Tuesday, January 31, 2012

XB-70 Valkyrie




















The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the proposed B-70 nuclear-armed deep-penetration strategic bomber for the United States Air Force's (USAF) Strategic Air Command.

Designed by North American Aviation in the late 1950s, the Valkyrie was a large six-engined aircraft able to fly Mach 3+ at an altitude of 70,000 feet (21,000 m), which would have allowed it to avoid interceptors, the only effective anti-bomber weapon at the time. The introduction of effective high-altitude surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), the program's high development costs, and changes in the technological environment with the introduction of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBMs) led to the cancellation of the B-70 program in 1961.

Although the proposed fleet of operational B-70 bombers was canceled, two prototype aircraft were built as the XB-70A and used in supersonic test flights from 1964 to 1969. One prototype crashed following a midair collision in 1966; the other is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.

Aero Spacelines Super Guppy



The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy is a large, wide-bodied cargo aircraft used for ferrying outsized cargo components. It was the successor to the Pregnant Guppy, the first of the Guppy aircraft produced by Aero Spacelines. Five were built in two variants, both of which were colloquially referred to as the "Super Guppy."







SUPER GUPPY This Super Guppy, a much modified Boeing Stratocruiser, is used for over size air cargo and is viewed at Buckley Air National Guard Base in April of 1967.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

F5D Skylancer








The United States Douglas F5D Skylancer was a development of the F4D Skyray jet fighter for the United States Navy.
Starting out as the F4D-2N, an all-weather version of the Skyray, the design was soon modified to take full advantage of the extra thrust of the Pratt & Whitney J57 eventually fitted to the Skyray instead of the Westinghouse J40 originally planned.

Friday, January 20, 2012

F-14 TOMCAT























Grumman F-14 Tomcat Specification
General Characteristics: F-14 TOMCAT
Date Deployed: First flight: December 21st 1970
Function: Carrier-based multi-role strike fighter
Type: Class A multirole fighter
Contractor: Grumman Aerospace Corporation
Unit Cost: $38 million
Propulsion: 2x Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-414A afterburning turbofans (F-14A) rated at 11, 700 lbs dry and 18, 900 lbs in afterburner 2x General Electric F110-GE-400 afterburning turbofans (F-14B and F-14D) rated at 16, 088 lbs dry and 27, 000 lbs in afterburner Thrust: F-14A: 20,900 pounds (9,405 kg) static thrust per engine; F-14B and F-14D: 27,000 pounds (12,150 kg) per engine

Maximum speed: 2.38 Mach (1,544 mph)
Cruise Mach speed: 0.72 Mach
Carrier approach speed: 125 kts
Wingspan: 64 ft 2 in (19,54 m) unswept, 38 ft (11.4 m) swept
Reference wing area: 565 sq ft.
Wing aspect ratio: 7.28
Length: 61 ft 10 in (18.96 m)
Height: 16 ft (4.88 m)
Maximum range: 1600 nm (2573km)
Combat radius: 578 miles (930 km)
Ceiling: 68,900 ft (21,000m)
Max. speed: 1,584 mph (2,548km/h) at 40,000 ft (12,200 m)
Empty: 41, 780 lbs.
Maximum takeoff: 74, 349 lbs.
Internal fuel: 16, 200 lbs.
External fuel: 3, 800 lbs.
Crew: 2 - pilot and radar intercept officer
Field takeoff distance: 2500 ft.
Field landing distance: 2400 ft.
Maximum external weapons load: 15, 985 lbs.