O
Overkiller
Guest
As a model builder this site is great inspiration, so as a little example of how this site has inspired me in my building I thought I would share a few pictures of my just completed scratchbuild, the Handley Page HP-99
The HP-99 was submitted to the MOS in 1952 against specification B.126T for a low altitude bomber to operate alongside the V-bombers.
B.126T (OR.314) required a 10,000lb bombload, range 2,500 miles at an average flight altitude of 500ft @ 0.85 Mach with a 10 minute burst at 0.95 in the target area.
Four firms tendered:
Avro = Avro Type 721
Bristol = Bristol 186
Handley Page = HP-99
Shorts = Shorts P.D.9
Ultimately B.126T foundered on the fact that engine and navigation technology had yet to progress to the point of allowing a practical low altitude bomber, all the submissions were virtually flying fuel tanks, often taking off near empty of fuel and needing air refueling shortly after take off. As for the navigation no TFR or any such gizmology, navigation was to be by dead reckoning and moving map displays (fun at night or in bad weather!).
Dimensions:
Span=70ft 6in
Length = 104ft 4in
Wing Area = 1100 sq ft
AUW = 260,000lb
Powerplant = 4 x Rolls Royce Avons
Anyway, the finished model.....
The model was built from a reworked Matchbox Victor kit for the fuselage, modified B-52 engine nacelles, wings from the outboard sections of the Victor's wings, the vertical stab from a KC-135 and a Su-15 while the horizontal stabs are modified outboard sections of the standard Victor tail unit.
A full build thread is here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,21242.0.html
I hope you like what you see, and thanks to the folks who make this a great forum by finding all this fascinating stuff that inspires folks like me to try building models of it all!
cheers
Duncan
The HP-99 was submitted to the MOS in 1952 against specification B.126T for a low altitude bomber to operate alongside the V-bombers.
B.126T (OR.314) required a 10,000lb bombload, range 2,500 miles at an average flight altitude of 500ft @ 0.85 Mach with a 10 minute burst at 0.95 in the target area.
Four firms tendered:
Avro = Avro Type 721
Bristol = Bristol 186
Handley Page = HP-99
Shorts = Shorts P.D.9
Ultimately B.126T foundered on the fact that engine and navigation technology had yet to progress to the point of allowing a practical low altitude bomber, all the submissions were virtually flying fuel tanks, often taking off near empty of fuel and needing air refueling shortly after take off. As for the navigation no TFR or any such gizmology, navigation was to be by dead reckoning and moving map displays (fun at night or in bad weather!).
Dimensions:
Span=70ft 6in
Length = 104ft 4in
Wing Area = 1100 sq ft
AUW = 260,000lb
Powerplant = 4 x Rolls Royce Avons
Anyway, the finished model.....
The model was built from a reworked Matchbox Victor kit for the fuselage, modified B-52 engine nacelles, wings from the outboard sections of the Victor's wings, the vertical stab from a KC-135 and a Su-15 while the horizontal stabs are modified outboard sections of the standard Victor tail unit.
A full build thread is here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,21242.0.html
I hope you like what you see, and thanks to the folks who make this a great forum by finding all this fascinating stuff that inspires folks like me to try building models of it all!
cheers
Duncan
