Posted on 08/15/2008 3:31:20 PM PDT by valkyry1
I have been wanting to get this topic on airplanes going for awhile. I hope some of you find an interest also.
//The SR-71 Blackbird is just one big gas tank with jet engines.//
Make that turbo-ramjet engines!
The Luftwaffe was devastated as a fighting force by D-Day. Thats not to say they could not have had a resurgence.
OMG—I thought I was the only B-58 Hustler fan!!!
You have excellent aesthetic taste, Joe.
Excellent htread—thanks for posting it!
The 25 years from 1945-1970 saw incredible advances in avaition design. Bigger, faster, better.
In the 38 years since, we seemed to have stalled in design.
For fantasy airplanes how about a mach 4 Bomber based on 4 J-58 engines ‘modernized’ ceramic leading edges on the airframe for heat absorption, new technology fuels.
= Mach 4 cruise at 125k altitude, range 6,000 miles.
Trivia questions,
What are the limiting factors for any given ramjet engine?
What was the upper mach limit for a kerosene (jet fueled) ramjet engine?
Trivia question on the ubiquitous best airplane debate re: SR-71 against the Mig-25 (false debate, airplanes built for different missions among other issues).
The SR-71 could cruise at Mach3+, the Mig-25 could overspeed to Mach 3+ and then its engines must be changed.
From an engineering/design standpoint, what did the Russkies fail to account for and manage that our designers did not?
//Sea-level performance at altitude. //
That could be accomplished with either method alone.
The museum at Offutt has been moved to a new facility just off I-80 between Omaha and Lincoln Omaha. It’s a beautiful museum with plenty of room to keep their B-52, B-1A and B-36 safely inside. They also have a British Vulcan bomber.
http://www.strategicairandspace.com/
As for favorite planes that never were; The BAC TSR-2 and the Avro CF-105 Arrow.
Here is a really goofy looking German jet fighter that would have also been devastating on our bomber fleets.
http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraft/Heinkel-Salamander/info/info.htm
It’s funny how odd designs end up in production aircraft.
Both Eclipse and Cirrus have developed very light jets loosely based on the Salamander’s design. They are very cool looking with a single jet engine on the top and a vee tail.
The Eclipse 400 put on a dramatic aerobatic demonstration at Oshkosh earlier this month.
I saw it numerous times at the local air show when it was operational. Easily the loudest plane too. Just awesome.
Salamander knows a few things about cool machines ;-)
IIRC the B-58 was designed in the 1940’s also!
What a great airplane!
They modified one to be a test bed for the J-93 engine, dont know if it ever flew or not.
You referring to the bike or the “black triangle” that flew over my house?
[if the latter...I know nothing...*NOTHING*!!!]....LOL!
Sopwith Salamander
Its too late, you let the cat out of the bag!!
No it would be the Imperial Japanese Air Force.
Most of the rest of the world would have been devastated by bubonic plague that Japan was planing to release. Only Japan would have escaped by isolating themselves so they would have quickly become top dog simply by having a healthier population.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.