Grumman Advanced Stealthy Penetrator: Early CAD

 aircraft, CAD diagrams, history, projects  No Responses »
Nov 242022
 

The Grumman Advanced Stealthy Penetrator (GASP) received a fair amount of exposure in the mid 1980’s by way of artists concepts published in aviation magazines and the like. Actual technical information has remained elusive; the total pile of artwork and photos of a display model would permit the creation of reasonably good layout diagrams, but dimensions and performance remain wholly unavailable. The GASP would most likely have been intended for strike applications rather than air supremacy.

Shown below is a PR image showing, presumably, a Grumman engineer at work on a 3D CAD diagram of the GASP. This image dates from no later than 1984, so the CAD system was a pretty early one (though by no means the *earliest* CAD system). It would be interesting if the files were still in existence and could be imported into a modern CAD system… but that’s not something I’d hold out a lot of hope for. Artists impressions that show the cockpit seem to indicate that this was a sizable vehicle, though such judgements are difficult to take fully seriously.

 Posted by at 7:07 am

Boeing Model 987-350

 aircraft, CAD diagrams, history, projects, US Supersonic Bomber Projects Vol 2  No Responses »
Nov 232022
 

A bit short of a week ago I posted artwork of a “Boeing Advanced Fighter.” This led to the re-discovery of the actual model number 987-350 (I knew it some time back, but my brain is full I guess). And that led to the below CAD diagram, coming in just under the wire for a forthcoming book. The 987-350 was a tactical supercruiser; armament is unfortunately left a bit vague in the available documentation. The artwork depicts it with four folding-fin AGM-69 SRAM missiles; another diagram depicts it with two larger-diameter missiles of similar length. All were to be semi-submerged for low drag.

 

 Posted by at 7:02 am

APR Rewards: October 2022

 aircraft, APR, art, CAD diagrams, history, Monthly Historical Documents Program, new products, Patreon, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Nov 012022
 

The October 2022 rewards are available for APR Patrons and Subscribers. This latest package includes:

Large format art: A Bell Aerospace painting of the D188A VTOL fighter/bomber

Document: “Standard Aircraft Characteristics – Convair Class VF Seaplane Night Fighter (SKATE)” diagrams and data for seaplane jet fighter

Document: “21St Century Aerospace – The 20th Century Challenge,” General Dynamics presentation, late 80’s about hypersonics/NASP. From photographs.

Document: “Prototype X-14 VTOL Aircraft,” Bell Aerospace presentation, 1971, on the “SeaKat” operational naval VTOL. From photos, but art and diagrams were also scanned for clarity.

CAD Diagram ($5 and up): XB-70 Valkyrie forward fuselage configuration

 

If you would like to help fund the acquisition and preservation of such things, along with getting high quality scans for yourself, please consider signing on either for the APR Patreon or the APR Monthly Historical Documents Program. Back issues are available for purchase by patrons and subscribers.



 Posted by at 1:30 am

CAD diagrams

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, CAD diagrams, drawings, history, nukes, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Oct 122022
 

I’m at work on a new series of CAD diagrams (see HERE for the first run) to be released as PDFs formatted for printing at 18X24. For example, here are first drafts of a few:

  • Boeing Space Sortie (3 sheets)
  • Saturn C-8/Nova
  • Jules Verne’s “Columbiad”
  • A-12 Avenger II (2 sheets)
  • Lockheed CL-400 “Suntan”

All of these require a bit more dressing-up, as well as explanatory text. But I think they’re starting to look pretty good.

 

 

I’ve selected a fair number more to work on. If any of these are of particular interest, or if any of the many, many diagrams I’ve made over the years would be of interest, let me know.

  • BIS “Daedalus” straship
  • Rockwell MRCC
  • Northrop Tacit Blue
  • Space Shuttle Main Engine
  • Boeing Bird of Prey
  • General Atomic 86-foot Orion
  • General Atomic Orion battleship
  • General Atomic 10-meter Orion
  • Martin SeaMistress
  • Space Launch System
  • Have Sting orbital railgun
  • Casaba Howitzer
  • X-20 Dyna Soar
  • B-47E
  • DB-47E/Bold Orion
  • DB-47E/RASCAL
  • B-52G
  • B-52H
  • B-52H/Skybolt
  • Boeing Space Freighter
  • Boeing Big Onion
  • Shuttle C
  • Rockwell Star Raker
  • Lockheed STAR Clipper
  • Lockheed SR-71
  • Lockheed A-12 (early canards)
  • Lockheed A-12
  • Lockheed A-12 (honeycomb panels)
  • Lockheed A-12 “Titanium Goose”
  • Lockheed YF-12A
  • Lockheed M-21/D-21
  • Lockheed AP-12
  • Republic YF-103
  • North American XF-108
  • Bell MX-2147
  • Convair Kingfish
 Posted by at 9:45 pm
 Newer Entries