The question of counter torque has come up many times while discussing the Triebflugel.  The significant force to be dealt with is bearing drag, since the wingtip jets do not introduce torque.  I figure that the cruciform tail‘s control surfaces could trim it out, since they were always in the prop (wing) wash.

The Brits got a big wingtip ramjet contraption to fly (the Rotodyne), so they figured a way to get fuel through the spinning hub.  Though what ingenious method they used is beyond me.

To me, the biggest obstacle would have been landing.  The pilot of the Convair Pogo noted it was impossible to estimate rate of descent or drift while landing.  The seat tilted forward a bit to give the pilot a better view while in VTOL but it was not enough.

The second would be a bail out.  The fuel system would have to be shut off first, the wings jettisoned, THEN the canopy could be discarded.  Assuming the crippled plane didn’t start tumbling or disintegrating, only then the pilot could leave via an ejection seat or a brave jump.

Never quite figured out how that machine worked!  What keeps the fuselage from rotating in the direction of the rotor with any friction in whatever the bearing arrangement is. Is the slipstream velocity enough that the rudder does it?  Seems to me when the thing is taking off and landing the ground boundary layer would negate flow over tail surfaces.

Hey thanks for showing us around the kit G! Looks pretty nice!!! 

Now I want to do a dogfight diorama between one and a XFY-1 Pogo! 

I agree with Bill, the engineering of this is such it just wouldn't work or if it did not very well. But it's so bat-guano insane you have to love it. 

PS: I think the extra clear dome is to mount the giant death ray... 

fotofrank

Did you ever wonder what would happen to the pilot if he had to bail out of the aircraft?

 

Looks very nice, thanks for the review. Be interesting to know what the dome is for.

Absolutely fascinating kit, nicely done review. I've been fairly skeptical that it would have worked. There was no apparent counter-torque to keep the fuselage from starting to rotate along with the wing. Wouldn't take much because the fuse didn't contain the engine, but bearing drag would have had an effect. Getting fuel from the tanks in the fuse out to the ramjets would be quite an engineering challenge too. But a fascinating idea.

There's a well written article on Wiki about the swastika, worth a look.

I think nazi (plural only) is screened out here because it gets used in flame wars such as "rivet ***", that kind of thing.

So Miniart's 1/35 Triebflugel kit is here!

https://flic.kr/p/2giqjEQ][/url]Triebflugel-01 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

Lots of marking options, but very few service stencils i.e. octane triangles etc.

https://flic.kr/p/2giqsvz][/url]Triebflugel-05 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/2giqDtf][/url]Triebflugel-02 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/2giqspH][/url]Triebflugel-03 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/2giqLQ9][/url]Triebflugel-04 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

The last option is for an aircraft embarked on the (fictional) carrier Hermann Goering.  How the pilot would successfully complete a safe landing on a pitching, rolling deck is anyone's guess.  Speaking of fictional, there is a disclaimer on the instructions noting that all markings are spurrious - possibly to head off the flap Revell Germany caused when they reboxed Wave's Hannebu flying saucer.  Apparently, the German government feels that their children might be influenced into thinking that the (huh it seems the acronym for the German National Socialist Party is not acceptable on the forum?) actually developed flying saucers.  Okay there are people who drink that sort of Kool Aid, but really?

But the Triebflugel was an actual proposal that did get as far as scale model wind tunnel testing, so it is not as "Napkin-Waffe" as many might think.  And one simply has to look post-war at the several tail sitters that were actually built and flown (Convair Pogo, Lockheed Salmon, Ryan X-13, SNECMA C.450 Coleoptere) to see that it was a concept that was given serious consideration.  But all proved that landing was for all intents and purposes too dangerous for service use.

Back to the kit.

The kit has more parts than I expected, mostly for the cockpit and gun bays.

https://flic.kr/p/2giqSz5][/url]Triebflugel-06 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

It seems over engineered, with a lot of parts which could potentially contribute to poor fit of the fuselage shell (and they do).  The long gun bay acccess panels are a little gappy, and the lower panels needed to be shortened a smidge to fall in place.  I used a home brew filler of Gunze Mr. Replenishing Fluid (used to rejuvinate old, thick paint) and automotive spot glazing putty (the kind that comes in a Costco-sized tube) to fill in the gaps from behind.

https://flic.kr/p/2giqxxX][/url]Triebflugel-16 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

A leisurely Saturday was spent slapping parts together.

https://flic.kr/p/2gir5VT][/url]Triebflugel-17 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

The ramjet engine pods have parts to represent the fuel injector cascades, which is nice.  PE would allow finer representation of the grid, but placing all the injectors would be a pain.  I think I will need to make exhaust tubes, as the teardrop fairings on the engine pods are hollow.

https://flic.kr/p/2giqxGe][/url]Triebflugel-14 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

https://flic.kr/p/2gir5Pa][/url]Triebflugel-15 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

And some mystery parts are on the sprue!

https://flic.kr/p/2giqYPj][/url]Triebflugel-11 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

It doesn't take much to figure out that Miniart was planning on featuring sychronized wing positioning, but gave up.  The gears would be challenging to securely cement to the wing pins without getting glue all over the bearing holes in the mid fuselage ring.  No mention is made of the unused parts.

The clear sprue also has an unused part - a dome.  Now this one has me stumped, as it is not the same shape as the nose cone (for centimetric radar?).

https://flic.kr/p/2giqkib][/url]Triebglugel-07 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

And finally, here is Miniart's 1/35 kit next to Huma's ancient 1/72 version.

https://flic.kr/p/2gir64Z][/url]Triebglugel-13 by N.T. Izumi, on Flickr

Amusing Hobby's 1/48 rendition should be along in a month or so, so what is needed now is a modern 1/72 kit.  And maybe Brengun will do one in 1/144.  

Ooh, the kit is winging its way here right now, ETA this Thursday!  Super excited!  I noticed Sprue Brothers are also showing them in stock.

Well, the Germans love engineering, so it would probably have to be equipped with explosive bolts to shed the wings prior to ejection.  The Do-335 Pfeil had such a system to remove the rear prop and upper fin.

I only now realize the kit has no ejection seat.  That’s #1 on the mod list for me.

Did you ever wonder what would happen to the pilot if he had to bail out of the aircraft?

Sprue shots, colors, markings ...

https://www.themodellingnews.com/2019/05/preview-miniarts-new-35th-scale-focke.html

Don't jump right in. Just hang on and see what the AM market has to offer. I've not much to do on the Shinden now and then it's the Lancaster.

Look at Vallejo's Luftwaffe paint sets. They'll provide you with the best colours for this thing, and as it is a what if bird then using those colours you can go a bit off book as I have done with the Shinden. Stayed with the correct colours but..... done something different. Maybe a RLM70/74 hard edge splinter camo with an RLM 78 or 65 lower surface.

It does say "What if series" on the box, I wonder what else they have in mind. 

Surface detail looks to be outstanding, cockpit detail is kind of meh.  But that should be easy enough to fix.  I wonder if we’ll see some pilot figs from the aftermarket.  Aires makes seated 1/35 midget sub crew figs, so there is hope.

Okay, THIS kit should dispell my modeling funk, as it is so simple!

On my list too. I am just waiting to see if my usual suspects gets them in!

Nice, lok forward to seng you build them. I'll add it to my wish list but will be a while before i get one.

Aaaaaand...  It’s out!

https://hobbyterra.com/product/1-35-model-kit-focke-wulf-triebfl-gel-interceptor-miniart-40002.html

I have two headed my way.  So excited!

Pic of the model on scalemates.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/miniart-40002-focke-wulf-triebfluegel--1217452

An interesting thought RealG. 

Maybe a modified Tamiya Famo and tank trailer, a couple of trucks and a launch platform in bits on another trailer, maybe the new one from Das Werk, with a load of soldiers looking at the aircraft on the trailer.

The Title?

Somewhere in the black forest German solders realise that someone high up has come unglued!

I would like more luft '46 kits in 1/32 or 1/35. The difference between the two scales is not really noticable and they would be fun builds and certainly draw eyes in cabinets and give us the opportunity for some interesting camo schemes.

The Shinden I'm building at the moment is going to get a "Rising Sun '46" luftwaffe type splinter pattern using Japanese colours. Something different to the prototype upper Green, Lower light grey. Time we had some fun in larger scales!

SnapdragonXXX,

I wonder who will be the first to mod a V2 Meillerwagen to take a Triebflugel fuselage?  The lighter transport trailer could be adapted to carry the detached wings.  A diorama perhaps?  Titled "Somewhere in the Black Forest".

Just saying.  

Bish,

I agree 1/72 would be the preferred scale.  That way I can form my own Triebflugel Staffel!    And of course there are other whiffer possibilities, like Japanese home defense squadron, belligerent Italian forces, captured Soviet, US, and British machines, and of course post-war French.

But I'll definitely buy a Miniart kit, odd scale notwithstanding.  I confess to have had 2 1/48 Amusing Hobby kits on pre-order because I felt I could not get enough Triebflugel.  But I cancelled one in anticipation of the Miniart kit.

Unusual for Luft '46, but there's not much size difference between 1/35 and 1/32. Never done a miniart kit but this could find its way onto my bench. Could be a fun project.

35th seems and odd scale, why not 32. That said, i might well be adding one. But a new 72nd would be nice.