Ideas that didn' fly
If cutting metal is the definition, the daddy of them all has to be the VC-7/V.1000, whose prototype was apparently nearly complete in the sheds at Wisley when the project was cancelled
Interestingly, much of the construction of the V1000 took place at Vickers' shadowy Foxwarren site (where the prototype Viscount and Valiant were built), with final assembly at Wisley.
Whether the aircraft would ever have been a commercial success is debatable, with the V1000 suffering from the same obsession with short-field performance that doomed the VC-10.
Dave
I have never seen that particular photo, so thanks for sharing.
She would have certainly been a looker with that swept tail, which would have made the Comet 4 look instantly dated.
I have never seen that particular photo, so thanks for sharing.
She would have certainly been a looker with that swept tail, which would have made the Comet 4 look instantly dated.
He would park near the old tower on what is now called 'East Apron' (then called 'A' Shed tarmac), remove his collapsible bike from the capacious hold behind the cockpit, then pedal off.
I believe it was destroyed in the hangar fire at Old Sarum on 16/1/87 which also destroyed several production Opticas.
Last edited by chevvron; 30th Jan 2017 at 19:30.
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So did the majority of aircraft on this list, {I don't think the "Didn't Fly" was to be taken literally }Rather just lousy flyers, a category which the Swift certainly qualified for!
Herod wrote:
[QUOTE]Going right back, the Wright Flyer..warping wings./QUOTE]
Herod, A good few First World War Aircraft also used warping wings, including the Etrich Taube, Morane Saulnier N and the Focker Eindecker; the last of which gave its name to the 'Fokker Scourge'.
These days, wing warping is found on weight-shift microlights and hang gliders in the form of 'billow shift'. Paragliders also have use lines to change the wing shape.
A wing warping renaissance could be looming for larger aircraft too:
[QUOTE]Going right back, the Wright Flyer..warping wings./QUOTE]
Herod, A good few First World War Aircraft also used warping wings, including the Etrich Taube, Morane Saulnier N and the Focker Eindecker; the last of which gave its name to the 'Fokker Scourge'.
These days, wing warping is found on weight-shift microlights and hang gliders in the form of 'billow shift'. Paragliders also have use lines to change the wing shape.
A wing warping renaissance could be looming for larger aircraft too:
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I was reading the MLS thread and I realized that over the years a number of ideas appeared very bright as they were launched only to be abandoned only few years later. Besides the MLS, what are the ideas you remember that appear and went out of sight some time later without any commercial application?
Last edited by noflynomore; 31st Jan 2017 at 10:01.
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Wheel-less/Rubber Deck Landings were actually done successfully by Eric Winkle Brown on HMS Warrior; the idea was to use aircraft without undercarriage to save weight. The idea was reasonable (in theory) but more powerful jet engines made it unnecessary. My dad was part of the UK team which later sold Warrior to Argentina, re-named ARA Independencia.
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Perhaps the biggest of all was Project Orion, a 1960s concept for nuclear-lofted space launch that could put up to 8 Million tons into space and at up to 10% lightspeed.
It was deemed practical, feasible and more importantly doable at the time and nothing has changed that view. It was allegedly not followed up as no one could figure out any application for multi-million ton spacecraft.
Just like the rubber deck it turned out not to have a practical use/need. At the time.
Maybe its time will come?
It was deemed practical, feasible and more importantly doable at the time and nothing has changed that view. It was allegedly not followed up as no one could figure out any application for multi-million ton spacecraft.
Just like the rubber deck it turned out not to have a practical use/need. At the time.
Maybe its time will come?
A bit of thread drift, but re The B-36 earlier -
A couple of screenshots from one of the best (IMHO) aviation films i.e. 'Strategic Air Command' from the 1950's.
Six turning and four burning
..and contrailing into the sunset
A couple of screenshots from one of the best (IMHO) aviation films i.e. 'Strategic Air Command' from the 1950's.
Six turning and four burning
..and contrailing into the sunset
If cutting metal is the definition, the daddy of them all has to be the VC-7/V.1000, whose prototype was apparently nearly complete in the sheds at Wisley when the project was cancelled
We could also pick up the Soviet Buran space shuttle project, they built as many orbiters as the comparable US project did, 5 real orbiters and 8 full-scale engineering prototypes, but I understand they never did an actual mission, just one (unmanned) orbit by one of the ships.
Wheel-less/Rubber Deck Landings were actually done successfully by Eric Winkle Brown on HMS Warrior; the idea was to use aircraft without undercarriage to save weight. The idea was reasonable (in theory) but more powerful jet engines made it unnecessary. My dad was part of the UK team which later sold Warrior to Argentina, re-named ARA Independencia.
I was told the trials were a complete success until someone asked how they were going to get the aircraft off the rubber landing 'mat' so that the next aircraft could land. Someone else then suggested attaching a set of wheels to the aircraft!!!
Some Comet 1 or 2 fuselages were still on the fire burning ground at Farnborough until about 1990.
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Thanks chevvron, might have to visit sometime!
From Wiki :
An idea tested, but never put into service, was the "flexible" or "rubber deck." In the early jet age it was seen that by eliminating the landing gear for carrier borne aircraft, the flight performance and range would be improved, since the space taken by the landing gear could be used to hold additional fuel tanks. This led to the concept of a deck that would absorb the energy of landing.[21] With the introduction of jet aircraft the risk of damaging propellers was no longer an issue, though take off would require some sort of launching cradle.[22] Tests were carried out with a de Havilland Sea Vampire flown by test pilot Eric "Winkle" Brown onto the rubber deck fitted to HMS Warrior,[23] and Supermarine designed its Type 508 for rubber deck landings. The flexible deck idea was found to be technically feasible but was abandoned, as the weight of carrier aircraft increased and there were always doubts about the ability of an average pilot to land in this way. The Type 508 was subsequently developed into a conventional carrier aircraft, the Supermarine Scimitar.
From Wiki :
An idea tested, but never put into service, was the "flexible" or "rubber deck." In the early jet age it was seen that by eliminating the landing gear for carrier borne aircraft, the flight performance and range would be improved, since the space taken by the landing gear could be used to hold additional fuel tanks. This led to the concept of a deck that would absorb the energy of landing.[21] With the introduction of jet aircraft the risk of damaging propellers was no longer an issue, though take off would require some sort of launching cradle.[22] Tests were carried out with a de Havilland Sea Vampire flown by test pilot Eric "Winkle" Brown onto the rubber deck fitted to HMS Warrior,[23] and Supermarine designed its Type 508 for rubber deck landings. The flexible deck idea was found to be technically feasible but was abandoned, as the weight of carrier aircraft increased and there were always doubts about the ability of an average pilot to land in this way. The Type 508 was subsequently developed into a conventional carrier aircraft, the Supermarine Scimitar.
For non Brits B&Q is very large DIY chain selling timber and mdf board)