Little known / experimental aircraft

[Randy Daytona]

Curious to see aircraft that never made it big. Here is one:

Boeing YB-40 - as if attacking a regular B-17 wasn't tough enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_YB-40_Flying_Fortress

 

[wink]

Oh wait! Got a little ahead of myself. My Bad.

 

[jmcquate]

These are the ones that come to mind for me: CF-105, F-107, XF8U-3, TSR.2 and the F-20.

The YB-40 was an extention of the ill-fated theory that USAAF heavy bombers could fly missions deep into Germany unescorted. It was used until the P-51s arrived.

 

[wink]

F-20. With all the F-5s and T-38s across the globe I could not believe none of them sold. Once the USA passed no other foreign operator wanted to take it on. Too bad. It had a niche.

 

[wink]

Ryan FR-1 Fireball. First navy "jet" aircraft. R1820 in the nose and 1600 lb thrust J-31 in the tail. Only 66 built. One squadron deployed on Ranger. First ever jet carrier landing made by a Fireball CQ pilot. Normal ops was to land on the radial engine as the early jets were too slow to spool up on the ball and with both powered there was too much thrust. When the engine failed on one approach the pilot got a good start on the jet in the tail and just make the boat.

 

[Flash]

B-32 Dominator, built as a backup to the B-29 and was involved in the last aerial battle of WWII:

Another big bomber, the XB-15 (later the XC-105). It was Boeing's first stab at an intercontinental bomber:

Finally another 'bomber' still flying and serving, the WB-57. Serving so well as a matter of fact they just pulled a third one out of the boneyard after more than 30 years to join the other two flying for NASA:

 

[nittany03]

The Gutless Cutlass.

 

[jmcquate]

B-32 Dominator, built as a backup to the B-29 and was involved in the last aerial battle of WWII:

Another big bomber, the XB-15 (later the XC-105). It was Boeing's first stab at an intercontinental bomber:

Finally another 'bomber' still flying and serving, the WB-57. Serving so well as a matter of fact they just pulled a third one out of the boneyard after more than 30 years to join the other two flying for NASA:

I know that the WB-57 still has the "B" but it has little in common with the B-57/Canberra. It was a high altitude recon bird. NASA still uses them as a much cheaper alternative to a U-2/TR-1 for high altitude atmospheric research. The NASA guys don't push it but I heard rumors that it could out perform U-2s on certain mission profiles. I got to see one at Ellington Field back in the mid 90s, those wings are gigantic.

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

The North American XB-70 Valkyrie was pretty much the end of strategic nuclear supersonic bomber development in the USA. With the development of high altitude SAMs and high speed, high altitude interceptors, the concept was dropped. It had six afterburning engines which could produce 28,800 lbs of thrust each, propelling it to mach 3.1 at altitude, though it was limited to high subsonic speeds down low. Its service ceiling was 77,000 feet. Only a few were built before cancellation, and one crashed in a photo shoot flight when an F-104 flying in awkward formation clipped its wing (see pic below). Both aircraft crashed and the F-104 pilot and one XB-70 crewmember were killed.

 

[Randy Daytona]

I had a model of the B-70 when I was young. Interesting that the wingtips folded down so the airplane could ride its own shockwave for more lift and reduced its drag by 30%. That was some smart engineers.

 

[mad dog]

How about some helos?

Check out this bad boy...the Kellett-Hughes XH-17.

HOT DOG!

 

[BigBadBoJenkins]

Thrust vectoring is pretty cool. The USA was looking into it seriously in the late 1980s, but has moved away from it (other than the F-22) Here are some early examples as well as contemporary Russian designs that still use it.
F/A-18 HARV (High Alpha Research Vehicle)
F-16 VISTA (Variable stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft)
The more famous F-15 ACTIVE (Advanced Control Technology for Integrated Vehicles), controllable up to 85 degrees AOA
F-22 (two dimensional only)
Su-35
Mig-35

 

[Randy Daytona]

Helicopters?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_AH-56_Cheyenne

Boeing ACH-47 Gunship

Never made it past the proposal, but the F-4X Phantom II. In theory, capable of Mach 3.2
http://aviationtrivia.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-mach-3-phantom.html

 

[Pags]

What about the unholy offspring of a blimp and an H-34?

 

[Beans]

How about some helos?

Check out this bad boy...the Kellett-Hughes XH-17.

HOT DOG!



View attachment 14527

Sexiest. Aircraft. Ever.