Most Unattractive Aircraft of WW2

[Admiral Beez]

View attachment 505782
Vickers Wellesley was no beauty. Surprisingly ungainly

Given its massive span, I'd like to see how it's designers could create a FAA variant to fit down Ark Royal's 45ft by 22ft and 45ft by 25ft lifts. At 39 ft 3 in long, we're okay on lift length.

If we fold the wings just outside the undercarriage, will it be less than 22ft wide? But can the geodetic wing structure be cut? And what of those under wing pods?

 

[vikingBerserker]

I do think it was a beautiful plane.

 

[fubar57]

Under-wing pods hold 2000lbs of bombs. Kinda need those to be classified as a bomber. With wings folded up it wouldn't fit in the Ark Royal hangar decks

 

[pbehn]

Under-wing pods hold 2000lbs of bombs. Kinda need those to be classified as a bomber. With wings folded up it wouldn't fit in the Ark Royal hangar decks

Couldn't they roll them up, like a pipe line or summat?

 

[Shortround6]

It is not just the wings. You only had so many feet of height between the hanger floor and the ceiling (deck above)

The Wellesley was BIG airplane and not just in wing span.

as for the wing, without multiple folds like an origami swan or unrolling like a Goodyear inflatable plane I think you are out of luck.

 

[pbehn]

It is not just the wings. You only had so many feet of height between the hanger floor and the ceiling (deck above)
View attachment 563025
The Wellesley was BIG airplane and not just in wing span.

as for the wing, without multiple folds like an origami swan or unrolling like a Goodyear inflatable plane I think you are out of luck.

Can the wing be lifted and lowered as it passes the tower, as if saluting the captain?

 

[vikingBerserker]

Or carry a torpedo.

 

[tyrodtom]

I take the view that there's no such ting as a ugly airplane, it's just that some look better than the rest.
If it flies at all, there's a little bit of beauty in it.

 

[wingnuts]

It is not just the wings. You only had so many feet of height between the hanger floor and the ceiling (deck above)
View attachment 563025
The Wellesley was BIG airplane and not just in wing span.

as for the wing, without multiple folds like an origami swan or unrolling like a Goodyear inflatable plane I think you are out of luck.

Like this maybe? Gannet AEW3

 

[Shortround6]

Like this maybe? Gannet AEW3View attachment 563066

The Wellesley and 20 ft more span than the Gannet. Add another fold at the Gannets wing tip with 10 feet of wing coming back down over the lower joint?

 

[Graeme]

Not seen very well in the cutaway above, but there are 132 gallons of fuel in tanks midway in each wing.
Why would you want a Wellesely on an aircraft carrier?

 

[wingnuts]

The Wellesley and 20 ft more span than the Gannet. Add another fold at the Gannets wing tip with 10 feet of wing coming back down over the lower joint?

I know, I just needed an excuse to post a photo of a Gannet.

 

[Shortround6]

Not seen very well in the cutaway above, but there are 132 gallons of fuel in tanks midway in each wing.
Why would you want a Wellesely on an aircraft carrier?

I don't but some people seem to delight in putting square pegs in round holes

extra long range but extra large aircraft that cut down on the carriers number of aircraft carried and that need gobs more work to make ready or strike down seem to be a very poor bargain indeed.

 

[GrauGeist]

Just going to toss this out there, but instead of trying to re-work (or completely rebuild) an aircraft that is not really suited for the job, why not go with an existing type already in service?

I know, crazy talk...

 

[Admiral Beez]

Not seen very well in the cutaway above, but there are 132 gallons of fuel in tanks midway in each wing.
Why would you want a Wellesely on an aircraft carrier?

View attachment 563068

Just as a design experiment.

 

[buffnut453]

I know, I just needed an excuse to post a photo of a Gannet.

You never need an excuse to do that.

 

[Reluctant Poster]

Capelis XC-12

 

[Reluctant Poster]

Blackburn Blackburn

 

[wingnuts]

Blackburn Blackburn
View attachment 563124

So good they named it twice. Blackburn's produced some shockers, only redeemed themselves with the Beverley and Buccaneer, (I was an apprentice at Blackburn's in the early 60s)

 

[Airframes]

Ah, the Beverley. Let's build a barn, and see if it will fly !