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Ideas that didn' fly

Old 30th Jan 2017, 02:52
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Martin Baker M.B.5 and CAC CA-15 were two fighters I would have liked to see more of.
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 06:12
  #82 (permalink)  
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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
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 07:39
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Fokker F-29, MDF 100 and F-130.
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 08:30
  #84 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by TCU
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.
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 13:32
  #85 (permalink)  
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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.
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 13:55
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Originally Posted by dixi188
Lockspeiser LDA-01. G-AVOR.
I never saw it fly but remember it in pieces in the flight shed at Hurn about 1973.
It first flew (from Wisley I think) in about '73. Displayed at several Farnborough airshows. David Lockspieser latterly used it to commute to Farnborough when he had business in the vicinity (well before we started 'officially' accepting civil aircraft in 1989).
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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Old 30th Jan 2017, 13:58
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Originally Posted by clunckdriver
Supermarine Swift, a truly dreadful aircraft!
Doesn't count because it DID fly, and in quite large numbers, even setting a new air speed record.
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 15:25
  #88 (permalink)  
 
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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!
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 19:16
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For the fighter version that is true but the Mark 5 worked well down in the weeds and I understand the Mark 7 was a good trials workhorse.
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Old 30th Jan 2017, 22:01
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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:

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Old 31st Jan 2017, 08:42
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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?
I rather think that the OP was asking about "ideas" or "concepts" that didn't work out or catch on, eg piggy-back, wheel-less deck landings or prone plots rather than merely a list of aircraft types that didn't sell, a category that must be way longer than the list of those that did...

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Old 31st Jan 2017, 09:31
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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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Old 31st Jan 2017, 10:41
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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?
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Old 31st Jan 2017, 15:38
  #94 (permalink)  
 
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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
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Old 31st Jan 2017, 16:48
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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
The Comet 2 and Comet 3 had a LOT of metal cut, as I understand it, before their projects was terminated. I believe many of the fuselages were subcontracted to Shorts in Belfast, then shipped over to the Chester plant. Eventually they went for scrap.

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.
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Old 31st Jan 2017, 17:27
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Originally Posted by joy ride
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.
The concrete base for the rubber landing deck still exists at Farnborough about 200yds in front of the present control tower. One of the old radio operators (working as an Experimental Flying Control Assistant after his job was allocated to air traffic controllers) told me Winkle made several approaches to it before eventually taking the plunge.
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!!!
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Old 31st Jan 2017, 17:29
  #97 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by WHBM
The Comet 2 and Comet 3 had a LOT of metal cut, as I understand it, before their projects was terminated. I believe many of the fuselages were subcontracted to Shorts in Belfast, then shipped over to the Chester plant. Eventually they went for scrap.
.
Only 1 Comet 3 was actually finished which I believe, was allocated to RAE Bedford, whilst the Comet 2 went into production for the RAF serving as a transport (until replaced by the C4) and on 'other' duties not connected with transport.
Some Comet 1 or 2 fuselages were still on the fire burning ground at Farnborough until about 1990.
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Old 31st Jan 2017, 17:59
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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.
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Old 31st Jan 2017, 18:18
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Re Post 83, I like the idea of an MDF 100 , a B&Q Aerospace project maybe? (For non Brits B&Q is very large DIY chain selling timber and mdf board)
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Old 31st Jan 2017, 18:36
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For non Brits B&Q is very large DIY chain selling timber and mdf board)
This side of the Atlantic, most people would not be familiar with MDF, where the term 'particle board' is the normal usage. Interestingly though, I see MDF is used in the Home Depot catalog.
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