Cargo

Lockheed C-60A Lodestar (MPM)

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TYPE: Supply, troop- and personnel transport.

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three plus 18 passengers

POWER PLANT: Two Wright R-1820-87 Cyclone 9 radial engines, rated at 1,200 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 266 mph at 17,150 ft

COMMENT: When the United States started to build up its military air strength in 1940–41, the need for transport aircraft became obvious. Besides the well-known Douglas C-47 Skytrain, derived from the civilian DC-3, Lockheed Model 18 Super Electra was chosen by the United States Army Air Force as military transport. The aircraft started its career as C-56 and C-57 Lodestar, but only a few examples were built. A redesign of the original was more successful: As Lockheed C-60A Lodestar the transport was in widespread use in all military campaigns. But it never reached the popularity of the C-47 Skytrain. The Lodestar was also in use with the US Navy as R5O-5 and US Marine Corps as R5O-6. A total of 625 Lodestars of all variants were built (Ref.: 23).

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Kawasaki Ki-119 (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Suicide aircraft, Light bomber, Dive bomber and Escort fighter. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Mitsubishi Ha-104 radial engine, rated at 1,900 hp

PERFORMANCE: 360 mph at 19,685 ft

COMMENT: The Kawasaki Ki-119 was a design for a single-engine light bomber that would have been used in the defence of the Japanese homeland. Earlier Japanese bombers had been designed to operate over long distances, either in China or over the Pacific, but by the start of 1945 it was clear that the Japanese army might soon be fighting on home soil. This meant that a short range single-engine bomber would be possible, saving on the limited supply of both engines and trained air crew.
In March 1945 the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force issued Kawasaki with orders to produce a single seat bomber that could carry 1,764lb of bombs to targets 373 miles (600km) from its base, armed with two 20mm cannon and powered by one 1,900ph Army Type 4 18-cylinder radial. Unlike many new aircraft being developed in Japan in 1945 the Ki-119 was not designed to be used in suicide attacks.
Takeo Doi and his team produced a design and a mock-up in three months. The fuselage was based on that of the Kawasaki Ki-100 radial-engine fighter. The aircraft was made as easy to fly as possible – a wide track undercarriage with good shock absorbers was chose to make the aircraft easy to handle on the ground, and large wings with a high aspect-ratio were designed, to make it easy to handle in the air. The aircraft was designed to carry three different sets of armament. In its basic light bomber role it was to be armed with two 20mm cannon and one 1,764lb bomb. It could also serve as a fighter escort, with no bombers but two extra 20mm cannons, or as a dive bomber with two 551lb bombs.
The impressively rapid development of the Ki-119 came to a halt in June 1945 when the detailed drawings were destroyed when American air raids damaged Kawasaki’s factory at Kagamigahara. This pushed back the expected delivery date for the prototype from September until November, with production expected in time for the new aircraft to take part in the fighting of 1946. The unexpectedly sudden end to the war meant that the prototype was never completed (Ref. 1, 24).

Fighter, Projects

Gloster F.18/37 Boosted Fighter (Unicraft, Resin

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TYPE: Fighter, interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Rolls-Royce Griffon inline engine, rated at 1,730 hp, and one Whittle W.1A turbojet engine, rated at 390 kp

PERORMANCE: No data available

COMMENT: In 1939 the British Air Ministry issued Specification F.18/37 for a heavily armed interceptor. Beside the Bristol Aircraft Company, Gloster Aircraft proposed a design that, a novelty at that time, was to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon piston engine and additionally by the brand new Whittle W.1A turbo engine. At least Hawker Aircraft Company submitted the best design that later became the Hawker Tornado. So in 1940 development of the Gloster Boosted Fighter was cancelled.

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me 262A-2a with Lorin Ramjets (Matchbox and Scratch-built)

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TYPE: High-altitude interceptor. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B turbo-jet engines, rated at 890 kp each plus two Lorin ram-jets, rated at 1,350 kp each

PERFORMANCE: 714 mph (estimated)

COMMENT: Dr. E. Sänger, a convinced supporter of ram-jet powered aircraft, e. g. Skoda-Kauba SK P. 14-01 and SK P.14-02, proposed to increase the performance of a Messerschmitt Me 262 by integrating two additional Lorin ram-jets. The ram-jets, each 5.90 m long, were mounted above the wing resp. the turbo-jet engines, the air intake was 45.1, and the exhaust pipe 85 cm in diameter, respectively. It was calculated that the Me 262 could reach 48,557 ft within 11.5 minutes. Finally, this project was not pursued (Ref.: 19)

Fighterbomber, Medium Bomber, Postwar

Martin XB-51 (Anigrand, Resin)

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TYPE: Ground attack aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and operator/navigator

POWER PLANT: Three × General Electric J-47-GE-13 turbojet engines, rated at 2,700 kp each

PERFORMANCE: 645 mph

COMMENT: In early 1945, USAAF issued requirement for a new attack bomber for low-level bombing and close support as a successor to the Douglas A-26 Invader. Martin Company proposed its design and won the competition with designation, XA-45. Soon later USAAF revised its requirement for better close-support bombing. Martin accepted the new requirement and was received contract for two prototypes, the project was redesignated XB-51. The first XB-51 made its first flight on Oct 1949. The aircraft was powered by three jet engines: one at the extreme tail with an intake at the base of the tailfin, and two underneath the forward fuselage in pods. The innovative, variable incidence wings were swept at 35° and with 6° anhedral. The main landing gear consisted of dual sets of wheels in tandem in the fuselage with outrigger wheels at the wingtips. Crew provision was for a pilot under a “fighter”-type bubble canopy and for an operator/navigator in a compartment located lower than and to the rear of the cockpit. It became the fastest ground support bomber at the time. Although test flights were satisfying Martin XB-51 never went into production. Noteworthy is the fact that the design can be traced back to a German WWII-project Messerschmitt Me P.1102/105 that was to be powered by three Heinkel-Hirth HeS-109-011 turbo-engines, one in the extreme tail and two in pods under the extreme forward fuselage and provided with variable-sweep wings, too (Ref.: 24)

Fighterbomber, Projects

Mansyu Ki-98 (A+V Models, Resin)

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TYPE: Ground attack aircraft, fighter-bomber. Project

ACCOMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Mitsubishi Ha-211 Ru radial engine, rated at 2,200 hp

PERFORMANCE: 454 mph at 32.810 ft

COMMENT: In 1943 Mansyu offered the Japan Army Air Force a project of a single-seat ground attack aircraft designated Ki-98. The design was of twin boom configuration and was powered by a 2,200 hp turbosupercharged Mitsubishi Ha 211 Ru radial engine mounted in the central nacelle behind the pilot’s seat and driving a four-blade pusher propeller. Nose-mounted armament consisted of one 37 mm and two 20 mm cannon. A prototype was still under construction when Japan surrendered in September 1945 (Ref: 1)

Fighter

Martin-Baker M.B.3 (Airmodel, Resin)

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TYPE: Interceptor, fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Napier Sabre II liquid-cooled engine, rated at 2,020 hp

PERFORMANCE: 415 mph at 20,000 ft

COMMENT: In early 1942 the British Air Ministry issued specification F.18/39 that called for a single-seat fighter with a maximum speed of not less than 400mph at 15,000 ft, a service ceiling of not less than 35,000 ft, a fuel capacity sufficient for thirty minutes at maximum power, two hours at economical cruising speed plus thirty percent reserves, and a loaded weight not exceeding 12,000lb. To meet these requirements, the Martin-Baker Aircraft Company designed an aircraft, M.B.3, with remarkably strong structure, a phenomenally heavy armament, and good handling qualities. Two prototypes of the M.B.3 were ordered and the first of these was flown on August 1942. Trials indicated that the prototype was extremely maneuverable and processed excellent handling characteristics. On September 1942, during landing approach, the Sabre engines failed and the aircraft was completely destroyed. Construction of the second prototype, powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine and the designation M.B.4 was abandoned in favor of an extensively redesigned model, the Martin-Baker M.B.5 (Ref.: 12)

Fighter, Projects

Messerschmitt Me 109 TL (Planet, Resin)

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TYPE: Turbojet powered fighter. Project.

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engines, rated at 900 kp each

PERFORMANCE: No data available

COMMENT: In early 1943 during a conference led by the RLM it was proposed to reconstruct a Messerschmitt Bf 109 into a jet powered fighter. Because the airframe of the Bf 109 was not suited for such a modification it was decided to use the fuselage of a Messerschmitt Me 109H high-altitude fighter, the undercarriage of the Messerschmitt Me 309, and the wing of the projected Messerschmitt Me 409. Nevertheless, soon it became clear that too many parts had to be changed so after two month the project was cancelled (Ref.: 19).

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Grumman F6F-5 “Hellcat”, VF-12, CV-15 “Randolph”, (Hasegawa)

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TYPE: Carrier-based fighter, fighter bomber

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp radial engine, rated at 2,000 hp

PERFORMANCE: 380 mph at 23,400 ft

COMMENT: In Mid 1944 an improved and refined version of the famous Grumman F6F-3, the Grumman F6F-5 “Hellcat” rolled out of a brand new factory, especially built for this reason. The Pratt & Whitney engine with water injection was retained, but the cowling was modified and the windshield was improved. Provision was made for 2,000 lb of bombs under the center section and six rockets under the outer wing. Production of this version totalled 6,681 aircraft plus 1,189 F6F-5N’s night fighter with APS-6 radar in the pod of the starboard wing. The aircraft shown here was on board of USS CV-15 “Randolph” in March 1945 (Ref.: 22)

Medium Bomber, Projects

Kogiken Plan III Revised Light Bomber (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Light bomber. Project

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two

POWER PLANT: Two radial engines, type not available

PERFORMANCE: No data available

COMMENT: Poorly documented JAAF-project of a light bomber with twin fuselage, two radial engines and pilot and gunner/radio-operator seated in the left fuselage. Similar designs during World War II were in Germany Arado E,580 (project), Messerschmitt Me 109Z (flown, Z for Zwilling = twin),  Messerschmitt Me 609 (project), Dornier Do 635 (Junkers Ju 8-635) (project),and Heinkel He 111Z (flown), and in the United States North American P-82 (flown).