overloaded folding wings

I have the same uncomfortable feeling with models showing every hardpoint loaded with every conceivable armanent - thee types of missiles, guided bombs, iron bombs and a large recon module. Aside from being unable to take off, extremely limited range, etc. what possible mission profile could such configurations meet?

Carrier based aircraft frequently have wings stressed to take ordnance in the folded position. It means they can be loaded before being called to the cat, when they would then spread their wings.

Chek

Don't forget that he's the same guy who did lowered flaps on a Mustang and left the hinge area looking like two two-by-fours joined edge to edge along the bottom with a HUGE gap at the top, and put hoses hanging down underneath the carburetor intake trunk...

Mike's finishing is terrific but his attention to detail is sometimes less than stellar.

"Guy N. LaFrance" wrote

I like the planes loaded for bear but with every maintenance panel open.

KL

I've got a problem with having them all loaded out with live ords (or inert ords for a "combat" representation "just for some color") and then having all the maintenance panels opened up or removed like the thing is in need of a complete re-build before it could get off the ground.

...EERRRRR...see alternate thread...

Mission: Make the public go "ooh" and "ahh" and say, "Wow, look at all the bombs and missiles and stuff on *that* one!", and possibly win the People's Choice Award if you can't get anything else? Just guessing... :-D

You can see about half the access panels open on an A-10 with all the hardpoints loaded with live ordnance but only if all the RBF tags are in place. Those panels have something to do with the loadout and testing before flight (I used to know which ones and why but it's been almost 2 decades since I had to know it).

Check actual loadouts on A-10's, A-6's and Su-25's, huge loads are common with the A-10 and Su-25 capable of carrying *very* assorted weapons on "one mission".....attack aircraft are made for loadouts like that and are often multitask loaded because they are strike aircraft loitering "on call" for troopies in deep. Seeing lawndarts or bugs (F-16's and F-18's) loaded to the gills with ordnance isn't common, they usually have more tankage than ordnance.

That's a lot of stressing! Especially for older airframes like the Skyraider.

Seb

Not for an A1 it's not

Chek

Well being a Skyraider buff the USAF usually loaded every hardpoint with ordnance, the USN usually did not usually load every hardpoint. Here is a large photo collection at an excellent website.

Hope this helps and enjoy, Mark M

FWIW I have a number of books on U.S. Navy aircraft and they show pictures of Corsairs, Skyraiders, and Panthers with the wings folded and well loaded with ordnance. The wings are stressed to handle this condition. If you think about it, they would have to be for carrier operations.

Bill Shuey

The A1 was an immensely strong beast. The only major issue with structural failure was the engine mounts--early versions were wont to drop their engine on the deck in a hard landing--but I believe they were restressed to deal with this defect.

Mark Schynert

I don't have any issues with that - the ones that are SUPPOSED to be open for preflight...I've been working around them long enough to know which ones should be for several platforms now. And if you don't know, just look at some flight line reference photos for cryin' out loud.

What I detest are the ones where the whole spine of the jet is opened up and all of the hyd and fuel system and engine bays are exposed and an entire "combat" load complete with "REMOVE BEFORE FLIGHT" tags are hanging off it. EERRRK...I saw some pictures of an otherwise very nice

1/32 F-14A done up this way recently. Great talent, but a waste of it realism-wise.

Or Cyrus Tan's F/A-18 marked out as the Shrikes CAG...with a full yellow banded combat load under wing, mission markings...and BLUE AIM-9s on it "to add some color". I GUARANTEE you the the LAST thing a combat armed F/A-18 will launch on an operational mission into a hot combat theater are inert AIM-9s...(shudder). Me and one of my former USN ordie buds that knows Cyrus personally were both left shaking our heads over that one...

And dios with fully armed jets inside hangars...PUH-LEEEZE...

True, but the last time I looked an A-10's wings don't fold...and that was what this was all about for starters.

Not to mention that in the case of Navy strikers you have to be able to bring back aboard what you don't use (in most cases). So the jets tend to go out lighter loaded.

Thanks Bill, That's just the point I was trying to get across. But in the words of Monty Python, you tell kids today, and they just don't believe you. Chek

Sort of, but not quite...I mean, yes - the aircraft do have to be fully loaded on deck and still be able to have the wingfold operate (even I recall seeing pictures of F9F's loaded out and wings folded - but only with rockets, I think); but the wingfold is still the weakest structural portion of the wing. And some of the folding mechanisms on WWII era carrier aircraft were also manually assisted, weren't they? Point is, there is some sort of limiting load and you can't just go hanging any old thing you like out there and still expect the wingfold to operate.

And deck operational procedures have certainly changed between WWII and present day - amount of live ordnance and/or fully fuelled aircraft on deck at any one time, for instance.

BTW - note that on most, if not all, modern carrier fighters the heavy hardpoints are all inboard of the wingfold - tip missiles only are located outboard.

Diorama is the keyword IMO. As long as it's a static display I don't have a problem with full load outs and opened panels. I just chalk it up as a three dimensional version of those nifty cutaway drawings in the mags.

But once a dio based on realism is raised around it, ya gotta behave and play by the rules. That's why I guess there's a premium for modelling those strange moments where if you didn't know the story behind what you were looking at you'd conclude the modeller had fouled up.

WmB

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