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Great Planes that never were
Republic XF-12 Rainbow ^ | 08-15-2008 | Self

Posted on 08/15/2008 3:31:20 PM PDT by valkyry1

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To: FoxPro

//The SR-71 Blackbird is just one big gas tank with jet engines.//

Make that turbo-ramjet engines!


61 posted on 08/15/2008 7:23:37 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: mad_as_he$$

The Luftwaffe was devastated as a fighting force by D-Day. Thats not to say they could not have had a resurgence.


62 posted on 08/15/2008 7:26:05 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: Joe 6-pack

OMG—I thought I was the only B-58 Hustler fan!!!

You have excellent aesthetic taste, Joe.


63 posted on 08/15/2008 7:31:11 PM PDT by exit82 (People get the government they deserve--and they are about to get it --in spades.)
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To: valkyry1

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.


64 posted on 08/15/2008 7:34:25 PM PDT by exit82 (People get the government they deserve--and they are about to get it --in spades.)
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To: Joe 6-pack

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.


65 posted on 08/15/2008 7:56:19 PM PDT by valkyry1
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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?


66 posted on 08/15/2008 7:59:32 PM PDT by valkyry1
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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?


67 posted on 08/15/2008 8:07:52 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: valkyry1
I agree but D-day was really the end of the war in Europe. If the Germans had been able to train pilots and fuel them the Me-262 would of devastated the bombers and even the P-51. 1400 of them were made and only about 200 saw combat but they had a 5:1 kill ratio. The 262 was started before the war and another six months of so of being ahead of the curve they would of had airspace dominance. There were also several other German concepts that would of played he$$ on our forces if they had been started or continued for just a few months sooner.
68 posted on 08/15/2008 8:11:09 PM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Constantly choosing the lesser of two evils is still choosing evil.)
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To: poindexter

//Sea-level performance at altitude. //

That could be accomplished with either method alone.


69 posted on 08/15/2008 8:11:44 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: Vroomfondel

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.


70 posted on 08/15/2008 8:16:17 PM PDT by MediaMole
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To: mad_as_he$$
I know what you are saying and its all speculation now.

Here is a really goofy looking German jet fighter that would have also been devastating on our bomber fleets.

The HE-162 Volksjager

http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraft/Heinkel-Salamander/info/info.htm

71 posted on 08/15/2008 8:18:54 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: valkyry1

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.


72 posted on 08/15/2008 8:23:58 PM PDT by MediaMole
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To: AFreeBird

I saw it numerous times at the local air show when it was operational. Easily the loudest plane too. Just awesome.


73 posted on 08/15/2008 8:25:11 PM PDT by xp38
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To: Salamander; MediaMole

Salamander knows a few things about cool machines ;-)


74 posted on 08/15/2008 8:27:33 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: Joe 6-pack

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.


75 posted on 08/15/2008 8:44:57 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: valkyry1

You referring to the bike or the “black triangle” that flew over my house?

[if the latter...I know nothing...*NOTHING*!!!]....LOL!

Sopwith Salamander


76 posted on 08/15/2008 8:46:09 PM PDT by Salamander (And don't forget my Dog; fixed and consequent......)
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To: Sundog
I ate lunch under a XB-70A Valkyrie in Ohio.
77 posted on 08/15/2008 8:48:48 PM PDT by ThomasThomas (Orationem pulchram non habens, scribo ista linea in lingua Latina.***)
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To: Salamander

Its too late, you let the cat out of the bag!!


78 posted on 08/15/2008 8:48:51 PM PDT by valkyry1
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To: mad_as_he$$
If WW2 had not ended when it did the dominate Air Force in the World would be the Luftwaffe.

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.

79 posted on 08/15/2008 9:00:57 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what goes into it.)
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Republic XF-103

Image:Republic XF-103 mock-up.jpg

80 posted on 08/15/2008 9:01:38 PM PDT by valkyry1
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