Piston Engine to Jet Fighter Conversions

[NUSNA_Moebius]

Hi everyone,

Including the well known Russian conversions of piston fighters to jets, I wanted to see if anyone had anything on other similar conversions that could be in a nicely consolidated thread of "piston-to-jet theory."

Thanks!

 

[Arjen]

SAAB J21 to SAAB J21R is one.
Douglas B-42 to Douglas B-43 , Avro Tudor 8 was converted from a Tudor 1. The Tudor 9 became the Avro Ashton.
Miles Sparrowjet, Tupolev Tu-2 that sort of became Tupolev Tu-12
Errmmm... shouldn't this be in postwar aircraft projects?

 

[NUSNA_Moebius]

I was considering that, but I was more or less focusing (I guess I should've said first) on fighters, notably WW2 era fighters like the Yak-9 being converted into jets. I wasn't too sure if that really meant postwar. If there was a WW2 specific forum, I would've gone with that.

 

[sferrin]

SAAB J21 to SAAB J21R is one.
Douglas B-42 to Douglas B-43 , Avro Tudor 8 was converted from a Tudor 1. The Tudor 9 became the Avro Ashton.
Miles Sparrowjet, Tupolev Tu-2 that sort of became Tupolev Tu-12
Errmmm... shouldn't this be in postwar aircraft projects?

The B-42 wasn't a fighter. Hence the "B".

 

[perttime]

What about Kyūshū J7W Shinden? Was the jet conversion just an idea, or was something more done about it?

 

[Jemiba]

What about Kyūshū J7W Shinden? Was the jet conversion just an idea, or was something more done about it?

Indeed, fits perfectly here, we had it here http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,16914.msg163913.html#msg163913

This thread starts to be a jumble of pre- and post war types, projects and actually built aircraft. Nevertheless, I would
suggest to keep on here in this section. Types already dealt with can be mentioned with a link, others with description
or picture, so we should get quite a complete list in the end.

 

[borovik]

One more thing:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,2423.msg188397
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3019.msg24293

 

[fightingirish]

Saab 21A to Saab 21R

 

[Jemiba]

We are mainly talking about actually built types here, nevertheless, according to Jean Cuny "Les
Avions Des Combat Francais" a modification of the SNCASO SO 8000 Narval naval fighter to a
jet fighter, powered by a RR Nene engine was proposed, but rejected, as there already were three
other types of naval jet fighters under development.
(drawing based on description only, source grade 1)

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeirdWings/comments/lmote2

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/WeirdWings/comments/lmote2/delete_the_prop_and_add_two_mini_turbojet_engines/

 

[leaded50]

Gloster Trent Meteor, i suppose get to be the Gloster Meteor as jet.

 

[Arjen]

The Trent was a turboprop, not a piston engine.

Rolls-Royce RB.50 Trent - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The Trent Meteor was a development of the original jet Meteor.

 

[TomcatViP]

Provost/Jet Provost

 

[TsrJoe]

DHC. 'jet Chipmunk' ? ... 1954 design for a side by side jet trainer, ref. The DeHavilland Canada story, FW. Hitson, Canav Books, 1983

 

[riggerrob]

Beechcraft built piston, turboprop and jet versions of their T-34 Mentor trainer. The first (piston) was based upon parts from V-tailed Beechcraft Bonanza private airplanes.
Both the piston and turboprop Mentors sold well to military customers, but the Jet Mentor was only a one-off.

 

[riggerrob]

The very first Messerschmitt 262 did its first flight with a piston engine, because jets were not ready. Then they test-flew it for a while with a piston engine and two jets. When jets proved reliable enough, they removed the piston engine, then had to sweep the wings to balance it.

 

[riggerrob]

DHC. 'jet Chipmunk' ? ... 1954 design for a side by side jet trainer, ref. The DeHavilland Canada story, FW. Hitson, Canav Books, 1983

A pretty sketch, but I suspect that it would need a completely new airframe because piston Chipmunks had a top speed of only 120 knots. In comparison, T-33A had a top speed of 520 knots and Canadair Tutor has a top speed of 422 knots.

 

[Apophenia]

DHC. 'jet Chipmunk' ? ... 1954 design for a side by side jet trainer, ref. The DeHavilland Canada story, FW. Hitson, Canav Books, 1983

A pretty sketch, but I suspect that it would need a completely new airframe because piston Chipmunks had a top speed of only 120 knots. In comparison, T-33A had a top speed of 520 knots and Canadair Tutor has a top speed of 422 knots.

This 'Jet Chippy' sure was cute though The side-by-side seating is a bit of a surprise. Still, pretty crude-looking compared with the built CL-41.

 

[Hood]

The Jet Chippy would have needed substantial structural strengthening but I'm wondering how much original structure is left anyway? Looks to have a side-by-side layout so would be a completely new fuselage and this scrap view doesn't show any wing details so we can only speculate. Having a DH-style elegant tail fin might be the only Chippy DNA left.
I wonder what engine it had? 1954 so could be Viper, possibly J85?

 

[Apophenia]

... I wonder what engine it had? 1954 so could be Viper, possibly J85?

Yes, both Viper and J85 would be good candidates for a 'Jet Chippy'.

The Canadair CL-41 started life with a Longueuil-designed P&W JT12A-5. But, in 1954, United Aircraft of Canada had not yet begun design work on their DS-4J concept with led to the US-built JT12. (Edit: Canadair had actually designed the CL-41 for the even smaller UAC turbojet design study concept - the DS-3J.)

The J85 eventually gets adopted for the otherwise underpowered Tutor but that GE engine may have already been on DHC's 'radar'. The National Research Council had been developing concepts for a STOL research aircraft. It wasn't until 1956 that the NRC and Defence Research Board chose the DHC-3 airframe as the basis. That would emerge as the RBD/DHC mod to RCAF 3682 with a vectoring-thrust J85 in the rear fuselage. The question is: when was DHC first exposed to that GE engine?

 

[2cobras]

Back to fighters - surely the Supermarine Attacker was a cobbling together of a Nene-accommodating fuselage and the wings and u/c of a Spiteful/Seafang?

 

[VictorXL188]

On a similar line to the Attacker is the early Hawker P1040 predecessors, the P1031 and P1035 which borrowed extensively from the Fury/Tempest airframe line. For more info see elsewhere on this forum!