"World's Fastest Fireball" - the Ryan FR-4

• Nov 24, 2017

• #1

TheRealMrEd

Airman 1st Class

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Aug 2, 2017

This is a model of the Ryan FR-4, converted from the 1/72 scale MPM kit of the Ryan FR-1. The conversion consists of removing the wing leading edge intakes, and replacing them with NACA ducts on the sides of the nose, the adding a scale 4 inches to the tailpipe.

These modifications led to the FR-4 being 100 mph faster than the FR-1, and for a time, I believe this aircraft held the world's speed record, but I am not certain -- added info would be appreciated!

The build thread can be seen over on BritModeler :"World's Fastest Fireball" - The Ryan FR-4

Without further ado, the pics:













Hope you enjoy it because unless someone else decides to get with it, you'll probably never see another!

TheRealMrEd
(To distinguish from all those OTHER Ed's out there!)

 

• Nov 24, 2017

• #2

fubar57

General

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Very nice. Tis(Twas(?)) a goofy looking aircraft that I've always liked. Never knew of this conversion

 

• Nov 24, 2017

• #3

Airframes

Benevolens Magister

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Nice one !

 

• Nov 24, 2017

• #4

P

pbehn

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Who names a plane "fireball"?

 

• Nov 24, 2017

• #5

michaelmaltby

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• Nov 24, 2017

• #6

Wurger

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• Nov 24, 2017

• #7

Graeme

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Nice model and interesting subject Ed!

TheRealMrEd said:

These modifications led to the FR-4 being 100 mph faster than the FR-1, and for a time, I believe this aircraft held the world's speed record, but I am not certain -- added info would be appreciated!

Click to expand...

I can't find a lot on the RF-4 - where did you find that "100 mph faster" figure?

 

• Nov 24, 2017

• #8

Gnomey

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Good work!

 

• Nov 25, 2017

• #9

michaelmaltby

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Robert Olds in his book "Fighter Pilot" describes mixing up with a flight of Navy Fireballs when he was attached to an F-80 squadron in Florida. It was prearranged by the brass but the F-80s got the jump on Navy, IIRC, and when the dust-up was over the feeling among the Air Force pilots was that the Fireball was nothing to worry about. Until reading this I had never known that the Fireball got into service, however limited.

 

• Nov 29, 2017

• #10

SANCER

Senior Master Sergeant

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Interesting version and history of this Fireball
Saludos Mr. Ed

 

• Dec 1, 2017

• Thread starter
• #11

TheRealMrEd

Airman 1st Class

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Aug 2, 2017

Hi Graeme,

100 MPH speed increase of FR-4 over FR-1 mentioned here:

Tails Through Time: The Ryan FR-1 Fireball and F2R Dark Shark: An Evolutionary Dead-End
http://www.tailsthroughtime.com/2016/03/the-ryan-fr-1-fireball-and-f2r-dark.html
and here:

Historic Aircraft | U.S. Naval Institute
https://www.usni.org/magazines/navalhistory/2009-04/historic-aircraft
and in the Mini In Action, Squadron Signal Mini #5 "FR-1 Fireball" by Ernest McDowell.

BTW, "United States Navy and Marine Corps Fighters 1918-1962" by Paul R Matt, published by Aero Publishers in 1962, which is a standard classic reference got the data on the FR-4 wrong.

 

• Dec 2, 2017

• #12

chuter

Airman 1st Class

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Mar 13, 2007

Napa, CA

TheRealMrEd said:

Hi Graeme,

100 MPH speed increase of FR-4 over FR-1 mentioned here:

Tails Through Time: The Ryan FR-1 Fireball and F2R Dark Shark: An Evolutionary Dead-End
and here:

Historic Aircraft | U.S. Naval Institute
and in the Mini In Action, Squadron Signal Mini #5 "FR-1 Fireball" by Ernest McDowell.

BTW, "United States Navy and Marine Corps Fighters 1918-1962" by Paul R Matt, published by Aero Publishers in 1962, which is a standard classic reference got the data on the FR-4 wrong.

Click to expand...

Nice. The FR-4 (3600lbs) did have more than twice the jet thrust of the FR-1 (1600lbs), though. Speaking of getting it wrong the "Tails Through Time" site incorrectly states the SB2C Helldiver used the 1820 when it actually used the 2600. Same brand, however - lol.