Wyandotte Airacuda Special
Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 3:07 amI have a project from an admitted straight-lace toy collector. Virtually everything he has is in original condition. He apparently has one weakness with the Wyandotte Airacuda. The history of the maligned Bell YFM-1 Airacuda is fairly well known. The Army wanted a domestic bomber destroyer and Bell's design was a unique answer to the challenge. A rather forward design concept for the 1930's, The 'Cuda was a darling with the press and a handful for the pilot and crew. It garnered much speculation and mysteries in its rather short lifespan. What it did accomplish was confirm that Bell Aircraft was a bonafide designer and builder of military aircraft. It also grabbed the imagination of John Q. Public and his kids. Two toy companies, Hubley and Wyandotte jumped in with toy airplanes to sell. The Hubley is arguable the nicer version made with cast metal. The Wyandotte's pressed steel version was probably cheaper to produce thus becoming a long-term survivor in high population.
Charles Lindbergh affected toy manufacturing. He sued many toy companies building airplanes with direct reference to him without paying royalties. This caused toy companies to skew their designs and not be directly scale in appearance. For Wyandotte, they decided to have two fins and add a hump on the dorsal or top side of the Airacuda's fuselage. Buyers thought little of this at the time but as years passed speculation arose as to what that hump was for? Technically, as a toy, the extra shape gave the fuselage more strength, classic steel stamping 101. The Lindbergh issue certainly could have been a possibility. But, for my money, that hump was a possible design improvement that Bell may have been developing. The two cannons in the outboard engine pods were essentially hand-loaded affairs using aero-armourers. The recoil would certainly slow the airplane when fired. So, to not waste any shells, what could been done to better sight the cannon firing? The reflector sight was still a secret in England. So a more dramatic solution was to add a pair of machine guns loaded with incendiary shells. Great, but the belly already had a dedicated bombay that would double as a long-range tank location. Wing guns would be difficult to have for convergence of all the shells. So why not as a gun pack above?
This is what the collector wanted to do. The hump will no longer be mistaken as the pilot's cabin, that will be down in front. That hump will now pack heat. This Airacuda would have a one-two punch. Just think, if better engines had been available and the cannons had automatic feed, the Airacuda could have been a real threat, especially as a night-fighter. One wonders....
The pictures below show some of the progress in his conversion.
Regards, Tom
Charles Lindbergh affected toy manufacturing. He sued many toy companies building airplanes with direct reference to him without paying royalties. This caused toy companies to skew their designs and not be directly scale in appearance. For Wyandotte, they decided to have two fins and add a hump on the dorsal or top side of the Airacuda's fuselage. Buyers thought little of this at the time but as years passed speculation arose as to what that hump was for? Technically, as a toy, the extra shape gave the fuselage more strength, classic steel stamping 101. The Lindbergh issue certainly could have been a possibility. But, for my money, that hump was a possible design improvement that Bell may have been developing. The two cannons in the outboard engine pods were essentially hand-loaded affairs using aero-armourers. The recoil would certainly slow the airplane when fired. So, to not waste any shells, what could been done to better sight the cannon firing? The reflector sight was still a secret in England. So a more dramatic solution was to add a pair of machine guns loaded with incendiary shells. Great, but the belly already had a dedicated bombay that would double as a long-range tank location. Wing guns would be difficult to have for convergence of all the shells. So why not as a gun pack above?
This is what the collector wanted to do. The hump will no longer be mistaken as the pilot's cabin, that will be down in front. That hump will now pack heat. This Airacuda would have a one-two punch. Just think, if better engines had been available and the cannons had automatic feed, the Airacuda could have been a real threat, especially as a night-fighter. One wonders....
The pictures below show some of the progress in his conversion.
Regards, Tom