Advanced B-58 Variant

 aircraft, projects  8 Responses »
Nov 122010
 

A NACA-Langley photo of a wind tunnel model of a B-58 variant, dated 1957. While generally based on a stock B-58, at least three things are diferent:

1) The wingtips are turned sharply down. Presumably, the wingtips would be like those on  the B-70… hinged to be horizontal at low speed, and angled down at high speed to benefit from compression lift.

2) A wider cockpit (on a possibly longer nose), presumably for side-by-side seating. Whether this means additional crew in back is unknown.

3) A smaller external fuel tank, carried under a pylon under the left wing root, rather than on the centerline. It looks like there might be another tank under the right wing root, but it’s hidden behind the fuselage. This would open up the centerline position for either a single very large weapon (a large rocket, perhaps), or another fuel tank/weapons pod. If the latter, the design would seem to indicate much greater range than the standard B-58 could attain.

 Posted by at 11:22 am

Gold

 blather, models  6 Responses »
Nov 112010
 

For some display models I’m in the preliminary stages of working on, I’ll need to replicate the look of actual, factual gold over a fairly large area. So far, I’ve found no such thing as a gold paint that actually looks like gold. A lot of “gold colored” paints, and “paints with gold-like flecks,” but nothing that really looks gold. Gold leaf produces the right color, but the surface finish is aweful. Bare Metal Foil is somewhat similar. What I’m looking for is something akin to chrome plating, but gold.

I’ve just ordered the Alclad II “Mirrored Gold for Lexan” laquer. I’ve had good luck with their chrome, and have high hopes that this stuff will work. But in case it doesn’t, I’ll need a fallback option. Two that occur:

1) Vacuum metal deposition. This is obviously something I can’t do myself, but would seem to produce the best of all possible coatings. Anyone know of a good source for such a service?

2) “Spectra Chrome” paint. Looks great, but also something I can’t do myself without spending about ten grand. Only found one  source willing to spray small items such as these, adn the quoted prices was really high. Anyone know of someone set up for Spectra Chrome who’d be interested in doing a project like this for non-wallet-busting prices?

And finally… anybody got any other suggestions?

 Posted by at 10:35 pm

It’s Just A Friggen’ Airliner

 AARRRGH, aircraft, blather, dumbassery  13 Responses »
Nov 102010
 

While driving through the plains over the past two days, I heard incessant yapperings about the “mystery missile” launched off the coast of California. I was curious as to what this was about; when I finally got where I could get online and look this up last night, I was disappointed to see the images. An incredibly brief search showed that someone had already done the legwork to show that the contrail was perfectly explainable via normal jetliners, just viewed at a rare angle.

http://uncinus.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/4/

Additionally, there’s one *blatant* bit of trivia about this story that stomps flat the suggestion that this was a rocket: the helicopter-based cameraman tracked it for *ten* *minutes.* There ain’t no such animal as a solid propellant rocket that burns for ten minutes. The Shuttle SRB burns for a whole two.

Fearmongering by the press, nothing more.

 Posted by at 10:52 pm

One-Day Sale: 1/3 Off Everything

 sales & specials  2 Responses »
Nov 102010
 

Well, just about everything. All downloadable drawings and documents and APRs, as well as Reichdream items. Sale excludes matter-mail items and APR subscriptions. Minimum order: $20.

There has *got* to be a way to do this with Paypal in a way that doesn’t seem lame, but I don’t know what it is. So, here’s what I’ve come up with: order the “coupon” below (a nominal fifty cents), and at least $20 more items… and I will refund you 1/3 of the total. More steps than would seem necessary, but I think it should be workable. Sale will remain up throughout most of Thursday… longer, if I forget.

Remember to order the “coupon” and the items all in one order. Otherwise… it won’t work. No “coupon,” no savings…

SALE HAS ENDED.

Don’t worry, I’ll have more. I have plans for sales up to 50% off… for time periods of an hour, say.

 Posted by at 10:39 pm

Yay, I’m home.

 blather  3 Responses »
Nov 102010
 

It’ll take a few days to get things back up and running. The return trip was supposed to take considerably longer than it did to allow for a few photographic expeditions (Colorado Springs, Denver area, Medicine Bow), but events required that I get home ASAP.

I will very shortly hold a new sale… of a type I’ve not tried before.

 Posted by at 7:54 pm

V/STOL Viking

 aircraft, drawings, projects  8 Responses »
Nov 072010
 

A Vought-designed V/STOL derivative of the Lockheed S-3 Viking, circa 1973. At the time, the US Navy was interested in VTOL-izing pretty much damn near everything, from fighters to anti-sub planes to carrier on-board delivery. A number of V/STOL versions of the S-3 were designed. This one, an anti-submarine aircraft, used wing-root engines geared to separate fans, using a vertical thrust system derived from the earlier Vought ADAM and V-460 design. The intent was to operate these planes from ships much smaller than the normal supercarrier.

 Posted by at 11:36 pm

Astonishing Welfare Reform In Britain

 awesomeness, politics  10 Responses »
Nov 072010
 

How in the hell did this happen???

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/8114785/Work-shy-will-be-pushed-into-working-for-free-by-welfare-revolution.html

In the most radical clampdown on the work-shy yet, Iain Duncan Smith will announce that the unemployed will be found compulsory 30 hour-a-week work placements and if they fail to turn up they will lose their Jobseekers’ Allowance for at least three months. … Under the plans, claimants face a new 12-month cap on their benefits, if ruled able to work.

Wow. Expecting people to work for their pay? What a concept!!!

Credit where it’s due: this is a really, really good idea. Good on the Brits if they pull this off.

 Posted by at 9:58 am

B-58 Launcher, Part D’oh

 aircraft, drawings, projects, rockets  11 Responses »
Nov 062010
 

The second of two illustrations of a B-58 as a carrier for some form of large rocket, from the SDAM via Mark Nankivil. While this sketch shows more clearly that the intention  was to launch the rocket in a direction safely describable as “up,” this illustration also displays a number of… anomalies. If the artist (“Burgess”) was a pro, this was clearly carried out on an off day. Most obviously, the left wing is *nowhere* near as big as the right wing (interestingly, matching the American populace as a whole).

 Posted by at 11:56 pm
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