Canard fighters as jets: Kyushu Shiden and Curtiss P-55 Ascender 'phantoms'

[W Humble]

I began building with Aurora's 'Famous Fighters' in about 1953; by 1958 had switched to cars -- but now I have the urge to do two more fighters: Canard fighters as jets: Kyushu Shiden and Curtiss XP-55 Ascender 'phantoms' project.  I have a J-47 jet engine saved from the old (1:48 Revell?) Vought F7U Crusader kit, and made molds to resin-replicate it.  I love the forward-looking appearance of the experimental swept-wing canard fighters from WWII, and know both the above were severly limited by their pusher piston engines/props.  If nothing else, imagine needing to abandon quick with a big chopper behind you; even though both had means to jettison their airscrews, it would have been a disparaging element!  The Japanese kite apparently was designed with a reaction-motor in mind, and the Curtiss design was s-canned without a thought to prototyping a new concept in fighter design.  I sourced the Hasegawa Shiden and Czech Model Ascender kits (and not inexpensively, either!) for starters.  Besides the obvious mods, there are a number of details I want to incorporate to 'update' the appearance, at least.  Also, the Shinden will be in USAAF livery, as an Enemy Evaluation Aircraft to be 'flown off' versus my modified XP-55.  Apparently the Ascender, as prototype, had some handling issues, and test pilot CPT Ben Kelsey hated flying it; gave it an "F-" grade (he was enraptured by the Lockheed P-38 anyway!), and with characteristic Curtiss dithering, it died on the vine.  It remained for the N/A F-86 Sabre to sell the USAF on swept-wings for speed, whereas the '55 already had them!  (Yes, numerous other A/C had true swept, going back to the Dunne Navy biplanes -- 1910-ish -- but like it, most were other canard/tailless prototypes.)  The Me.262 had swept leading edges, but for that matter so did the Douglas DC-2/3 series!  I want to show them together, both in natural metal finish, as if being 'flown off by AF testers.  Also, if I pose them on a ramp, I note that the stalky landing-gears on both can be shortened since no big prop is causing clearnace problems; both originally req. take-off/landing in 'three point configuration' dut to runwa strikes!  Haven't rec'd the XP-55 kit yet, as it comes from the Ukraine, apparently! PS/ I realize that the J-47 isn't exactly the shape of the early jet engines, but I'll mod it some, and delete the afterburner section for a simple metal tail pipe.  I may donate the display to the Chico  Air Museum, where I volunteer.  Wick

[LDO]

Two sets of Learjet 23 tip tanks sent by Priority Mail. I don’t need anything for them. Just help someone else out when you can. 

[W Humble]

Emil:  "Mother?"

[LDO]

3 hours ago, W Humble said:

Emil:  "Mother?"

I don’t know what you mean by that. 

[W Humble]

Wasnt Steve Martin's character  who said "Mother?" Emil Schulffhausen? No, I remember, it was Bruno, or something! Oops!

[LDO]

OH! I don’t see that on my phone and my PC is not in use for now. Yes, I love that movie. It’s a riot. Another great old comedy is The In-Laws with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin. Forget the Michael Douglas remake. 

[W Humble]

Got that one!  Dr. Strangelove, The Loved One, Young Frankenstein, Mad, Mad World, Spinal Tap (a weirdie!), 1-2-3, The Jerk, Wanda, Without a Clue, Producers, Hot Shots 1 & II, Dead Men don't Wear Plaid, the list goes on and on!  I wish I couldn't admit to how many times I've made my poor wife watch these!  She draws the line at my 3 Stooges and Bullwinkle collections, tho. Not enough to laugh about in today's world, except maybe... today's world?  Thx!  Wick

[bisc63]

On 3/23/2023 at 12:19 AM, W Humble said:

She draws the line at my 3 Stooges and Bullwinkle collections, tho.

Grounds for divorce! Fractured Fairy Tales was always my favorite part of the Bullwinkle hour. The Steve Martin memories! Ruprecht from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. The Man With Two Brains. All of Me with him and Lily Tomlin was some of his best physical schtick. Chalk me up as a HUGE fan of Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid.

Anywho, good luck with your vtol projects! Wasn't that Shinden actually a design licensed/ borrowed/ stolen from the Germans?

[W Humble]

The swept-wing thing is often attributed to German tech; the Horten flying wingies, even the Me.262 slight sweep -- this about equal to the Shinden.  The XP-55 was more radical, I imagine needed more for c/g stability with canard design than the kind of transonic problems overcome in converting the N.A; FJ Fury to the F-86 Sabre.  Still, it was a harbinger of the future for most supersonic aircraft.  Most 'tailless' a/c had swept wings, including the Westland wierdies of G.B., or Dunne naval biplane pontoon seaplanes of the pre-wwI era in U.S.  Hot rods like the underpowered but dramatic Douglas X-4 or Lockheed F-104 had straight but small wings, even so.  The Japanese jet/turbine engines were derived, supposedly, from the German models sneaked back to Japan via their big submarines during WWII.  They had one Me.262 look-alike twin-jet fighter, forgot the name.  Also, the delta wing idea is credited to the German research; achieved swept forward edge (XF-92, etc.)

The Shinden is easier to convert because it was radial engined, and fatter; the planned Continental engine of the prototype XP-55 (replaced by a P-38-style Allison V-1710 when cancelled) is much skinnier in section.  Oh well; what could have been!  Also: I can't find my pic, but check out the artist's impression of the prototype Lockheed P-80 -- amazing lines, and perfectly stealthy!  Not at all like what evolved!  Wick