A video tour of the Hughes H-4 Hercules, the “Spruce Goose.” This would have been a hell of a plane had it been made available several years earlier, but by the time it flew it was not only no longer needed, it was obsolete. being made largely of wood, its durability out in the world…
The model AGM-86 Air Launch Cruise Missile began life as a decoy missile, sort of an updated “Quail.” it was decided that the decoy could carry a nuclear warhead, and thus provide a lot more service; this began its development as a cruise missile. As originally envisaged, it had to fit in the some bays…
An artists rendering of the Republic A-10 circa 1971. This is very nearly the final design, but it differs in details; the cockpit canopy is a little off, for instance.
The US Naval Institute press is having a 50% off sale on their in-print, in-stock books. Sale runs through December 31. https://www.usni.org/press/books If someone wanted to take this opportunity to buy me half-price copies of Friedman’s revised editions of U.S. Submarines Since 1945 and U.S. Aircraft Carriers, I would not object. P.S.…
A Mil-8 got thwacked by a MANPAD and set alight. It flew in a controlled and sensible manner for a lot longer than I would have expected given that it seemed to be a raging inferno, but the end was kind of a bummer for the crew. I suspect the passengers were already out of…
The October 2022 rewards are available for APR Patrons and Subscribers. This latest package includes: Large format art: A Bell Aerospace painting of the D188A VTOL fighter/bomber Document: “Standard Aircraft Characteristics – Convair Class VF Seaplane Night Fighter (SKATE)” diagrams and data for seaplane jet fighter Document: “21St Century Aerospace – The 20th Century Challenge,”…
Currently on ebay is an aluminum model of a lifting body. The rear of the vehicle is that of the M1 or M2, but the nose is distinctly conical. The lack of useful volume leads me to think that if this is a legit wind tunnel model (rather than something someone just knocked out at…
The most recently finished diagram took several days. The references were clear and detailed… and difficult to suss out in some ways, a common issue with aircraft that had deployable bits.
Bell artwork circa 1983 depicting the proposed JVX tiltrotor, which would become the V-22 Osprey. The cockpit and the sponsons display the greatest obvious differences from the aircraft that would eventually be built, but the design seems to be largely just about there.
A photo of a wind tunnel model of a Republic Aviation design for a Manned Hypersonic Test Vehicle configuration. The photo was published in 1969, but the program was circa 1965. It used a configuration previously studied as both an Aerospaceplane (airbreathing SSTO) and Mach 10 recon. That latter design was written about and illustrated…
