 112 gun barrel is a resin piece, left over from a ModelTrans tank conversion set and actually depicts a German 55 mm gun, so that this became a perfect donor piece.
Since the airframe still looked rather clean and boring I finally added a pair of JATO bottle racks to the rear fuselage (scratched from styrene profile but left empty) and a brake parachute fairing under the fin, carved from a piece of sprue.
Furthermore, a display adapter was installed into the fuselage for in-flight pictures.
Painting and markings:
This became a challenge, because I wanted a rather unusual livery, neither a standard RLM 81/82/76 late-war combo nor an improvised-cammo-over-bare-metal finish. After some research I settled upon something that was actually carried by some He 177 bombers around 1944: a uniform RLM 74 (Graugrün, Humbrol 245) upper surface with “cloudy” mottles in RLM 76 (Humbrol 247). This appears like a winter camouflage, but it’s actually quite effective at medium altitude, esp. over a cloudy landscape. The original bombers had light blue (RLM 65) undersides, but for the P.1099 from a later period and as a fighter I rather used a darker shade of RLM76 in the form of Tamiya XF-23 (Light Blue). The model received a black ink washing and some post-panel-shading.
The cockpit interior became RLM 66 (Schwarzgrau, Humbrol 67) while the landing gear and the well were painted in uniform RLM 02 (I used Revell 45, a slightly more greenish tone), with wheel discs in RLM 66, too.
Unit markings became minimal and quite sober. I gave the aircraft a typical late-war “Reichsverteidigung” fuselage band, and in JG 53’s case it is plain black. The black band was deliberately chosen because it is a good, much darker contrast to the murky RLM 74, so that the latter appears lighter than it actually is, lowering the contrast to the RLM 76 spots.
The decals were puzzled together from various sources. As an aircraft of the 3rd group the unit’s ID color would be yellow, reflected in the tactical code and the fin tip. For some contrast and to emphasize the long gun barrel I gave it white and black stripes – as a security measure for ground handling. For some more variety I painted one air intake in very dark grey (Revell 06, Anthracite) and the other one in steel Metallizer, simulating replacement parts. The Balkenkreuze come from various sheets – I used simplified “low viz” versions all around. The undulating yellow bar for the 3rd group comes from a TL Modellbau sheet, while the yellow “4” came from a Fw 190 A sheet from Sky Models. A small “4” on the nose was added as a wacky detail, too, the “Pik As” unit markings came IIRC from a Hobby Boss Bf 109 sheet. Since they turned out to have poor contrast/opacity I only used a few stencils from the P.1099A sheet, but due to the disruptive paint scheme this is not apparent.
Finally, the model was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and a wire antenna, scratched from heated black sprue material, was added between cockpit and fin.
Well, this modified Messerschmitt P.1099A looks simple, but the modified engine nacelles as well as the gun fairing under the nose called for serious PSR. The result looks quite natural, though, and AFAIK this weapon configuration was actually on German drawing boards. However, I am not certain about the cockpit canopy and other details on Revell’s kit, reference information is contradictive.
The paint scheme looks good, even though it was lent from a heavy bomber, and the poor Humbrol enamels did not yield a finish that I had hoped for – the paintwork could certainly have been better, but the overall impression of a late-war Pulkzerstörer is O.K., and this eventually counts.
I started weaving with a used 4" Beka loom and disliked it because of the floating heddle. I looked at the design of an Emilia (I now own one) and made a simple modification with $2 worth of wood from hobby lobby and large rubber bands from broccoli. I lashed a dowel to the top of the heddle to create a hanging bar. This improved functioning immensely and I was able to try out a lot of patterns while learning. You will need a drill or router to create the holes on the uprights. I used spring clips for the resting position. I also added apron bars to both the front and back "beams" using more of the dowel. I drilled holes though the "beams" and used waxed linen to tie on the dowels. I roll the cloth on a mini paint roller tube.
Volkswagen Beetle (Modified) 1300 (1966-70) Engine 1285cc HO4 OHV
Registration Number ETJ 788 J
VOLKSWAGEN SET
www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623738785355...
VW Beetle modified in the style of a US hot rod, or speedster
Shot at Weston Park Car Show 25:04:2011 Ref 70-428
Please do not forget to visit the Flag Counter on my Profile page to record a visit from your country.
Thanks .
This piece has been the bane of my existence for the last month, trying to use it for any possible MOC for Iron Builder 2.0 Round 9 against Tyler. Man, what a competition.
Tyler, you're a gentleman and a true master of the brick. You brought out the best in me, and I hope I did the same for you. :)
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Boeing 727 was an American midsized, narrow-body three-engine jet aircraft built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes from the early 1960s to 1984. Intended for short and medium-length flights, it could carry 149 to 189 passengers and later models could fly up to 2,700 nautical miles (5,000 km) nonstop. It was originally powered by three Pratt & Whitney JT8D engines below the T-tail, one on each side of the rear fuselage with a center engine that connected through an S-duct to an inlet at the base of the fin.
The 727 followed the 707 and the 720, both quad-jet airliners, with which it shared its upper fuselage cross-section and cockpit design. The 727 was designed as a more economical alternative to the 707/720s and was tailored to operations from smaller airports, so independence from ground facilities was an important requirement. This led to one of the 727's most distinctive features: the built-in airstair that opened from the rear underbelly of the fuselage, which initially could be opened in flight (a feature that was later blocked). Nose wheel brakes were available as an option to reduce braking distance on landing, which provided reduction in braking distances of up to 150 m. In order to protect the tail section in the event of an over-rotation on take-off, the 727 was equipped with a retractable tailskid. Another innovation was the auxiliary power unit (APU), which allowed electrical and air-conditioning systems to run independently of a ground-based power supply, and without having to start one of the main engines. An unusual design feature was that the APU was mounted in a hole in the keel beam web, in the main landing gear bay.
The 727's fuselage had an outer diameter of 148 inches (3.8 m). This allowed six-abreast seating (three per side) and a single aisle when 18-inch (46 cm) wide coach-class seats were installed. An unusual feature of the fuselage was the 10-inch (25 cm) difference between the lower lobe forward and aft of the wing, as the higher fuselage height of the center section was simply retained towards the rear.
The 727 proved to be such a reliable and versatile airliner that it came to form the core of many startup airlines' fleets. The 727 was successful with airlines worldwide partly because it could use smaller runways while still flying medium-range routes. This allowed airlines to carry passengers from cities with large populations, but smaller airports, to worldwide tourist destinations. One of the features that gave the 727 its ability to land on shorter runways was its clean wing design: With no wing-mounted engines, leading-edge devices (Krueger, or hinged, flaps on the inner wing and extendable leading edge slats out to the wingtip) and trailing-edge lift enhancement equipment (triple-slotted, fowler flaps) could be used on the entire wing. Together, these high-lift devices produced a maximum wing lift coefficient of 3.0 (based on the flap-retracted wing area).
The 727-100 first flew in February 1963 and entered service with Eastern Air Lines in February 1964; the stretched 727-200 flew in July 1967 and entered service with Northeast Airlines that December. After the global success of the -100 and especially the stretched -200 series, Boeing considered another version, the -300 series, a thoroughly modified variant, dedicated to the South American and Asian markets and optimized for “hot and high” climate operations.
The basis for the -300 was the extended -200 airframe, but in order to improve security as well as landing and starting characteristics, a fourth engine was added for extra thrust. This changed the tail layout completely, since the central JT8D and its S-duct were deleted. Instead, the 727-300’s four engines were re-arranged in two new twin-nacelles along the reinforced rear fuselage, similar to the Vickers VC-10 and Ilyushin Il-62 long-range airliners, which were both bigger/heavier aircraft, though. With the fourth engine’s extra power, the -300 became the Boeing 727 variant with the shortest take-off run: only 1.5 miles were necessary to get airborne (vs. 2 miles for late 727-200 variants and even less than 1,6 miles for the lighter, early 727-100). It also had the highest operational ceiling and an improved rate of climb, but top speed and range remained virtually unaffected.
In order to better cope with smaller airfields with less-than-perfect runways and higher landing speeds, the -300’s landing gear was reinforced and the twin wheels on the 727’s main legs replaced with four-wheel bogies. This necessitated bigger landing gear wells and the relocation of the APU into the rear fuselage, occupying the space of the former middle engine. The 727’s tail-mounted airstair was retained, and basically any interior feature and layout of the 727-200 cabin could be ordered for the -300, too, including side freight doors and equipment for mixed cargo/passenger operations.
Even though thrust-reversers were planned for all four engines, the inboard devices were omitted for serial production aircraft due to continued tail plane buffeting on the prototype, which flew in March 1970 for the first time. In order to compensate for this loss of braking power, Boeing’s engineers added a unique feature to the 727-300: a drogue parachute, which could be deployed to relieve the brakes and augment the outer JT8D’s thrust reversers, once the landing speed had been reduced to 80 knots or less. The parachute was mounted in a clamshell compartment in the now empty tail section.
However, the improved performance came at a price: through its additional engine, the 727-300 turned out to be costly to operate, being almost on par with the 707 and 720 models, which the 727 was originally intended to replace. In consequence, this specialized variant was only built in small numbers and found only a few operators. Launch customer was Aéromexico in 1972, ordering ten -301 machines primarily for domestic and South American routes. Other major civil operators became Air India with eight -302 machines, TAME (EP Linea Aerea del Ecuador) with six -303 aircraft, and Aerolíneas Argentinas with five -304 aircraft. A total of six machines were furthermore built under the designation C-22D for military operators; two of them flew as VIP transports for the USAF (also carrying out CIA missions, the integral airstair was a convenient detail of the type), and two each flew for the air forces of Mexico and Pakistan.
The highest production rate of the 727 was in the 1970s. Airport noise regulations have led to 727s being equipped with hush kits, the last 727 was completed in 1984. Successor models include variants of the 737 and the 757-200. The last commercial passenger flight of the 727 was in January 2019 in Iran, even though a few machines of the type still remain in government and private use or operate as freighters.
General characteristics:
Crew: 3 (+ 3 flight attendants)
Length: 153 ft 2 in (46.68m)
Wingspan: 108 ft (32.92m)
Height: 34 ft 11 in (10.65m)
Wing area: 1,650 sq ft (153 m²), 32° sweep
Empty weight: 100,700 lb (45,720 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 209,500 lb (95,100 kg)
Fuel capacity: 8,090 US gal (30,620 l)
Cabin width: 140 in/3.56m
Two-class seats: 134 (20F@38" + 114Y@34")
Single-class seats: 155@34", absolute maximum of 189 passengers
Powerplant:
4× Pratt & Whitney JT8D-11 low-bypass (0.96 to 1) turbofan engines,
delivering 15,000 lbf (66.72 kN) each
Performance:
Maximum speed: Mach 0.9 (961 km/h; 519 kn)
Cruise speed: Mach 0.86 (917 km/h; 495 kn)
Landing speed: 151 ml/h (244 km/h; 135 kn)
Rate of climb: 1,920 ft/min (9.8 m/s)
Maximum service ceiling: 44,550 ft (13,600 m)
Range: 1,900 nmi (2,173 ml, 3,500 km)
Takeoff distance to 35 ft (11 m): 7,860 ft (2,400 m)
Landing distance from 50 ft (15 m): 2,160ft at maximum gross landing weight with thrust reverser,
1,800ft with additional drogue parachute deployment
The kit and its assembly:
This model became the third and relatively spontaneous entry for the “More or less engines” group build at whatifmodelers.com. It was actually an early idea for the GB, but I rejected it at first because I usually do not build small-scale airliners and did not have any ingredient for the build at hand. However, a fellow modeler had a similar idea, a four-engine Sud Aviation Caravelle, and upon discussing the project in the forum I became eventually convinced to build this conceptual sister ship, even though the procurement of its major ingredients took some time.
I considered and checked several Boeing 727 kits on the market, and settled for the Minicraft kit – in particular its USAF C-22C boxing. The Revell kit, a 727-100, was rejected as outdated rubbish and due to its short fuselage, and the Airfix kit, a long -200, also fell through because of its raised surface details and simply for being an Airfix kit.
The Minicraft kit was the only option left – and even though it has its weak points, too (like the wings’ massive leading edges and a so-so fit of the fuselage halves), it turned out to be a sound basis for this modification project. Its main selling points were engraved surface details, the lack of passenger cabin window openings and separate decals for the windows. Esp. the latter two factors were an important part of my construction and painting plan for this build (see below).
Another important ingredient for this build were the engines. For a quad-engine conversion I found a resin set for VC-10 engines from Bra.Z Models (and procured them from Hong Kong!), which are a good match in size and shape. Furthermore, due to the more massive rear end and potential operations from less-than-perfect runways, I decided to replace the original twin main wheels with four-wheel bogies, taken from the remains of a Hasegawa 1:200 Boeing 747 kit. Since the 727’s main landing gear well doors remain closed on the ground, this change was relatively simple to make.
The only major change beyond the engine nacelle swap concern the fin and the tail tip: the original 2nd engine and its air intake with the S-duct had to go. This stunt was more challenging than it sounds at first, because the intake duct widens the fin’s root considerably, and the respective bulge reaches very far back, almost reaching the rudder!
This meant that a considerable portion of the fin had to be cut away, what also left a gap in the fuselage spine. The latter was filled with a piece of 0.5mm styrene sheet from inside of the fuselage (before the halves were glued together), and then a “prosthesis” from 1.5mm styrene sheet was inserted into the gap in the fin, trying to sculpt a suitable profile with a mild curve at the fin’s base, inspired the early 737s’ fin shape.
Around this skeleton, I built the new fin with the help of 2C putty, because some serious sculpting was necessary to create a suitable fin profile and shape that would blend into the existing fin section. A proper intersection at the fin’s base had to be created, too, a real 3D puzzle, more complex than one might think at first!
The tail exhaust opening was trimmed down to a wedge shape, and then the tail tip was filled/sculpted with a 2C putty plug, creating a clamshell shape for the fictional brake parachute container without extending the tail tip too much.
A small APU outlet was added on the new tail tip’s starboard side, too, while the APU’s intake was placed in the fin’s lower leading edge. The original ventral APU intake between the wings was faired over.
One of the Minicraft kit’s weak points is the shape of the wings’ leading edges: they look very crude and solid, with an almost vertical front. In an attempt to mend this flaw, I tried to give the leading edges a more rounded shape with the help of putty.
The model’ nose section was filled with a lot of lead and, for the model’s in-flight pics, I added a ventral, vertical styrene tube in the model’s center of gravity as a display holder adapter.
Painting and markings:
The idea behind this four-engine 727 was a dedicated “hot & high” variant, so I searched for an obvious operator, and it was to be a commercial airline. Mexico became my first and favorite candidate, despite the fact that Aéromexico did not operate any Boeing aircraft during the Seventies, rather a fleet of mixed Douglas aircraft. I also found the airline’s livery of that era to be very attractive, with an NMF finish and orange and black trim - very elegant and colorful.
Finding suitable decals became a challenge, though. After some research I found a DC-8 Aéromexico sheet from 26decals – it not only matched the intended time slot, it also had the benefit of coming with separate decals for cheat lines and windows. This was a perfect match for the window-less Minicraft Boeing 727 kit, and, as a convenient complement, the kit’s C-22 boxing had the benefit that it depicts a uniform, white aircraft, so that its decal sheet comes with “clean” window and door decals, without any colored background. A perfect match for my plan!
Painting was straightforward. After having finished the building phase, I gave the model an initial coat of grey acrylic primer from the rattle can. Some small surface blemishes had to be corrected, and then I added light grey panels on top of the wings and the stabilizers (Humbrol 40, gloss FS 36440). The fin as well as the engine pods and the wing tips were painted in orange; Humbrol 18 (Gloss Orange) came very close to the decals’ tone. These areas were masked with Tamiya tape and then the model received an overall coat with a tone called “White Aluminum”, also from the rattle can.
Thereafter, the decals for the orange and black trim were applied. Since the DC-8 decals would not fit the 727 fuselage in every place, orange paint and generic black and silver decal stripes (TL Modellbau) were used for fine-tuning. Once the “style” decals were applied, the windows were added and the model received an overall coat of gloss acrylic varnish, also from the rattle can.
In a final step, the landing gear (painted all glossy white) was mounted.
This conversion appears simple at first sight, but the execution caused some headaches. The challenge was not so much building this model, but rather getting all the major input parts and pieces together. Creating a new fin shape was also more challenging than one would expect at first sight. However, the result is quite subtle, and I guess that this fictional 727-300 might make some people look twice, since it reminds a lot of the (bigger) Vickers VC10. Indeed, the outlines are very similar.
This is a modified version of a Public Domain NASA satellite photo of Japan, from the Wikimedia Commons: j.mp/qOMLgh
I've cropped out a LOT of islands, so please don't be insulted or start any international incidents over this.
This is a modified version of leethal's Skoodlet pattern. See my Ravelry project page for more information.
This amazing modified Porsche Panamera Turbo was on display at the Cars For the Cure.This car has been modified by a local tuning company called Ultimate Auto.
A weathered building in the port town on Teshima Island, Japan.
Taken with Infrared modified EOS-M + EF-M 22mm f/2 lens.
The iOptron stock levelers are too short for my location, with not enough range to compensate for angles.
This is my solution. Drill out the blind holes all the way through, then tap with a 10 x 1.5 mm tap.
Installed a padded leveler and alloy knob on stainless theaded rod. The plastic knob tightens down against the pier leg to lock everything in place and eliminate motion.
Classic Rando bike built with a vintage lug set that was modified, points added, hand carved, and filleted lugs to have smooth transitions, a machined fork crown for a twin plate aesthetic with custom made stainless cable hangers. Compass Brakes, stem, handlebars, rack ,rear tail light, Honjo Fenders, Son SL/Edelux generator hub/light set up with SL pick up on the front drop out for wireless hook up. Modified Rene Herse cranks/ chainrings for 11 speed Campagnolo Athena group. Pacenti rims and tires laced to White Industries T11/Edelux SL hubs by Tommy at Cutlass Velo and pics by Keith