Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 In search of a very high speed & altitude research aircraft Avro proposed a cunning plan The Z.101 manned Blue Steel A couple of variations on the theme were proposed including landing by parasail A scaled(ish) drawing and a mix of donated parts and scrounged bits from the scrap box 9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hutch6390 2,495 Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 A genuine "missile with a man in it" - cool! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 18,713 Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 Yet another project I didn't know anything about. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mad Steve 21,924 Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 1 hour ago, Gorby said: Yet another project I didn't know anything about. Ditto Nice one LC Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jessie_C 11,652 Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 Judging from the landing gear, it's not likely to be able to take off by itself. Perhaps it would be air-dropped by, dare I say, a Vulcan? 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 15 Author Report Share Posted April 15 20 minutes ago, Jessie_C said: Judging from the landing gear, it's not likely to be able to take off by itself. Perhaps it would be air-dropped by, dare I say, a Vulcan? Very much the plan (& with the predicted very high landing speed and approach angle they also intended to land it by parasail) 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 16 Author Report Share Posted April 16 So, to begin The lump under the nose of the Blue Steel has to go but handily it coincides with where I need to fit a nosewheel With that cut out I can fit a bay, rudimentary recycled cockpit (you won’t see much/any so no point in owt fancy) and a couple of bulkheads Decent start The Z101 wasn’t intended to have anhedral in the wings so these were sliced partway through and eased flat. Handily the slot is just where I need to add underwing fins Fins in position A cut down drop tank and a back to front Mustang canopy look like they might do the trick Rear struts next And then a bit of aluminium and light blue paint Well on the way now. Some more filling, painting, detailing and decals still though 7 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hutch6390 2,495 Posted April 16 Report Share Posted April 16 Looks good, LC, 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Col. 7,843 Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 Clever use of spare parts there. It has a distinctly 60s sci-fi look about it. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 17 Author Report Share Posted April 17 16 minutes ago, Col. said: Clever use of spare parts there. It has a distinctly 60s sci-fi look about it. A similarity to the French Nord 5000 Harpon has also been pointed out to me 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Col. 7,843 Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 That a new one to me and yes there's certainly a similarity to the basic layouts. I sometimes wonder just how much of a handful some of these mad designs would have been to fly. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 18,713 Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 It's looking great Alistair. You'd have to be mad to fly one but I bet there would have been no shortage of volunteers. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 17 Author Report Share Posted April 17 2 minutes ago, Gorby said: You'd have to be mad to fly one but I bet there would have been no shortage of volunteers. The stretched version (3ft extra of HTP and kerosene) was intended for mach 5. You can imagine Donald Campbell putting his name forward (and asking for a special dispensation to fly overland supersonically due to the altitude dissipating the boom to acceptable levels) to set a Lands End to John O’ Groats time below 11 minutes 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 17 Author Report Share Posted April 17 25 minutes ago, Col. said: I sometimes wonder just how much of a handful some of these mad designs would have been to fly. Landing on two skids with a 200mph glide and very nose-up attitude meaning next to no visibility would certainly meet the criteria of being a bit of a handful 1 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 18,713 Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 2 minutes ago, Lost Cosmonauts said: You can imagine Donald Campbell putting his name forward (and asking for a special dispensation to fly overland supersonically due to the altitude dissipating the boom to acceptable levels) to set a Lands End to John O’ Groats time below 11 minutes Yes I can - he seemed determined to kill himself in some crazy machine. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hutch6390 2,495 Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 6 hours ago, Gorby said: no shortage of volunteers I have a few names I could put forward...... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RWG686 35,546 Posted April 17 Report Share Posted April 17 7 hours ago, Gorby said: no shortage of volunteers. Eric 'Winkle' Brown perhaps since he didn't get to fly the Miles M52. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 17 Author Report Share Posted April 17 I’d planned to do the fuselage break point and flying surfaces with very thin black decal but that came a cropper when it broke. Not sure now whether to scribe or leave as is 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gorby 18,713 Posted April 18 Report Share Posted April 18 Nice work. It looks great. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost Cosmonauts 5,183 Posted April 18 Author Report Share Posted April 18 In the meantime here is a gallery thread with better lighting Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Convair 39 Posted May 25 Report Share Posted May 25 What a cool model! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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