Su-74 Kutber (finished page 1)

[Tophe]

    I was waiting weeks for my MiG-15egg from China then... Today I received a mail advertisement from one of my kit providers and one model was very cheap and immediately available (with delivery soon: next week)... I ordered it! Then uh... I checked, and I already got one copy, built and finished. The model was the Trumpeter 1/144 Sukhoi Su-47 Berkut and my built one was the asymmetric twin-tail Su-141 at https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=46930.0 . But I am a what-ifer and a same kit could give many different finished models! Now I consider building an inverted Su-74 Kutber without FSW, with still different position of canards, very reduced in length.

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/su47to74.jpg

[Tophe]

I could also cancel the canard layout, this would be even more surprising for a Berkut derivative. Not becoming normal but almost tandem wing, and even shorter:

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/su47to74-b.jpg

[Tophe]

(with delivery soon: next week)...

Yes, this week is finishing today and i am getting the kit.

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_6892_su74.jpg

[Tophe]

Starting to cut interesting parts, and imagine...
There will be a truncation following approximately the red dotted line
(keeping only the front light half in dimensions, normally 1/4 in areas and 1/8 in weight or even much more...

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/r_IMG_6893_su74.jpg

[Tophe]

Truncation has occurred, and this will be a very light plane without turbojet, powered by 2 rockets on top of fins!
Am I crazy? Uh, I am a what-ifer, does that count as yes or no?

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_6901_su74.jpg

[Scotaidh]

Looks very interesting, mon ami - I'll be following your progress. 

[Tophe]

Thanks!

Now I plan to cancel the lower part of the fuselage (far on the picture below, to discard) for a very very sharp nose pod (front on the picture below, to keep and feature).
And I have started to paint the underside of it (with cockpit in invisible matter: top technology!) , before gluing the fins/rockets that will be very fragile if turned upside-down later

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_6903_su74.jpg
Uh, the curvature of the nose now will maybe change my project concerning the wing profile under the nose, so the wing shape (maybe forward-swept-wing again, I'll have to check, having reduced the size by 50% being a whif sufficient step maybe).

[Tophe]

The fins have been glued with their "rocket engines", but for the front wing, I hesitate...
A? (now) or B? (initial project) or C? (possible, more normal from the source)
What to do...?

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_6909_su74abc.jpg

[Vulcan7]

I'd go for B but C looks good too, 

[Tophe]

Thanks Vostoc7, and this is more easy to explain as a whif: "front wing swept rearward instead of canard with rear wing swept forward".

[Tophe]

Here is the Su-74B, almost finished (needing just black color on the canopy), close to the discarded "big half"...

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_6916_su74.jpg
You have probably noticed that the engine rockets, surprisingly, are not parallel, why ? There are several possibilities:
1/I am a bad modeller
2/ separately movable jets are good for military maneuverability in dogfight
3/ separately movable jets are good for civilian aerobatics in airshow
As a (naïve) pacifist, I think the answer is 3 or 1.

[Tophe]

The Sukhoi Su-74B model is finished!

= link http://www.kristofmeunier.fr/IMG_6931_su74b-x4.jpg

[McColm]

Well done 

[Tophe]

Thank you!

[Vulcan7]

A unique build