what aircraft type would you like to be replicated

[Flyin Illini]

A-20 Havoc...most of them painted in DDAY colors.

[262]

hi all,
this is my first post,i think this is a good place to start.i worked at the texas airplane factory on the 262,i loved the work and learn a lot.please no mud slinging.i wanted to build a 80% 262,but can not find anyone to cad ribs and bulkheads.also would like to build 40' avro lancaster,these planes i can build on my wages.i have restored a navion and t craft ranchwagon model 20 and finished rv-6.i would love to restore the me109 or (p-40 on e-bay).the closest thing i have to a warbird is my piper (pa-38)-112 tomahawk. bill
ps.what is the story on the a-26 sitting at buckeye az?

[mazdaP5]

Reproducing warbirds in wood is becoming more common. Why not build some wooden warbirds out of wood.

If not, how about some other Hawkers, Typhoon and Tempest?[/img]

[Cvairwerks]

BDK: The P-66 wouldn't be too hard, other than getting some of the extrusions pulled. I've got a full set of unrestricted drawings and have been rummaging through them off and on for years. The most complicated item for constructing some would be the main spars. Everything else is pretty simple and standard construction stuff.

Some of the internals for the BT series could be substituted on a replica without problem. Despite what a lot of people think, the aft section and tail are not interchangable with BT parts. Profiles are similar, but BT tails and controls were not designed for 300+ mph operations.

[Mark_Pilkington]

after reading the 262 thread there seems to be an intrest in the possibiltyof reproduction aircraft to continue warbird operations in the future(fuel prices withstanding).
this was done on the flypast site a while ago bt i dont know if it has been done here f it has i apoligise for bringing it back up.
so what extinct or neart extinct aircraft type would you lie to see back in the air.
my top few.
1 westland whirlwind fighter.
2 ki46 dinah.
3 ki84 frank.
4 ca 11 woomera.
5 ca15.
6 j7w1 shinden.
7 ta 154 moskito.
8 n1k2 george.
9 ki 45 nick
10 f1m2 pete

I guess the first issue is what technical records, ie drawings remain or pattern aircraft/wrecks are available, without either the outcome is more likely a replica than a 'recreation" or "reproduction".

While I would be keen to see a replica CA-11 or CA15 I doubt that we will see either constructed for airworthy operation, although I am sure someone will create a Full Scale Mockup of the CA15 at some stage in the future for museum display.

Replica's are difficult to create in the high performance or large aircraft area, the design issues seem too large in my mind, and I dont see that happening to often.

I understand the FW190 reproductions are resulting in aircraft that do not have parts interchangable with originals, so I am unsure exactly what the basis of those aircraft are, but for the ME262's F3Fs' Yak 9s and Oscars it seems to me that original aircraft and drawings are being used as templates resulting in high accuracy "recreations".

The problem then for "totally" extinct types, or sole survivors is accessing a suitable template aircraft or wreck that will be permitted to be disassembled for reverse engineering?

I suspect this is the problem with bringing totally extinct types such as the Westland Whirlwind etc above.

Types that I think do have sufficient parts available as templates and that would be of interest from your list above are:

Shinden
George
Pete

Where the drawings, or a template example or suitable wreckage for pattern is not available the outcome disolves to being a lookalike and in some cases a poor imitation of the original, the Martin Baker MB6 replica in the USA comes to mind in regard to that issue where there seems to be length, height and profile compromises without any specific fractional scale approach undertaken?, and replica CA-11 or CA-15 might end up the same way.

The other real world limitation would seem to be a source of original or suitable engines, and the marketability of examples of the type to allow profitable sales of the limited production run output. Based on the earlier projects a 5 ship target would seem viable? (along with operational spares)

Others have mentioned the 109, as well as the Ryan STM and Dauntless, all three would have ready buyers.

Another would be the Brewster Buffalo, as would be the Stuka, the Fiat G55, Zero and the Ki61 Tony (as against the current "restorations" occuring, which would yield jigs etc to proceed on with "recreations").

Interestingly the CAC Boomerang is probably also a candidate given the work already done on re-engineering the wings etc.

The Mosquito restorations in NZ are establishing all the jigs etc to manufacture "recreations" beyond the current "restorations", but the source of metal parts would require further investigation.

I personally suspect such production runs will tend to be limited to iconic or high performance types? to ensure the saleability?

I think there are some types destined to remain only surviving in photos, or full scale mockups at the most, the Stirling bomber along with many others unfortunately will remain there, others - despite surviving examples, are probably too rare or too large to access as patterns, or econonically too costly to proceed, and will remain as sole (or handful of) survivors, the Halifax being an example of that situation.

Regards


Mark Pilkington

[Curtis Block]

B-10

[Warbird Kid]

Willow

[JägerMarty]

Focke Wulf Ta152
DH Mosquito too pleae

[oz rb fan]

mark i agree to a point yes the ca15 and ca11 will probably stay a pipe dream for most aussie fans,i think there every possibility that a dinah coud be done with help from wrecks in the pacific
the whirlwind may happen as a static replica as the engines are the biggest problem (as far as i know only two engines exist) but substancial part are there to copt according to some english enthuisusts.
the buffalo,stuka and g50 would be good candidates.
large bombers and transports maybe out of the question as cost would be astronomical.

[Mark_Pilkington]

smiles,

I nearly put the Dinah in the list, but am not really aware of the remaining wrecks etc , other than the complete example in the RAF Museum collection which I suspect would never be made available as a dismantable template pattern, so I felt it safer not to list it myself.

However I think the issue with twin engined aircraft is that the restoration costs must increase dramatically in terms of engine sourcing, overhaul, engine bay restoration (usually more complex than an equivalent section of stressed skin fuselage) and effectively twice the operating cost for the same high performance.

I suspect that is why Tigercats and P38's have not seemed as popular airframes over the years in the USA as the single seat/single engine fighters?, in the UK the twin engine fighters (Whirlwind/Hornet never had a civil aviation role in the first place, but the same was effectively true for Hurricanes and Spitfires)

regards

Mark Pilkington

[oz rb fan]

there were some dinah wrecks in png up until at least the 80's that maystill be there there was one at lae where the war memorials zreo was before it was recovered also according to a former member here thre is a wreck in northern australia.
twins are a bit of a pipe dream of mine but a dinah would be a great acheavment and with us radials (like most of the zero's flying)i would think one of the more acheavable ones.
as you said the whirlwinds and hornets would be nigh on impossible alltho westlands had a whirlwind on the register after the war.
then bring on the georges,petes (altho in oz at the moment we might not have enough lakes to operrate from )and especialy shindens

[oz rb fan]

damned double posts

Last edited by oz rb fan on Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Jerry O'Neill]

The Ryan is an easy one. A full set of plans are available from Ed Cass...something. Last time I looked, there were about $800 for a set. Ed's version uses a LOM engine if I remember correctly. An STM-S2 with the Menasco would be pretty cool too.

Ev Cassagneres is a friend of mine and lives about 1 mile from me. I don't think too many people know more about Ryans and Lindbergh than he does. He's authored several books on the subjects.
Jerry

[kalamazookid]

P-6E Hawk
Ju87 Stuka
Beaufighter
F2A Buffalo

[Ztex]

FW-200




Betty