F-92: real or fantasy?

[Tiger Tim]

Hey all, I came across this today:
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/model-plane-masterpiece/

I'm no expert by any stretch but that beast just isn't ringing any bells. Kind of looks like a P-51 and a P-80 had a baby.

So... was there a real one?

-Tim

[Pogmusic]

Only F-92 I know is the Convair XF-92

[mazdaP5]

I'm gonna call no, since the only pics I could find were that article. Seems like the numbering would be off as well, 92 put's it well into the first gen jets. The horizontal stab and canopy look P-47 to me. Neat though...

[The Inspector]

The opening line in the article says 'model airplane' and it took the guy 5 years and $42 in materials, shoot! I can spend $42 on one resin detail set, it also says in a caption 'tiny electric motor'. Nice work, wonder where it wound up?

[Fouga23]

Ended up here it seems:
http://pearsonairmuseum.org/index.php/exhibits.html

[Tiger Tim]

Well there ya have it, you guys are probably right. I had thought perhaps it was based on a North American proposal for a turboprop fighter in case jets turned out to be a passing fad.

A couple interesting things stand out to me:
-Given the air intakes in the wing root and the fuselage terminating in a pipe at the tail, it seems like it could have been designed with a mid-mounted turbine and a gun in the nose, a la P-39/63.
-The wings have an interesting jog in the trailing edge. I guess the imaginary flight tests showed the ailerons were too small.
-The dive brakes on the trailing edge look awfully small, but get a load of those gear doors! Final approach would have to be at half throttle or more.
-Even though it's not a real plane, they've somehow decided the range wasn't sufficient so tip tanks have been added.

-Tim

[k5083]

The opening line in the article says 'model airplane' and it took the guy 5 years and $42 in materials, shoot! I can spend $42 on one resin detail set, it also says in a caption 'tiny electric motor'. Nice work, wonder where it wound up?

$42 in 1953 is $300 today, so the statement probably was intended to convey that he spent a lot of money. Clearly had talent too though.

August

[The Inspector]

Interesting, Pearson is the oldest airport in America, serving as a landing ground for Lincoln Beachey and his airship before College Airport back East opened. They've got a very nice series of aircraft and antique aircraft on display. The field was also the touchdown point in 1935 for the Russian transpolar flight in the ANT-25.

The article says the guy was a machinist @ NAA, and you can easily blow $300 on resin aftermarket stuff, I admire the guy because he is/was a true modeller scratch building every part of the model

[Stoney]

The Russian transpolar flight ANT-25 landed at Pearson Field on June 20, 1937. I kept my SNJ there for 15 years. I haven't been in the museum for several years so I haven't seen this model.