Faust Posted February 21, 2019 Posted February 21, 2019 Sometimes you get it… sometimes you don’t. We’ve all had off days, but it’s one thing to mess up on a model, and another to mess up creating the actual subject in real life! Well, despite their success with the Schneider Trophy races and the immortality of the Spitfire, it seems that, after WWII, the good folks at Supermarine just kind of threw in the towel. They went from creating some of the world’s fastest aircraft to creating one of the slower, more lacklustre and undeniably more porcine jets. Early jets, of course, weren’t all successes, but the straight-winged, tail dragging, chubby-boddied Attacker is one of the most prevalent losers of the immediate post-war jet cohort. Of course, because it’s such a substandard loser, I love it! It’s not just loser cars that get me going, total failures of aeronautics also make me smile! That’s why I was glad to get my hands on the Trumpeter Attacker! At the time, there was no good 1/72, so I was even willing to go up a scale and out of my normal comfort zone to build one! Check out the 1/48 Trumpeter Attacker at the link below, and let me know what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/trumpeter-1-48-supermarine-attacker-f-1/
Mike999 Posted February 21, 2019 Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) Great model build and a greater review of it (as usual). It reminds me a little of America's first jet, the Bell XP-59 Airacomet. Which I guess has the excuse that it WAS the first and jet designers were still trying to find their way. According to Wiki: "A handful of the first Airacomets had open-air flight observer stations (similar to those of biplanes) later cut into the nose." That's a terrifying thought. Bell was always coming up with...interesting designs. Like the XFM Airacuda "heavy fighter" shown below; 2 pusher engines with a pair of 37mm cannons and their gunners in front of those engines. There is a 1/72 scale kit of this thing from Valom. But it's a short-run kit, and even master modeler Steve Zaloga had some trouble getting it together. I have one and my skills should equal it in about 57 years. Edited February 21, 2019 by Mike999 goof
unclescott58 Posted February 21, 2019 Posted February 21, 2019 (edited) I always enjoy your losers, Adam. From the pictures, here and in your link, it looks pretty good. Edited February 21, 2019 by unclescott58
Faust Posted March 8, 2019 Author Posted March 8, 2019 Thanks Scott! It's really not a bad looking plane, but man, it sure is out of date. I mean, even compared to an F-80 it looks bad. It surprises me that, despite its flaws, the Germans were able to field a single-jet fighter that was more aerodynamically advanced (He-162) amid the chaos of the final days of WWII, and this is all the folks who gave us the Spitfire could do?? Supermarine's jet-age designs just really lack the "oomf" of their prop jobs! It is also super cool, to me, that it's pretty much the only Western-world taildragger jet fighter! I mean, even the P-59 and E.28/39 had tricycle gear! Oh... I should build (and review out of box) my Caproni C.C.2/N1. There's a great combo of tail-draggery dead endedness!
Vince66 Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 Only a mama could love this Wiener dog lol interesting project and build.
Jim N Posted March 8, 2019 Posted March 8, 2019 Great job! I enjoyed reading your commentary as well.
Faust Posted March 8, 2019 Author Posted March 8, 2019 15 hours ago, NothingAsFineAsaW9 said: Only a mama could love this Wiener dog lol interesting project and build. I must protest! Wiener dogs are a lot thinner, faster and more agile!
Hard_2_Handle_454 Posted March 17, 2019 Posted March 17, 2019 On 2/21/2019 at 11:05 AM, Mike999 said: Great model build and a greater review of it (as usual). It reminds me a little of America's first jet, the Bell XP-59 Airacomet. Which I guess has the excuse that it WAS the first and jet designers were still trying to find their way. According to Wiki: "A handful of the first Airacomets had open-air flight observer stations (similar to those of biplanes) later cut into the nose." That's a terrifying thought. Bell was always coming up with...interesting designs. Like the XFM Airacuda "heavy fighter" shown below; 2 pusher engines with a pair of 37mm cannons and their gunners in front of those engines. There is a 1/72 scale kit of this thing from Valom. But it's a short-run kit, and even master modeler Steve Zaloga had some trouble getting it together. I have one and my skills should equal it in about 57 years. Wish they would come out with a good kit of the AirCuda. Just a cool looking aircraft. I love collecting unusual aircraft from aviation history.
Hard_2_Handle_454 Posted March 17, 2019 Posted March 17, 2019 On 2/20/2019 at 7:59 PM, Faust said: Sometimes you get it… sometimes you don’t. We’ve all had off days, but it’s one thing to mess up on a model, and another to mess up creating the actual subject in real life! Well, despite their success with the Schneider Trophy races and the immortality of the Spitfire, it seems that, after WWII, the good folks at Supermarine just kind of threw in the towel. They went from creating some of the world’s fastest aircraft to creating one of the slower, more lacklustre and undeniably more porcine jets. Early jets, of course, weren’t all successes, but the straight-winged, tail dragging, chubby-boddied Attacker is one of the most prevalent losers of the immediate post-war jet cohort. Of course, because it’s such a substandard loser, I love it! It’s not just loser cars that get me going, total failures of aeronautics also make me smile! That’s why I was glad to get my hands on the Trumpeter Attacker! At the time, there was no good 1/72, so I was even willing to go up a scale and out of my normal comfort zone to build one! Check out the 1/48 Trumpeter Attacker at the link below, and let me know what you think! https://adamrehorn.wordpress.com/trumpeter-1-48-supermarine-attacker-f-1/ Nice job, reminds me of the Fairy Gannet model I won in a contest. Wish I had room to put it if I built it; that way I could show it off.
Faust Posted March 17, 2019 Author Posted March 17, 2019 Yes, there's a lot of Gannet in this bird. I have a small-scale Gannet (Ex-Frog, Ex-Novo, now Revell Germany before the new one came out) I should post sometime. That's a spectacularly ugly plane as well, but not without it's operational merits. The Attacker though... not sure it has redeeming features.
Mike999 Posted March 17, 2019 Posted March 17, 2019 11 hours ago, Hard_2_Handle_454 said: Wish they would come out with a good kit of the AirCuda. Just a cool looking aircraft. I love collecting unusual aircraft from aviation history. "Unusual aircraft" is Valom's specialty! I just searched on "Valom 1/72 scale" and all sorts of oddballs popped up: Bristol Brigand, Handley-Page Harrow, a whole series of F-101 Voodoos, Heinkel He-119 and on and on. They do seem to be improving. Their series of Fisher XP-75 kits got good reviews on-line.
Hard_2_Handle_454 Posted March 17, 2019 Posted March 17, 2019 23 minutes ago, Mike999 said: "Unusual aircraft" is Valom's specialty! I just searched on "Valom 1/72 scale" and all sorts of oddballs popped up: Bristol Brigand, Handley-Page Harrow, a whole series of F-101 Voodoos, Heinkel He-119 and on and on. They do seem to be improving. Their series of Fisher XP-75 kits got good reviews on-line. cool, thanks
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