lmritger wrote:
Jim MacDonald wrote:
OD/NG,
I requested info from NASM several years ago about purchasing blueprints/engineering drawings of the TBD from them. They didn't have anything except for some photos and I believe some of Paul Matt's scale drawings. I've since been able to get Xerox copies of the maintenance manual, flight manual and engine manual, but NASM didn't even have those at the time I inquired about the blueprints.
I know that there are some scale RC plans for the TBD, but I have no idea how accurate they are. I wonder if it would be possible for Gateguards to use a combination of one of those sets of plans and photos to come up with some accurate replicas.
Maybe Lynn can chime in on whether anything new has come to light in the way of blueprints in the last couple of years. He has or had probably the most informative website out there on the TBD.
Mac
Thanks for thinking of me Jim, but I've not seen anything other than the fantastic series of LIFE pics surface in the last 10-15 years. With that said, even those VT-6 shots (both the color ones and the later B/W series shot in November 1941) are a tremendously helpful resource, and now that the NHC has digitized almost all their NH series of photos in ridiculously high resolution, we have more than enough to get Martin and his team down the road on a passable TBD replica or six.
And that got me to thinking... could they be built with something like BT-13 main gear struts/wheels and stick a functional radial up front, to get them to look completely authentic as they taxi? Imagine how much that would add to the film!
Lynn
A few comments:
1) The movie, "Dive Bomber" with the glorious color film of the TBD's has been transferred to HD and is available for reference. So, this might be another source to provide details besides just the archival photographs.
2) Hopefully Martin can confirm this, but to put a functional radial engine on one of those fiberglass replica's looks like it might not support the weight of a real aircraft engine. An R-1830, as used on the TBD, weighs about 1300 lbs. Even if one went with an R-1340, that's still about 950 lbs hanging off the nose. I'm guessing there would have to be considerable strengthening of that area to bear such a load. Also, to have a functional engine, many systems and accessories would have to be in place. For example, a fuel tank with plumbing would be needed, oil system, starter, magnetos, etc. All of these little ancillary items add up fast in weight and space. I'm sure it could be done, but now you're starting to look at a monocoque design of some type, at least for the nose of the aircraft, to provide space for everything. All of this now adds complexity, weight and expense. Might it be better, easier and cheaper to just plug some kind of electric engine on that capable of swinging a plastic or composite propeller of some sort?
Hopefully Martin can weigh in here and talk about the viability of such an option.