Galleries

Republic XP-72 (Revell, Parts scratch built)

TYPE: Long-range Escort Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major, rated at 3,450 h.p.

PERFORMANCE: 490 m.p.h. at 25,000 ft

COMMENT:  The second prototype of the Republic XP-72, first flown on 26 June 1944, had Aero Products contra props in place of the four bladed propeller of the first prototype of the Republic XP-72.

Junkers Ju 88G-7c, 5./NJG4 (Italeri, Parts from Hasegawa)

TYPE: Night and Bad-weather Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 213E rated at 1,750 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 410 m.p.h. at 29,800 ft

COMMENT: This final version of the Ju 88G subtypes was equipped with a FuG 240 “Berlin N-1a” radar with centimetric wavelength and a concave reflector antenna, enclosed in a wooden nose cone. Furthermore this type was equipped with a FuG 217 rear warning radar as well as FuG 350Z “Naxos” radar for detecting AI Mk.IV radar equipped British night intruders

Junkers Ju 88G-7b, 2./NJG5 (Italeri, Parts from Hasegawa)

TYPE: Night and Bad-weather Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 213E, rated at 1,725 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 402 m.p.h. at 29,800 ft

COMMENT: The Ju 88G-7 was the final version of the Ju 88 night fighter to attain production status. The Ju 88G-7b was equipped with a FuG 218 “Neptun VR” radar and a single-pole “Morgenstern” (Morning Star) aerial array and a FUG 220 “Lichtenstein SN-2” Tail warning radar

Junkers Ju 88C-6b, 2./NJG2 (Revell, Parts from Italeri)

TYPE: Night and Bad Weather Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 211J-2, rated at 1,350 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 303 m.p.h. at 19,700 ft

COMMENT: The Junkers Ju 88C-6b was the first radar equipped Junkers night fighter with either FuG 202 “Lichtenstein BC” or FuG 212 “Lichtenstein C-1”. Later variants were equipped with the  FuG “Lichtenstein SN-2” radar with “Hirschgeweih Antennen” (Stag’s Antlers)

Junkers Ju 88G-6c, 7./NJG5 (Italeri, Parts from Hasegawa)

TYPE: Night and bad weather fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four

POWER PLANT: Two Junkers Jumo 213A, rated at 1,750 h.p. each

PERFORMANCE: 331 m.p.h. at 19,400 ft

COMMENT: The Junkers Ju 88G variants possessed various radar functions e. g. a forward searching radar for target acquisition (FuG 218 “Neptun GR”) , a rearward defensive warning radar, and a passive radar FuG 350Z “Naxos” for detecting the signals from the H2S ground-mapping radar, used by night-flying British Bombers

 

Grumman AF-2S Guardian (Airmodel, Vacu, Parts scratch built)

TYPE: Anti-submarine strike aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two

POWER PLANT: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-48W Double Wasp, rated at 2,400 h.p.

PERFORMANCE: 350 m.p.h. at 15,000ft

COMMENT: In contrast to the radar equipped AF-2W, the Grumman AF-2S was armed with one torpedo or two bombs or two depth-charges in weapons bay. The AF-2S carried a smaller wing mounted APS-30 radar and a search light. Both, the AF-2W and the AF-2S operated in a “hunter” and “killer” role. A total of 193 AF-2S were produced

 

Grumman AF-2W Guardian (Airmodel, Vacu, Parts scratch built)

TYPE: Anti-submarine search aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four

POWER PLANT: Pratt & Whitney R.2800-48W Double Wasp, rated at 2,400 h.p.

PERFORMANCE:  317 m.p.h. at 16,000 ft

COMMENT: Originally designed as a replacement of the highly successful Grumman TBF Avenger anti-submarine search aircraft. In place of defensive armament the new torpedo-bomber had a Westinghouse 19XB turbojet in the tail to give it a high escape speed. Later the the design was revised and a large ventral radar set was built in. In that configuration the aircraft was used as a hunter in cooperation with the Grumman AF-2S as a killer. A total of 153 AF-2W were built.

Republic XP-69 (Anigrand, Resin)

TYPE: High Altitude Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Wright R-2160-6 Tornado, rated at 2,500 h.p.

PERFORMANCE: 453 m.p.h.

COMMENT: This project was designed as a fast high altitude fighter capable of intercepting and destroying high altitude enemy bombers. The design incorporated new innovations such as a pressurized cabin, laminar flow wing, and contra-rotating propellers. A mock-up was built, but the project was cancelled because the Wright R-2160 42-cylinder engine was never produced. In 1944 Republic modified a two P-47D’s for testing Chrysler XI-2220 inverted-Vee liquid-cooled engines (Republic XP-47H). This made an extremely finely-streamlined cowling of low frontal area necessary similar that project shown here.

 

Junkers Schlachtflugzeug (Unicraft, Resin)

TYPE: Close Support Fighter Bomber.  Project

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: Daimler-Benz DB-ZTL 109-007 Bypass turbojet, rated at 1.150 kp each

PERFORMANCE: Not available

COMMENT: Project of a heavily armed jet aircraft from 1941. Pilot’s cockpit, engines and ammunition compartments were heavily armoured from underside. Due to lack of experience with nose landing gear on earth fields a nose skid was planned. Thrust deflecting flaps behind the exhausts allowed short take-off runs

 

Convair XP-81 (Anigrand, Resin)

TYPE: Long-Range Escort Fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One General Electric T31-GE-1 turboprop engine, rated at 2,300 h.p. and one Allison J 33-GE-5 turbojet engine, rated at 703 kp

PERFORMANCE: 507 m.p.h. at 30,000 ft

COMMENT: The Consolidated Vultee XP-81was a development of the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft to build a single seat, long range escort fighter that combined use of both turbojet and turboprop engines. Although promising, the lack of suitable engines combined with the end of World War II doomed the project.
Two prototype aircraft were ordered on February 1944 that were designated XP-81. The engine selection was an attempt to couple the high-speed capability of the turbojet engine with the endurance offered by the propeller engine. The XP-81 was designed to use the General Electic TG-100 turboprop engine in the nose driving a four-bladed propeller and a General Electric J33 turbojet in the rear fuselage. The turboprop would be used for normal flight and cruising and the turbojet added for high-speed flight.
The first XP-81 was completed in January 1945 but because of developmental problems the turboprop engine was not ready for installation. A decision was then made to mount a complete Packard V-1650-7 Merlin engine package from a North American P-51D Mustang aircraft in place of the turboprop for initial flight tests. This was done in a week and the Merlin-powered XP-81 was sent to the Muroc airbase where it flew for the first time on 11 February 1945. During 10 flight test hours, the XP-81 displayed good handling characteristics except for inadequate directional stability due to the longer forward portion of the fuselage. This was rectified by enlarging the vertical tail.
While 13 Convair YP-81 pre-production aircraft had been ordered, the capture of Guam and Saipan eliminated the need for long-range, high-speed escort fighters and then, just before VJDay the contract was cancelled, after 85% of the engineering was completed. The YP-81 was to be essentially the same as the prototype but with a lighter and more powerful General Electric TG-110 (XT41) turboprop engine, the wing moved aft 0.25 m, and armament of either six 12.7 mm machine guns or six 20 mm cannon.
After the XP-81 was returned to Vultee Field, the TG-100 turboprop was installed and flight testing resumed, including the first flight by an American turboprop-powered aircraft on 21 December 1945. However, the turboprop engine was not able to produce its designed power; producing only the same output as the Packard Merlin (1,490 hp) with the resultant performance limited to that of the Merlin-engined version.
With the termination of hostilities, the two prototypes continued to be tested until 1947 when they were both consigned to a bombing range as photography targets (Ref.: 24).