Rare Engine+Brand New Airframe

And no doubt massively unusual flight characteristics. Anyone have any knowledge? I have not seen any handling reports, nor that of the similar Grainger Archaeopteryx. Nuther funny bird. If you build the Pterodactyl, I’ll donate the Cherub.

I have an overhauled Bristol Cherub series III from 1926. Anyone have a PRACTICAL( ie complete drawing set ) of a suitable aeroplane???? Hawker Cygnet or Heath Baby Bullet come to mind.

My own suggestion was a RR Goshawk and a Westland Pterodactyl V, however the Cherub and a Pterodactyl I makes for a massively unusual build….

I understood the powerplant was a Merlin XX and was the complete power egg of the Beaufighter II.

That’s right Stan, the MkI power plant was developed to enable the Beaufighter to use either Hercules or Merlins, it was then subsequently adopted when Merlin power plants were required in a hurry to produce a 4 engined Manchester. I mentioned Lanc because these power plants still turn up occasionally, sometimes over in Canada.

Stuart, don’t think of frontal area as the front of the engine, it was done by repositioning the two items which protrude furthest below the engine, which are the air intake and the coolant pump. The block (actually a crankcase and cylinder blocks) were not modified or streamlined in any way as part of the Hornet design.

Pete

I have an overhauled Bristol Cherub series III from 1926. Anyone have a PRACTICAL( ie complete drawing set ) of a suitable aeroplane???? Hawker Cygnet or Heath Baby Bullet come to mind.

Yes my list is Fairey-land, it is also DeHavil-land “OUCH”, due mainly in many cases to lack of drawings & some one with a wallet as big as his/her ambitions.

Ever thought of a Bristol 91 Brownie ?, complicated strip steel fuselage frame, but wooden wings “depending on which version”. Drawings do exist :dev2:.

Bob T.

If we are talking about really rare/extinct engines-

Curtiss D12- Fairey Fox.
Napier Dagger- Hawker Hector.
D.H Gipsy King (x4)- D.H 91 Albatross “beauty personified”.
Napier Rapier- D.H 77.
A.S Ounce- Bristol Babe.
Bristol Lucifer- Bristol Taxiplane/PTM.
RR Vulture (x2)- Avro Manchester.
R.A.F 1a- SS Airship.

Bob T.

Forgot to add a pair of A.S Tigers- A.W Whitley :).

Bob T.

I have an overhauled Bristol Cherub series III from 1926. Anyone have a PRACTICAL( ie complete drawing set ) of a suitable aeroplane???? Hawker Cygnet or Heath Baby Bullet come to mind.

My first thought was also the M20, as a practical and readily achievable object. Performance was good, but I must take issue with post 29. kenjohan, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but to describe the M20 as ” ‘orrible” shows a complete lack of ………. (words fail me) and as for “Fell apart an all” where did that come from? The prototype to spec F.19/40, AX834, finished up skidding on frost and ice at Woodley when being flown by Hugh Kennedy. and over ran the airfield and went nosedown into the gravel pit. Merlin Pete, I understood the powerplant was a Merlin XX and was the complete power egg of the Beaufighter II. Bob , I must agree with you, as this is a Faireyland Dreamworld and therefore probably unattainable, that the DH91 Albatross would be the best looking aeroplane, along with the Connie that has ever been produced, but there we are, as above Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Time will tell. At the moment it is a static display exhibit.

I thought it was with Meiermotors? Oh well!

Time will tell. At the moment it is a static display exhibit.

The other Dora that they built is with Jerry Yagen.

That’s the one that’s getting the Jumo!

The other Dora that they built is with Jerry Yagen.

Flugwerk were going to build some 190Ds with modified Alison engines but i think they ran into some legal issues (iirc). The only one I know that they built is having a Jumo installed at Mieiermotors

That was an ‘orrible machine, the Miles M20. Fell apart an all. :highly_amused:

Happy New Year!

“The Merlin’s on the Hornet are rare though as they are a special streamlined version (unique block). IIRC only about 10 are known to to exist”

I’ve always been interested in this, as it has often been quoted as such, but there isn’t much meat to trim off the outside of a Merlin, before you get to the inside!

Bill Gunston quotes the first Merlins as having 60hp per sq ft of frontal area, and for the Hornet a figure of 340 hp per sq ft frontal area, clearly a huge difference but was that achieved by streamlining the block (as opposed to moving ancillaries rearward) and given that one of the Hornet engines counter rotates, achieved by an idler gear (for want of a better description) in the reduction gear train, wouldn’t the resultant bulge in the casing, (similar perhaps to the Coffman start types) make the frontal area greater?

Not a rare engine per se being a Merlin, and being greedy by picking a pair, but two of them strapped to a sea hornet would be a sight to behold

The Merlin’s on the Hornet are rare though as they are a special streamlined version (unique block). IIRC only about 10 are known to to exist

Collings are having a Dora done, after their short-nosed one is finished.

I guess Peter Garners BMW VI powered He 51 fits the bill quite nicely. Nice looking project so far too.
Are we ever going to see a Jumo 213 powered FW-190 Dora? (Eric Vormezeele maybe?)

Andy Scott

There are actually a handful of Gipsy King engines in existence, Bob. Not sure whether there are enough to make a set of four though.

I knew an old, ex-war time engineer/pilot once, said he went to a scrap yard near Neston (Wirral) to look for some car parts and saw several Dagger engines laid on the ground there. Yard’s gone now, though.

Back to the thread: My couplet would be a Sabre powered Typhoon or Tempest as suggested first by Tin Triangle.

Also, I’d love to see and hear a Jumo 211 or BMW 801-powered Ju 88. A beautiful aircraft and fine engines. Shame hardly any 88’s survive in good enough condition to go back in the air considering how many were built. It was a superb design and a great looker.

Anon.

Ah yes, the Albatross – sublime!

If we are talking about really rare “in some cases extinct” engines-

Curtiss D12- Fairey Fox.
Napier Dagger- Hawker Hector.
D.H Gipsy King (x4)- D.H 91 Albatross “beauty personified”.
Napier Rapier- D.H 77.
A.S Ounce- Bristol Babe.
Bristol Lucifer- Bristol Taxiplane/PTM.
RR Vulture (x2)- Avro Manchester.
R.A.F 1a- SS Airship.

Bob T.