February 2016 – Aerospace Projects Review Blog

AH-56 & JVX

Feb 282016

I’ve put scans of a 1968 Popular Science article on the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne attack helicopter and a Boeing-Bell brochure on the JVX tiltrotor (which became the V-22) on the APR Patreon dropbox, in the 2016-02 folder.

The Pop Sci article featured cover art by Robert McCall. Just cuz, I tinkered with the cover art, attempting to scrape off the text and restore it to just the painting. Perhaps not a 100% success, but not too bad. The JVX is not *quite* the final V-22 design; a notable difference is the inclusion of a .50 caliber gatling gun in the nose and a rocket launcher hanging off the side the cockpit.

If interested in getting these, please consider signing up for the APR Patreon. The “Extras” are available to all $4 patrons. Quite a pile of high-rez stuff is available now.

Transonic 767

jetliner, transports No Responses »

Feb 232016

In the early 1970s, after the collapse of the SST program due to, in part, the rise in energy prices, Boeing, Lockheed, General Dynamics and NASA looked at the possibility of jetliners designed to fly economically right at the edge of the sound barrier. The idea was that there is an unavoidable spike in drag at Mach 1.00, but it would theoretically be possible to fly at, say, Mach 0.98 at relatively low drag. This would make the aircraft about 100 mph faster than conventional jetliners without being much more expensive. In order to pull this off, the jetliners would need to take advantage of every imaginable aerodynamic trick in the book… most obviously, area rule designing resulting in “wasp waisted” fuselages, and almost no straight lines… all curves. The problem is that this makes aircraft heavier and more expensive to build. Thus, no transonic airliners ever got any further than wind tunnel tests.

Below is a piece of Boeing art showing one of their designs for an Advanced Technology Transport. It was a Model 767 design, dash-number unknown.

WS324A TFX

bomber, fighter, Patreon No Responses »

Feb 232016

One of an extremely large large number of designs put forward for Weapons System 324A, Tactical Fighter X, which eventually became the F-111. This particular design, circa 1962, is the WADD 46 from the Wright Air Development Center and is pretty typical… a twin engine supersonic design with sizable variable-sweep wings.

Two full-rez pages from the WS324A Characteristics Summary have been posted to the 2016-02 APR Extras Dropbox folder for all $4 and up APR Patreon patrons.

2-D B-1 Mockup

bomber No Responses »

Feb 222016

An early 1970’s photo of a “mockup” of the Rockwell B-1 bomber. Rather than building an expensive plywood mockup that accurately recreated the complex curves of the B-1, this one was vastly simpler… a “side view” diagram of the B-1 with a few interior details, with a “shadow” on the floor. If you look carefully, it looks like this photo has been censored… the bays fore and aft of the main landing gear have been blacked out. Presumably these showed the payload of SRAMs and/or cruise missiles. One engine and the wing pivot system are included as actual 3-D items, probably mockups. Note that this is not the final B-1 design as built… the nose contours are a bit off.

US Fighter Projects #1, US VTOL Projects #1 now available

fighter, rockets, US Fighter Projects, US VTOL Projects, VTOL 4 Responses »

Feb 182016

Now available… the first of two new US Aerospace Projects titles.

US Fighter Projects #1

US Fighter Projects #01 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #01 includes:

Tremulis “Zero Fighter:” A World War II era two-stage rocket propelled, vertically launched interceptor
North American Rockwell D-541-4 “Surprise Fighter:” An early stealth fighter concept with flip-out wings
Republic TFX: An unconventionally-configured variable-sweep design, competed to become the F-111
Martin Model 302: A large four-engined supersonic interceptor loaded with missiles
Convair Nuclear Powered Interceptor Configuration II: A single-seat design with a nuclear reactor
NAF Float-Wing Interceptor: A WWII small flying boat to be carried by small ships
Martin Pursuit-Type Airplane: An early WWII-era design with a prone pilot
Boeing Model 1074-0006: A 1980’s design for a hydrogen-fueled hypersonic monster

USFP #01 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4:

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US VTOL Projects #1

US VTOL Projects #01 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #01 includes:

Ryan Model 162: A three-lift-fan ground attack plane with a minimum wing
NACA VTOL Bomber: A slim six-engined supersonic concept
Bell X-14C: A three-engine low cost close support plane
Lockheed GL-224-2: A small rescue craft that can dock in flight with a C-130
Bell D270A-900-112: A tilt-rotor that has folding props
Boeing Model 837-313: A minor design for a fighter like a Harrier with variable-sweep wings
Hughes Hot Cycle Rotor/Wing Composite Research Aircraft: Use the exhaust from a jet engine to spin up a triangular rotor blade…
Lockheed CL-1026: A civilian derivative of the AH-56, to carry passengers from city center to city center

USVP #01 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4:

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