Ryan COIN

 aircraft, APR, art, history, Monthly Historical Documents Program, Patreon, projects  No Responses »
Sep 172025
 

Ryan art of a Counter Insurgency (COIN) concept from the 1960s. This aircraft is somewhat similar to the OV-10 Bronco but with the important distinction of having a rotor for VTOL capability. For forward flight the 3-bladed rotor would largely stow within a large saucer-shaped rotor hub to decrease drag. Unfortunately, this is all I have on this concept; if anyone has anything further, I’d love to see it.

The high-rez (600 dpi) scan of the artwork has been made available as an “extra” to APR Monthly Historical Documents Program subscribers/Patrons above the $10 level. If you’d like to get in on such things, or would simply like to help me procure and save such rare aerospace ephemera, consider subscribing. This can be done either through Patreon or Paypal, as described here:

https://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/monthly.htm

 Posted by at 4:18 pm

Class Y Courier

 art, awesomeness, science fiction, spacecraft, youtube  No Responses »
Jul 252025
 

A fan concept of a Star Wars Y-wing but brought into the Star Trek universe as a courier. Only the one view, but to me it looks awesome. It’d make a neat model. It certainly seems to make sense from an aesthetic standpoint, looking like something that might serve the Runabout role during the TOS era.

Once again, fans doing a better job of designing vehicles that look canonical than the actual IP holders.

 Posted by at 2:09 am

1/18 Project Pluto #2

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, history, Hmm..., models, nukes, projects, weapons  No Responses »
Jan 272025
 

I haven’t finished the first Pluto, but I decided to go ahead with an improved version anyway. Pluto ver 2 now has a full weapons bay interior, shadow shield and air conditioning equipment. I am also going to completely revise the reactor and add booster rockets.

 

The first one will still be completed, to serve as a proof of concept and as a painting test to get that 24K gold look. Then I’ll probably see about selling it on ebay or something.

 

 Posted by at 1:45 pm

1/18 Project Pluto

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, blather, Hmm..., models, nukes, projects, weapons  No Responses »
Jan 182025
 

So it has been a little bit of a while. Been busy, and lately I’ve been ill (influenza B). But the illness is finally fading and the busyness may be tapering a bit. So here’s a recent product of slow progress: the 3D printed bits of a 1/18 Project Pluto  nuclear ramjet missile. Much of it is fiber-printed, with smaller parts resin printed. Why does it exist? Because I want one. But also because I hope other people may want one (or more). As shown here it’s fairly basic; nose cone and midsection are printed  as single pieces, tail section left & right halves. A basic TORY nuclear reactor is included; it’s visible through the nozzle but not so much through the serpentine inlet. But if displayed as a cutaway, it should be pretty effective. If I go ahead with a production version, the midsection will be split left and right, with visible equipment including weapons bays. Who might be interested in this as a kit? Printed and ready for sanding (LOTS of sanding) and assembly, I’m guessing something like $200 plus shipping. A fully completed display piece would be rather more. Going to experiment some with getting a good golden surface. If interested in joining a list, send an email to:

Not shown are the 1/144 “Big Onion” SPS launching SSTO and the 1/1 M388 “Davy Crockett” warhead. Both of those are done and being painted.

 

 Posted by at 3:44 pm

So, anyways… I’m entering the atomic weapons industry…

 art, awesomeness, cats, history, models, news, nukes, weapons  No Responses »
Dec 032024
 

… sorta.

 

As I’ve mentioned from time to time on my twitter (@UnwantedBlog), I’ve been helping out some friends for a bit. They’ve thanked me with a shiny new Anycubic Kobra 2 Max 3D filament printer. As such things go it’s a giant, capable of far bigger (but lower-rez) prints than my resin printer.

 

My first project to achieve success? A full scale M388 “Davy Crockett” atomic warhead. It takes four days to print out a single unit, assuming everything works out correctly. But the resulting parts are remarkably strong yet light weight. Here are the components taped together with an industry standard feline scale reference:

 

The antenna/timer assembly is the most complex and intricate part. The dial itself was resin-printed for high detail:

 

 

The nose half of the body was meant to print as a single large part, but it went a little goofy most of the way through so a  separate replacement “cap” was printed. Any future prints will presumably have a unified nose.

 

The parts all need a lot of sanding and smoothing, assembly, filling and paint, but it’ll be fargin’ rad when it’d done.

 Posted by at 12:56 am

August 2024 APR Rewards

 aircraft, art, CAD diagrams, drawings, history, Monthly Historical Documents Program, new products, Patreon, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Sep 012024
 

The rewards went out this AM bright and early. They include:

Diagram: Two sheets of Rocketdyne schematics for the Space Shuttle Main Engine and propulsion system

Document: “B-1B New Strength for America’s Defense” An early 80’s brochure on the then-forthcoming B-1B

Document: “Aerojet propulsion for Space Systems,” a very nicely illustrated booklet on the AJ10-137, the main engine of the Apollo CSM

Document: Two articles in French on VTOL Aircraft from the ICARE revue De L’Aviation Francaise “Salon 69”

CAD Diagram: WIP of the Boeing Model 2000-201 VTOL stealth spec ops transport

 

If you are interested in helping to preserve this sort of aerospace history, consider signing up for the APR Monthly Historical Documents Program for as little as $1.50 per month:

https://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/monthly.htm

 

 Posted by at 2:32 pm

First Metal Minis

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, models, new products, projects, spacecraft  No Responses »
Jul 192024
 

The first metal minis – 1/144 X-20, 1/285 X-20, 1/285 XF-103, 1/285 XF-108 – have been cast, cleaned and assembled. I’ve got enough to take care of the existing crowdfunders; I plan on trying to make a go of the 1/285 X-15s as well. However, the main mold is already falling to bits, so there are still improvements to be made to the process.

For future versions… should I cast them with a “peg hole” in the underside to put on a standard stand, or just leave them as they are?

 

 

 

 Posted by at 1:13 am

Cyanotypes: closing up shop

 aircraft, art, cyanotype blueprints, drawings, history, news, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Jul 082024
 

I’ve shut down production of cyanotype blueprints for the time being. What I’ve got is what there is; I’ll leave the catalog page up while I still have a supply, but I’ll shut it down when I run low and sell the rest on ebay. Get ’em while ya can.

https://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/catalog/cyan.htm

 

 Posted by at 10:56 pm

June 2024 APR rewards

 aircraft, art, drawings, history, Monthly Historical Documents Program, Patreon, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Jul 012024
 

A day late, but I’ve sent out the June 2024 rewards to APR Patrons/Subscribers. Includes:

1: A pack of X-30 NASP propaganda. Seven double-sided 8X10 glossies, a double-sided poster, a bumper sticker and an emblem sticker.

2: “Non-Planing Seaplane Study” by Convair, 196. Two presentations; The $4 and up subscribers get not only the cleaned-up report, but the original as-scanned negative-image transparencies. marvel at the liberal use not of white-out but of black-out.

3: Detailed diagram of the KC-135 (1/40 scale model)

4: In lieu of a CAD diagram, first public art of the F-117A, 1988

If you are interested in helping to preserve this sort of aerospace history, consider signing up for the APR Monthly Historical Documents Program for as little as $1.50 per month:

https://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/monthly.htm

 

 Posted by at 6:33 pm

Martin-Marietta HML Ad

 art, history, Monthly Historical Documents Program, nukes, Patreon, projects, rockets, weapons  No Responses »
Jun 242024
 

I did my best to stitch together this two-page magazine ad. Dating from 1986, it shows missile programs then underway at Martin-Marietta; front and center is the Small ICBM (“Midgetman”) in its Hard Mobile Launcher. The HML would wander seemingly at random around the western US, being difficult to track and target by the Soviets. When the time came, the trailer would be dropped off and the suspension collapsed to lower the trailer to the ground; sloped shells would drop to the ground. In the event of a nearby nuclear detonation, it was hoped that the shockwave would roll over the shell without excessively damaging the trailer. Then the missile launch tube would be raised and the missile fired, sending a single warhead across the planet. The tractor for this version was designed and built by Caterpillar and used rubbed treads, unlike the wheeled Boeing competitors.

Image below is a reduced-rez version of the full scan. The full image  has been made available as a thank-you to APR Patreon and Historical Documents Program patrons at the $4 and above level, placed in the 2024-06 APR Extras. If interested in this piece or if you are interested in helping to fund the preservation of this sort of thing, please consider becoming a patron, either through the APR Patreon or the Monthly Historical Document Program.

 Posted by at 9:25 pm
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