[valkyry1]

If WW2 had not ended when it did, and the jet engine took longer to develop, just look at what we would have been fielding into the conflict.

Aircraft like the Republic XF-12 Rainbow. A 4 engine reconnaissance bomber which could fly at over 400 mph at over 40,000' for a range of 4,000 miles, or rather 'flying on all fours'. In testing it went at over 470 mph in level flight.

IMO We were going to win the entire WW2 on our own.

[valkyry1]

ping

[valkyry1]

Trivia question;

On a large engine such as the PW Wasp R4360, why would it be desirable to have supercharging and turbo charging?

[brivette]

If, if if..

[Sundog]

6 engine, 6000 mile range, 2000 mph cruise.

[Jet Jaguar]

F-20 Tigershark

[BRL]

We were going to win the entire WW2 on our own.

I thought John Wayne won WW2 all by himself. It wasn't until I was 25 that I realized that the Germans had that minor distraction on the Eastern Front.

[Centurion2000]

I fell in love with this one as a kid.

F-108 RAPIER

The North American F-108 was designed as a very high speed (mach 3) interceptor and escort fighter for the B-70 "Valkyrie" bomber under development at the same time. The delta wing Rapier, in its pre-mockup phase, was to have a canard (forward-mounted pitch-control surface), and three vertical stabilizers: one on the fuselage centerline a a pair at the halfway point on the wing trailing edge for high speed stabilization at speeds above mach 2. The aircraft design was changed during the mockup phase. The canard was removed and the upper portions of the wing-mounted vertical stabilizers were removed. The wing was changed from a standard delta to a double-delta; the winglet incorporated a droop and 45 degree sweep (the main wing had about a 65 degree sweep). The F-108 program was canceled on 23 September, 1959 never getting past the mockup phase.

[valkyry1]

XF-12 Rainbow

[rangerX]

The B-36 was the next bomber in the works after the B-29. First flight in 1946. It dwarfed the B-29.

[valkyry1]

Republic XP-72 Another airplane based on the Wasp 4360 engine

Maximum speed: 480 mph

Rate of climb: 5,280 ft/min

[Joe 6-pack]

"You must think in Russian..."

[arthurus]

ping

[BRL]

How about great "Aircraft" that never were?

[mad_as_he$$]

If WW2 had not ended when it did the dominate Air Force in the World would be the Luftwaffe.

[mad_as_he$$]

Since your title is "never flew":

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=stargate%20X-301&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#

[gridlock]

You gotta love the F-22 Fighter/Bomber...

Or, of course, the Aurora... The Grand-Daddy of them all...

[Josh Painter]

A-12 Avenger II

[exit82]

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.

[valkyry1]

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?

[valkyry1]

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?