Prototype Aircraft

08/05/2023

Republic Aviation designed and manufactured the Thunderceptor as a rapid-response interceptor, capable of reaching high altitudes to counter potential threats from Soviet bombers. https://www.jetsprops.com/prototype/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-xf-91-thunderceptor-lessons-in-aircraft-design.html

12/04/2023

Nothing can beat this!

The old girl is still amazing!
https://www.jetsprops.com/surveillance/lockheed-sr-71-blackbird-the-cold-wars-ultimate-spy-plane.html

06/04/2023

Master Luke!

XFV-12 Prototype Supersonic US Navy fighter https://www.jetsprops.com/prototype/the-xfv-12-a-prototype-supersonic-us-navy-fighter.html

06/04/2023

https://www.jetsprops.com/fighters/de-havilland-mosquito-the-wooden-multi-role-fighter-bomber.html

24/03/2023

The Colomban Cri-Cri, also spelled Cricri, is the smallest twin-engined manned aircraft in the world, designed in the early 1970s by French aeronautical engineer Michel Colomban. The Cri-Cri features a cantilever low-wing, a single-seat enclosed cockpit under a bubble canopy, fixed tricycle landing gear and twin engines mounted on pylons to the nose of the aircraft in tractor configuration. The aircraft is made from aluminum sheet glued to Klegecell foam. Its 4.9 m span wing employs a Wortmann 21.7% mod airfoil, and has an area of 3.1 m2. The aircraft is also capable of aerobatics within the limitations of twin-engined aircraft.

24/03/2023

CMC Chichester Miles Leopard. The Leopard was a twin-jet, mid-wing monoplane of composite construction with all-swept flying surfaces and jet fighter-like styling, apart from the podded engines, mounted on each side of the rear fuselage. The entire canopy hinged forward to allow access to the four reclining seats. Only 2 were made.

20/03/2023

Northrop Tacit Blue at The National Museum of the United States Air Force

Built in the early 1980s in great secrecy, the revolutionary Tacit Blue aircraft tested advanced radar sensors and new ideas in stealth technology.

Tacit Blue proved that a stealthy aircraft could have curved surfaces -- unlike the faceted surfaces of the F-117 Nighthawk -- which greatly influenced later aircraft like the B-2. Tacit Blue’s design also minimized the heat signature emitted from the engines, further masking its presence. Tacit Blue was aerodynamically unstable, but it had a digital fly-by-wire system to help control it.

With its low, “all-aspect” radar signature, Tacit Blue demonstrated that such an aircraft could loiter over -- and behind -- the battlefield without fear of being discovered by enemy radar. Using advanced sensors, it could also continuously monitor enemy forces (even through clouds) and provide timely information through data links to a ground command center. Moreover, these sensors functioned without giving away the location of the aircraft.

The Tacit Blue aircraft flew 135 times before the program ended in 1985. The aircraft was declassified and placed on display at the museum in 1996.

19/03/2023

The French SNECMA Coléoptère vertical take-off aircraft, which first flew on 6 May 1959. It was a single-person aircraft with an annular wing designed to land vertically, therefore requiring no runway and very little space to take-off. There were several prototypes developed and tested, however the design proved to be very unstable and flying it was dangerous. (1959)

19/03/2023

Canadair CL-84 Dynavert tilt-wing VTOL research aircraft. The CX-131, was a V/STOL turbine tiltwing monoplane designed and manufactured by Canadair between 1964 and 1972. Only four of these experimental aircraft were built with three entering flight testing. Two of the CL-84s crashed due to mechanical failures, with no fatalities occurring in either of the accidents. Despite the CL-84 being successful in the experimental and operational trials carried out between 1972 and 1974, none of the prospective customers placed any orders for the type.

19/03/2023

ts 1977 and its Star Wars fever. Everyone started designing aircraft to look more space age and few get much closer to an alien looking spacecraft than the XFV-12. So with that in mind Rockwell International decided to build a prototype supersonic fighter for the US Navy.

The XFV-12: A Prototype Supersonic US Navy fighter February 2, 2023February 5, 2023 Craig Bowman The Rockwell XFV-12 was a prototype supersonic US Navy fighter built in 1977 Photo: RedRipper24 Its 1977 and its Star Wars fever. Everyone started designing aircraft to look more space age and few get mu...

19/03/2023

A "group photo" of first generation U.S. experimental aircraft. In the center, the Douglas X-3 Stiletto; around it, clockwise from bottom left: Bell X-1A, Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, Convair XF-92A, Bell X-5, Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, Northrop X-4 Bantam. (1953)

19/03/2023

The XB-70 was a remarkable bomber prototype that advanced aviation technology in the mid-twentieth century. With its futuristic design and ability to reach speeds above Mach 3, it was a feat of engineering. The XB-70 was driven by powerful turbojet engines and equipped with cutting-edge avionics and navigation systems for precise targeting and long-range missions.

The Majestic XB-70: An Aviation Legacy February 14, 2023 Craig Bowman The XB-70 was a remarkable bomber prototype that advanced aviation technology in the mid-twentieth century. With its futuristic design and ability to reach speeds above Mach 3, it was a feat of engineering. The XB-70 was driven by...

19/03/2023

The first British jet fighter, Gloster Meteor, made its first flight in March 1943, rushing in a new era in aviation. But there was still a long road to go to make jets really efficient, to bring them over the sound barrier, and to introduce them into civilian use. To achieve all these tasks tests pilots of late 1940s regularly put their lives at great risk, flying very dangerous missions in experimental aircraft. Such as almost 500 flights in de Havilland DH 108 “Swallow,” the fastest British jet of the time, which contributed to the development of world’s first commercial jet airliner, de Havilland DH.106 Comet.

Flying De Havilland DH 108 “Swallow”: A Flying Death Trap February 17, 2023February 17, 2023 Craig Bowman The first British jet fighter, Gloster Meteor, made its first flight in March 1943, rushing in a new era in aviation. But there was still a long road to go to make jets really efficient, to ...

18/03/2023

The Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II has now been in the US Air Force service for almost half a century. Over these decades the “Warthog” has many times provided close air support to American troops, including in Iraq and Afghanistan. But before securing the role of USAF ground-attack mainstay, it had to win a tough competition. In 1972 the USAF was choosing between two designs: Fairchild’s YA-10 and Northrops YA-9.

Northrop YA-9: The A-10 Warthog’s First Victory February 21, 2023February 26, 2023 Craig Bowman One of two prototypes built in 1972 to compete against the Fairchild YA-10 for a new USAF close air support aircraft. The YA-9 was unsuccessful while the YA-10 became the legendary A-10 Thunderbolt II T...

18/03/2023

The single U.S. Air Force Convair XC-99 (s/n 43-52436) in flight near La Jolla, California, a prototype heavy cargo aircraft, which first flew on 23 November 1947.

18/03/2023

The entire history of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft pretty much comes down to figuring out what part of an aircraft should change its direction from vertical to horizontal once it has gotten into the air and is ready for level flight.

Hiller X-18 – The Osprey V22s’ Grandfather December 18, 2022January 27, 2023 Craig Bowman The entire history of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft pretty much comes down to figuring out what part of an aircraft should change its direction from vertical to horizontal once it has gotten ...

18/03/2023

The Leduc 0.10 had a distinctive appearance reminiscent of spacecraft from science fiction movies. Ahead of its time, its cylindrical-shaped fuselage, long and narrow engine pod, tiny wings, and retractable landing gear gave it a futuristic appearance. It was one of the world’s first aircraft to fly powered solely by a ramjet and remains a fascinating and inventive aircraft that continues to captivate aviation enthusiasts’ imaginations.

The Leduc 0.10: A Retro-Futuristic Prototype March 4, 2023March 5, 2023 Craig Bowman The Leduc 0.10 had a distinctive appearance reminiscent of spacecraft from science fiction movies. Ahead of its time, its cylindrical-shaped fuselage, long and narrow engine pod, tiny wings, and retractable landing....

18/03/2023

The Hiller X-18 was an experimental cargo transport aircraft designed to be the first testbed for tiltwing and V/STOL (vertical/short takeoff and landing) technology.

Development

The X-18 showing its elaborate engine configuration Design work started in 1955 by Stanley Hiller Jr and Hiller Aircraft Corporation received a manufacturing contract and funding from the U.S. Air Force to build the only X-18 built, serialled 57-3078.

To speed up construction and conserve money, the plane was constructed from scavenged parts including a Chase YC-122C Avitruc fuselage, 49-2883,[1] and turboprops from the Lockheed XFV-1 and Convair XFY-1 Pogo experimental fighter programs. The tri-bladed contra-rotating propellers were a giant 16 ft (4.8 m) across. The Westinghouse turbojet engine had its exhaust diverted upwards and downwards at the tail to give the plane pitch control at low speeds. Hiller nicknamed their X-18 the Propelloplane for public relations purposes.

15/03/2023

The Kyūshū J7W Shinden was a World War II Japanese propeller-driven prototype fighter with wings at the rear of the fuselage, a nose-mounted canard, and pusher engine.

Developed by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) as a short-range, land-based interceptor, the J7W was a response to Boeing B-29 Superfortress raids on the Japanese home islands. For interception missions, the J7W was to be armed with four forward-firing 30mm type 5 cannons in the nose.

15/03/2023

A U.S. Navy FR-1 Fireball of fighter squadron VF-66 at Naval Air Station North Island, California (USA), in 1945

15/03/2023

Hughes H-4 Hercules flying boat. Nicknamed the "Spuce Goose". 1947. Built from wood (Duramold process) because of wartime restrictions on the use of aluminum and concerns about weight, the aircraft was nicknamed the Spruce Goose by critics, although it was made almost entirely of birch.

12/03/2023

The cold war and the arms race that was part of it had led to the creation of very exotic weaponry, intending to give the adversaries an edge in a conflict. One of such inventions was the Soviet MD-160, dubbed the “Caspian Sea Monster” for its menacing size.

The Caspian Sea Monster Lun-Class MD-160 January 15, 2023January 27, 2023 Craig Bowman Lun-class ekranoplan in 2021 Photo: Alexey Komarov A monster? The cold war and the arms race that was part of it had led to the creation of very exotic weaponry, intending to give the adversaries an edge in a conf...

12/03/2023

There’s something captivating about the experimental Vought XF5U. A developed version of the original V-173 prototype, the XF5U-1 was a larger aircraft. Of all-metal construction, it was almost five times heavier, with two 1,400 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2000 radial engines.

The Navy’s Weird “Flying Flapjack”: Vought XF5U January 18, 2023January 27, 2023 Craig Bowman Revolutionary innovations There’s something captivating about the experimental Vought XF5U. A developed version of the original V-173 prototype, the XF5U-1 was a larger aircraft. Of all-metal constr...

12/03/2023

At the dawn of the jet era answers to even such seemingly simple questions as whether a jet fighter pilot should sit or lie inside the aircraft were far from obvious and had to be found through test and trial. In the mid-1950s, Armstrong-Whitworth engineers modified a Gloster Meteor—the first British fighter jet—to investigate the feasibility of placing the pilot in a front-down prone position.

Pilots Flew This Gloster Meteor Lying in Prone Position January 23, 2023January 27, 2023 Craig Bowman Gloster Meteor prone position Photo: Clemens Vasters At the dawn of the jet era answers to even such seemingly simple questions as whether a jet fighter pilot should sit or lie inside the aircraft w...

12/03/2023

An aircraft depends on its wings, which generate lift keeping it in the air. But the wing is not the only part of a plane that can produce lift. So too can the fuselage. Especially, if it specially designed for that purpose. Besides, wings create a lot of drag. Aircraft designers thought about engaging the fuselage in lift generation from the very dawn of aviation.

NASA’s Lifting Bodies: Flight Without Wings January 25, 2023March 1, 2023 Craig Bowman After the M2-F1 (left) proved the lifting-body concept, NASA and the Air Force began work on a series of heavyweight, rocket-powered lifting bodies Credits: NASA Photo An aircraft depends on its wings, which gen...

12/03/2023

Although pop-culture associations may have influenced the design of the Avrocar with the flying saucer shape. But engineers were probably less interested in creating an alien ship and were primarily trying to build vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft. It seemed obvious that any new major conflict on the European continent would start with nuclear bombs that would destroy military installations—and airstrips—across most of the region. Thus an aircraft that could land and take off from anywhere would be instrumental.

That Time Canadians Made a Flying Saucer: Avro Canada VZ-9 Avrocar January 25, 2023January 27, 2023 Craig Bowman Flying saucer? Although pop-culture associations may have influenced the design of the Avrocar with the flying saucer shape. But engineers were probably less interested in creating an ali...

11/03/2023

This unusual aircraft resembles the F-22 but lacks vertical stabilizers and has some peculiar wings. At least from the top, there is a strong likeness between the nose and the “canopy.” However, one look at the back of the aircraft, it becomes clear that it’s nothing like any other American design because it is missing a tail.

When NASA Created a Tailless Fighter: X-36 January 26, 2023January 28, 2023 Craig Bowman This unusual aircraft resembles the F-22 but lacks vertical stabilizers and has some peculiar wings. At least from the top, there is a strong likeness between the nose and the “canopy.” However, one look at ...

11/03/2023

HiMAT stands for Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology, and they definitely nailed the “highly maneuverable” part… it’s almost as if someone at NASA had the idea, “What if we built the whole aircraft out of control surfaces?” It was also modular, so they could technically add even more/bigger control surfaces if they wanted to.

NASA’s Experimental “Fighter” Drone: Rockwell HiMAT January 27, 2023January 28, 2023 Craig Bowman HiMAT stands for Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology, and they definitely nailed the “highly maneuverable” part… it’s almost as if someone at NASA had the idea, “What if we built the...

11/03/2023

Ramjets, i.e., jet engines making use of the aerial vehicles forward motion instead of a turbine to compress the incoming air, are quite widely used in missiles. In the 1950s French aircraft designers took a shot at applying the technology to piloted aircraft. The result of their efforts was Nord 1500 Griffon, a delta-winged supersonic interceptor prototype.

Griffon: A Bold Experiment in Building a Ramjet Fighter January 25, 2023January 27, 2023 Craig Bowman Ramjets, i.e., jet engines making use of the aerial vehicles forward motion instead of a turbine to compress the incoming air, are quite widely used in missiles. In the 1950s French aircraft designe...

11/03/2023

In 1955 Glenn L. Martin Company built a jet-powered flying boat capable of flying at near supersonic speeds. The P6M SeaMaster was created with a view to serve as a strategic bomber carrying nuclear, as well as conventional weapons. At that day and age nuclear warfare strategies were just taking shape, with the range of possible delivery vehicles including options that would seem strange today.

P6M SeaMaster: Flying Boat Intended for Nukes January 26, 2023January 27, 2023 Craig Bowman A Martin P6M-1 Seamaster U.S. Navy photo In 1955 Glenn L. Martin Company built a jet-powered flying boat capable of flying at near supersonic speeds. The P6M SeaMaster was created with a view to serve as a st...