Rockwell Shuttle Model Drawings

 hi-rez, launch vehicles, space shuttle  No Responses »
Dec 072011
 

An informational poster from Rockwell International showing the configuration of the Space Shuttle dating from, I believe, February 1983. Provides geometric data as well as coloration, mission profile and subcontractor data.

You can download a 9 megabyte ZIP file with 300 DPI scans of both front and back of this poster. The 1/200 scale drawings are particularly nice. The link to the ZIP file is HERE. To access it, you will need to enter a username and password. The username: the first word in the body of the text on page 8 of APR issue V3N2. The password: the first word in the body of the text on page 24 of the same issue. Note that both are case sensitive.

 Posted by at 7:16 pm

APR issue V3N2 now available

 bomber, fighter, future projects, jetliner, launch vehicles, space shuttle, spacecraft, spaceplane, stealth, transports, VTOL  11 Responses »
Dec 032011
 

At long last, Aerospace Projects Review issue V3N2 is now available.

The main article, about 90 pages worth, covers the Lockheed STAR Clipper concept.This was a one-and-a-half stage space shuttle concept. Starting in 1968 for the USAF, the concept lasted well into Phase B of the Space Shuttle program for NASA, and in altered form into the 1990’s. This article has a very large number of detailed schematics of many different forms, including the original small 1.5 Stage To Orbit design, numerous variations on that concept, fully reusable two stage versions with manned boosters, giant concepts for Solar Power Satellite logistics and miniature versions for the USAF in the 1980s.

Also included is an article covering antecedents and derivatives of the Northrop F-23 stealth fighter. Included are early designs such as the “Christmas fighter” and several “platypus” concepts, the F-23A operational fighter design, the NATF-23 concept for the US Navy with aft mounted wings and canards, the single-engined Multi Role Fighter (from the competition that led to the F-35) and perhaps most interestingly, the F/B-23 regional bomber, of eBay infamy. This article is illustrated with a mix of photos of official Northrop display models, official Northrop diagrams, all-new scale diagrams and color artwork especially commissioned for this article.

Dennis R. Jenkins provides an article on a Convair concept for converting the F-106 interceptor into a small supersonic transport. Compare this to Convair idea of converting the B-58 Hustler into an SST!

And finally, two aerospace history “nuggets,” the Vanguard Model 18 VTOL transport and a Northrop laminar flow control multipurpose long-duration aircraft.

You can see the entire issue here:

 

It is available in three formats. Firstly, it can be downloaded directly from me for the low, low price of $10. Second, it can be purchased as a professionally printed volume through Magcloud; third, it can be procured in both formats. To get the download, simply pay for it here through paypal.

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To get the printed version (or print + PDF version), visit my MagCloud page:

http://scottlowther.magcloud

ALSO AVAILABLE: V3N2 Addendum, with 65 pages formatted for 11X17 sheets. Includes larger format (and higher rez images) along with additional artwork and diagrams that were not in issue V3N2 due to space constraints.
V3N2 Addendum download order: $5.00

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The Downloading FAQ

Meteor Jr.

 launch vehicles, space shuttle, spacecraft, spaceplane  1 Response »
Nov 132011
 

In 1957, Darrell Romick of Goodyear produced the “Meteor Jr.”  design for a three stage fully reusable manned launch vehicle, a smaller version of the “Meteor” design from 1954. The designs were straightforward, with simple but gigantic delta wings.

As with other, similar designs of the period, such as Werner von Brauns “Ferry rocket” and derivatives, the math behind the performance of the Meteor Jr. was sound. However, like those other designs, the physics underlying re-entry would have trashed the Meteor Jr. Thin sharp wings made out of steel simply cannot withstand the aerothermal heating. Additionally, the large bubble canopies would have been at best problematic.

The Air & Space Museum Udvar-Hazy facility has a Goodyear display model of the Meteor Jr. vehicle on display.

 Posted by at 12:23 pm

A preview of issue V3N2

 fighter  3 Responses »
Nov 062011
 

Rather badly delayed, but Aerospace projects review V3N2 continues to chug along. Below is a preview of one of the articles… covering antecedents and derivatives of the Northrop F-23.

 Posted by at 11:03 pm

Dyna Soar Models

 Dyna Soar, hypersonic, launch vehicles, spaceplane  4 Responses »
Oct 292011
 

A few examples of models and mockups of different versions of the Dyna Soar:

A few years back I got to poke around a little bit in the NASM Garber facility. Lighting was not the best and some areas were photography-discouraged, but there were a few things that I got some photos of. One was a large model of an early Boeing Dyna Soar configuration. It may have originally been a wind tunnel model that was repurposed into a display model, or it may have been a display model from the get-go (kinda big, though).

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One of Boeings earliest Dyna Soar designs, the Model 814-1012, dating from about March, 1958. Terribly ’50′s in design, looks like a hood ornament. All angles and fins, including two ventral fins which would have had a hell of a time surviving re-entry. This image is made from two separate kinda blurry photos of presumably the same display model.

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Mockup and display model photos, circa 1960. Taken from a mockup review film.

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A photo of a Martin corp. display model showing an early Dyna Soar/Titan III configuration. The Titan III would lose the fins after testing showed that the thrust vectoring capability of the Titan III’s UA-1205 booster rockets was up to the task of countering pitch moments produced by the Dyna Soar.

Parts of this were originally posted HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE.

 Posted by at 1:05 pm

Grumman 698

 VTOL  1 Response »
Oct 242011
 

The Grumman 698 was a mid-1980s concept for a VTOL aircraft. Several somewhat different versions were produced, including a canard design; but all shared the same basic propulsion system. One or two turbofans would be mounted on either side of the fuselage, and given the ability to tilt through more than 90 degrees. This allowed the craft to take off vertically and fly horizontally at high speed. Aerodynamic control surfaces were mounted in the jet exhaust to provide roll, pitch and yaw control at low speed. A full scale powered model was tested in the NASA-Ames 40 X 80 foot wind tunnel, and a lot of art was produced.

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Two variants of the same piece of art. These were scanned from photos of the actual paintings; one is clearly cruder than the other, and probably represents a preliminary “sketch” in advance of the final piece.

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The Grumman 698 as a rescue aircraft, snagging a pilot in mid parachute descent. How the rescue plane just happened to be where it would be needed is unknown.

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A Grumman 698 landing on an oil rig. This is the sort of role that only helicopters can currently fulfill.

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 Posted by at 9:31 pm

Vought ADAM

 fighter, transports, VTOL  1 Response »
Oct 142011
 

In the 1960’s Vought extensively studied a concept for VTOL propulsion known as ADAM (Air Deflection and Modulation). This used a bank of horizontally oriented turbojets exhausting into a common manifold that formed the main structure of the wing and which drove larger-diameter fans. The exhaust from the jets, and the thrust from the fans, could be directed either aft for forward thrust or down for vertical thrust. Vought proposed the ADAM concept for everything from small single-seat fighters and ground attack aircraft to large military and commercial transports.

A few of these designs are presented below:

A photograph taken in the 1960′s showing a Vought ADAM (Air Deflection and Modulation) VTOL fighter concept display model. ADAM used engines in the wings with thrust deflection to achieve VTOL performance.

Scan made from a slide. No further information on this particular design concept.

More after the break.

Continue reading »

 Posted by at 11:44 pm

Get Updates by Email

 Uncategorized  No Responses »
Oct 142011
 

If you want to be added to the email list you can sign up below (I cannot sign you up… that’s how it works, as part of it’s anti-spam system). All that’s required is that you add your email address in the box below and hit “submit.” You won’t receive any emails apart from the subscription confirmation (it’s free, by the way) and any updates I send out. Your email address won’t be visible to others.

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 Posted by at 11:14 pm
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