An Aero Spacelines artists concept circa February 1968 depicting a six-engine variant of their Super Guppy, modified to transport 747 components from the Wichita Kansas facility to the Everett Washington facility. While this didn’t come to pass, thirty years or so later Boeing did modify a 747 to carry 787 components.
The Lockheed space station substantially built-up and added-on, stretched and with added “arms.”
An early 1960’s Lockheed concept for a modular space station. It would rotate around the long axis to create “artificial gravity” in the outboard “bars.” Nuclear reactor at the “tail,” possibly de-spun docking system up front.
A trio of Model 473 jetliner concepts from 1949-1950, from ebay. Note that the one at bottom is a double-decker configuration.
Boeing press release (well, part of it, anyway):
A mid/late 1960’s Lockheed concept for a heavy lift “flying crane” cargo helicopter. It could carry 150 passengers, or 10 tons of cargo 1000 miles; length given as 104 feet.
One of the original selling points of the Space Station was that it would be useful as an assembly station and launch point for manned missions to the Moon and Mars. One such concept was the one illustrated below, a “dual keel” station concept from 1989 with a partially enclosed “hangar” below and an aeroshell-equipped Mars vehicle above.
This space station design features a wealth of electrical power, both from rectangular photovoltaic arrays and segmented-mirror solar dynamic generators.
Boeing artwork (from ebay) depicting the Model 367 (probably -65) turboprop airliner. Derived from the C-97, this was a step on the road to the 707. Dates from 1950.
Boeing press release:
US Bomber Projects issue #5 or #6 will probably include this… a concept for a hovercraft packing an MX missile. Stay tuned!
Make sure to check out USBP #01 and USBP #02 . USBP #03 and #04 are scheduled for September.
NASA art, circa 1975, depicting the Space Transportation System. Apart from the paint job, this is pretty much as-flown, except for the fairing over the nose of the ET. This probably depicts the “de-orbit” solid rocket motor that early ET concepts showed, meant to make sure that the ET was properly dumped into the Indian Ocean.
An illustration (found on ebay) from 1949 depicting the Model 473 (-31, or possibly -51), a four-engine jetliner derived from the B-47.
The Boeing press release:
