Hawker Henley Mk IV Divebomber

[sequoiaranger]

The success of the German Stuka, and even the Fleet Air Arm's own successful exploits with the Blackburn Skua dive bombers, could not convince the Air Ministry to invest in the dive bomber for the Army OR the Navy. Another try, the Hawker Henley, was THE logical choice for an FAA dive bomber to use against ships, but it did not interest the Air Ministry, and the aircraft ended up in ignominy, like the Defiant, as a target tug (see pic below). NOT in sequoiaranger's world, however!  

This is a "heads-up" for my upcoming project (no plastic cut yet).

*MY* Hawker Henley will become a state-of-the-art dive bomber to bring the FAA up to world standards. The Henley looked very much like a scaled-up Hurricane (47 ft wingspan vs. 40 for the Hurricane). I have the old "Formaplane" vac-form of the Henley in 1/72, and will combine parts of several Hawker products (two Hurricanes, three Tempests, and two Sea Furies) along with SOME of the original vac-form, a machine-gun turret from an air-sea-rescue craft, and dive brakes from a Brewster Buccaneer to produce my Henley Mk IV. She'll be clad in "Operation Pedestal" FAA markings, on the aircraft carrier "HMS Excalibur" (second of the Ark Royal class, c. 1940), escorting the transports bringing needed supplies to Malta against fierce German and Italian opposition in the summer of 1942.

[thedarkmaster]

Now I'm looking forward to this a lot.

[NARSES2]

Now I'm looking forward to this a lot.

Me to

[sequoiaranger]

Narses2 and darkmaster---thanks.

Though it ostensibly will be a "Henley", the major fuselage components will be from the Revell Tempest (Mk V, stretched), that has enough constant-diameter fuselage for two places. The chin radiator will be enlarged (a la Tempest), and twin rows of exhausts will sprout on the sides (like the Hawker Tornado with the Vulture engine--love that look). The engine will be the 24-cyl *AIR-cooled* inline "Exe" engine that was supposed to go on various FAA aircraft, but didn't (don't know why--the Exe engine had much promise, and was installed and tested on a Battle). I have to have some air outlets---will either go with cowl flaps like a radial, or perforated plates like the Mustang.  I will put on the distinctive Henley tail, and attach some Hurricane outer wing panels to the (Heller) Tempest V wings for the longer wingspan and rounded tips characteristic of the Henley. I at first wanted "car door" entry typical of the early Typhoons, but have reconsidered. MAYBE the pilot will have that.

PS--at one point Hawker made a Defiant-like turret fighter---the "Hotspur", and my Henley will be like a combo of the Henley and smaller Hotspur. The rear turret will have only two MG's, over-and-under style, so will LOOK like the four-gun Hotspur from the side. I had considered the moniker "Hotspurious" for my concoction, in keeping with tongue-in-cheek names for obvious whiffs, but I think I will keep the more "serious" Henley name.

[Mossie]

Now I'm looking forward to this a lot.

Me to

Me an' all!

[James]

I'll be watching. 

[sequoiaranger]

Here is a doctored drawing derived from the box cover of the Formaplane Henley, showing pretty much what I have in mind for the build:



I may have a four, or even FIVE-bladed prop. Five blades might be too much for a 1942-era plane, but it is SO TEMPTING!! 

[JayBee]

Go for four blades, but with a wider chord.
It will look right/better.

JimB

[sequoiaranger]

>Go for four blades, but with a wider chord. It will look right/better.<

That is truly my inclination--use the large Tempest 4-blade. The 5-blade just looks so COOL, though!

*IF* I were going to make my "Waterspout" (Hawker Sea Tornado) fighter, I would have put the 5-blade on it. I'll have to leave the "Waterspout" to someone else (essentially a Sea Fury with a double row of exhausts).

[sotoolslinger]

And I am another one looking forward to this one

[sequoiaranger]

When ya got an itch, I say SCRATCH IT! I really wasn't "ready" to begin the Henley other than conception, but after making that drawing, I got excited and just HAD to cut plastic to see how the model itself would look!! Know the feeling?

Anyway, here is the preliminary Henley from some crude cutting I did yesterday. A stock Revell Tempest V fuselage is at the top for reference.

The fuselage has the front half of a Heller Tempest V and the rear of the Revell. The tail is the Vac-form Henley, "painted" gray, and in this photo lacking the rudder and other detail that the plastic piece actually has. Half an "RAF Rescue Craft" turret, and a cut-down Henley canopy is there, along with a filler piece for the radiator and a dummy prop spinner. You can see that the Henley (37 ft.) is a bit longer than a Tempest (33ft 8").

The wing shows the Hurricane addition on the right (original Tempest wing on left--41 ft span as opposed to the Henley's 47 ft). Lots of match-up to do, but the cuttings show that I am on the right track and have judged the dimensions and proportions moderately correctly. I will have to put this project away for several weeks, until after Thanksgiving, methinks--lots of house issues and company to limit my hobby time. I'll pop this back up on the Board when I get farther along! Thanks all!

[buzzbomb]

works for me.

interested to see t his progress

[sideshowbob9]

Looking good!

[Tophe]

This is courageous... I hope you will succeed

[sotoolslinger]

Very excellent design work. I can't wait.