B-58 Mockup Photo

 aircraft, nukes, photography  No Responses »
Aug 292012
 

Following on the heels of the MX-1964 mockup was a mockup of the B-58 as it more or less was built. Clearly built in the same facility, what’s unclear from the photo is whether any components from the previous mockup were re-used. All the major components appear to be substantially altered, so it might have been an all-new structure, or it might have used some of the same internal supports. It would be nice if such things were able to be preserved, but mockups like this usually wind up getting turned into firewood.

 Posted by at 9:24 am

Bell Fold-Rotor Concept Model

 aircraft, models, projects  1 Response »
Aug 262012
 

A photo of a Bell Fold-Rotor concept. The Fold-Rotor was a tiltrotor design that used the props for vertical flight and to get moving forward, but for high speed used other propulsion systems (in this case, the turboshaft engines mounted in the fuselage that drove the wingtip props would disengage and become straight turbojets), and the rotors would stop and fold back to reduce drag. It was an interesting idea, but it still had all the weight of a tiltrotor system, and then some, but with added complexity.

 Posted by at 12:47 am

Anybody want an X-20 Dyna Soar?

 aircraft, blather, history, models, projects, sales & specials, spacecraft  2 Responses »
Aug 252012
 

A customer contracted me to build him a 1/24 scale X-20 Dyna Soar display model. Photos below of preliminary castings, produced in the last few days using a silicone mold that turned out to be too thin. There are flaws in the too-thin mold that came through on the cast, but which wouldn’t exist on a second mold which I plan to make. And obviously the ginormous hole in the tail end wouldn’t exist on a finalized model.

The entry shield will be held on with neodymium magnets, and there’ll be a few more details along with some printed goodies (at least one of which should be *really* impressive) as well as a new stand. There will be specially printed markings, and a choice of finishes… ultra-glossy nitrocellulose lacquer, or satin nitrocellulose lacquer.

The new mold will require that I buy $500 worth of silicone. Anyone interested in an X-20 of their very own? There won’t be too many of these made. If interested, send me an email:

Again, the model shown here is not a final version, just something of a “prototype.” The actual models will look substantially better.

 Posted by at 9:20 pm

XB-70

 aircraft, history, photography  2 Responses »
Aug 242012
 

A slide found in the NASA HQ archive. It’s not spectacular image quality, but it might be of interest.

Does *anyone* know of good, high-rez, accurate and *official* layout drawings for the B-70? The best available are the Paul Matt drawings, but those aren’t “official” NAA drawings; all the NAA drawings I’ve ever come across have been pretty small and/or inconsistent. If anyone has such blueprints, I’m ready and willing to talk turkey. Please advise.

 Posted by at 11:04 am

XCOR setting up shop in Florida

 aircraft, blather, news, rockets, spacecraft  No Responses »
Aug 232012
 

XCOR Aerospace to Establish Operations and Manufacturing Base in Florida

Hmmm. XCOR is expanding… but not, it seems, in the heavily taxed and overly regulated state of California. I’ve read rumors – but no primary sources, to take it for what it’s worth – that the California Air Resources Board has made it very expensive and difficult to work with kerosene in that state. And since the XCOR Lynx engines burn kerosene… Texas and Florida win out.

Of course, flying out of Florida just makes sense. When you think of “space tourism,” Cape Canaveral certainly comes to mind; the Mojave desert, not so much. And it appears that that’s the way it’ll stay.

Given the regulatory environment in California, I shudder to imagine what it would be like trying to fly passengers there.

 Posted by at 8:32 am

Aerofex

 aircraft, awesomeness, news, youtube  2 Responses »
Aug 212012
 

New Hover Vehicle Recalls ‘Star Wars’ Bike

Looks like a  smallerized and modernized Piasecki VZ-8 Airgeep.

So far the test flights seem to be at altitudes of inches. But if it can be made reliable and practical to fly these things at respectable altitudes, I think they might have themselves a market. Especially if they can be made so that they can fit in the back of a truck, or on a reasonable trailer. Such things would open up a whole new world for nature photographers in the mountains, hikers, campers, hunters, and those who need to go rescue ’em.

[youtube akA-B64RACU]

[youtube FGw7qQlQWFM]

And then there’s this…

[youtube Xie8TeJJa6s]

And…

[youtube h-7RlL3YtiQ]

 Posted by at 6:27 pm

Syrian drones

 aircraft, news, youtube  11 Responses »
Aug 172012
 

A youTube video purporting to show a Syrian drone manufacturing facility in Aleppo, captured by the rebels. The drones look fairly pathetic… basically model airplanes. They might have been meant for Hezbollah or some such for use against Israel.

[youtube Xo0F45uV75U]

Using Google translation on the YT page, we get this:

In the name of God the Merciful

Brigades are free Sham | | battalion Shahba | | Aleppo
====================
Review of the spoils and the contents of the research center in Aleppo, which was a stronghold in the city of Aleppo Cbihh and dominated by the brothers in the battalion of the buffy-Sham Brigades are free after violent clashes culminated in flight control center and tails Cbihh Assad. God is great and all praise and Glory to God.

Brothers in the media office for “Brigades are free Sham”

Which leads back to THIS.

 Posted by at 8:11 am
 Older Entries  Newer Entries