Ich hau' noch einen raus... dieses Mal ein Tribute-Werk! Ich bin ja ein Fan von Ideen, die von Bastler zu Bastler wandeln, und dies ist eine. Inspiriert ist das ganze von einer CG-Animation eines Kollegen namens SPINNERS, der diese Simulation einer mit Hispano-Kanonen und Raketen aufgepeppten P-40N in den Farben der 112 RAF Squadron gepostet hatte:
Ich fand die Idee charmant - und habe das Ding einfach mal nachgebaut...
Some background:The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational service.
The Warhawk was used by most Allied powers during World War II, and remained in frontline service until the end of the war. It was the third most-produced American fighter, after the P-51 and P-47.
P-40 Warhawk was the name the United States Army Air Corps adopted for all models, making it the official name in the United States for all P-40s. The British Commonwealth and Soviet air forces used the name Tomahawk for early models equivalent to the P-40B and P-40C, and the name Kittyhawk for models equivalent to the P-40D and all later variants, which were used by many Allied nations during and even after WWII: The last P-40s in military service, used by the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), were only retired in 1960.
One of the last operational versions of the P-40 was the P-40S, better known as Kittyhawk Mk. V because it was a derivative of the widely used P-40N for the Royal Air Force. The P-40N was manufactured in 1943–44 and marked the final production model.
The P-40N featured a stretched rear fuselage to counter the torque of the larger, late-war Allison engine, and the rear deck of the cockpit behind the pilot was cut down at a moderate slant to improve rearward visibility.
A great deal of work was also done to try and eliminate excess weight to improve the Warhawk's climb rate. Early N production blocks dropped a .50 in (12.7 mm) gun from each wing, bringing the total back to four; later production blocks reintroduced it after complaints from units in the field.
The P-40N was supplied to Commonwealth air forces as the Kittyhawk Mk IV. Subvariants of the P-40N ranged widely in specialization from stripped down four-gun "hot rods" that could reach the highest top speeds of any production variant of the P-40 (up to 380 mph), to overweight types with all the extras intended for fighter-bombing or even training missions.
The P-40S was such a special variant - it was a dedicated ground attack version that dispensed with any air combat capability, but rather exploited the P-40's ruggedness and good agility at low and medium altitude. Firepower was considerably improved through the replacement of the six 0.5" machine guns with four 20mm Hispano Mk. II cannons in the wings.
Furthermore, the wings' undersides were reinforced so that, beyond the normal hardpoints for light bombs outside of the cannons, three launch rails for unguided missiles could be mounted. Cockpit and engine received an improved armor against small caliber weapons.
With full ordnance load the Kitthawk V's handling was mediocre, at best, but the type was easy to maintain and proved to be highly effective against armored targets - this was especially true in early 1944 in tactical co-operation with the Army while fighting in Northern Italy. 200 P-40S were built for the Royal Air Force which primarily operated them in the MTO and Western Europe in 1944. A few of these aircraft were also handed over to the South African Air Force.
General characteristics: Crew: 1
Length: 33 ft 4 in (9.66 m)
Wingspan: 37 ft 3 1/2 in (11.38 m)
Height: 10 ft 7 inch (3.76 m)
Wing area: 235.94 ft² (21.92 m²)
Airfoil: NACA2215 / NACA2209
Empty weight: 8850 lb
Loaded weight: 8,280 lb (3,760 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 11.400 lb (4,000 kg)
Powerplant: 1× liquid-cooled Allison V-1710-81 V12 engine, rated at 1200 hp (894.59 kW)
Performance: Maximum speed: 343 mph at 15.000 ft
Cruise speed: 308 mph at 5.000 ft
Range: 750 mi (560 nmi, 1,100 km)
Service ceiling: 29,000 ft (8,800 m)
Rate of climb: 2,230 ft per min at 10.000 ft
Climb to 20.000 ft in 8 min 48 sec
Wing loading: 35.1 lb/ft² (171.5 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.14 hp/lb (228 W/kg)'
Armament: 4× 0.79 in (20 mm) Hispano Mk. II cannons with 120 RPG in the wings, plus up to
1,500 lb on three hardpoints, each rated at 500 lb, plus six launch rails under the outer
wing panels for unguided RP-3 missiles
Insgesamt nichts Spektakuläres, musste ja nix zersägt werden... Die Basis ist/war eine P-40N von Hobby Boss, Kanonen und britische RPGs stammen aus Pavla-Detailsets.
Innen kam nur ein pilot hinzu, um das etwas primitive Cockpit zu verdecken.
Die Bemalung richtet sich nach dem realen Vorbild, allerdings habe ich die P-40S eher in Italien als Nordafrika (Wie von SPINNERS angedacht) angesiedelt, passte vom Zeitrahmen besser. Die 112 Squadron (übrigens der Ursprung der Haifisch-Maul-Bemalung an den P-40, nicht die Flying Tigers in China!) war 1944 bereits in Italien, allerdings behielten viele Flugzeuge trotzdem ihre Wüstentarnung, insofern konnte die Optik beibehalten werden.
Ich habe mich auch dazu entschlossen, keine 1:1-Kopie von SPINNERS Maschine anzufertigen, sondern ein Schwestermodell mit passenden Codes. Diese sind aus der Grabbelkiste und von diversen Nachrüst-Bögen (z. B. die Buchstaben für den Code) zusammengepuzzelt.
Et voilà:
Thema: What if? Curtiss P-40S/Kittyhawk V der RAF 112 Sq., Italien 1944 (ein Tribute) (Gelesen 2523 mal)