Czech Model 1/48 Ryan FR-1 Fireball By Gerry Nilles

History

Conceived in secrecy and too late for combat in WWII the Ryan FR-1 Fireball is one of those aircraft that did not receive the respect or recognition it was due. If war in the Pacific had continued the Fireball probably would have been become as well known as the Hellcat or the Corsair. As it was, only 66 FR-1s were built and because of the rapid advance of post war aviation technology this aircraft was relegated to a very short service life and relative obscurity.

The US Navy’s entry into the jet age came as a compromise. Early pure jet operating requirements were almost completely opposite those of the typical carrier aircraft of the time. If the Navy were to have jets it needed to overcome such major challenges as long takeoff runs, high speed landings on tricycle gear, and limited range due to high fuel consumption. However in late 1942 the solution to many of these issues would have to wait and an alternative and more immediate approach would be needed. Navy planners realized that the answer to this dilemma was an aircraft that combined a traditional radial engine with a jet that also ran on aviation gas.

In December of 1942 the Bureau of Aeronautics issued a proposal request to a number of aircraft manufactures including the San Diego, California based Ryan Aeronautical corporation. Ryan immediately responded and convinced the Navy that they were up to the challenge. The Navy was happy with the fact that Ryan was not otherwise involved with the production of combat aircraft as was the case with the other companies solicited. The Navy also felt that choosing Ryan for the job would bring about a fresh approach seeing as how they had never built a fighter aircraft let alone one for the Navy.

The prototype Fireball (XFR-1) powered by an R-1820-72W Wright Cyclone radial and a General Electric I-16 (J-31) turbojet was completed in early 1944 and made its first flight in June of that year. Production deliveries to the newly designated VF-66 squadron began in March 1945. VF-66, nicknamed the Firebirds, was established for the sole purpose of getting the Fireball operational as quickly as possible. However with the end of the war urgency was no longer a factor. Subsequently VF-66 was disbanded in late 1946 with all of its aircraft being turned over to VF-41, which immediately was re-designated VF-1E. As noted only 66 of the over 700 FR-1s ordered were built prior to production halt on VJ day. Of these 66 only one still exists today. I should note here that the squadron/signal publication “MINI in action FR-1 Fireball” by Ernest McDowell, (which comes with the kit), does an excellent job of detailing the design, development, testing, and operational history of this aircraft.

The Kit

Czech Model’s Ryan FR-1 “Fireball” is a limited-run mixed media kit containing injection-molded main assemblies, resin detail parts by “True Details” and a vacuform canopy. The fuselage, wings, horizontal stabilizers, landing gear assemblies (including doors and the nose wheel), fuel tanks, and individual prop blades are all injection-molded in their standard medium gray plastic. Resin parts include a detailed engine with separate cylinders, the cockpit assembly, wheel wells and main gear wheels, and other miscellaneous parts such as the prop hub, drop tank shackles, and flap actuators.

The level of detail overall seems to be consistent with previous Czech Model kits. That is to say that it is adequate but not overdone. Quick checks of the key dimensions, such as the wing span and fuselage length, as well as panel line placement, seem to indicate reasonable accuracy. Kit assembly is straightforward. It starts with the cockpit followed by the fuselage, the wings, and finally the landing gear and external details. Being a tricycle landing gear aircraft of course the nose is going to have to be weighted - nine grams according to the kit instructions. A quick check of the kit’s landing gear struts showed that they looked substantial enough to handle the weight. The only challenge that I could see will be the attachment of the very small and fragile-looking resin cast flap actuators. The drop tank shackles will need some care also.

The decals supplied with the kit give you the choice of an aircraft from either operating unit and at different time periods. The decals seem to be of good quality and registration. However the placement of some of the markings such as the Firebird squadron emblem and the NO STEP, for these particular aircraft, are not identified. However a review of the photos and artwork in the “MINI in Action” does indicate possible placement and positioning of these items.

Conclusion

My compliments to the folks at Czech Model for their choice of 1/48th scale subject matter. As for this specific kit, it looks good but this is just a first quick look so any potential construction or significant accuracy problems have not been identified at this time. It should be noted that limited-run offerings are sometimes a bit of a tradeoff among quality, accuracy, and cost. However when considering alternatives, such as scratch building or another P-51, Me-109, F-4 Phantom, etc this model builder is all for such kits.

Many thanks to MMD-Squadron for supplying this sample kit.