Jet-of-the-Day Collaboration

[Servo]

The Jet-of-the-Day Collaboration

A collaboration between NorthAmericanAviation and Servo

Recently, @NorthAmericanAviation and I have been working on replicating every U.S. military jet, from the first P-59 Airacomet to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. We will be posting one a day, in the order that they entered service, along with photos, information about the plane, and of course, a download link.

 

June 1943 - Bell P-59 Airacomet

 

The Bell P-59 Airacomet was the first U.S. Jet fighter to see production. It was first flown in 1942, and the first production models were delivered in June of the following year. Test pilots, including Chuck Yeager, flew the P-59 and found it to be unsatisfactorily slow, though they noted that it flew very smoothly. Ultimately, the P-59 never saw service due to the multitude of problems the design faced, including slow engine response time (accurately modeled by the Juno engines on the replication) and lateral instability.

 

In order to disguise the P-59 from aerial reconnaissance, a plywood propeller was used to prevent spies from realizing that the P-59 was a jet fighter.

Despite these shortcomings, the P-59 was a pioneering jet in many aspects. It was the first jet to integrate the engines and intakes into the fuselage - prior ones such as the Gloster Meteor and the Me 262 carried their engines in nacelles under or on the wing. Additionally, the experience the U.S. gained with turbojet design would be shown in later fighters, such as the F-59's immediate successor, the P-80 Shooting Star, and later, the F-86 Sabre.

Replica Stats:

Builder: Servo	Service Ceiling: 10km
Part count: 71	Crew: 1
Mass: 9.5 tons	Powerplant: 4x Juno
Top Speed: 140m/s	Dimensions: 4m x 11.7m x 10.2 m

The P-59 flies pretty well, though like the original, it is a bit clunky. Due to the engine position, it is slow to respond to pitch controls. Additionally, the rear landing gear are almost directly above the center of mass, so landings have to be really gentle. Apart from that, the P-59 is really easy to fly, stable without SAS (given a little bit of trim), and at high time warp without too much trouble.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/Bell-P-59-Airacomet

 

Tomorrow's craft: Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

Find the spreadsheet with all craft here

[NorthAmericanAviation]

that old F-86 model on the banner... I flew it half-way 'round kerbin for those shots, haha

[Servo]

March 1945: Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

The P-80 was the first U.S. jet fighter to see combat, seeing heavy action in the Korean theaters, and later as part of the Strategic Air Command. It  had limited success in the air superiority role, as it was rapidly outclassed by swept-wing fighters such as the MiG-15 and the F-86 Sabre (coming Wednesday). Variants of the P-80 include the T-33 trainer and the F-94 Starfire, some of which served into the 1980s.

While the P-59 was the first to have the engines on the fuselage, the P-80 was the first to mount the engine inside the fuselage, and one of the earliest single-engined fighters. The internal engine design would be seen on nearly every cold war fighter, American and Russian. Lockheed Skunkworks designed the fighter in the remarkable span of 143 days, ironically doing to so quickly that they couldn't benefit from captured German data.

Replica Statistics

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 52	Mass: 6.5 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 10km	Powerplant: 2x Juno	Top speed: 180 m/s	Dimensions: 9.82 x 3.42 x 10.03

This P-80 is pretty basic as far as aircraft go, but it flies well. It's stable at warp and is easy to land, provided that you take it down gently. True to the T-33 derivative, the P-80 is a perfect trainer for flying any of the jet replicas that will be coming in the next few weeks, particularly landing smoothly under power.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/P-80-Shooting-Star

Tomorrow's craft: Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster

Edited February 6, 2017 by Servo

[Heckspress]

are you guys going to do the Thunderscreech, or does it not count

[Servo]

20 minutes ago, Heckspress said:

are you guys going to do the Thunderscreech, or does it not count

We've got a thunderjet and a thunderceptor lined up, but unfortunately, the thunderscreech didn't make the list (we're only doing jets). That said, we did have a good chuckle reading through the wikipedia page on it.

Quote

Lin Hendrix, one of the Republic test pilots assigned to the program, flew the aircraft once and refused to ever fly it again, ... Hendrix also told the formidable Republic project engineer, "You aren't big enough and there aren't enough of you to get me in that thing again" ...

On the ground "run ups", the prototypes could reportedly be heard 25 miles (40 km) away. ... The XF-84H's propeller traveled faster than the speed of sound even at idle thrust, producing a continuous visible sonic boom that radiated laterally from the propellers for hundreds of yards. The shock wave was actually powerful enough to knock a man down; an unfortunate crew chief who was inside a nearby C-47 was severely incapacitated during a 30-minute ground run. ...

The pervasive noise also ...  [forced] air traffic personnel to communicate with the XF-84H's crew on the flight line by light signals.

 

Edited February 6, 2017 by Servo

[Heckspress]

also it caused another guy to have a seizure while repairing a C-47 like a mile away (i think)

[The Raging Sandwich]

This is a cool idea, followed! 

[Servo]

May 1946: Douglas XB-43 Jetmaster

The XB-43 was a twin-turbojet bomber developed by Douglas Aircraft in 1945 as the first U.S. jet bomber. It was adapted from the early XB-42 Mixmaster, a unique design with a pusher-configuration contra-rotating propeller behind the large tailplane. The XB-42 was a success, achieving speeds of up to 488mph (Mach .6, 785mk/h, 218m/s).

The Jetmaster program adapted the Mixmaster design to carry two turbojets, as well as changes to the tail surface. The Army Air Forces ordered two XB-43 prototypes, which were delivered in May of 1946. Despite mechanical problems during testing, the Jetmaster proved to be a fast and versatile bomber aircraft, well poised for entering service. However, the Army instead used the Jetmaster to develop procedures for jet bombers, selecting North American Aviation's B-45 Tornado over the Jetmaster, thanks to improvements in nearly every area. The cancellation of the Jetmaster program in the early 1950s brought an end to both the proposed bomber version and an attack version armed with rockets and a cluster of 16 machine guns in the nose.

 

Replica Statistics

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 91	Mass: 13.0 Tons	Crew: 2
Service Ceiling: 15km	Powerplant: 2x Wheesley	Top speed: 220 m/s	Dimensions: 16.99 x 5.67 x 14.05

The XB-43 mimics the prototype closely, matching top speed almost exactly. It's an agile craft once airborne, but it's clumsy on the ground. Like most of these replicas, they have to be landed with a steady hand (<5 degree glideslope is ideal). The Jetmaster's characteristic twin cockpits are replicated here, something which is unique among planes I've seen (with the obvious exception of the twin mustang).

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/B-43-Jetmaster

Tomorrow's craft: McDonnell FH Phantom

[NorthAmericanAviation]

Phantom is on the way... The heat is on!

[NorthAmericanAviation]

August 1947: McDonnell FH Phantom

The McDonnell FH Phantom was an early subsonic fighter-jet, being test flown just as World War II was coming to a close. As it was McDonnell’s first successful jet fighter, it established their name as a supplier of military aircraft for years to come, and proved the viability of a carrier-borne jet fighter. Its development lead to the F2H Banshee, a widely successful plane that saw combat service in the Korean War.

The FH’s sleek embedded-in-wing engine design proved very efficient, and folding wings made carrier operations familiar to deck hands used to piston-engine fighters of the war. Only 62 were made, but it proved to be an excellent proof of concept.

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 61	Mass: 11.6 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 10km	Powerplant: 4x Juno	Top Speed: 340 m/s	Dimensions: 12.1 x 12.8 x 4.2 LWH

This recreation handles smoothly, but loses speed in long, sharp turns. I find that its beauty is in its wing; so flowing, yet sharp, too.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/McDonnell-FH-Phantom

Tomorrow's Craft: North American F-86 Sabre

Edited February 8, 2017 by NorthAmericanAviation

[NorthAmericanAviation]

October 1947: North American F-86 Sabre

The North American F-86 Sabre was one of the first aircraft to employ both leading edge-slats and a swept wing. This particular design of wing became known as the Sabre Aerofoil, and saw use in the designs of the F-100, F-107, and commercial "Sabreliner" biz-jet.

The F-86 has an astonishing history; the first jet fighter North American ever made, the FJ-1 "Fury", would lay the groundwork for the coming series of developments leading to the proper F-86, despite how primitive it was in comparison. Several records would be broken by the F-86, including speed records once held by advanced research aircraft purely designed for high speed flight, such as the X-1 and Navy D-558-I. As it aged, the Sabre saw countless re-designations and design enhancements, including the F-86D/K/L "Sabre Dog" with a radome-nose and under-mounted intake scoop, the FJ-4 Fury, which had an entirely different wing, and the XF-93 proposal, which was very dissimilar to any other Sabre variant. Because of its pilot-friendly nature, relatively good agility, and platform versatility, the Sabre and its subsequent variants would see extensive service worldwide, finally being withdrawn from modern combat service in 1994(Bolivia).

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 58	Mass: 7.7 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 14km	Powerplant: 1x Panther	Top Speed: 285 m/s	Dimensions: 9.8 x 8.8 x 3.7 LWH

This model is a bit slow, but handles well and is very easy to recover from all types of spins. It also constitutes the FJ-2/3, the most major change being a lengthened front landing gear for greater angle of attack during carrier takeoff.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/North-American-F-86-Sabre

Tomorrow's Craft: Republic F-84 Thunderjet

[Servo]

(Accidental post, plus no idea how to remove this table)

Very nice Sabre! That turned our really nicely, especially considering How awkward the early versions looked.

Edited February 10, 2017 by Servo

[Servo]

November 1947: Republic F-84 Thunderjet

The F-84 was a straight-winged turbojet day-fighter developed during the late 1940s. It was a poorly behaved aircraft, and it was plagued with so many mechanical and structural failures that in 1949 the Air Force considered cancelling the program entirely. Subsequent models fixed many of the mechanical problems, so the Thunderjet and its sucessors, the F-84F Thunderstreak and the RF-84F Thunderflash continued in the Air Force and the Strategic Air Command until 1957.

The Thunderjet’s long takeoff roll earned it the ire of many of its pilots, who nicknamed it the fastest tricycle in the world and the Groundhog. Once in the air, it proved equally picky. Pilots couldn’t fly at over Mach .8 without pitching up severely, risking disintegrating the airframe.

Replica Stats:

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 45	Mass: 6.44 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 10km	Powerplant: 1x Panther	Top Speed: 330m/s	Dimensions: 8.37 x 3.6 x 8.92

My replication fortunately has none of the problems of its predecessor; it takes off readily at 60m/s and is fairly agile once airborne.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/F-84-Thunderjet

Tomorrow's Craft: Curtiss F-87 Blackhawk

[NorthAmericanAviation]

March 1948: Curtiss F-87 Blackhawk

The Curtiss XF-87 Blackhawk was built as a replacement for the P-61 "Black Widow" night/all-weather interceptor. However, the contract with the USAF was terminated with Curtiss-Wright when Northrop’s F-89 "Scorpion" demonstrated better airworthiness and role suitability. This deal-breaker sunk the company, all assets were purchased by North American. The F-87 was slower than expected, and quite large, as well, but had a ‘respectable’ 1000-mile range.

Because of the low power/thrust issue, a plan to upgrade the four Westinghouse XJ34's to two GE J47's during production was proposed, but by that time, the better Northrop design was already ordered and in testing.

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 81	Mass: 20 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 10km	Powerplant: 4x Juno	Top Speed: 302 m/s	Dimensions: 16.4 x 17.2 x 6.2 LWH

This model is slightly undersized and appropriately slow, but is fairly maneuverable. Top speed in chart is in a steep dive, level cruise is around 150 m/s.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/Curtiss-F-87-Blackhawk

Tomorrow's Craft: North American B-45 Tornado

 

[Servo]

April 1948: North American B-45 Tornado

The B-45 was the USAF’s first operational Jet bomber. It served the Strategic Air Command from 1948 until 1959, when it was outclassed by the B-47 Stratojet and the B-52 Stratofortress. B-45s served an important role in foreign service as well, flying reconnaissance missions deep into USSR territory with RAF markings.

 

Replica Statistics

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 170	Mass: 30 Tons	Crew: 3
Service Ceiling: 10km	Powerplant: 4x Wheesley	Top Speed: 250 m/s	Dimensions: 29.7 x 6.91 x 24.05 LHW

My version is a great workhorse craft, as it is very easy to fly, has good range, and works well under time warp. In this version, the bomb bay has four probes that I have been using to deploy navigational signals around KSC and the abandoned airfield.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/B-45-Tornado

Tomorrow's Craft: F-2 Banshee

[NorthAmericanAviation]

August 1948: McDonnell F2H Banshee

McDonnell’s F2H Banshee began as a follow-on to the FH Phantom program, already on the drawing board before the FH was being produced. Its design was thoroughly revised; fitting more powerful Westinghouse J-34’s to the wing-mounted engine nacelles, strengthening the fuselage, adding fuel capacity, and eliminating the profound dihedral of the tail surface were all parts of revision. It had, for its time, an astonishing climb rate of around 9,000 ft/min / 2743 m/min, twice that of the piston-engined aircraft it replaced. The Banshee enjoyed a fair service life of 14 years, last serving in 1962 with the Royal Canadian Navy.

The basic design/aesthetics of the Banshee would later be used in early development stages of the XF-88/F-101 Voodoo. The initial concept for the Voodoo was similar in theory to the way Grumman applied a swept wing to the F9F Panther, but the design eventually evolved far beyond that of Grumman’s.

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 71	Mass: 12.3 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 11km	Powerplant: 4x Juno	Top Speed: 311 m/s	Dimensions: 13.0 x 12.9 x 4.9 LWH

this replica is fast for a straight-wing design and handles well. It also has plenty of range; circumnavigation is possible. Version shown here is the F2H-2P, with an elongated nose for photo-reconnaissance.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/McDonnell-F2H-2-Banshee

Tomorrow's Craft: Convair B-36 Peacemaker and XF-85 Goblin/parasite Fighter

[Servo]

November 1948: Convair B-36J Peacekeeper + XF-89 Goblin

 

The Convair B-36J Peacekeeper was an early long-range bomber designed during the Cold War. Designed as a long-range nuclear bomber to replace the B-29 Superfortress, it was the first bomber capable of carrying nuclear bombs without modification. The massive bomber was also designed to carry the smaller F-85 Goblin fighter in its massive bomb bay. However, docking the parasite fighter was impractical, and ultimately no B-36s were ever used in war, as they were rapidly outclassed by faster, longer range bombers like the B-52.

 

 

The B-36, though a successor to the B-29, was over twice as large in all dimensions. Note that this was an early version without the pair of underwing jet engines.

The B-36’s unique combination of six pusher radial engines and four jet engines came about because the turboprops weren’t powerful to get the B-36 off the ground without additional help.

 

The XF-85 in trapeze tests under a B-29, before the B-36 was ready. The XF-85 would be carried completely within the B-36J, allowing the pilot to leave the cockpit for long flights.

The McDonnell XF-85 Goblin was a prototype parasite fighter developed in the late 1940s to protect bomber squadrons. The XF-85 was designed to be carried in the bomb bay of a Convair B-36J Peacekeeper (coming soon) on long bombing missions, where it would be deployed if enemy fighters threatened.

 

Ultimately the design failed due to its poor maneuverability compared to other jet fighters, as well as difficulties docking the craft back into the parent bomber. This was mainly due to the large amount of turbulence between the two craft, making controlling it a challenge.

 

The two XF-85 prototypes did not carry landing gear, and instead had to make belly landings when the docking failed. For usability reasons, my recreation carries some, and it can take off and land easily enough.

Recreation Stats

 

My recreation of the B-36 is solid in flight, allowing the XF-85 to fly around it without trouble. In order to fly use the parasite fighter, open the B-36 bay doors with action group 1 and arm the claw with group 2. In order to release the XF-85, use action group 3 to release the XF-85 docking port and the KLAW.

Convair B-36J "Peacekeeper"

Builder: Servo	Crew: 4	Parts: 431	Mass: 126 tons
Top Speed: 115m/s	Powerplant: 12x Wheesley, 4x Panther	Service Celing: 7km	Dimensions: 54.09 x 12.92 x 54.75

 

McDonnell XF-85 "Goblin"

Builder: Servo	Crew: 1	Parts: 42	Mass: 6.1 tons
Top Speed: 200m/s	Powerplant: 1x Wheesley, 2x Juno	Service Ceiling: 15km	Dimensions: 5.9 x 2.97 x 3.73

 

Download Links:

B-36J (included XF-85):https://kerbalx.com/servo/Convair-B-36J-Peacekeeper

XF-85 (standalone): https://kerbalx.com/servo/XF-85-Goblin

Tomorrow's Craft:

Sabre variants (F-1 Fury, F-86D)

Edited February 15, 2017 by Servo

[Daniel Prates]

Hehe. What a cool thread.

Are only stock vessels pertinent? Or is the thread accepting KAX/airplane plus too?

[Servo]

46 minutes ago, Daniel Prates said:

Hehe. What a cool thread.

Are only stock vessels pertinent? Or is the thread accepting KAX/airplane plus too?

This is a collaboration between myself and NorthAmericanAviation, so it's just the two of us posting craft. 

Our ultimate goal is to replicate every U.S. military jet in stock KSP, in the order that they were introduced to service (or their program was cancelled).

If we get good enough at turboshafts, you may see some of those, too.

[Daniel Prates]

1 hour ago, Servo said:

This is a collaboration between myself and NorthAmericanAviation, so it's just the two of us posting craft. 

Our ultimate goal is to replicate every U.S. military jet in stock KSP, in the order that they were introduced to service (or their program was cancelled).

If we get good enough at turboshafts, you may see some of those, too.

Oh too bad. Great effort though!

[NorthAmericanAviation]

December 1949: F-86D/K/L Sabre-Dog (or YF-95)

The F-86D Sabre-Dog was the first major variant of the Sabre, sharing only 25% parts commonality with its scoop-nose brother. The F-86D series would see extensive use in the U.S. National Guard and for export to other countries, such as Italy, former Yugoslavia, and Venezuela

The fuselage, in comparison to the F-86F, is longer and slightly taller. Of course, it also has a dog-nose. For the later "K" model, Fiat became a licensed builder, assembling 221 F-86K's

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 39	Mass: 8.05 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 13km	Powerplant: 1x Panther	Top Speed: 348 m/s	Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.8 x 3.8 LWH

Performance on this replica is good, being able to hit nearly 350 m/s in a steep dive, and flying trans-sonic at level pitch.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/North-American-F-86D-Sabre-Dog

 

 

January 1950: YF-93

The YF-93 is a much-evolved Sabre, originally a design called F-86C which housed a larger afterburning engine. One could call it an ‘intermediate step’ between the F-86 and F-100, competing in the same trials that the XF-88 Voodoo won, even though the YF-93 received the contract. Much like most prototypes of this age, it was designed in the midst of rapid technological advancement, and was out of place by the time it was being produced.

Research found that, at high angles of attack, the NACA-style intake ducts restricted airflow, causing loss of power. NACA used the two prototypes as chase planes for various programs until they were both scrapped.

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 44	Mass: 13.4 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 10km	Powerplant: 1x Panther	Top Speed: 316 m/s	Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.8 x 3.8 LWH

This design was an early application of area-rule fuselage, as well, which made trans-sonic flight slightly more stable than its distant predecessors.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/North-American-YF-93

Tomorrow's Craft: Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor

[Servo]

May 1949: Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor

The Thunderceptor was a prototype supersonic interceptor, designed to rapidly engage high-flying enemy bombers. It was the first U.S. fighter to break the speed of sound, and it was a revolutionary design for its time.The reverse-swept wings combated the violent pitch-up that occurred on swept-wing fighters passing through transonic speeds, and it featured a variable-incidence wing (unfortunately, the XF-91 is too small to have a mechanism like my F8U) and rocket packs to accelerate through a climb. Due to the rapid development of jet engines, the thunderceptor was obsolete by the time it would have entered service, so only two prototypes were built.

Replica Statistics

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 47	Mass: 5.85 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 15km	Powerplant: 1x Panther	Top Speed: 350 m/s	Dimensions: 6.72 x 3.9 x 9.51

The Thunderceptor is a forgiving craft, that handles well at transonic speeds, as well as at slow speeds during approach and landing.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/XF-91-Thunderceptor

Tomorrow's Craft: F3D Skyknight

Onwards! To the 1950's!

[NorthAmericanAviation]

February 1950: Douglas F3D Skyknight

The Douglas F3D Skyknight, later re-designated F-10, is an all-weather night-fighter, serving with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps from 1951 to 1970. In Vietnam, it served as a ground-attack aircraft and was directly succeeded in all roles by the Grumman A-6 Intruder.

Its history also spans the korean war, and seeing heavy service with the USMC and ELINT (electronic intelligence) gathering. In Vietnam, the side-by-side observation cockpit made operations of the Electronic Warfare Officer easier, in spite of the antiquated equipment (Special thanks to @XB-70A for providing me some of that info over on KerbalX)

Replica Statistics

Builder: NAA	Part Count: 44	Mass: 10.5 Tons	Crew: 1
Service Ceiling: 9100m	Powerplant: 4x Juno	Top Speed: 295 m/s	Dimensions: 9.7 x 10.4 x 3.4 LWH

This replica is a great low-level flyer, taking turns at a slow and controllable pace, and has good cockpit visibility, as well. For me, it's a good observation plane, just as intended!

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/Douglas-F3D-Skynight

Tomorrow's Craft: Lockheed F-94 Starfire

Edited February 17, 2017 by NorthAmericanAviation

[Servo]

(Getting this one in at the eleventh hour)

May 1950: Lockheed F-94 Starfire

  The F-94 Starfire was the first U.S. all-weather jet interceptor. Although it bears a striking resemblance to the P-80 Shooting Star, the F-94 was a large upgrade. It was the first U.S. fighter to feature an afterburning turbojet, and had a slimmer shape than the P-80. It also featured two pods with 24 anti-air rockets each, allowing pilots to fill the sky with lead to take down enemy bombers.

The F-94 also holds the unique distinction of being the only jet to be killed by a biplane ever. In Vietnam, the Viet Cong were using Russian Po-2 biplanes as low-flying, slow-moving bombers with a low radar signature with moderate success. They flew so slow, that one F-94 stalled out trying to intercept one and crashed into the jungle.

Replica Stats:

Builder: Servo	Part Count: 79	Mass: 8.59 Tons	Crew: 1
Top speed: 360m/s	Armament: 2x sepatron missile	Powerplant: 1x Panther	Dimensions: 9.89 x 3.56 x 9.92 LHW

This version only features two rockets, but they have the power to take out the VAB, so fire away. It handles pretty well, and can be quite fun to fly from the cockpit when trying to take out the VAB or other buildings.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/F-94-Starfire

Tomorrow's craft: Northrop F-89 Scorpion

[Dman979]

It's threads like this that remind me why I need to visit this subforum more often. Keep up the good work!