Folland Fo.151 "Red Wasp” Stand Off Missile

[AeroplaneDriver]

Following the cancellation of the Sybolt ALBM several studies were carried out to find alternative weapons for the RAF Vulcan.  One brief study proposed a modified Vulcan B.2 carrying three Gnat fighters modified to carry nuclear bombs as a piloted cruise missile.  The mission profile was one way, calling for the pilot to bail out after dropping his payload.  It was a briefly considered, and unpopular option. 

But from this proposal grew a seed that led Folland (later Hawker) to develop and unmanned version of the Gnat designed to carry either a nuclear warhead, or for an anti-shipping role, a 1,000lb conventional warhead. 

Modifications included a simplified flight control system, eliminating flaps and simplifying the tail sufaces into a "butterfly configuration".  The former was redundant on an air launched, one way aircraft, the latter was to aid loading and carriage.  Both saved weight, as did the removal of landing gear and environmental control systems.  The cockpit area was faired in with a more aerodynamic covering and became the area for extensive guidance electronics and the warhead. 

The Fo.151 was given the MOD rainbow code of "Red Wasp".  This model will depict the first prototype preparing for its first test flight.  Kit will be the lovely new 1/48 Airfix Gnat. 

[Knightflyer]

I shall look forward to seeing this one

Somewhere in my backlog of vague ideas to be built is a missile like Gnat (or parasite fighter) that would be recessed into a bomber's undersides similar to Blue Steel. I had an old Gnat that was going lose it's undercarriage to another project, be mounted on a trolley and have it's tailfin mounted underneath!

It'll be good to see a much more realistically realised interpretation of the root idea (the modified Vulcan B.2 carrying three Gnat fighters )

[AeroplaneDriver]

Time to get started on this one I think...

[PR19_Kit]

'Red Fly'?

And a trolley for take-off?

A drone Gnat perhaps, flying out of Llanbedr?

[AeroplaneDriver]

'Red Fly'?

And a trolley for take-off?

A drone Gnat perhaps, flying out of Llanbedr?

Read first post.  Nuclear cruise missile carried by the Vulcan.

[zenrat]

So you got an Aeroclub 1/48 Vulcan to hang it off?

[AeroplaneDriver]

So you got an Aeroclub 1/48 Vulcan to hang it off?

No man, gonna knock out a Scratchbuilt Vulcan Phase 6 for it.  😂

[AeroplaneDriver]

Good progress today.  It's amazing how quickly things progress when you don't have to worry about landing gear or a cockpit. 

So far the modifications to the Gnat structure include:

Replace nose with  super-duper pointy nose
Removing vertical tail
Remove/fill horizontal tail slots/fairings
Clip wings by 1 scale foot
Fill in cockpit with scrap sprue and fair in the cockpit are with milliput.

I'm still experimenting with the tail configuration. In the pics the first one has a V-tail made from trimmed down Heller Jaguar H-stabs.  These are pretty thick and if used need more thinning down.
The other pics use the kit H-stabs in a V configuration.  I initially thought they were too small, which is why I made bigger ones to try, but the more I look at it the more I like them.  I think the smaller fins make it look more missile-like.  Also added as a ventral fin is the top of the kit V-stab. 

I'm really liking the look of it, and after I got the main mods done I really considered retrofitting a cockpit and making it a single seat parasite fighter with wingtip missiles.  This may be my plan for my next Gnat build but for now I decided to proceed with my unmanned missile build.  I've ordered another kit though so the parasite fighter may show up soon too. 

Anyhoo, here is the first day's progress.  Input very welcome as always.

[NARSES2]

That pointed nose and twin tail appendage remind me of something ? It will come to me.

I'm still staggered by your rate of progress.

[PR19_Kit]

'Red Fly'?

And a trolley for take-off?

A drone Gnat perhaps, flying out of Llanbedr?

Read first post.  Nuclear cruise missile carried by the Vulcan.

Ah, I didn't notice there was a backstory at the front.

It looks VERY sleek indeed, and equally plausible too. 

[zenrat]

That pointed nose and twin tail appendage remind me of something ? It will come to me...

Annoying isn't it.
But I got nothing other than the usual "looks very Gerry Anderson".


If I may offer a little bit of constructive criticism AD, I think the faired in cockpit needs to be lower so it looks less like a faired in cockpit and more like there was never a cockpit there in the first place.
Other than that, it's coming along nicely.

[AeroplaneDriver]

That pointed nose and twin tail appendage remind me of something ? It will come to me...

If I may offer a little bit of constructive criticism AD, I think the faired in cockpit needs to be lower so it looks less like a faired in cockpit and more like there was never a cockpit there in the first place.
Other than that, it's coming along nicely.

I 'overbuilt' the fairing so I can sand it down.  But at the same time the gist of this whif is using as much of the Gnat production line as possible as possible to make a low cost missile, so I don't want to change too much.  It has to fit into the profile of the original cockpit. 

[Old Wombat]

I shall just stick with:

Hmmm? Things that make you go BOOM!

[AeroplaneDriver]

As the idea evolves I'm thinking about reversing the Gnat slipper tanks to become booster rockets, to accelerate the missile to mach 1.5 for the terminal phase of the profile.  I don't want to make it too cluttered looking, but I kinda like the idea of these boosters.  It would give the missile a flight profile where it leaves the carrier Vulcan, proceeds at medium altitude and Mach .8 towards the target area, then when it reaches defended airspace drops down to 200 feet and accelerates to M.9, then in the last few minutes to target the boosters accelerate it to M1.5ish. 

Thoughts?

[Dizzyfugu]

Cool. But the butterfly tail's angle of incidence looks a little weird in the picture's perspective?