This model was photographed at an air show sometime in the 1960’s. More info than that I do not have.
Jul 062008
Jul 032008
The Dyna Soar is often described as a single-seat spaceplane, and that’s true to an extent… the X-20 research vehicle seated one, and had a sizable instrument bay packed with recorders hooked up to a multitude of sensors scattered around the vehicle. However, Boeing always assumed that once the Dyna Soar had proved itself and the research phase was over, all that instrumentations would be removed. The result would be a substantial payload bay. The bay was sized to carry any number of things… small satellites, anti-satellite weapons systems and passengers. It had room for four passengers in space suits; they would be fairly tightly packed, but unlike a Gemini or Apollo capsule or the Space Shuttle orbiter, the passengers would not have to stay in their vehicle for very long. As a passenger carrier, the Dyna Soars role would be to simply haul people to and from space stations.
The photos below are of a display model at the Boeing historical archives. Not only was the model made, but so was a full-scale mockup; an astronaut wearing the Dyna Soar space suit tried it out and found that it was perfectly servicable. The Dyna Soar would attach to the space stations airlock by way of a docking tube leading from the rear boattail through the adapter. In one concept, the boattail itself would be emptied out and yet another seat installed, increasing total crew capacity to six.
Jun 212008
The F-1 engines that powered the Saturn V were covered witha reflective insualtion “batting” to protect them from radiant heat from the neighboring rocketsand hot recirculated gas . However, the appearance of the insulation is always something of a mystery. PR photos and artwork of the F-1 engine and the Saturn V universally showed the F-1 bare, with no insulation in place. Photos of the Saturn V readied for launch do not show the F-1s at all, since they were submerged within the launch platform and couldn’t be seen. Films of the Saturn V in flight show the F-1 hazily at best due to camera jitter, atmospheric haze, bad focussing, the blinding glare from the exhaust, etc. Toys, models, posters, books, all showed this incorrect depiction of the F-1.
Nevertheless, there are a few halfway decent reference images. The drawing came from a report I found at the National Air and Space Museum archive more than a decade ago; the photos are all stills taken from NASA films, and included on Spacecraft Films’ excellent “The Mighty Saturns: Saturn V” DVD. The screenshots are reduced in size from the originals, so go get yourself a copy of the DVDs!
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Jun 172008
Here are drawings, artwork and display model photos of the Bell 216. Bell tried to sell this design from 1956 as a civilian transport (helicopter “buses” were all the rage for planners back in the 1950’s, with regular service Right Around The Corner), but obviously military roles were also envisioned.
SUBTLE HINT: If you like what I’m posting, please feel free to Buy My Stuff. Or just plain Give Me Money.
Jun 172008
Rockwell Collins successfully controls and lands wing-damaged UAV
This is pretty slick. A large flying model of the F-18 was built with a wing that can be ejected in flight. A video of a test is presented, showing the wing being ejected, the plane beginning to roll, and then gaining control of itself well within ONE SECOND. The plane then proceeded to land itself autonomously.
The value of a system like this is hard to overestimate. Many aircraft are perfectly capable of flying and landing on the lift generated by only one wing. The problem is that when a wing is removed, the center of lift shifts away from the centerline of the aircraft towards the side with the remaining wing. The result typically is that the lift generated by the remaining wing will cause the plane to roll violently. There have, of course, been numerous examples of aircraft suffering damage like this in flight and surviving to a safe landing; at least one incident with an F-15 colliding with another aircraft. However, only heroic piloting can really stand the slightest chance of maintaining control. But if new onboard autonomous adpative controls are in place, even mediocre pilots – or, indeed, no pilot at all – will be able to safely control a massively damaged aircraft.
This B-17 was doomed. But a modern aircraft with similar damage and an on-the-ball adaptive flight control system just might make it home.
Jun 142008
On display at Seattles Museum of Flight, three Boeing/Grumman Shuttle concepts.
Jun 132008
One of the designs produced for the US Navy’s “Type A” subsonic multimission V/STOL back in the ’70’s. Would fold up for shipboard storage.
Jun 102008
Photos of a Boeing Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) model on display at the Seattle Museum of Flight.
SUBTLE HINT: If you like what I’m posting, please feel free to Buy My Stuff. Or just plain Give Me Money.
Jun 082008
On display at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, WA. If you find yourself in the area with some hours to kill and fifteen bucks brnign a hole in your pocket, I recommend this museum. Some nifty stuff there.
Jun 082008
An image to give a rough idea what the ringship will look like when completed. Not shown are the two additional connections between the rings… there’s the top connection at the 12 o’clock position, and two more not shown at the 4 and 8 o’clock positions. That should make the model pretty rigid.
