Strange Airplanes from WWII

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bdefen said:
They Luftwaffe had used two separate He111's for the Me323 giant glider towing, but apparently that was a pretty dangerous practice, so the HE111 Zwilling was developed.
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They used three Bf110s to tow the Me321 glider along with other types to tow it, like a pair of Ju90s.

One of the reasons they put engines on the Me321, creating the Me323, was because of the complexity of towing arrangements.
 
TheMad;
Take comfort in knowing you've got plenty of company. It was just a fluke that I found those two aircraft. I'm mostly familiar with "common everyday" stuff like Mustangs ( my current modeling project. I'm posting my progress on this site under super detailing a Guillow's Mustang), Corsairs, Me-109's, Zeros & with an occasional Dornier Do-335 thrown in for self-aggrandizement in front of my bathroom mirror.
 

I didn't find that yet. It was still in flight tests when France collapsed, so a lot of that data may have been lost. I did find out that it was designed as an anti-tank airplane, with up to 10x20mm cannons: six in the front and two each in the pop-up dorsal turret and the ventral position. Later versions were supposed to have a bomb bay, but I don't know what the bomb load was going to be.

Another tidbit: on the first test flight, the plane was gone over an hour and the mechanics started to worry about the plane and pilot. It turned out he was having so much fun flying the plane that he took it out on joy ride. I guess they forgave him, because later on he took the company president up on a demonstration flight.

https://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/sncase.pdf
 
You might wish to think twice about the Buc. Not to dismiss it as it was still loved by pilot's and crew alike. However, I just finished reading a pilot's report from an R/C modeling website on testing of the initial prototype in which there were several issues that needed to be corrected prior to service and even then, had several issues that needed to be constantly upgraded. The reason for the pilot's report showing up on a modeling site in the first place was there was a modeler who created a fantastic one-of-a-kind Buc that was superbly detailed right down to the rivets and panel lines. On the maiden takeoff, it immediately rolled over and went into a dive. Post analysis revealed several issues with the model that paralleled with the full sized aircraft.
 
Another piece of trivia: the makers of the SE-100 also planned an SE-200, a six-engine flying boat with a length of 40m (131') and a wingspan of 52.2m (171'). Its first flight was planned for Spring of 1940, but engines and factory facilities were diverted to bomber production, so it never happened. Maybe this picture from their advertising was a bad omen: comparing the SE-200's size to the Hindenburg and Titanic.
 

The Buccaneer was in use in front line service by the RN and RAF from 1962 to 1994, thirty two years, so I don't think there was much wrong with it. I was an apprentice at Blackburn's (HSA) in the early 60s and worked on them at RAE Bedford in the mid to late 70s where they were used for experimental installations, mostly radar and electronics. They were the aircraft most popular with the aircrews.
 
Wingnuts; thank you for your response, it's most appreciated. Hoping you don't shoot this messenger. Given your intimate knowledge of the Buccaneer, perhaps you can enlighten us in some of the issues of this marvelous plane as well as its attributes.
Cheers
 

I don't have intimate knowledge of the Buccaneer, you don't pick up much info as an apprentice, and the work at RAE Bedford was mainly installing experimental electronics and radars, mainly for the Tornado. I have spoken to pilots who loved them especially on long low level missions. However, as a mechanic they were not easy to work on, like most British aircraft.

Blackburn Buccaneer - Wikipedia

 
wingnuts said:
Blackburn's finally redeemed themselves by designing the B103/NA39 Buccaneer before being taken over by Hawker Siddeley View attachment 612286
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It's amazing that a firm can have so many duds and remain in business. The prewar Blackburn Shark was as good as the Swordfish, especially when fitted with a Taurus. After the Shark it was all shite until the postwar Buccaneer.

I mean, Blackburn F.3 of 1933? Seriously?
 
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