US Fighter, Transport, Launcher, Recon & Research Projects

 aircraft, awesomeness, books, drawings, history, new products, nukes, projects, rockets, spacecraft, US Fighter Projects, US Launch Vehicle Projects, US Research & Recon Projects, US Transport Projects  No Responses »
Nov 072018
 

Now available… four new issues in the US Aerospace Projects line.

US Fighter Projects #3

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Fighter Projects #03 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #3 includes:

  • Vought Advanced Interceptor AI-0604R: a dart-winged ejector ramjet-powered concept
  • Convair Nuclear Powered Interceptor Configuration I: a single0seat interceptor with a nuclear reactor
  • General Dynamics F-111X-7: A stretched F-111 for bomber escort and interception
  • Bell Ramjet Fighter: A subsonic small fighter from the end of WWII
  • Convair XP-92: A post-war delta-winged ramjet powered supersonic interceptor
  • Rockwell D736-4 Supersonic Penetrator: the wings could sweep back entirely within the fuselage
  • Lockheed CL-362-2: A high-altitude hypersonic rocketplane
  • NASA-Langley TBF-1: an unusual supercruiser

 

 

 

USFP #3 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

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US Launch Vehicle Projects #5

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Launch Vehicle Projects #5 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #5 includes:

  • North American Aviation 600K SSTO: an early concept for cheap space launch
  • Boeing “Windjammer” SSTO: A horizontal takeoff design form the early 70s
  • JSC Winged Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle: A giant SPS launcher
  • NASA Nova “Saturn C-8”: an early Apollo booster
  • Lockheed Reusable Ten-Ton Orbital Carrier: A logistics system from the early 60s
  • Chrysler Hot Air Balloon S-IB: An unusual approach to booster recovery
  • MSC Orbiter 042A Titan IIIL6: A shuttle design with a delta-winged orbiter on an enlarged Titan
  • General Dynamics Model 202: a preliminary design for a Brilliant Pebbles launcher

 

 

USLP #5 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

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US Recon & Research Projects #3

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Recon & Research Projects #3 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #3 includes:

  • Lockheed A-2: An early design leading to the SR-71
  • Boeing NuERA 747: A nuclear powered 747
  • General Dynamics SX-109 “Pathfinder”: a subscale SSTO demonstrator
  • Northrop N-165: A giant U-2 alternate
  • Convair M-125: A high altitude/speed single seat recon plane with toxic fuel
  • Bell AMST STOL Prototype: A heavily modified C-130
  • Convair Nuclear AEW: unmanned, nuclear powered VTOL fleet defense recon platform
  • Boeing Model 818-300: an early 60s battlefield surveillance platform

 

 

 

USRP #3 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

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US Transport Projects #8

Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US Transport Projects #8 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #8 includes:

  • NACA SST: a 1947 concept
  • Boeing CX-HLS: Boeings design for what became the C-5
  • Bell Operational Medium STOL Transport: vectored thrust for short takeoff
  • Convair Limited War Amphibian: A concept for a single plan to meet both land and sea plane requirements
  • Bell Hypersonic Transport 1980-1990:A two-stage turboramjet/rocket concept
  • Lockheed Hybrid Wing Body 757PF-Sized Freighter: a recent design for an advanced transport
  • Lear Liner Model 40:a small airliner/large executive transport
  • Boeing Model 759-153A Resource Carrier: A big flying wing natural gas “tanker”

 

USTP #8 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $4.25:

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 Posted by at 9:43 pm

Manned Mars Spacecraft

 art, history, nukes, Patreon, projects, rockets, spacecraft, US Spacecraft Projects  No Responses »
Nov 022018
 

This is what a manned mission to Mars dating from the late Apollo era would have looked like: a cluster of hydrogen tanks with a small number of NERVA nuclear rockets. The spacecraft would have been relatively gigantic as it leaves Earth orbit; large enough that it would have been assembled in space from at least six Saturn V launches. When it returns to Earth it would have been little more than the mission module; this would blast past Earth and continue in solar orbit while the astronauts and a few trifling hundreds of pounds of Martian souvenirs would have plowed into Earths atmosphere in a compact entry capsule. The mission module itself is described fully and heavily illustrated in US Spacecraft Projects #3.

I’ve uploaded the full rez versions of these renderings to the 2018-11 APR Extras folder on Dropbox, available to all APR Patrons at the $4 level and above. If this sort of thing is of interest, please consider signing up for the APR Patreon.

patreon-200

 

 Posted by at 2:59 am

APR Patreon October 2018 rewards

 aircraft, art, history, new products, news, Nuclear Pulse Propulsion, nukes, Patreon, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Oct 282018
 

I’ve just sent out the rewards for October, 2018, to APR Patrons. This months rewards include:

CAD diagram: 20-meter Orion spacecraft

Diagram: Genealogy of Piper aircraft

Document: “Story of the Uprated Saturn I” NASA-MSFC brochure circa 1966 describing the Saturn Ib, including future possibilities

Document: “Preliminary Design Study of a Three Stage Satellite Ferry Rocket Vehicle,” 1954 Goodyear paper describing the METEOR launch vehicle. First of a number of METEOR documents I have.

Document: “The Rocket Research Aircraft Program 1946-1962,” Edwards AFB booklet describing the various rocket aircraft tested up to the x-15

 

 

If this sort of thing is of interest, please consider signing up for the APR Patreon.

patreon-200

 Posted by at 3:59 am

The HML was sold for scrap. Grrrrrr………

 AARRRGH, Crazy, dumbassery, Gah., history, I'm from the government, Meh., nukes, rockets, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Oct 252018
 

A couple years late on the news about this, but… bah. Bah, I say.

285,000 lbs (approx) of Hard Mobile Launcher
(HML) vehicle unit

The “Hard Mobile Launcher” that had been on display at National Museum of the USAF  (Dayton, Ohio) was apparently sold  in 2015 for the bargain basement price of $27,500. The HML was  the mobile launcher for the Small ICBM (Midgetman), and it seems it is now bits of steel, likely shipped to China to be turned into nails (after careful measurements).

Bah.

item to prevent reuse, recognition or reconstruction of the item to the satisfaction of
the government appointed Verifier. Automated size reduction prior to shredding is
allowed. Demilitarization will be accomplished by cutting, chopping, crushing,
tearing and/or shearing in a manner which precludes rehabilitation or restoration to
its original intended purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

 Posted by at 11:21 pm

Maintenance Station in Space

 art, nukes, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Oct 142018
 

A piece of art from 1962 depicting a Westinghouse Electric Corp. concept for a space station meant to provide servicing for nuclear powered spacecraft. it appears to be more of a space craft than a space station, since it is equipped with a substantial nuclear propulsion system of its own. It’s unclear what the set of rings at the “front” of the space station are meant to do.

 Posted by at 8:43 pm

Nuclear powered probe, 1963

 art, history, nukes, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Oct 042018
 

An advertisement from 1963 illustrating a quite-possibly artistic license nuclear powered space probe heading towards Jupiter. The probe was to use the SNAP-50/SPUR powerplant (300 to 1200 kilowatts of electricity) to power a circular bank of ion engines. The realistic nature of the design should be questioned due to the lack of any apparent communication system… no great big radio dish, in other words.

 Posted by at 1:19 am

September APR Patreon rewards

 aircraft, awesomeness, drawings, history, new products, nukes, Patreon, projects, rockets, ships, spacecraft  No Responses »
Oct 022018
 

Patrons of the Aerospace Projects Review Patreon received last month:

Diagram: A foldout diagram of an Apollo-derived logistics spacecraft

Document: “The Piasecki Story,” an illustrated history of the company and its products

Document: “The N.S. Savannah,” a brochure about the sole nuclear powered merchant vessel

Document: “Lunar Spacecraft Design” A paper describing the evolution of the General Electric Apollo design, quite similar to the later Soyuz spacecraft

CAD diagram: 1985 design of the British HOTOL spaceplane

If this sort of thing is of interest, please consider signing up for the APR Patreon.

patreon-200

 Posted by at 12:41 pm

Fat Man and Little Boy: First Photos

 awesomeness, history, nukes, weapons  No Responses »
Oct 022018
 

The first two nuclear weapons dropped are very well known. But for a long time that was not the case. In fact, the appearance of these weapons was hidden from the public until late 1960, more than 15 years after they were dropped. As a consequence, there are a number of depictions of these bombs – magazine articles, movies and such – that show configurations that are fanciful and entirely dead wrong because the artists behind them had no idea what an atom bomb actually looked like.

But in late 1960 the Atomic Energy Commission (replaced in 1974 with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission… note that even the names denote a change from an organization meant to provide energy to one now devoted to regulation) finally released a pair of photos showing Fat Man and Little Boy. Since then far more information has been released, including the display of real but inert bomb casings in numerous museums.

This is how Aviation Week reported the reveal in the December 12, 1960 issue. Note that even then there was a distinct tinge of political correctness, a fear that showing photos of the bombs would hurt feelings. There’s also discussion of putting the Enola Gay on display at the Smithsonian, something that would not come to fruition for another four decades.

 Posted by at 3:12 am

Marquardt “Pluto” Art

 aircraft, art, awesomeness, history, nukes, projects, weapons  No Responses »
Sep 272018
 

An advertisement from 1960, illustrating Marquardts work on the Project Pluto nuclear ramjet:

If you want more on Project Pluto – and who wouldn’t, as the idea of a locomotive-sized cruise missile flying at virtually unlimited range at tree to level and at a blistering Mach 3+ is fascinating – check out Aerospace Projects Review issue V2N1.

 

 

 Posted by at 12:40 pm

Looking in on the Burevestnik

 Hmm..., news, nukes, photography, politics, russian empire, weapons, wisdom  No Responses »
Sep 262018
 

Russia’s Nuclear Cruise Missile Is Struggling To Take Off, Imagery Suggests

Satellite imagery shows that the Russians seem to be packing up and going home, abandoning the”nuclear powered cruise missile” test site. The article suggests that this is because the missile isn’t working. Other explanations include that the Russians are simply testing elsewhere. In any event, some interesting photos here.

 Posted by at 12:05 am
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