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Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 13th, 2018, 3:13 pm
by Hood
I don't think there was any particular reason for the steep slope on the windscreen, it was how Blackburn designed it, in fact for the 1930s its probably not a bad windscreen and canopy design.
Had the Skua been used as a dive-bomber instead of dual role as a fighters, I think its reputation would have been better. The Roc was a flawed concept and the airframe and engine just wasn't up to lugging a turret around.
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 13th, 2018, 3:22 pm
by erik_t
IIRC, Eric Brown noted the steep vertical windscreen (which, of course, was fairly well streamlined in plan view) was to ensure good visibility in rain. That this feature did not appear in the carrier aircraft of other nations, or survive into later British practice, would suggest that the concern was somewhat overblown.
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 13th, 2018, 6:17 pm
by Cascadia
Just as a reminder, Radome has already done the Blackburn Roc.
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 13th, 2018, 10:38 pm
by Bordkanone 75
Skua looks neat overall! I wouldn’t mind for a redraw of the Roc.
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 14th, 2018, 1:36 pm
by reytuerto
Thanks, Bk75! I was ending a pair off drawings: a sympathetic little aircraft in his uglyness and a magnificent and elegant torpedo-bomber. As Radome´s drawing can´t be retrieved from the archive, I think that I can have my attempt
for the ugly (ugly without paliatives!) Roc.
Not only ugly, it was an ineffective figther (well, the turret fighter concept was not a successful idea). It was described as a "constant hindrance" by an officer in the Orkney Islands. With only one confirmed victory, it was soon removed from first line service. Cheers.
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 14th, 2018, 6:12 pm
by Cascadia
If Radome's 'Roc' is no longer accesable, I post it here from my personal archive for comparison.
But I think reytuerto' looks better.
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 14th, 2018, 9:04 pm
by reytuerto
Good afternoon, gentlemen! Thanks, Cascadia! Your feedback is very important!
One of the most aesthetically refined aircraft of WWII, the torpedo-bomber Aichi B7A Grace.
Designed around the Homare radial engine, it was bigger than the current japanese torpedo-bomber (Jill) and dive bomber (Judy), but was as fast and agile than a fighter like the Zero. It was an aerodynamically clean and neat aircraft, able to hit with a Type 91 torpedo at long range. Unfortunatelly, the only aircraft carriers with elevetors big enough were sunk before the Grace was cleared for operational service, so the 100 or so built were used from land bases. Cheers.
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 14th, 2018, 9:51 pm
by Bordkanone 75
Nice work! One of the most aesthetic Japanese torpedo bombers of the war. Do you intend to do the Tenzan (Jill) torpedo bomber?
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 14th, 2018, 10:26 pm
by reytuerto
Hi, BK75! Yes, Grace was a beautiful aircraft (the other japanese champion in aesthetics is the equally neat Dinah) very neat and refined, fast and nimble. Unfortunatelly I don´t know almost anything about its war record, do you know if the Aichi was able to absorb more battle damage than the Kate?
No, please feel free to draw the Jill! I am sure that your drawing will be outstanding!
Re: FD Scale Aircraft 15
Posted: November 14th, 2018, 10:33 pm
by Bordkanone 75
reytuerto wrote: ↑November 14th, 2018, 10:26 pm
Hi, BK75! Yes, Grace was a beautiful aircraft (the other japanese champion in aesthetics is the equally neat Dinah) very neat and refined, fast and nimble. Unfortunatelly I don´t know almost anything about its war record, do you know if the Aichi was able to absorb more battle damage than the Kate?
No, please feel free to draw the Jill! I am sure that your drawing will be outstanding!
The Ryusei included some form of armor, glass protection, and self-sealing tanks in the wings and inside the aircraft, allowing it to take heavier punishment than the B5N2. So it would stand a chance, while the Kate would be shot down in less than 30 seconds.