So I thought I might give throwing out another campaign proposal.

It is inspired by the "experimentals and planned" campaign over in the armorama area, but it is a bit different in that the real life counterpart should have actually been built.

This one would be called "Variations on a Theme" or something like that.

The subject should be of a type that is a variant on a well known or at least reasonably significant production aircraft. It should be structurally different from any common, large production version of the aircraft in some way.

This would allow for field modifications (like soviet engines installed in P-40s), limited production types of a sort that significantly vary from the commonly thought of marks (F-15 Reporter), certain prototypes (Ju 88V1), post production modifications and re-builds (A-26K Nimrod), etc. Aircraft from all nationalities and all eras would be allowed.

examples of types that would qualify include:

XP-37 (more or less a variant of the P-36)
Ju 88H
Cessna model 407
TBM-3W2
Bf 109Z
XP-51B
F-16i
F-16XL

Boston Havoc II Turbinlite

and so on.... I'd be inclined to be lenient on what was allowed, as long as it more or less fit the spirit of the campaign guidelines.

The advantage to this build is there are plenty of opportunity for standard OTB builds (Avia S-199), small modifications to kits (some P-51 racers), after market conversions, resin kits, and home-grown radical surgery using parts from existing kits.

Performing conversions would be encouraged, and therefore this would probably be a longer running campaign.

has this campaign idea been done before?

thoughts?

suggestions?

any takers?

I get the idea of the campaign, but the lines of what is approved are a little blurry. Anyway, I would participate in this one as it sounds interesting.

Always wanted to make a S-199 in Israeli markings.

The idea is pretty clear in my head, but it's hard to write out very well....

Essentially the builds would be aimed at making less common structural variants of familiar aircraft so that the lines we are used to are modified a little or a lot, but not so much that it is an entirely different aircraft.

The XP-37 would be perhaps at the furtherest end of the spectrum, almost unrecognizable as a P-36, but still enough of the original airframe existing to pick it out. Maybe that is stretching the concept too far and the line should be drawn closer in?

A WB-57F would be a step further in - clearly a B-57, but heavily modified and quite rare.

A Mig-21i (large delta wing without horizontal tail plane, one experimental made) or a XF-84H (turboprop) would be in the middle - mostly the same as the original, but a major component is changed.

The near end of the spectrum would be filled with re-engined 109s, an Israeli F-16i with avionics spine and/or conformal fuel tanks, and maybe a Spitfire with floats.

There are tons of ways to make a variation that would qualify here, which is why it seems so wide open and perhaps blurry.

For example, trainer variants produced in the factory in numbers exceeding a few would not be allowed, but field modifications that made an aircraft that was manufactured as a single seater into a two seater would be allowed if it changed the outline enough to make it look out of the ordinary.

I would definitely want to encourage kit conversions and research of individual semi-unique aircraft with this campaign. To that end It would start later to let some of the current and upcoming campaigns clear out or get rolling (maybe September or October) to allow plenty of time for research. It would run longer than usual too (maybe 9 months?) so people could have some breathing room to do a conversion.

But I also want there to be some subjects that could be modeled OTB for those of us with less time, experience, or motivation.

If I need to refine the concept further (with help from all of you), that's cool - that's why we post an idea for a campaign before we submit a proposal, right?

Hi Vance,

Here's a suggestion for refinement; Limit the campaign to aircraft that has been "hotted up", either in the field or through factory development. Most of the aircraft that you mention would be allowed (for example the F-16I Sufa). The name of the campaign could be "Pimp my ride!"

Just for information - I would join any campaign that would allow me to build an F-16I (or an Avia s-199 for that matter, albeit that the Avia can not be considered a pimped up version of the Me 109).

Cheers! // PolarBear

Hmmm.. So no what-ifs? Just planned aircraft?

Yalým :

actually, I wasn't even thinking planned, just ones that really existed. I'm not a very big "what if" kind of guy.

Is that too conservative of me?


Björn:

To tell the truth, none of the half-dozen ideas I have in my head that prompted me to propose this campaign would qualifiy for "pimp my ride" - they'd be more like "jerry-rig my ride"

How about an F-84F?

well, with 2711 of the F-84Fs produced, it is very much the common type that the structurally different variant would be measured against.

On the other hand, these would qualify:

Yf-84F #1 - swept wings on a F-84G:


YF-84F prototype #2 (lower) and YRF-84F (upper)

Both have somewhat different outlines than any production aircraft.

or with turboprop (XF-84H):


It would be really cool to any of these built up, and they would make an interesting addition to any collection of cold war era models.

-v-

Actually Björn, now that you got me thinking about it, a "Hot Rods of the Air" campaign would be cool.

I just ordered a little (well not so little) something to that end. I have literally been wanting to do one of these in 1/48th scale since I was 12 years old or so.

hehehehe!