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General Forums => Wishlist => Topic started by: Arlo on December 16, 2019, 04:55:44 PM

Title: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Arlo on December 16, 2019, 04:55:44 PM
A lot of them were built. It was somewhat adequate. Looks like something tough to model. It was built to be a torpedo bomber but it was really used as a dive bomber.

(https://www.aviationgraphic.com/8379-large_default/fairey-barracuda-na-04.jpg)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Barracuda

Ugly as sin. Would pass for a frog design.

Woo hoo.

(https://www.super-hobby.com/zdjecia/8/0/2/714_rd.jpg)
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: perdue3 on December 18, 2019, 07:43:45 PM
Ugly as sin. Would pass for a frog design.


(http://prod-upp-image-read.ft.com/9080ce5e-6c8f-11e7-b9c7-15af748b60d0)

Quoi?
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Vraciu on December 18, 2019, 09:26:20 PM
Anglo-French.
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Devil 505 on December 18, 2019, 10:58:31 PM
The English don't exactly have a stellar track record of designing good looking planes either.

Sure they made the Spit, but what else?

Sopwith Camel is a win.

The Hawker Sea Fury and Hunter. Maybe?

I'd say the French are ahead of the Brits in making pretty planes.

The Nieuport series are all winners.

Spads are alright.

Same for the D.520

Love the Mirage series. In fact, Dassault really has really been consistently good in the jet age. Except the Rafale.
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Vraciu on December 19, 2019, 12:31:25 AM
If it's ugly it's British.

If it's weird it's French.

If it's ugly AND weird it's Russian.

Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Chris79 on December 19, 2019, 04:28:26 PM
Good god, it looks like the toilet the morning after a Juarez binge
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: perdue3 on December 19, 2019, 06:11:40 PM
I agree here. The French make prettier airplanes than the British. V bombers anyone?
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Arlo on December 19, 2019, 06:59:05 PM
Post-WWII the French learned not to make:

(https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.370108374.5775/flat,550x550,075,f.u3.jpg)
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Vraciu on December 19, 2019, 07:05:59 PM
https://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/1/1/0/1359011.jpg?v=v40

(https://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/1/1/0/1359011.jpg?v=v40)
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: perdue3 on December 19, 2019, 08:25:30 PM
Post-WWII the French learned not to make:

(https://ih1.redbubble.net/image.370108374.5775/flat,550x550,075,f.u3.jpg)

This thread can go 100 pages of single examples of bad looking aircraft. That is not the point. I was simply cherry picking your seemingly anti-French aircraft design comment.
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Arlo on December 19, 2019, 09:36:59 PM
This thread can go 100 pages of single examples of bad looking aircraft. That is not the point. I was simply cherry picking your seemingly anti-French aircraft design comment.

Well, it's not like the initial post was short on hooks. ;)
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Devil 505 on December 19, 2019, 10:43:37 PM
If it's ugly AND weird it's Russian.

While true for some Russian stuff, I think overall Russia have lots of great looking planes.

Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Vraciu on December 20, 2019, 12:58:45 AM
While true for some Russian stuff, I think overall Russia have lots of great looking planes.

Yak-9 is about the only one I can think of.

Su-27s aren't bad, but they're kinda' chunky.

Honestly the sexiest Russian plane was built by the USA.    :rock
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Greebo on December 20, 2019, 07:36:08 AM
The Barracuda was a bit of a dog really. It's spec included a requirement for dive bombing, torpedo dropping and for being able to spot for battleships. This led to the awkward three man crew, mid wing layout with long complex gear and windows below. The torpedo dropping meant a large thick wing for good low speed lift and the dive bombing meant a heavy structure and dive brakes. The other problem was British engine manufacturers' inability to produce a reliable enough 2,000 hp engine for it until 1944. So this big heavy aircraft was saddled with an under-powered Merlin until the Griffon arrived. The Barracuda also had low speed handling issues with rudder overbalancing which killed a few crews during torpedo practice.

From an AH plane perspective the only half decent British carrier aircraft of WW2 was the Fairey Firefly. This was a two seat attack aircraft armed with four Hispanos and about 2,000 lb of bombs. It wasn't all that fast but had Fowler flaps so could turn very tightly. It mainly served in the anti-Tirpitz missions off Norway and with the British Pacific Fleet off Japan.

Some might say the Swordfish was the best British carrier plane of the war but it was helpless against any sort of fighter opposition and so where possible was flown at night or out of range of enemy fighter cover. With the aid of radar RN pilots became very adept at night attack missions with flare-dropping Swordfishes silhouetting enemy ships for torpedo-dropping Swordfishes. For AH its hard to see a use for it outside of a Channel Dash scenario, which would undoubtedly end up the with the same result as in RL.
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Mister Fork on December 20, 2019, 10:21:03 AM
If it's ugly it's British.

If it's weird it's French.

If it's ugly AND weird it's Russian.



If it's exotic it's Swedish.  :cool:

If it's expensive it's American.   :D

If it nice and says 'sorry' a lot it's Canadian (https://www.insulators.info/canadian_forum/images/canadian_flag_small.gif)
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: Devil 505 on December 21, 2019, 03:33:25 PM
Yak-9 is about the only one I can think of.

Su-27s aren't bad, but they're kinda' chunky.

Honestly the sexiest Russian plane was built by the USA.    :rock

I like the whole war-time Yak series. Only the 7b is a bit iffy because of the humpback look to it.

I like most MiG's overall. Only the twin-seat jets and the rardar-nosed MiG-19 really stand out as not attractive.

Like the MiG's , the single seat Su-27 line looks great, but the two-holers look funky.
Title: Re: Fairey Barracuda
Post by: perdue3 on December 22, 2019, 07:21:22 PM
I like the whole war-time Yak series. Only the 7b is a bit iffy because of the humpback look to it.

I like most MiG's overall. Only the twin-seat jets and the rardar-nosed MiG-19 really stand out as not attractive.

Like the MiG's , the single seat Su-27 line looks great, but the two-holers look funky.

I agree. The La-5, 7, 9, and 15 are all gorgeous in my opinion. The Yak line is beautiful save the 7. Also, Russian trainers were very good looking aircraft. The UT-1 and 2 as well as the Po-2 were great aircraft. Su-33, 34, and 35 are all quite pretty, too. I think Russia is pretty high on the sexy scale.