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

Shuttle Program Orientation Course

 drawings, history, Patreon, projects, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Nov 052018
 

In June 1973 Rockwell put together a short course – presumably or employees new to the STS program – that described the Space Shuttle system as it was then designed. There were a number of clear differences between the STS of the time and the STS as actually built. Differences included a forward extension of the OMS pods, continuing well onto the cargo bay doors. Also, the forward RCS thrusters on the sides of the nose were contained behind sizable doors to protect them during re-entry, a protection that was found to be unnecessary. There were also important differences with the SRBs and ETs.

 

 

I have made the full-rez scan of the document available to $10+ APR Patreon patrons. If this sort of thing is of interest, please consider signing up for the APR Patreon.

patreon-200

 Posted by at 2:56 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

Bits of a SpaceX Falcon wash ashore

 Hmm..., news, rockets  No Responses »
Oct 162018
 

Rocket part found on Outer Banks beach belongs to Elon Musk’s SpaceX, park confirms

Looks like a storm surge from Hurricane Michael stirred up some junk on the sea floor and pushed it ashore. This 10X6-foot chunk has been confirmed to be from a SpaceX rocket, but the article doesn’t say which launch. A previous bit of a SpaceX rocket to wash ashore in the region came from a nose cone, so this may well also be part of a jettisoned and expended payload fairing, rather than a sploded rocket.

 Posted by at 1:39 pm

$5 Billion vs $5 Billion

 AARRRGH, Crazy, Gah., Hmm..., news, politics, projects, rockets, spacecraft, ಠ_ಠ  No Responses »
Oct 152018
 

Elon Musk pegs SpaceX BFR program at $5B as NASA’s rocket booster nears $5B in cost overruns

Chances are good that the SLS first launch, currently officially slated to slip to June 2020, will probably actually slip to 2021 some time. More good news: it’s fantastically over budget.

In other words, compared to Boeing’s first serious 2014 contract for the SLS Core Stages – $4.2B to complete Core Stages 1 and 2 and launch EM-1 in Nov. 2017 – the company will ultimately end up 215% over-budget ($4.2B to $8.9B) and ~40 months behind schedule (42 months to 80+ months from contract award to completion).

Ye gods.

By the time SLS actually flies, chances are pretty good that BFR will have already gone to orbit, if not the Moon or Mars. The upper stage is slated to fly in some form in 2019; and while I won’t be the slightest bit surprised if BFRs schedule slips, I’d be beyond astonished if it slips anything like SLS’s. For a company like Boeing, the SLS core should have been a snap. The engines are decades old designs, the core tankage is based on the ET, which is decades old; they’re not recovering it, it’s literally nothing special or new. It should have *easily* flown by now.

 Posted by at 3:48 pm
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