As a reminder: if you’re interested solely/primarily in the aerospace projects stuff, the APR blog is available and doesn’t include the cats and politics and yammering and such.
http://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/blog/
Jul 042014
Jun 282014
Here’s some *spectacular* nightmare fuel:
Welcome to doll island (if you dare): Secret shrine to little girl who drowned more than 50 years ago has become a creepy tourist attraction
In short, a whole lot of dolls hanging on walls and fences and trees and such. Including some effectively realistic “baby” dolls, that now look like dead babies. For instance, the third one down looks like someone hung an infant from a tree.
Jun 282014
EDIT: I should note that Patreon contributions will likely be the sole source for most if not all of the diagrams and documents I release from here on. A few might wind up being sold individually as with prior Air & Space Dwgs & Docs, but most if not all won’t. I will shortly post information on some of what I have coming up. Some of it will, I trust, be of considerable interest to many…
I’ve launched the Patreon funding campaign:
http://www.patreon.com/user?u=197906
If you appreciate the aerospace research I do and the stuff I dig up, please consider contributing. As a bonus, you will get goodies if you do! High rez large format diagram scans, brochures, reports, proposals, etc.
Pledge $0.75 or more per month
You get my thanks and a warm fuzzy feeling, knowing that you are contributing to saving the history of aerospace engineering!
Pledge $1.50 or more per month
You will receive the uploaded documents and blueprints at 125 dpi
Pledge $3.00 or more per month
You will receive the uploaded documents and blueprints at 200 dpi
Pledge $4.00 or more per month
You will receive the uploaded documents and blueprints at 300 dpi
Pledge $5.00 or more per month
You will receive the uploaded documents and blueprints at 300 dpi plus a bonus CAD diagram at 300 dpi, sized for 8.5X11
Pledge $6.00 or more per month
You will receive the uploaded documents and blueprints at 300 dpi plus a bonus CAD diagram at 300 dpi sized for 11X17
Pledge $8.00 or more per month
You will receive the uploaded documents and blueprints at 300 dpi plus a bonus CAD diagram at 300 dpi sized for 18X24 or larger AND the diagram in the native vector format
Pledge $10.00 or more per month
You will receive all the prior rewards, plus have the opportunity to vote on what will be released next.
Tell all your friends.
Jun 252014
In the mid 1960’s, the McDonnell Aircraft Company devoted some internal funds and effort to the F-4(FVS). This would have removed the wing from the F-4 Phantom II and replaced it with an all-new shoulder-mounted swing wing. The target of this enterprise was primarily the US Navy; MAC assured them that the F-4(FVS) would be a superior carrier plane to the standard F-4 due to better low-speed handling characteristics. However, while the design seems to have been pretty sound, by this point the Navy wanted a capability the Phantom couldn’t provide: Phoenix missiles. In the end, the Navy largely ignored the F-4(FVS) and went with the F-14. But even then, McDonnell-Douglas proposed a design for the F-14 contest, the Model 225A, that was in part derived from the F-4(FVS) studies.
A whole lot more about the F-4(FVS) and the Model 225 are in Aerospace Projects Review issue V3N4.
Jun 162014
At last: Aerospace Projects Review issue V3N4 is available. This issue has 128 pages. The main article focuses on the Boeing Model 844-2050E, the final, almost-built version of the X-20 Dyna Soar spaceplane. Included are not only detailed diagrams showing the design and construction of the spaceplane, but also drawings and information on proposed operational versions, including passenger ferries, satellite inspectors/interceptors, even nuclear bomber versions.
Also included are a large number of all-new diagrams that finally show the Dyna Soar atop the Titan IIIC accurately and in detail, along with proposed variants, variant launch systems and suggested space stations.
An article by Bill Slayton on the Lockheed CL-295 design series. This was a series of tailsitter VTOL fighters including designs derived from the F-104 as well as wholly new designs.
The third article is on the McDonnell F-4(FVS),a mid-1960’s concept to replace the low-mounted fixed wing of the F-4 Phantom II with an all-new variable geometry “swing wing.” The story goes from the F-4(FVS) in its numerous incarnations through the Model 225, McDonnell-Douglas’ entry into the 1968 US Navy VFX contest which resulted in the F-14.
Also, Aerospace History Nuggets on the US Navy SCAT VTOL and the Republic Aircraft RAC-730 SSTO aerospaceplane.
23 megabyte PDF file
Here’s the complete issue V3N4 layout:
It is available in three formats. Firstly, it can be downloaded directly from me for the low, low price of $10.00. Second, it can be purchased as a professionally printed volume through Magcloud; third, it can be procured in both formats. To get the download, simply pay for it here through paypal.
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To get the printed version (or print + PDF version), visit my MagCloud page:
http://scottlowther.magcloud.com/
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Also available: the V3N4 Addendum. This contains 49 pages formatted for 11X17. Includes larger and improved versions of all the CAD diagrams produced for V3N4, as well as larger versions of some of the illustrations from the X-20 and F-4(FVS) articles (as well as a number of illustrations that did not appear in the X-20 article):
The V3N4 Addendum can be downloaded for only $4.00!
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Jun 152014
I’ve slapped together a Patreon “campaign,” but I have not yet launched it. However, I’ve stitched together the screenshots of the thing, shown below, listing the “milestones” and the “rewards” I’m considering. In short, I have a fairly good sized library of stuff I’m fairly certain would appeal to a fair number of folks, and this would be a way to get it all scanned and cleaned and posted and whatnot. The way this works, the more an individual contributes, the higher the quality of product they’ll get, and the more the total contributions, the faster the rate stuff will be put out there. The specifics might change, but I think this is a proper sort of setup.
If you have a suggestion or any sort of comment at all, feel free. Advertising, marketing, all that stuff… not my area. So if you see something stupid, or something that could be better, let me know.
Jun 152014
APR issue V3N4 is done, at 128 pages. The V3N4 Addendum is done, at 49 (11X17) pages. All that’s left now is uploading and reworking the webpages and posting them as available. I *was* going to say something like “I think they might be available tomorrow,” with “tomorrow” meaning Sunday, but I see that it is in fact already 4AM tomorrow morning. Earth, with its stupid 24 hour rotational period… it really needs to get in synch with my 25 hour circadian rhythm.
Jun 082014
I’m getting close to being done with this one. The main article, clearly, is the one on the Model 2050E Dyna Soar, the second far smaller article is on the McDonnell F-4(FVS) and derivatives, the third is the old Bill Slayton CL-295 article from the original version of APR. There will be a few more small pieces, not shown here.
Issue V3N5 will almost certainly be smaller than this. Apart from the Lunar Gemini article, it will likely be composed of a number of all-new smaller articles. I’d like to move forward a short article from further down the run to this one, due to having some new info, but that info is embargoed by the source till later in the year. It’d be nice to get back on the two-month schedule for APR, but I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.
Jun 052014
A reader suggested via email that in addition to the “Tip Jar” I set up automatic PayPal “subscriptions.” I have doubts regarding this, but I don’t suppose it can hurt, and maybe the world is loaded with people who desperately *want* to support the Unwanted Blog, but wish there was an easier way to do it on a monthly basis. Well, if so… here ya go. The drop-down menu provides for a range of monthly automatic payments.
There’re no particular goodies associated with the various subscriptions, apart from the warm fuzzy feeling I’m sure you’ll get knowing that you’re supporting a goofy aerospace nerd and his cats.
May 072014
Slowing plugging away on the greatly revised X-20 Dyna Soar article. Shown below is what it currently looks like… something of a mess. There are still a great many more illustrations I want to add, including a bucket of my own CAD diagrams, but how many will end up here is uncertain. It’s already pushing 100 pages when you include the CAD diagrams; probably too big. Perhaps a later stand-alone version will have everything plus the kitchen sink…
And the CAD diagrams:
