Interwar Fighter Challenge

[Kiwi Imperialist]

Welcome to the Interwar Fighter Challenge. You are tasked with drawing a fighter, interceptor, or similar aircraft which entered service between November 1918 and December 1936. The aircraft may be employed by a nation of your choice, and countries from alternate universes are permitted. The formal requirements are listed below. They are relatively broad and should allows for some interesting variety. Technology advanced at a rapid pace during the timeframe of this challenge. Biplanes gave way monoplanes, aluminium displaced canvas, and engine power increased dramatically. Some concepts were more successful than others. Do not be afraid to explore those ideas which made sense at the time, but look a little odd in retrospect. Please read the challenge rules relating to submissions and drawings.

Design Requirements

1. Your submission must depict an aircraft which entered operational service between November 1918 and December 1936.
2. The maximum power output of the aircraft's engine must not exceed 750 hp (559 kW).
3. The primary role of the submitted design should be the destruction of enemy aircraft.

Challenge Rules

1. Each participant may submit up to three images.
2. Every image must be an FD template modified to include the participant’s art. Templates which include a data sheet are allowed.
3. No more than three views are allowed in each image.
4. All views within a single image must depict the same aircraft at the same point in time.
5. A textual description accompanying each submission is allowed, but not necessary.
6. Off-topic posts will be reported to the relevant authorities.
7. All drawings should be in FD scale.

The challenge will run until the 12th of June, ending at 23:59 UTC-12 (International Date Line West).

A poll will be held after this date. Members of the Shipbucket community will have an opportunity to score, on a scale of 1 to 10, each submission in four categories:

• Drawing Quality - The overall quality of the drawing. One might consider detailing, shading, and accuracy.
• Design Realism - How realistic is the design presented? Any accompanying text may be considered.
• Originality - Does the submission present a new and unique design, or is it a copy of an existing one?
• Suitability - Does the design meet the requirements of the challenge?

Please attempt to provide an honest evaluation of each participant's submission. Some people put a lot of effort into these challenges, so avoid using a 1 when a higher score is more appropriate. Poll responses which favour a small group of entries with maximum scores in all categories and provide minimum scores to all other entries will be excluded from the final results.




When does the challenge end in my timezone?
A countdown can be found at this link, or you can consult the list below.

UTC-12: June 12, 23:59 (Official Deadline)
UTC-11: June 13, 00:59
UTC-10: June 13, 01:59 (Hawaii Standard Time)
UTC-9: June 13, 02:59
UTC-8: June 13, 03:59 (Pacific Standard Time)
UTC-7: June 13, 04:59 (Mountain Standard Time)
UTC-6: June 13, 05:59 (Central Standard Time)
UTC-5: June 13, 06:59 (Eastern Standard Time)
UTC-4: June 13, 07:59 (Atlantic Standard Time)
UTC-3: June 13, 08:59
UTC-2: June 13, 09:59
UTC-1: June 13, 10:59
UTC: June 13, 11:59 (Greenwhich Mean Time)
UTC+1: June 13, 12:59 (Central European Time)
UTC+2: June 13, 13:59 (Central European Summer Time)
UTC+3: June 13, 14:59
UTC+4: June 13, 15:59
UTC+5: June 13, 16:59
UTC+6: June 13, 17:59
UTC+7: June 13, 18:59
UTC+8: June 13, 19:59 (Australian Western Standard Time)
UTC+9: June 13, 20:59
UTC+10: June 13, 21:59 (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
UTC+11: June 13, 22:59
UTC+12: June 13, 23:59 (New Zealand)
UTC+13: June 14, 00:59
UTC+14: June 14, 01:59 (Line Islands)

[RaspingLeech]

Hughes Caballero:

[Imperialist]

Siemens-Schuckert Ss 55 Series:

Stemming from an RLM request for a main-line fighter in 1934, Siemens-Schuckert was one of the manufacturers who stepped forward and ended up developing their Ss 55 series of aircraft. While several of the other competitors went with in-line engines (such as the Jumo 210, or Daimler-Benz DB 600), Siemens-Schuckert decided to go with a radial engine. After having acquired a license for the Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet in 1933, it was developed further into the Bramo Hornet, after named as such after their reorganization in 1936 - which itself eventually became BMW Flugmotorenbau in 1939 after being bought out by BMW.

The 1st aircraft built, Ss 55 V1, had the identification of D-IAFT, and was powered by a license-built Pratt & Whitney R-1690-8 Hornet A engine rated at 610hp. Two 7.92mm firing through the top of the nose cowling.
The 2nd aircraft is an Ss 55C of the Condor Legion, ID code 6 - 14, had an uprated Bramo Hornet B engine at 650hp and a redesigned cowling. This was armed with two 7.92 and two 13mm guns.
The 3rd aircraft, an E-variant, Yellow 9 was armed with two 7.92mm machine guns and two 2cm MG FF cannon. This was powered by an BMW 132A rated at 725hp and served in the early days of WW2 in the Western Front against the French and British Empires. The two-bladed propeller was switched out for an Vereinigte Deutsche Metallwerke (VDM) made one.

I would like to note that I initially took inspiration from the Hs 123, Ha 137, and Hawker Hurricane, although I think some other planes filtered in there visually

Siemens-Schuckert Ss 55A (1936)

Siemens-Schuckert Ss 55C (1938)

Siemens-Schuckert Ss 55E (1940)

[Hood]

Ridgefield Type 342 Rapier


Ridgefield Rapier Mark 1, 17 Squadron, RAF Upavon, 1934

The early pioneer John Ridgefield was a man who fervently believed in the progress of aviation and that man would fly ever faster and ever higher. So it was no surprise that when the Air Ministry released Specification F.7/30 for a new high-speed bomber interceptor with four machine guns that Ridgefield would task his Chief Designer Will Sparks with designing a sleek monoplane cockpit, one with an enclosed cockpit and an inline engine. He rejected the steam-evaporation cooled Rolls-Royce Goshawk in favour of a standard Kestrel. The enclosed cockpit gave good visibility forwards, downward and above, but at the expense of some rearward vision.
The first of two prototypes first flew in July 1932 and after passing trials at the Aeroplane & Armament Establishment a limited batch of 50 aircraft were ordered. These equipped No.17 during 1934, the unit's pilots, having swapped their agile open-cockpit Bristol Bulldogs were less pleased with being enclosed and less agile monoplane handling characteristics. Soon though they learned to appreciate its speed and climbing ability to intercept bombers. The only other unit, 1 Squadron, partially re-equipped but by 1936 the few Rapiers were retired in favour of newer monoplanes.

General characteristics

Crew: 1 (pilot)
Length: 8.96 m
Wingspan: 11.5 m
Height: 3.53 m (flying attitude)
Empty weight: 3,611 lb
Gross weight: 4,914 lb
Powerplant: 1x 665 hp Rolls-Royce Kestrel V V-12 inline supercharged piston engine
Propeller: wooden 2-bladed fixed-pitch

Performance

Maximum speed: 198 mph at 10,000 ft
Combat range: 310 miles
Service ceiling: 29,500 ft
Rate of climb: 1,200 ft/min at 10,000 ft

Armament
4 x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers Mk IV machine guns with 600 rpg (2x fuselage, 2x wing roots - all synchronised through the propeller disk)

[Rhade]

Ford Model 20M



After the failure of the 15-P, Henry Ford did not abandon the vision of a cheap plane for everyone, stubbornly trying to get investors interested in his idea, based his new concept on the radical and quite fantastic idea of ​​the sky militia. A simple plane in "every garage" ready to pick up immediately at the sound of an alarm, real swarms of such small machines were to be in the hands of US citizens the same as a rifle or pistol. Each state would have numerous squadrons where citizens instead of the National Guard would seize sky-high weapons in defense of the Land of the Free.

In times of modest armed forces and a lack of confidence in the federal government, it was not surprising that the idea won a group of loyal supporters. In fact, it was quite a crazy concept, but such often gained recognition, even if only temporary. The new aircraft was a slightly smaller version of the Model 15-P, powered by the same Ford V-8 engine, by design it was simple in mass production, cheap and easy to maintain. Sky Ford A. Thanks to appropriate lobbying and a considerable amount of bribes, Ford managed to force state authorities to test its invention. He even managed to support the federal government for these tests ... several senators have gained extra funding for their election campaigns.

The single flying (more or less) example of new Model 20M was delivered at Fort McNair and the military began testing. After a month, the report was sent to the Senate. In short, 20M was a truly flying (barely) monster, the engine was tragically weak and barely able to force the machine to break away from the ground, after which it immediately overheated and threatened a fire. The rudder barely listened to the pilot, the machine was actually capable of slow forward flight and very limited maneuvers. During one of the tests, the pilot made a wide circle for almost 20 minutes to return to the airport. The view from the cabin was so poor that it was almost a blind flight. The armament did not differ from the set adopted at that time, but the lack of sight and a hopeless view from the cabin meant that hitting anything would be a mere stroke of luck.

All in all, it was one big failure.

Henry Ford took his plane back stubbornly claiming that only sabotage and military reluctance to the idea of ​​air militia harmed his work. Or maybe he was just ahead of his time too far for technology to keep up?

General characteristics

Crew: 1 (pilot)
Length: 4.3 m
Wingspan: 10 m
Powerplant: 1 × Ford V-8, 115 hp (86 kW)
Propeller: wooden 2-bladed fixed-pitch

Armament
2 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) M1919 Browning machine guns

[Bordkanone 75]

Nakajima YM A4N1


I'm well aware of Raxar's rendition of the A4N1 from years ago, but I decided to refurbish this aircraft just in time for the challenge.

[Aiseus]

Gazinia Consortium SN-10 "Sumi Nartosa"

[lemachin]

Fabrikejo de Aviadiloj Montalvo (FAM) C291

[jjx indoweeb]

C.27

[APDAF]

Great Russian Union, Tukhachevsky Tu-6