The twin boom B-25 got me thinking. I like the idea of kit-bashing something, and like the idea of a what-if project. I had an idea that around mid to late ‘44, the threat from kamakazi’s was getting pretty desperate. I know they had the FG-2 and F8F on the drawing board as planes made to deal with them, but they weren’t coming fast enough. My idea was that some intrepid guys in engineering over at Martin had a thought over some beers and decided to create a Super Marauder made as an intercepter/destroyer for kamakazis. It had to have a tremendous rate of climb and enourmous firepower to knock them down. They managed to get P&W to loan them 2 of the still experimental R-4360’s and Ham Standard to give 2 BIG props for them. They had a high time airframe used for engineering and testing updates and mods and got permission to use this as a prototype. In an effort to make it as light as possible they stripped all but essential equipment out, took off the turret and rigged up a gun nose with 8 50 cal MG and a 20mm cannon. (maybe 2). The only defensive armament they kept was the tail gun. Due to the massive 4 row radials, the had to massively re-work the CG. The heavy guns in the nose helped but they found they needed to effectively move the wing back, They accomplished this by adding a fuselage plug forward and chopping 2 feet behind the wing. This led to an aggressive, short coupled look to the craft, and also made it highly maneuverable, albeit pretty pitch sensitive. They also had to lengthen the nose gear to keep the massive props out of the dirt. It was to have a crew of 3, pilot, co-pilot and tail gunner, although that position was later deemed to be unnecessary and omitted saving yet more weight. The empty weight wound up being about 1,000 lbs heavier than a stock B-26, but it had about twice the horsepower. The first test flights were very promising - it climbed like crazy and could keep up with a P-51 down low. All with that massive firepower. It needed more rudder though, and a larger vertical fin and rudder were in the works. It seemed like it was going to provide a solution to the growing problem and it was envisioned that several would be deployed around air bases all over the Pacific but the threat of the Japanese Kamakazi became limited to our ships at sea. Fuel capacity was increased with bomb bay tanks and the idea of long range destroyers was floated, but the Navy objected to the idea of being protected by the Air Corps. Teething pains with the complex radials kept it grounded a lot of the time - they had real problems cooling the massive power plants. Sadly, the whole project ended when the prototype was destroyed when the #1 engine seized on takeoff one day. The plane was about 200’ off the ground and the still original size rudder wasn’t enough to keep the bird from rolling over and going in. Both pilots were lost and the was the last of the Super Marauder.
I would like to see this. So I say go for it.
Interesting thought. HOWEVER, adding a fuselage plug in front of the wing would move the center of lift even farther back, not forward. The center of gravity and the center of lift, in the days before computer controlled fly-by-wire, needed to be pretty close to each other, or the plane was too unstable to fly.
I second the motion! Looking forward to seeing this one myself.[8D][:D]
Eddie
HOWEVER, adding a fuselage plug in front of the wing would move the center of lift even farther back, not forward. The center of gravity and the center of lift, in the days before computer controlled fly-by-wire, needed to be pretty close to each other, or the plane was too unstable to fly. >> Right – I was lying in bed last night thinking about what I had written and d’oh! Unfortunately, the engineers had a harder time than first thought controlling the cg. They had to devise a ring spar carry-through structure to enable them to get the 4360’s as far back in the wing as possible. The accessory case actually goes through this new ring spar. Even so, they still had to add 18" behind the wing to increase the tail moment. It is thought that perhaps this ring spar is what actually failed causing the prototype to crash and not an engine failure as reported in the press, but as the project was doomed anyway little investigation took place. I’ve got the RoG B-26 kit already. I’ve found some props from a Skyraider, which are pretty big. Ideally I guess I’d want props off a B-50. The rest is scratch building. I could go nuts and try and create one side uncowled – maybe even in the process of being converted.
You have been reading Eddie Miller’s posts too often. [(-D] Go for it. I am sure there are plenty of members that can help the “Engineering Team” in their quest. Eddie may even jump in and offer advice.
Berny’s right. I stand ready to offer any assistance you may require.[:)]
Eddie
I might not be able to offer much assistance here but I can offer incouragement. So I say build it. When are you going to start?
If you need the big B-50 props, I have the late version (I think hamilton standard) cuffed props from the monogram B-29 I could send you. Let me know if you’re interested…
THIS I really WANT to see…go for it mate!
[#ditto][#ditto] and [#ditto]
Go for it
and post a LOT of pics
Bud
one of the early design studies . . .
You could post your idea here:
I’m getting excited about this build. I’ve had the kit for awhile, started building it last year and put it aside. I’ve mostly been helping my 7 year old son with his builds lately. He’s getting to the point where he doesn’t need me so much anymore so I think this will be a good one to get back going again. My other son (3 years old) is going to be mad though, 'cause I was going to build it gear up for his ceiling air force. On the drawing I did it’s a little hard to tell, but I think the short nose and big nacelles are going to make it look like a mean son of a gun. Not to mention the nose full of barrels! Jaypack – if you really have a couple of big props you can spare, sure I"ll take 'em.
all righty then. Just email or PM me your address, and I’ll drop them in the mail! I’m looking forwrd to see some pics of this build, it sounds pretty sweet!
I feel like a total knunklehead for not mentioning the same thing. We love stuff like this.
Eddie