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Triebflugel on the way

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  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Triebflugel on the way
Posted by Real G on Saturday, July 7, 2018 2:35 PM

Amusing Hobby is about to release the first modern injection molded Fw Triebflugel:

http://www.themodellingnews.com/2018/07/focke-wulf-triebflugel-in-148th-scale.html?m=1

Ordinarily I would be super happy for a 1/48 version, but I really wanted one in 1/72, to go with my other Luft 46 kits. Waah waah, OK I'm drying my tears.  Oh what the heck, I really don't care what scale it is, this is THE Luftwaffe "Napkin Fighter" that spurred my interest in the genre.  The old 1/72 Huma kit can finally be retired.

Woo hoo, can't wait to see all the crazy paint schemes people will do on this wacky canvas!  And all you need for a Hydra version is a new canopy and decals!

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Saturday, July 7, 2018 3:08 PM

Nice to see AM brining out some aircraft. I would like to see this in 72nd, i would deffinetly do another to go alongside the Huma kit. I won't be getting the 48th kit but will be looking forward to seeing the builds of those that do.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

cnq
  • Member since
    March 2013
Posted by cnq on Saturday, July 7, 2018 9:29 PM

I built the Huma kit so I may get this one if it's not too expensive. I like German "what if" planes

 

  • Member since
    April 2015
Posted by Mopar Madness on Saturday, July 7, 2018 9:54 PM

I am definitely going to add one of those to the stash as soon as it becomes available! 

Chad

God, Family, Models...

At the plate: 1/48 Airfix Bf109 & 1/35 Tamiya Famo

On deck: Who knows!

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Streetsboro, Ohio
Posted by Toshi on Saturday, July 7, 2018 10:57 PM

Very cool!  I would definately love to build one of these!

Your friend, Toshi

On The Bench: Revell 1/48 B-25 Mitchell

 

Married to the most caring, loving, understanding, and beautiful wife in the world.  Mrs. Toshi

 

 

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Sunday, July 8, 2018 3:38 PM

As outlandish as it looks, I think it could have flown. The Convair "Pogo" tailsitter built postwar successfully demonstrated vertical takeoff, transition to horizontal flight, and vertical landing.  But it was also discovered that even with a seat that tilted, the pilot could not see the ground during landing, making it difficult to gauge exact touchdown position, descent speed and altitude.  Remember this was the wild and wooly days of analog vacuum powered instruments which had lag and were not 100% accurate.  Today, with modern digital instruments, landing could be completely automated, perhaps using a portable beacon placed at the exact landing spot.

I do wonder how the Triebflugel would have handled in horizontal(ish) flight, being that it had no wings.  Its flight path would probably look like the Dow-Jones average. Ejection would probably have been like the Do-335 - the wings would blow off via explosive bolts before the pilot exited the aircraft.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    November 2013
Posted by BrynnWryttur on Monday, July 9, 2018 10:19 AM
I got really excited when I heard the announcement. I would really like to build it. The triebflugel is my all-time favorite (albeit non-existent) aircraft.

Prohibeo Mediocritatis

Forbid Mediocrity

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Monday, July 9, 2018 10:28 AM

Real G

As outlandish as it looks, I think it could have flown. The Convair "Pogo" tailsitter built postwar successfully demonstrated vertical takeoff, transition to horizontal flight, and vertical landing.  But it was also discovered that even with a seat that tilted, the pilot could not see the ground during landing, making it difficult to gauge exact touchdown position, descent speed and altitude.  Remember this was the wild and wooly days of analog vacuum powered instruments which had lag and were not 100% accurate.  Today, with modern digital instruments, landing could be completely automated, perhaps using a portable beacon placed at the exact landing spot.

I do wonder how the Triebflugel would have handled in horizontal(ish) flight, being that it had no wings.  Its flight path would probably look like the Dow-Jones average. Ejection would probably have been like the Do-335 - the wings would blow off via explosive bolts before the pilot exited the aircraft.

 

I am not entierly sure how they would have carried out the landings, or the take off for that matter, with those engines. My understanding is that ramjets need to be moving at a certain speed before they can work, so they would certainly have been no use going backwards. Rockets could have been added to get the wings rotating and up to speed for take off, but not sure how it would have worked on landing.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, July 9, 2018 10:44 AM

Yes interesting, more like the Roton.

One very substantial issue is that unlike say the Osprey or Pogo, this thing could not perform level flight as no lift would be generated in forward flight.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Monday, July 9, 2018 10:57 AM

Looks to me like another venture that would have done more damage to the German economy and pilot pool than it could ever have done to the Allies. 

Still, it does make an intriguing model, separated from the associated history.

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    July 2016
  • From: Malvern, PA
Posted by WillysMB on Monday, July 9, 2018 11:54 AM

Another engineering issue would have been how to keep the center fuselage from spinning once the thing was off the ground? All that mass spinning couldn't have been stabilized by those puny fin surfaces. Still a very cool looking thing.

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Monday, July 9, 2018 1:18 PM

Yes, the Triebflugel would have been another expensive waste of time and resource for Germany, but the concept was audacious.

The Triebflugel would have needed either a rocket booster or "donkey engine" to start the rotor wing moving to a point where the ramjets could ignite.  Books on the subjet suggest a Walther liquid fueled rocket booster system, but carrying another type of fuel and oxidizer tanks would have been unecessarily complex.  An on-board 2-stroke gasoline engine like the Me-262's starters or an external ground starter cart could have been used .  During landing, the rotor wing would still be going full tilt, so loss of ramjet ignition would not have been a problem.

The nature of the ramjet powered rotor wing would negate any torque effects like that in a helicopter, as the engines are pushing on the wings, not fuselage.  The Fairey Rotodyne, among other experimental helicopters, demonstrated and validated this feature.

The big deal killer IMHO is the landing procedure.  How a low-time fighter pilot would be expected to gently back this thing down into a small clearing in the Black Forest and avoid the swarms of Allied jabos filling the skies over Germany is just too much to imagine.

BUT, it's a darned cool looking Luft 1946 design, and I'm gonna get one!  Here's my Huma kit:

https://flic.kr/p/9LgQ5W] [/url]Triebflugel-1 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

 

 

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Monday, July 9, 2018 2:10 PM

Nice info G and very nice job on the Huma kit.

This was my take on it.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Monday, July 9, 2018 5:12 PM

Looks like we have a little Triebflugel club going here!  Big Smile

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Northern California
Posted by jeaton01 on Monday, July 9, 2018 6:12 PM

So who's going to mod it to a counter-rotating configuration?

And Bish, how are you going to start that thing with that much pitch?

John

To see build logs for my models:  http://goldeneramodel.com/mymodels/mymodels.html

 

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Monday, July 9, 2018 6:27 PM

A good friend of mine was a test pilot in the Navy. He flew the F4, the F14, and the Osprey. He said that was the one airframe that really scared the *** out of him.

I still think bearing drag would kill you. And John is right; this thing would be tough on the pilot pool.

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 12:35 AM

So there have been sprue shots out for a while.  I wonder where the kit is?  I didn’t see pics posted of it from the All Japan Plamo show last week.  Maybe it’s still in the queue at the molding factory?  I Googled it and came up with nothing new.

Yeah, I know I have too much stuff already.  But I’m gonna do the Luft ‘46 rain dance anyway.  And ask the model gods for a 1/72 version while I’m at it.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 2:06 AM

Real G

So there have been sprue shots out for a while.  I wonder where the kit is?  I didn’t see pics posted of it from the All Japan Plamo show last week.  Maybe it’s still in the queue at the molding factory?  I Googled it and came up with nothing new.

Yeah, I know I have too much stuff already.  But I’m gonna do the Luft ‘46 rain dance anyway.  And ask the model gods for a 1/72 version while I’m at it.

 

I think i will join you in that G. I did check the AM site the other day and there aircraft section is still empty. They have also announced a couple of more armour kits on there. It seems as though they only put them on the site when they arereleased. So i guess the wait goes on.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    November 2004
Posted by snapdragonxxx on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 4:33 AM

Might sound silly, but I wouldn't mind this in 1/32!

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 4:51 AM

snapdragonxxx

Might sound silly, but I wouldn't mind this in 1/32!

Zoukei Mura or Revell Germany?  Big Smile  See, I have thought about it already!

No Trumpeter/Hobby Boss, because the nose and canopy would be off! Stick out tongue

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Wednesday, October 3, 2018 6:08 AM

Real G

 

 
snapdragonxxx

Might sound silly, but I wouldn't mind this in 1/32!

 

 

Zoukei Mura or Revell Germany?  Big Smile  See, I have thought about it already!

No Trumpeter/Hobby Boss, because the nose and canopy would be off! Stick out tongue

 

RoG deffinetly.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    November 2004
Posted by snapdragonxxx on Thursday, October 4, 2018 4:09 AM

In fact, I wouldn't mind one from both Revell and ZM.

You would get a reasonable budget one from Revell and the a full bells and whistles from ZM.... Let's get all manufacturers catering for all levels and budgets!

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