Heavy Metal

[amazinblue82]

The flying wing aircraft requires constant adjustment of the control surfaces. I find it amazing that the YB-35 and YB-49 flew with mechanical or manual (pilot) controls.

View attachment 750600

i think I recall the flying vings were hard to fly in the pure analog era. I learned the Conccorde was "tailess." Part of why its had a "droop nose" was so pilots could see better but also inherent to the design they had to do it. it had a vertical stablizer but no horizontal stabilzers, opting instead for sophisticated contrlols on specially-curved delta wings. Even then it was allegedly hard to fly.

Below, the Horten-229 in the 30's (a tad ahead of usa & Northrup B-35 ) alllegedly was the first to try "tailess", essentially a flying wing. Like many things the Nazis were technicallly ahead of the world on, they couldn't finish it and never used it in WWII.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_H.V

 

[3175375]

i think I recall the flying vings were hard to fly in the pure analog era. I learned the Conccorde was "tailess." Part of why its had a "droop nose" was so pilots could see better but also inherent to the design they had to do it. it had a vertical stablizer but no horizontal stabilzers, opting instead for sophisticated contrlols on specially-curved delta wings. Even then it was allegedly hard to fly.

View attachment 750606View attachment 750607

Below, the Horten-229 in the 30's (a tad ahead of usa & Northrup B-35 ) alllegedly was the first to try "tailess", essentially a flying wing. Like many things the Nazis were technicallly ahead of the world on, they couldn't finish it and never used it in WWII.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horten_H.V

View attachment 750609

There’s a HO 229 at the Smithsonian and I believe that they are restoring it.

Horten Ho 229 V3 at the Restoration Hangar | National Air and Space Museum

 

[amazinblue82]

setting aside number of parts vs a car, that thing is gonna need custom made parts just to restoe let alone becomr airworthy again. fascinating story Horten Ho 229 - Wikipedia
"
The only surviving Ho 229 airframe, the V3—and the only surviving Second World War-era German jet prototype still in existence—is on display in the main hall of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) alongside other WWII-era German aircraft."Horten Ho 229 - Wikipedia"span. It is displayed partially restored, the wings of the aircraft displayed separately from the center section.

In April 1945, George Patton’s Third Army found four Horten prototypes, the Ho 229s and a Horten glider. Of three Ho 229s, the V3 was nearest to completion, and was shipped to the United States for evaluation.

Specifications (Horten H.IX V2)
Data from Nurflügel,[31] (Ho 229A)The Complete Book of Fighters[32]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in) chord at centre-line
Orthographically diagram
Ho 229A: 7.47 m (24.5 ft)
Wingspan: 16.8 m (55 ft 1 in)
Ho 229A: 16.76 m (55.0 ft)
Height: 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) cockpit height
Ho 229A: 2.81 m (9 ft 3 in) overall height
Wing area: 52.8 m2 (568 sq ft)
Ho 229A: 50.2 m2 (540 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 7.8
Empty weight: 4,844 kg (10,679 lb)
Ho 229A: 4,600 kg (10,100 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 6,876 kg (15,159 lb)
Ho 229A: 8,100 kg (17,900 lb)
Fuel capacity: 1,700 kg (3,700 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engine, 8.83 kN (1,990 lbf) thrust each
Performance

Maximum speed: 960 km/h (600 mph, 520 kn)
Ho 229A: 950 km/h (590 mph; 510 kn) / M0.77 at sea level; 977 km/h (607 mph; 528 kn) / M0.92 at 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Cruise speed: 900 km/h (560 mph, 490 kn)
Never exceed speed: 1,000 km/h (620 mph, 540 kn)
Take-off speed: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn)
Landing speed: 130 km/h (81 mph; 70 kn)
Range: 1,900 km (1,200 mi, 1,000 nmi) maximum
Rate of climb: 22 m/s (4,300 ft/min)
Wing loading: 130 kg/m2 (27 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.382
Armament

Guns: Ho 229A: 2x 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 108 cannon

 

[3175375]

setting aside number of parts vs a car, that thing is gonna need custom made parts just to restoe let alone becomr airworthy again. fascinating story Horten Ho 229 - Wikipedia
"
The only surviving Ho 229 airframe, the V3—and the only surviving Second World War-era German jet prototype still in existence—is on display in the main hall of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) alongside other WWII-era German aircraft."Horten Ho 229 - Wikipedia"span. It is displayed partially restored, the wings of the aircraft displayed separately from the center section.

In April 1945, George Patton’s Third Army found four Horten prototypes, the Ho 229s and a Horten glider. Of three Ho 229s, the V3 was nearest to completion, and was shipped to the United States for evaluation.
View attachment 750620

Specifications (Horten H.IX V2)
Data from Nurflügel,[31] (Ho 229A)The Complete Book of Fighters[32]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 7.4 m (24 ft 3 in) chord at centre-line
Orthographically diagram
Ho 229A: 7.47 m (24.5 ft)
Wingspan: 16.8 m (55 ft 1 in)
Ho 229A: 16.76 m (55.0 ft)
Height: 1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) cockpit height
Ho 229A: 2.81 m (9 ft 3 in) overall height
Wing area: 52.8 m2 (568 sq ft)
Ho 229A: 50.2 m2 (540 sq ft)
Aspect ratio: 7.8
Empty weight: 4,844 kg (10,679 lb)
Ho 229A: 4,600 kg (10,100 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 6,876 kg (15,159 lb)
Ho 229A: 8,100 kg (17,900 lb)
Fuel capacity: 1,700 kg (3,700 lb)
Powerplant: 2 × Junkers Jumo 004B turbojet engine, 8.83 kN (1,990 lbf) thrust each
Performance

Maximum speed: 960 km/h (600 mph, 520 kn)
Ho 229A: 950 km/h (590 mph; 510 kn) / M0.77 at sea level; 977 km/h (607 mph; 528 kn) / M0.92 at 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Cruise speed: 900 km/h (560 mph, 490 kn)
Never exceed speed: 1,000 km/h (620 mph, 540 kn)
Take-off speed: 150 km/h (93 mph; 81 kn)
Landing speed: 130 km/h (81 mph; 70 kn)
Range: 1,900 km (1,200 mi, 1,000 nmi) maximum
Rate of climb: 22 m/s (4,300 ft/min)
Wing loading: 130 kg/m2 (27 lb/sq ft)
Thrust/weight: 0.382
Armament

Guns: Ho 229A: 2x 30 mm (1.181 in) MK 108 cannon

Here’s the first Northrop flying wing, X-216H… circa 1928…

 

[amazinblue82]

part of B52 upgrades. stealth cruise missile

B-52 Spotted for the Second Time Carrying Air Force’s Next-Gen Stealth Nuclear Cruise Missile


"The AGM-181 LRSO is expected to replace the aging AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile, offering a stealthier and more survivable stand-off capability for the U.S. strategic bomber fleet. Its development is part of the broader B-52 modernization effort, which also includes new radar, engines, and communications upgrades."

 

[3175375]

PBJ landing gear in action! This is one of the final swings after doing several with the gear doors disconnected. A gear swing isn’t just putting the airplane on jacks and seeing if the gear works, it’s a ton of work! We check the position indication, emergency extension system, downlock latch manual override, various clearances of the landing gear mechanism, ensure that the brake hoses, wiring, etc clears the landing gear and nacelle, give each gear a good shake to make sure nothing is excessively worn, and more!

 

[3175375]

Rare color pictures of the Consolidated R2Y “Liberator Liner” which was a 1940s American prototype military airliner and transport aircraft developed by Consolidated Aircraft for the United States Navy, derived from the B-24 Liberator design. Only a single prototype (XR2Y-1) was built, featuring a new fuselage and components from other Consolidated designs.

After a brief Navy evaluation, it was demilitarized and leased to American Airlines as a freighter named City of Salinas.

Consolidated R2Y "Liberator Liner" (Consolidated Model 39) / USAAF / USN Library / Forums - Axis and Allies Paintworks

 

[amazinblue82]

Heavy Metal,
Heavy Metal

Feb5 th or 6th, we're going back to to the Moon. its just to orbit/landing later. then, were supposed to go to Mars soon (by 2030). it's time after over 50 years i guess (Voyager 1 and 2 still alive!!!! 38,000 mph!)!

 

[amazinblue82]

Idle thought.

watching the SLS trekking out on the crawler reminded me of SATURN V Doing it back in the day. Recall, it weighed 7.5 million lbs. this sLS weighs nearly 9 million lbs. Granted something that heavy can relatively easily stand on its own but surely "something" is helping clamp it down (so a wind gust, earthquake, tidal wave,etc., doesnt knock it over).

While the gantry and its own weight help keep it stable/upright, when it lights up it just sits there a few seconds, then up it goes.


Attached is a two minute video you may find interesting. How is this done? For the briefest few seconds, its gotta hold 7.5 million lbs of thrust down, release all at once evenly, and get outta the way. Something similar has to happen for SLS or any heavy rocket design.



Cool stuff in its own right. Enjoy if interested . again, two minutes.

 

[amazinblue82]

this upcoming Artemis 2 flight back to the Moon stirs memories of Apollo 8. i got good memory of 1968. this 11 minute video refreshes my mmory, perhaps any of you who were old enough to remember, 1968 was a real bummer of a year. Bobby Kennedy, MLK assassinated, Vietnam going on, LBJ deciding to give up the presidency, and riots in the streets. i was in elementary school but i got a vivid memory, albeit with a pre-adolescent childs understanding, of Apollo and my folks being on edge in 1968 like everybody else in America. It was kinda scary. my uncle (10 years older than me, i knew him my whole life. he made it back alive) was also a corporal in Vietnam so all that war stuff came up regularly in the family.

anyway i also recall Apollo 8 being full of risks in trying beat the Russians to the Moon per assassinated JFK's promise. These guys could have easily be "lost in space" given the unprecedented things they had to do to get there and back. As a kid, I didnt understand fully the risk as i do now of course, but i inderstood NASA and Borman, Lovell, and Anders showed big brass ones by going on this mission with so many big things they never/rarely tried and didnt work when the tested it. they are about to do it again 60 years later.

Risks and context are different, but theres some dicey stuff that has to go well in a few weeks.



if you didn't recall Apollo 8 was a big success. if you weren't paying attention or too young/not born yet in 1968, if you are interested the short vid is a good refresher. And surely you remember this. Still the only place we know. Bill Anders' first ever photo of our "pale blue dot." from Apollo 8.

i remember crowding around the family 19 inch RCA to listen the the Apollo 8 guys give their Christman Eve 1968 address to the "good earth". Another memory from the wayback machine.