Next in the series of Luft 46 profiles: The North American YP-81 Bronco tail sitter.
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And in naval trim (couldn't be bothered working out the naval designations, so it's still a YP-81!)
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And yes, I am working my way through to doing a profile for every major combatant. And possibly San Torta.
Awesome blue color on the USN one :thumbsup:
I'm working on a few more Bronco profiles including the STAF evaluation machine.
My internewt is shaped, and I'vew just gotten back from a school camp so nothing much just yet (and posting is painfully slow!)
In 1947, the San Tortan Air Force evaluated the YP-81 Bronco as a replacement for it's various flying-boat and sea-plane fighters. A number of modifications were made to the evaluation machine; rear-vision wing mirrors were fitted, and the canopy was removed as was normal STAF practice at the time. The Bronco was well recieved in San Torta, and orders placed for 24 of the fighters. These were designated P-81ST and featured some minor modifications to ensure reliable tropical service. San Pudin Aviation secured a production license and developed thier own enhanced variant, the SPA/P-81ST Bucking Bronco, which mounted a radar and missile hard points on the wing tips. This allowed the Bronco to serve well into the 1960s.
(note: this is in the luft 46 timeline, not the normal one in which San Torta operated CAC Thundercat Mk.IIs. Yes, I have just made an alternate time line for my fictional country. And this makes me into some sort of whiffing god, answering a what-if question for a what-if country.)
STAF evaluation YP-81, 1947
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Operational SPA/P-81ST Bucking Bronco, 1960. The missiles, although looking very similar to side-winders are San Pudin Aviation's only foray into the field of guided missiles, the SPAM-1.
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Love the San Tortan jobs...very colourful
Quoterear-vision wing mirrors were fitted, and the canopy was removed as was normal STAF practice at the time.
I'm assuming that this was done to help with landing/parking?? :ph34r: :ph34r: :ph34r:
The mirrors were for landing, the canopy was just usual practice in the STAF due to tropical conditions, a preference for the greater visibility, and the dashing image of your patriotic scarlet silk flying scarf billowing in the slip stream.
Any chance you could do the other two views? This looks like something I might want to take a crack at
someday.
Quote from: puddingwrestler on February 16, 2011, 04:34:32 PM
The mirrors were for landing, the canopy was just usual practice in the STAF due to tropical conditions, a preference for the greater visibility, and the dashing image of your patriotic scarlet silk flying scarf billowing in the slip stream.
You can't go wrong having a dashing silk scarf on your person, although mine is a golden yellow with black markings on it rather than scarlet.
It's nice to see the San Tortan AF are saftey concious with the wing mirrors. Are reverse(klanding) lights also installed??
Quote from: Doc Yo on February 17, 2011, 09:02:47 AM
Any chance you could do the other two views? This looks like something I might want to take a crack at
someday.
I wasn't really intending to. The aircraft is basically symetrical in every direction of cross section, so there seems little point. The fuselage is a perfect circle in cross section if that helps.
No worries-That tells me what I need to know-thanks!