Shipbucket

My entry for this challenge, again hanging this on my nebulous proto-AU Bereznik:

Sukhoi S-9

Following the devastation of the Second World War which saw Bereznik almost defeated by the combined Iron Pact members, of Germany under Hitler's Nazi Party and Stalin's Soviet Union, the Bereznik air force had to be rebuilt and modernised along with the rest of the nation.

Three fortuitous events enabled the creation of a modern jet fighter;
Pavel Sukhoi, who had been chief designer at the Minsk AK before the war, returned from his enforced absence in the United States in 1945 and began rebuilding a design team as the devastated Minsk factory was rebuilt.
The new Attlee Labour government in Great Britain had also agreed to sell Brezenik 50 of its latest Rolls-Royce Derwent and Nene centrifugal-flow turbojets and more importantly a production licence.
Third, in the occupied Eastern Zone of Germany was a veritable load of aeronautical plunder; designers from Junkers who found employ under Sukhoi, aerodynamic research data on swept wings and fuselages, alternative jet-engines in the form of the Jumo 004 and machine tools and jigs to re-equip the destroyed Bereznik factories.

Sukhoi's work on the S-9 began in 1946 but it took time to refine the design. While Sergei Tumansky's company Tumansky KAR was trying to get to grips with the Jumo 004, the Ternow KsRR aircraft engine factory was built in Ternow during 1947 with British assistance to build the Derwent and Nene turbojets. Impressed by its greater power and reliability, Sukhoi selected the Derwent, manufactured as the RD-50, for the S-9. Problems with finding suitable alloys and fabricating parts meant that most of the initial S-9 production series had British-made or RD-50 engines with British-made turbines. The first prototype did not fly until 25 March 1949 but a hundred S-9 fighters were soon in production, enabling General Bereznik to boast that his air force had modern jet fighters during the summer parades of 1950.



From 1950, the S-9A became the main production model with a few changes to improve reliability and a new frameless plexiglass canopy which had proven difficult to develop. Just over 900 were built, some being supplied to Hungary during 1950 to re-equip their fighter force. Plans to licence-build the S-9A in Czechoslovakia came to nothing.

From 1953 many were updated to S-9A1 standard with PR-3 IFF, ASR-9B gyro gunsights and improved radios and two underwing plyons were added for 500kg bombs or large rockets. Some also received up0rated RD-50A engines. Increasingly obsolete as the 1950s continued, efforts were made to sell surplus S-9As to the Middle East, but buyers instead found favour with the superior Nene-powered Sukhoi S-11.

The air force as early as 1949 had foreseen the need for a jet conversion trainer and Sukhoi developed a basic design with the addition of a seat and cockpit for the instructor replacing the main forward fuel tank and one cannon was removed to make room for the re-located radios. The cockpit was cramped and visibility for the instructor poor, but many of these S-9T trainers were built pending more suitable purpose-designed trainers and they served well into the 1960s.



The air force leadership soon turned its attention to all-weather interception given the poor weather conditions which meant day fighters were limited in their ability to find their targets all-year round. Sukhoi in early 1950 was asked to investigate fitting the new RP-2 'Lightning' radar to the S-9. The radar was surprisingly compact for an early generation set, but offered little more than a modest search facility with its main use for ranging. The pilot workload was high. Sukhoi made few structural changes to the S-9N other than enlarging the cockpit 'bullet' in the intake to accomodate the radar electronics and the scanner was placed in a new nosecone, the intake being given bulged 'cheeks' to maintain the same airflow to the RD-50A engine. The windscreen was also modified to allow better rain dispersion and more room for the ASR-7 gyro gunsight. Only around 300 were built, 24 being exported to Hungary.

From 1953 many were updated to S-9N1 standard with PR-3 IFF, ASR-9R gyro gunsights and improved radios and uprated RD-50A engines.



During 1951, Świdnik ZA was established as an additional state-owned factory and repair centre. With Sukhoi's design team increasingly overworked Świdnik was given the task of further developing the S-9 as a ground-attack aircraft. The S-9 was deemed ideal as stocks of RD-50A engines existed and high performance was not required. This work was overtaken by the need to develop an escort fighter for the long-range bomber fleet in the early 1950s. Świdnik's design team had to pack as much fuel as it could and the newer RP-5 'Spear' radar into the S-9 airframe. The nose intake was replaced by bifurcated cheek intakes under the wing-roots, the large RP-5 occupying the nose. Extra internal fuel tanks were fitted as will as external slipper tanks under the wings. The planned armoured cockpit and revised undercarriage for short field operations was retained. The armament was revised with four 20mm cannon and two underwing pylons could be fitted along with the slipper tanks. The prototype S-9D made its maiden flight on 4 May 1953 and production at Minsk AK followed soon after. Less than 200 were built as newer designs materialised quicker than originally expected, but they served a useful role as long-range interceptors until the early 1960s.

Świdnik having retained many features of the planned S-9G in the S-9D lobbied to fulfil its original goal of a ground attack aircraft. The resulting S-9S was essentially a S-9D without the RP-5 radar and with the addition of two cameras for tactical reconnaissance and four weapon pylons, although slipper tanks could also be fitted. 500 were built and formed the bulk of the fighter-bomber fleet until the 1950s with some going to Hungary and Romania.

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Hood's Worklist
English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
Super-Darings
Never-Were British Aircraft

Good evening, gentlemen!
Here is my candidate for the first jet fighter challenge: Arsenal Aeronautique Chasseur CC-12 Corbeau.


During WWII, Officers of the Aeronautique de Guerre found that a high performance was necessary to chase the high altitude bombers of the mid 1940s, but with the available piston engine technology, the needed speed was not attainable.

With smuggled ideas from Italy (Caproni Campini), a J31 jet engine coupled with a Merlin engine in an after canopy position, in a rather large oval fuselage, with a wide air intake in the nose and laminar flow NACA wings, the aerodynamics were not superb for a propeller aircraft, nor the handling (specially at low speeds) but the jet engine put the Corbeau´s performance over most of the WWII era fighters. With a decent 4x 20 HS 404 20 automatic cannons it was a good interceptor. Only one operational group with 2 squadrons was deployed until it was replaced with Hawker Hunters in the mid 1950s. Cheers.

PS: Thanks to Muscatatuck for the great aid in refining the aerodynamics of my first winged brick, and to Luis and Eswube for warning me about the absence of image.

Foster VF6 Chupacabra







The Antaran Army Airforce wasn't too interested in the idea of jet powered aircraft during the World War even as her enemies began fielding them, arguing that her current prop models were more than adequate in the doctrine the Army practiced. In fact, the decision to begin developing jet aircraft for immediate use in the war came outside of the Army Airforce purely out of reactionary fear. Development of the first jet engine to be used on a hypothetical interceptor was completed with a few months of its inception. The requirements for this jet interceptor were extended to be carrier capable, however due to time constraints the VF6 was not completely carrier capable when it went action in 1347.

The launching of the Umbara class carriers the same year made it easier to gauge the requirements for the naval variant, and in 1348 the VF6A1 went into service with the Navy. The VF6 was phased out by the VF7 in 1355.

General characteristics
Crew: one
Length: 10.4m
Wingspan: 9.6m
Height: 3.27m
Empty weight: 4,313 kg
Loaded weight: 7,226 kg

Performance
Maximum speed: 952 kph at 9,700 m
Range: 1,920 km
Internal fuel: 2,950 liters
Service ceiling: 12,200 m

Armament
Guns: x4 20mm in the nose
Rockets: 8x 5" HVAR

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Nice figther Shigure, but I think that side pipes from the Hawker Sea Hawk would be perfect for the era. Also, jet intakes need redesign, only aircradt I can think of with similar intakes is the Bell XP59.

My aircraft was based on the FH Phantom. Please have a look at it and reconsider your statement.

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Ok then, I looked the FH Phantom. Indeed, its a very early twin turbojet aircraft.

Wish I had time to come up with a detailed back story.

The Schlemmer Flugzeugwerk Sc38 Fledermaus (Bat) was a light fighter intended to replace the He-162 in Luftwaffe service. While the Sc38 was not successful, it led to the development of the Sc138A Vampirfledermaus (Vampire Bat) zerstorer and Sc138B Nachtfledermaus (Night Bat) nightfighter which entered Luftwaffe service in 1948 to counter the USAF B-29 and B-36 aircraft. The Sc138A/B are armed with 4 x 30mm cannons in the nose and can carry 4 x Ruhrstahl X-4 missiles. The Sc138B incorporates radar and modified cockpit arrangement with a radar operator behind and above the pilot.

The Sc138A also existed in the Mistel 7a/7b combinations. The Mistel 7a consisted of a Sc138A paired with another modified Sc138A, with or without warhead nose. The Mistel 7b consisted of a Sc138A and a Schlemmer Flugzeugwerk Sc42 Nachtrabe (Night Raven). The Sc42 itself is a scaled up version of the Sc138.

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A.K.A. Das_Schlemm


Worklist:
FD Scale USN/USMC/USCG Aircraft
SB Scale USN Ships
Trainbucket Anthracite Railroads

Ok so as I....kröhm I mean many artist requested some additional time to finish up their submissions, The Challenge will run until Monday 9th of December.

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Shipbucket mainsite, aka "The Archive"
New AU project "Aravala"

Messerschmitt Me 409

The description of this aircraft is part of the story "El visitante" (The visitor), only available in Spanish. In summary, in 1940 Hitler and later his successor Goering are murdered, and a Germany a monarchic restoration takes place.

I hope my poor English is intelligible.

The Messerschmitt Me 409 Wanderfalke (peregrine falcon) was a development of the Me 309, which was intended to replace the Bf 109. The Me 309 used a DB 603 engine and tricycle landing gear, but the performances of the V1 prototype were just above that of the Bf 109G and was rejected by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM). However, at that time of the war the new jets were cheaper and required fewer special alloys than piston engines. The He 280 and Me 262 were already in development, but RLM asked Messerschmitt and Focke Wulf to transform their propeller fighters into jets.

Focke Wulf offered the Fw 190R with a self-designed centrifugal turbojet with four exhaust, and Messerschmitt the Me 309R, a Me 309 with two HeS 001 engines in the nose to maintain the balance of weight. The RLM chose the Me 309R, with a more promising engine and a safer tricycle gear.



Meserschmitt transformed the third prototype of Me 309 into Me 309R V1, later called Me 409. Made his first flight on February 2, 1943, but crashed two weeks later due an engine failure. The prototype V2 had two HeS 006 engines, and the V3 two HeS 006B engines, withouth cone in the exhaust. The V4 was the first to carry armament (two MG 151/15 guns) and had a dorsal fin. The RLM ordered twelve Me 409A-0 based on the V4, but the plane was still unstable and several accidents occurred. The problems of the Me 409 reminded the Me 210 and the RLM almost stopped the program.

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Tu regere imperio fluctus Hispane memento

Me 409B

The V6 prototype had an ejectable seat and automatic slats, and the V7 ( that flew in February 1944) was a new aircraft with an enlarged rear fuselage, a larger pressurized cabin, and a laminar flow wing with a critical Mach of 0,93. He had two HeS 006C engines with 850 kg of thrust. The armament was two Mauser MG 151/20 cannons of 20 mm. With these modifications the flight characteristics were similar to Bf 109. Although it was slower, less armed and with less range than Me 262, its 40% cheaper. The power and light weight made very agile aircraft and had a roll regime similar to the Fw 190. In January 1944 the Erprobungsgruppe 409 received the first Me 409B-0, very similar to the V7.



The Me 409 was given top priority and replaced the Bf 109 in the production lines. The first production version was the Me 109B-1, which had elongated nose to prevent ingestion of foreign objects, and tiptanks to increase range. The first unit to engage the Me 409 in combat was the Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) "Richthofen" against the American bombers, but the armament was weak and the Me 262 was favored. However, the agile aircraft was very effective against the allied escort fighters. In addition it was simple and robust, and required no more maintenance than the propeller fighters. In the following months the Me 409 was deployed in all war scenarios. In the Eastern front it was called "the ace maker", highlighting pilots such as Captain Hartmann or Major Quasthoff, who was the first ace of the Me 409 and the first to receive the oak leaves for his Knight's Cross when he shot down 42 Soviet planes in three months.

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Tu regere imperio fluctus Hispane memento