Another ill-described 1977 General Dynamics sketch. This shows an “Advanced Strategic Aircraft,” which would have been a follow-on to the B-1. When the presentation was put together, President Carter had not yet cancelled the B-1, and the Advanced Technology Bomber (B-2) program was still a few years away. So what the exact roles and capabilities of this aircraft were to be are unknown. It does not look like a full-sized strategic bomber… based on the cockpit, which looks similar to an F-111 cockpit, it’s substantially smaller than the B-2, and appears to be equipped with only two engines. It was likely meant to be something more like a stealthy, subsonic version of the F-111.
This would certainly be an interesting program to see more info on.
8 Responses to “Advanced Strategic Aircraft”
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It would be fun to see where the intakes are on the thing.
It kind of reminds me of Dan Raymer’s Rockwell ATF design. There used to be a wind tunnel model of that in the Tri-sonic in El Segundo, I have a pic of it if you’re interested
My bet would be that the intakes are undeneath, well inboard. Probably hugging the central fuselage. It *looks* like it has outboard “pontoons,” probably relatively vast fuel tanks. Those could be outboard weapons pods, but I kinda doubt it… that’d be a good way to unbalance the aircraft.
I’m tempted to ponder methane or even hydrogen fuel, given the apparent volume.
Yeah, they are obviously shooting for very high internal volume on the design at the expense of speed.
It looks like the engine nozzles are vectorable in lieu of a horizontal tail assembly.
The winglets are an interesting touch for an aircraft of this vintage, as that’s around the time they first started showing up on aircraft designs.
It looks like it’s going to need a long take-off run unless it does use some sort of very bulky but lightweight fuel like you suggested, or some really efficient lift-aiding systems like fully blown flaps or some sort of lift nozzles diverting engine exhaust to the underside.
I always wondered how effective the swiveling nozzles on the A-6 Intruder prototype were.
Yeah, they are obviously shooting for very high internal volume on the design at the expense of speed.
It looks like the engine nozzles are vectorable in lieu of a horizontal tail assembly.
The winglets are an interesting touch for an aircraft of this vintage, as that’s around the time they first started showing up on aircraft designs.
Could the cylindrical shape of the outer fuselage sections be because they house rotary SRAM/bomb release units?
It almost looks like a lifting-body fuselage, kind of like a Burnelli Loadmaster.
Looks a lot like Robert Bartini’s VVA-14 design.
Oh, don’t curse it by comparing it to that abomination; it’s much better looking than _that_ thing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAk3kwXfEWk&NR=1
I always liked the domed front cockpit to aid its streamlining; like it had the concept of “streamlining” anywhere in its design. The Italians could come up with some of the most beautiful planes you ever laid eyes on…except for Communist expatriate Italians that is…
(Bartini fled Mussolini’s Italy to escape fascism; running into Stalin’s Soviet Union must have been a real epiphany for him…but of course by then it was _way_ too late, as his chances of ever leaving that place again revolved around a coffin.
Oh well, live and learn.) 😀