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Heikkis' Silhouette Challenge

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Heikkis' Silhouette Challenge

Old 13th Apr 2012, 18:21
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Good evening Ken.

Limited time available this evening, but looking.......
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Old 13th Apr 2012, 18:30
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Boeing Phantom Eye?
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Old 13th Apr 2012, 18:34
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Bugger - just come on line to discover one in my sleeve/portfolio....
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Old 13th Apr 2012, 19:00
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Boeing Phantom Eye?
That's the one sabredog Must be one of the largest UAV's with a 150ft wing span. Reportedly able to stay airborne for 4 days cruising at 65,000 ft, and powered by 2 Ford 2.3 litre car engines!



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Old 13th Apr 2012, 20:03
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Thank you,Skytrain10.
It really should go to Ridge Runner, as he asked all the relevant questions.
If you have no objections , over to RR
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Old 13th Apr 2012, 20:10
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Thanks sabredog, that's kind of you

However I know that generally RR is not available in the evenings and weekends so I am sure he won't mind me declaring Open House in the circumstances
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 10:16
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Good morning ,

Apologies for having to call an Open House yesterday, but it's been a very hectic week!

Thanks for the "Bubbly" LM

Here's something to take the current OH, a project, I think it was flown in model form.

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Old 14th Apr 2012, 11:24
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Afternoon Trevor. There's a lot of "tail" there. Looks like a high wing delta? Is this a Lippisch or Horten project?
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 11:32
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Afternoon Ken,

I would describe it as mid-wing; but it was a Lippisch design!
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 11:33
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Good afternoon to you both.

It certainly looks high wing to me, but the size of the exhaust is enormous compared to the rest of the aeroplane.

Was it therefore a very short-range rocket-propelled machine designed for high altitude?

The canards are also very highly swept, which would indicate old theory/technology for such a design.
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 11:39
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Am I correct in thinking that this was after Lippisch moved to the USA?
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 11:50
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Afternoon David,

There's not very much info on this one, so I'm not sure about the engine, the photos do show a rather large diameter, but not very long engine of some sort, I suspect that as the photos are of a model, it may have been a ducted-fan unit and possibly not representative of the final installation.

It was indeed a product of his post-war years in the USA working for established companies.

Edit: It was to be a radio controlled interceptor!

The canards are also very highly swept
Not so, that is an illusion caused by very large dihedral angle.
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 11:52
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Thanks Trevor.

Was it therefore something from Convair?

Or maybe the Lippisch Collins Drone.
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 11:58
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maybe the Lippisch Collins Drone
That's the one David

Edit to say that I think they may have been experimenting with different designs of canards as I can't reconcile the shape with the orientation!

From 1950–1964, Lippisch worked for the Collins Radio Company in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which had an aeronautical division. It was during this time that his interest shifted toward ground effect craft. The results were an unconventional VTOL aircraft (an aerodyne) and an aerofoil boat research seaplane X-112, flown in 1963. However, Lippisch contracted cancer, and resigned from Collins.

When he recovered in 1966, he formed his own research company, Lippisch Research Corporation, and attracted the interest of the West German government. Prototypes for both the aerodyne and the ground-effect craft RFB X-113 (1970) then RFB X-114 (1977) were built, but no further development was undertaken. The Kiekhaefer Mercury company was also interested in his ground-effect craft and successfully tested one of his designs as the Aeroskimmer, but also eventually lost interest.
Lippisch died in Cedar Rapids on February 11, 1976


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Last edited by SincoTC; 14th Apr 2012 at 12:14.
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 12:00
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Thanks Trevor.

I am going out for lunch shortly and will be away for a couple of hours.

That's too long without monitoring so sadly I'll call OH.

edit: of course, in the unlikely event that it's still OH when I get back, I'll throw one up.
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 12:04
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Thanks David,

Enjoy your lunch, I'm just off home myself now, so will be offline for a while too! Sorry Ken, it looks like you're on your own again
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 12:07
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I'll echo that - apologies Ken.

Now, where's that lobster........
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 12:21
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Now, where's that lobster........
Oh Noooooooo, not for me I'm afraid, I like it but it doesn't like me , I must have what the geneticist called the shellfish gene!!
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 12:29
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Well the weather has somewhat thwarted my plans for this afternoon, so I'll post something after lunch should LM not have returned by then to take up his OH.

PM for you Trevor.
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Old 14th Apr 2012, 13:50
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Taking up the Open House:

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