The Planes that never were

[pogofish]

Continuing the theme of stillborn VTOL projects, here's the Dornier 31.

The TP was the swashbuckling Drury Wood. He once landed it outside the Rolls Royce pavillion at the Paris air show, strode inside and announced, "That thing's got 10 Rolls Royce engines. Who's buying me a drink?"

I thought that one was the forward flight only version - It had the wing pods but was only fitted with two main engines. Its the one in the next post that had the full complement.

 

[DaveCinzano]

The TP was the swashbuckling Drury Wood. He once landed it outside the Rolls Royce pavillion at the Paris air show, strode inside and announced, "That thing's got 10 Rolls Royce engines. Who's buying me a drink?"

 

[Idris2002]

And here's the inside of it!

I couldn't get a good shot of the analog computer that was supposed to keep the whole thing in the air - Most of it may have been shifted to another gallery in DM.

I take it the computer was needed to keep all the various engines acting in unison?

 

[pogofish]

I take it the computer was needed to keep all the various engines acting in unison?

Exactly!

 

[pogofish]

Damm - I just realised that I have no aeronautical interest in my New Year trip this year.

I may have to improvise something, or revisit. Hmmm....!

 

[pogofish]

This, apparently, was Yugoslavia's Ikarus 452M.

In a similar vein - The French SNCASO Deltaviex:

Which survives in somewhat battered condition:

 

[Idris2002]

 

[pogofish]

Following some new uploads to the Convair Archive:

The Convair Model B58-9 SST. The Stage-3 variant of the B58 Hustler bomber.

Yes, instead of a big bomb, the weapons Bay was going to carry passengers. Can you imagine how much a flight in one of those would have ended-up costing!


The Convair Model 44:

Convair's attempt to design a plane for the role eventually taken by Grumman F-14 Tomcat.


The Convair Model XA-44 which got as far as the Airforce designation XB-53:

A forward swept wing medium bomber/attacker based on "borrowed" German designs. The two prototypes were cut-up incomplete.

 

[Idris2002]

I'd never heard of this before today, but apparently there were plans for a "super Concorde" or Concorde B, which would have a much longer range and be less noisy:

Heritage Concorde

It all looks eminently doable, as well, if it weren't for politics nixing the plan.

 

[Idris2002]

Bonus Blue Steel Concorde:

 

[pogofish]

Another couple of Convair projects, although I think these are ultimately Martin designs?

Am I mistaken but does the undercarriage/engine configuration not look a bit Arado-like?

Note the retractable spar buoy/stabiliser concept - its not a slow-flying plane or a very fast sub!

 

[Crispy]

That's not making any sense to me... Surely any spar buoy with enough stability to keep that thing level would be far too heavy to take off?!

 

[pogofish]

Maybe that accounts for the eight jet engines and project cancellation/non-progression?

 

[pogofish]

More Convair/General Dynamics kite-flying:

These are their collected proposals for replacing the A-12/SR-71 - although I doubt the pregnant looking plane on the left could do Mach 3+?

And this is their proposal to replace the B58 Hustler.

 

[spitfire]

blue sky thinking.....

 

[ferrelhadley]

Am I mistaken but does the undercarriage/engine configuration not look a bit Arado-like?

The Ar 234 did not have a landing gear, just a skid. It used a tricycle to get off the ground that it jettisoned.

 

[Idris2002]

blue sky thinking.....

"Ve haff lost ze var, so ve vill just start pissing about"

 

[Idris2002]

From the Facebook group "Obscure Aircraft of WWII", which says:

Bell XP-52............United States
Powerplant: Continental XIV-1430-5 of 1.250 hp
Max Speed:425 at 19.000 ft
Armament:2x20mm & 6x.50in
Order for Prototype canceled November 25 1941
Just a Paper airplane

 

[A380]

From the Facebook group "Obscure Aircraft of WWII", which says:

Bell XP-52............United States
Powerplant: Continental XIV-1430-5 of 1.250 hp
Max Speed:425 at 19.000 ft
Armament:2x20mm & 6x.50in
Order for Prototype canceled November 25 1941
Just a Paper airplane

I wonder if this was a/the inspiration for the Optica. A plane that nearly was:

 

[Crispy]

!

I remember seeing pictures of that when I was a child and thinking it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. The view from that cockpit must be incredible.

 

[LDC]

Didn't that make it into service? I'm sure I saw one in use somewhere obscure years ago?

 

[Pickman's model]

has anyone mentioned the steam-powered aircraft the ussr spent years trying to develop before ww2?

 

[mauvais]

The Optica exists, albeit in very low volume, and supposedly is to be built again.

 

[A380]

Didn't that make it into service? I'm sure I saw one in use somewhere obscure years ago?

They had some crashes which cost them the company. Although apparently they weren’t down to the design or manufacture.

Every now and again someone buys the jigs and rights and makes noises about starting production again but it never comes to anything. A pity as I’d love a go.

 

[2hats]

Didn't that make it into service? I'm sure I saw one in use somewhere obscure years ago?

Hampshire Constabulary trialled them as an observation platform (of course). One crashed.

 

[A380]

Hampshire Constabulary trialled them as an observation platform (of course). One crashed.

Hampshire police were trialing it. I think with a PPL and and observer with a camera and stabilised binoculars. The crash is supposed to have been the tragically common to low, to slow steep turn. Optica tried to get a finding of pilot error but without evidence the AAIB wouldn’t say that.

The Optica design couldn’t carry the weight of modern police role equipment (Stabilised video/FLIR camera nite sun search light, radio fit and all the electronics gubbins that go with it). So that probably rules it out for TV filming and power line inspection work too. Also the CAA are never going to let a single engine anything do that kind of work.

I’d love a go though with that visibility. You’d think there would be a market for something with athe visibility of a glider/ helicopter but a single engine PPL capable like design. Although the sky arrow would seem to say not.



I’ve only ever read about it. Anyone know more?

 

[Idris2002]

Can't answer that one A380, but I can show you this nice pic of a flying wing bomber:

 

[Dogsauce]

More Convair/General Dynamics kite-flying:

These are their collected proposals for replacing the A-12/SR-71 - although I doubt the pregnant looking plane on the left could do Mach 3+?
.

Pretty sure some of those designs were copied from sketches I did on the inside cover of my junior school maths notebook. Blatant plagiarism.

 

[Idris2002]

God help us all:

 

[Poi E]

No manufacturer's warranty with that.