Gloster F5/34 Fleet Air Arm fighter

[Mossie]

ChatGPT doesn't know the rules for FAA aircraft.....................

They didn't carry fin flashes. 

They did in wartime, it's got this one right for once.

[PR19_Kit]

I was assuming it was pre-war, given the date of its spec.

[The Wooksta!]

There was a later version to a different navy spec, but only the side view survives.

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According to Tony Buttler, it had a Griffon engine and the u/c looks to be changed too.  Another one in my scratch bodge queue...

[Admiral Beez]

Yes, I think this wing fold is going to work out nicely.  Notice how the lower surface cut is just outside of the wheel well.    In my model the FAA decided to keep the original prototype's partially exposed wheel layout for cases of deck landings with undercarriage failure.  I expect by 1942-43 future variants may change this to the Curtiss P-40's fold and turn.  Keep in mind this is my practice wing, so I'm experimenting rather than making it perfect.

[Admiral Beez]

" ... claim copyright ... " on what? The FAA assigned the name Gannet to the Hellcat not Grumman.

I don't mean copyright in the legal sense, but instead the colloquial "dibs" on the Gannet name within the FAA.  If our Gloster Gannet enters FAA service in 1940, we can prevent the Hellcat being thus named by the FAA.  Grumman can do whatever they want.   Fairey might need to find another name for their postwar ASW bird.

[Admiral Beez]

The hinge works! On the final version I'll improve hinge positioning and use filler to smooth out the upper and lower surfaces, and ensure to make a straight cut. 

I'll have to double check that this fold will not exceed the 14 ft upper hangar height on HMS Indomitable nor the 22ft width of HMS Ark Royal's narrowest lift.  If we're clear there, we're good for all RN carriers. 

[NARSES2]

Nice work   

[Admiral Beez]

Temporary undercarriage along with engine cowl placed.  I now realize I'll have to move the cut outward to clear the wide undercarriage legs, shown below.

[Admiral Beez]

She's coming along.  All parts ready for assembly.  I've sanded down the cowl bumps so to create the Bristol Perseus look.  My new mini miter box will make the wing cut more straight.

[The Rat]

She's coming along nicely! 

[Admiral Beez]

She's coming along nicely! 

Thanks.  I'm planning to use my air brush to do the camouflage, but I have never used an air brush before.  I'll need to watch some videos, and good thing I have my practice wings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzFD7dH5pGo

[Captain Canada]

Looks great ! Love the idea, and you're nailing it. Good luck with your airbrush !

[Admiral Beez]

I've sanded down the push rod tubes and heads, plus widened the barrels for the sleeve valve look (the filler looks rough below, it'll sand out nicely), and sanded down the rocker box blisters from the ohv Bristol Mercury cowl. I'll buy some thin copper wire to make the two forward facing exhaust manifolds on each barrel.  Also the prop is too far out of the cowl, so I will reduce the length of the prop hub.

[NARSES2]

Coming along really nicely 

[Admiral Beez]

My first ever airbrush and masking attempt worked out well today. Thankfully Vallejo has the exact colours, so no mixing was needed. 

While I managed to replace the Mercury with a sleeve valve Perseus (by deleting ohv cowl bumps and push rod tubes), I gave up on the wing fold, so the Gloster Gannet Mk.1 will have to avoid HMS Ark Royal and the Illustrious class.   I expect the Gannet Mk.2 would have rearward folding wings and conventional flush undercarriage.  On the plus side, with nothing beyond an added arrestor hook and added floatation and anti-corrosions measures, we should be able to get the Mk.1 into FAA fleet service by 1938, which may cancel out the two-seat deadend that was the Fulmar.

Here's the Valejo colours I used:
71.407 Sky Grey, for the underside, fuselage sides, rudder
71.309 Dark Slate Grey for upper surfaces
71.110 Dark Grey (with a drop of 71.307 Medium Sea Grey added) for camo