Background

Racing continues to thrill spectators well into the future and one such form the sport has taken in the year 2023 is Desert Sled Racing. The Mojave Sled Regatta is by far the pinnacle of Desert Sled Racing. The Mojave Sled Regatta is run in three segments. All sleds are allowed a non-motive magnetic hover drive to remain above the ground but for motive power, the first segment is by fan. The sled may mount any type of fan based engine so long as the vehicle is strictly wind which propelled. The Swift Wynd mounts two turbo fans in streamlined wings, the blades of which can be feathered when running on other powered flight. The second segment is by magnetic drive. The Swift Wynd mounts two electromagnetic pods at the tips of each wing for this purpose. The final segment is by rocket. The Swift Wynd uses a solid oxygen burning turbo exhaust rocket engine mounted squarely in its hind end.

The Model

The main body of the Dodge Desert Swift Wynd is a banana split boat from a local ice cream restaurant. The chassis is sheet plastic cut to fit the banana boat and the cockpit is sheet and tube plastic along with greeblies such as Star Destroyer side panels for component cabinets, air craft fuel tanks, rocket launchers from an old 1/144 mech kit, gas bottles made from an F-84 JATO unit, and an O2 tank from a 1/20th pit crew set. The fire extinguisher gun is also cut from various parts of the pit crew with a wire hose. The pilot bed and headrest is formed from epoxy putty.

The wings are from a 1/48th F-104 kit with holes cut for the fans. The fans are 1/72nd P-51B props and spinners augmented with cut sheet plastic blades. The electromagnetic pods are 1/48th torpedoes from a He 111 kit. The roof of the sled mounts a 1/48th air craft fuel tank half faring with a 1/24th car distributor cap. The component housings on the side near the engine are from a coffee cup lid. The air intake on the left is from a 1/32nd bomb half. The rocket engine is a 1/48th MiG 29 exhaust with a 1/72 F-14 exhaust inside of it. The decals are after market NASCAR and a 1/48th Vodoo kit for the DANGER above the engine.

Image: Inside

Image: Cockpit, looking forward

Image: Rear view

Image: Front view