Somers Kendall SK1

Those of you who attended the presentation I did for the club at the end of last Winter may remember I had nurtured an ambition to build a model of the SK1, since I had worked for Nat Somers who was the 'Somers' part (actually the money part) of this mid 1950s attempt to develop the (then) worlds smallest and first civilian racing/training jet. Nat had talked to me quite a bit about the aircraft and shown me some three views and cutaway pictures in a Flight magazine from the 1950s.

I regularly Google the aircraft to see if I can find some data to allow a plan to be drawn up and ensure I have sufficient formal documentation to maybe use any model that may result in competition flying. Well a couple of weeks ago the search pulled up not one, but three old aviation magazines with references to the aircraft on Ebay. Well a few bids later I had one magazine winging it's way to me from the UK, another from France and another from the USA. I have spent some time researching High Kendall the designer and builder and this has pulled up some other info online, so I think this project is now a 'live project' rather than just an ambition.

The line and layout of the aircraft seem to lend themselves well to a turbine model and the prototype was semi aerobatic (+5G & -5G) as well as being fast, achieving 320 mph in level flight (design speed was 330mph). The V tail was an all flying tailplane and although the aircraft had a limited flying life when the engine blew up (common problem with early turbines!!!) just under a couple of years after the first flight, several elements went on to influence other aircraft such as the French Fuga V tails, Harrier u/c and all flying tailplanes on modern jet aircraft. These all show how ahead of it's time it was and what a great designer Hugh Kendall was (he was a also a test pilot for Miles Aircraft).

Another interesting thing I have found out is that Shawcraft Models a company that was started by several ex RAF personnel after the war and became famous as a model making company for the film and TV industry made several parts under contract for the SK1 after gaining official ARB approval. The company became very famous later when they went on to make the original Daleks for the BBC Dr Who programme and even made a full size (non flying, but taxiable) Vickers Vimy replica for a film that never materialized but parts of the Vimy turned up in Dr Who episode many years later.

Well don't expect thsi blog to move along very fast as this is a 'several' year project. My initial thoughts are to design the model to 1/3rd Scale but I am in the collect more information stage at the moment so will not make a final decision until I have completed that element of the project. To that end if any of you come across anything to do with the SK1 needless to say I would be interested. Apparently the remains of the fuselage has recently been acquired by someone in Reading who is also looking out for the wings, with a view to restoring it to flying condition, so I will try to make contact to get a good look at what remains (and take lots of picture, paints samples etc.)

Watch this space as they say. I will post most of the info I have collected over the next few weeks to give you all a taster of what the model might look like and what info I have acquired to date.

Interesting project Pete!!

The Turmeca Palas powerplant - just a big Wren !

Come on Peter! This would be a perfect project for the 2019 Jet World Masters in China. It's already earning a 50 point bonus for you for originality plus another 15 points in the Vintage Bonus category.

I received from Jim Gordon the first formal CAD file of the work so far on the SK1 in order to check some issues that Jim was having preparing the drawings. I have to say it is so good to be able to look at the 3D model from all angles to aid in checking the drawings (see short video).
We are having some difficulty transferring the complex compound curves of the engine cowling to the CAD drawings so will be spending a lot of time over the next few days looking at the numerous grainy photographs trying to work out what and how we can improve this element of the drawings.
I have already sent Jim a list of minor errors in the drawings to date such as he has hinged the ailerons conventionally in the middle but he SK1 actually has bottom hinged ailerons, as they are really flaperons. See pic.

Sorry the link to the short video of the rotating 3D image video did not upload, try again.

drive.google.com/file/d/1nVoy9N2lJ1BNFuX...Z9c/view?usp=sharing

Looks good, Peter.

I don't use W10 so cannot vouch for this piece of s/w but it might be worth checking it out if you are on W10

Video capture feature of Windows 10

Liked the video. The expression "pilot box" takes on a new meaning 15 seconds in!

The weather over the last few days has made it too cold to get into the workshop so I have spent the time working on the drawings of the engine cowl for the SK1 to try to help Jim Gordon to get the CAD drawing right in this area. I have scaled the drawings to 1/4 scale and have poured over the pictures and the three views and come up with a side elevation, top view and three sections (formers) to aid the interpretation.

I have also today finished writing the letter to the current owner, of what remains of the SK1, to ask for copies of any data he may have that is not in the public domain and to seek access to the remains currently in France for measurement and photography purposes and finally to get a small paint chip for colour matching purposes. It is in the post and I will wait to see if it produces a positive response and any useful information or anecdotes about the aircraft. I am now drafting a letter to geoffrey Somers the son of the late Nat Somers to see if he has any photographs not in the public domain that he would be willing to share with me.

It was good to see pencil and paper being used to draw the the engine cowl. Took me back to the mid fifties when I worked on the lofted lines of the early Cierva/Saro Skeeter.
Good to see some original design work, far more rewarding than assembling a moulded foam aeroplane designed on a computer and made by cnc tools. Hope your research turns out well.