While I am working on my Do 215 Nightfighter, I decided to start on this![salmon.jpg salmon.jpg](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217755-3f3c1ad04238085ad84caefaeda52536.jpg)
This was a bizarre proposal, by the US Navy for a fighter that could take off & land vertically, on a ship, not needing a carrier deck. There were 3 makers interested, Lockheed, Convair ( with the Pogo ), and Ryan ( Vertijet ).
The Pogo & the Vertijet worked ( sort of ), but the Salmon never took off from it's tail - it was fitted with a Heath Robinson ( Rube Goldberg ) undercarriage for it's test flights. Test pilots just about managed to fly these things - on dry land & in good weather. Just imagine an average Navy pilot, on a ship, rolling & pitching in bad weather!
The idea was needless to say, dropped.
The Valom Salmon is a real short run kit - no locating tabs/pins, loads of flash, vacform canopies....................![P1060392.JPG P1060392.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217751-10c17538bd624c069b83bd36930a605c.jpg)
The wings/tails are all butt joints - so they need drilling for pins to give strength.................![P1060393.JPG P1060393.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217752-9d172ce7ba239b01d606e97705af4f8d.jpg)
The tails, in an X configuration need a lot of clean up - especially to make sure that the mating faces are flat![P1060394.JPG P1060394.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217753-e8e086f84178dfad3c5f604dacf86875.jpg)
After a session with emery paper on flat board, I was able to drill holes in both the fuselage & tails - and remarkably, I didn't break any drills!![P1060395.JPG P1060395.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217754-a9cf5d0ac07c91bfdd302ef29a9f88d7.jpg)
You can build this either as the concept - tail sitter, or with the actual lash-up undercarriage. I'm going for the latter, because it looks so bizarre - photo for discussion only!![lockheed-xfv-salmon-vtol-fighter-prototype-united-states_3.jpg lockheed-xfv-salmon-vtol-fighter-prototype-united-states_3.jpg](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217757-c2132df08d6b4bd9fbfb96c0c17a08d4.jpg)
Dave
![salmon.jpg salmon.jpg](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217755-3f3c1ad04238085ad84caefaeda52536.jpg)
This was a bizarre proposal, by the US Navy for a fighter that could take off & land vertically, on a ship, not needing a carrier deck. There were 3 makers interested, Lockheed, Convair ( with the Pogo ), and Ryan ( Vertijet ).
The Pogo & the Vertijet worked ( sort of ), but the Salmon never took off from it's tail - it was fitted with a Heath Robinson ( Rube Goldberg ) undercarriage for it's test flights. Test pilots just about managed to fly these things - on dry land & in good weather. Just imagine an average Navy pilot, on a ship, rolling & pitching in bad weather!
The idea was needless to say, dropped.
The Valom Salmon is a real short run kit - no locating tabs/pins, loads of flash, vacform canopies....................
![P1060392.JPG P1060392.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217751-10c17538bd624c069b83bd36930a605c.jpg)
The wings/tails are all butt joints - so they need drilling for pins to give strength.................
![P1060393.JPG P1060393.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217752-9d172ce7ba239b01d606e97705af4f8d.jpg)
The tails, in an X configuration need a lot of clean up - especially to make sure that the mating faces are flat
![P1060394.JPG P1060394.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217753-e8e086f84178dfad3c5f604dacf86875.jpg)
After a session with emery paper on flat board, I was able to drill holes in both the fuselage & tails - and remarkably, I didn't break any drills!
![P1060395.JPG P1060395.JPG](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217754-a9cf5d0ac07c91bfdd302ef29a9f88d7.jpg)
You can build this either as the concept - tail sitter, or with the actual lash-up undercarriage. I'm going for the latter, because it looks so bizarre - photo for discussion only!
![lockheed-xfv-salmon-vtol-fighter-prototype-united-states_3.jpg lockheed-xfv-salmon-vtol-fighter-prototype-united-states_3.jpg](https://www.scale-models.co.uk/data/attachments/217/217757-c2132df08d6b4bd9fbfb96c0c17a08d4.jpg)
Dave