SSgt Baloo Posted December 7, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2008 Re: Super Transportation When North American began designing the P-86 they developed a turboprop-powered version as well. The thinking at the time was that a turboprop would generate better acceleration than a pure jet and also have a greater combat radius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
concord Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Re: Super Transportation Taking SSgt Baloo's new design from here http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1644513&postcount=25 and a little fiddling on my part has yielded the final design for the Pegasus... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 P-40-j XP-40-J The XP-40-J was constructed as a quick-and-dirty way to test Tex Jones' jet turbine engine. His claims of superior performance over propeller-driven planes prompted Curtiss to offer him an airframe for modification. The resulting aircraft had superior speed and ceiling to the P-40 it was made from, but had slightly less range, though this was eventually offset by fitting external fuel tanks. The ability to group all six machine guns in the nose was another benefit of this configuration. The pilot's position was moved forward to partially offset the rearward weight bias caused by replacing a nose-mounted engine with an (admittedly lighter) tail-mounted installation. The horizontal stabilizer was raised to keep it from being masked by the wing at high angles of attack, especially on the take-off roll. The tailpipe was also angled downwards by 4 degrees to help offset the aircraft's tendency to keep it's tail "planted" during takeoff rolls. The XP-40-J was successful enough that it entered production as the P-46. The external tanks were moved to the wingtips, freeing the wing stations for ordnance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 Re: Super Transportation In case anyone's interested, the P-40-J was inspired by an Argentinian plane: the Pulqui I. More video (in Spanish) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcw43921 Posted December 13, 2008 Report Share Posted December 13, 2008 Re: Super Transportation Two links about the FALX Hybrid-Electric Tilt-Rotor Personal Aircraft--next decade's technology for you millionaire crimefighters or cyberpunkers-- http://www.gizmag.com/falx-to-debut-hybrid-electric-tilt-rotor-aircraft-with-inbuilt-solar-c/9234/ http://www.popsci.com/military-aviation-amp-space/article/2008-10/personal-tilt-rotor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2008 Re: Super Transportation In 1939, Lockheed submitted a proposal to put a jet engine in a modified P-38 airframe. The proposed fighter was intended to be a photo reconnaissance aircraft with a provisional designation of XF-7, but during trials the great speed and improved maneuverability over the P-38 prompted the army to order armed versions as the YP-49. The rearward weight bias induced by eliminating the forward-mounted engines was compensated for by several different strategies, including adding an additional forward-firing cannon, changing the static angle of attack of the wing, and using a different airfoil cross-section to provide the desired rearward shift in center-of-lift. The horizontal stabilizer was raised to keep it out of the jet efflux from the engine, and an ejector seat was installed to help the pilot clear it should he need to bail out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 Re: Super Transportation There's a real plane called the Skyfox, but I couldn't find drawings of it anywhere so I tried my best to approximate one from the pictures and from cribbing dimensions from an F-80 Shooting Star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 Re: Super Transportation When the P-49 began operational service, there were complaints about instability which made the plane sensitive in certain flight attitudes and with certain loadouts. To correct this problem, the Lockheed engineers extended the nose by two feet, repositioning as much equipment forward as possible. This not only corrected the instability but added enough fuel tankage to allow nearly double the previous combat radius. This new version was dubbed the P-49A. A Trainer version was developed To help transition pilots into the new "rocketplane", the P-49B, below. The rear canopy was hinged at the rear and seasted the instructor pilot. The front canopy was hinged on the right and was for the trainee pilot. Apart from a slightly lesser fuel capacity, the P-49B was as capable as the P-49A. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 Re: Super Transportation In 1943, Republic Aviation recieved an order for a jet-propelled aircraft based upon the P-47. The P-47 airframe was ideal for such a conversion, as it's engine, supercharger, and ducting, once removed, freed up considerable space for a (relatively) straight-through installation. The Republic 450 was a proof-of-concept design intended only to test the proposed engine, ducting, and tailpipe configuration. The Airframe used was an early P-47B that had been used as a chase plane for flight tests. Modifications made apart from engine and ductwork included raising the horizontal stabilizer from the fuselage to partway up the vertical stabilizer. The Production Aircraft was designated P-72. Based upon the P-47D (block 25) the new aircraft was designed from the outset to be easily converted from pure fighter to tandem-seat trainer. The bubble canopy extended over an auxiliary fuel tank behind the pilot. The auxiliary tank could be removed and replaced by an instructor-pilot's position with an extra set of controls and minimal instrumentation, a process which could be completed in an afternoon, given the sufficient parts and labor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2008 Re: Super Transportation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted December 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Re: Super Transportation I finally decided what Tex Jones' (1938) secret engine (pre-turbine) was: the Nutating Engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcw43921 Posted December 26, 2008 Report Share Posted December 26, 2008 Re: Super Transportation According to the link-- http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/01/sky-commuter-aircraft-prototype-flies-high-shatters-dreams.html --this is the only one in existence. Perhaps it didn't work that well in real life, but superhero worlds are full of technologies that wouldn't pass real-world muster. Heck, trick it out a little with a pair of jet engines, and it could stand in for the Jetcar (HERO System Vehicle Sourcebook, pg. 148). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcw43921 Posted April 25, 2009 Report Share Posted April 25, 2009 Re: Super Transportation The Smallest Planes Ever Mostly for the pulp era, but you never know when you need a quick getaway. I especially like the Stits Junior--it could be the plane of a "Little Rascal" adventure-kid character. Concept Cars From The 50s To The 70s The article says "Golden Age" but a lot of these could definitely be Silver Age or modern age super-vehicles. Check out the Ferrari at the bottom of the page--it's like a better-looking version of the James Bond submarine car from The Spy Who Loved Me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbdaury Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Re: Super Transportation What, no Herkimer Battle Jitney? Or the '78 Corvette stretch limo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcw43921 Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Re: Super Transportation I'd definitely ride into battle aboard a Herkimer Battle Jitney. The look on the villains' faces when all the weapons are pulled out of their hands by the super-electromagnet is beyond priceless. As for the stretch limo--unless your hero team has two dozen or more members, I don't see it as being all that practical. Not to mention that the aquatic-powers hero is going to insist on hogging the hot tub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fbdaury Posted April 27, 2009 Report Share Posted April 27, 2009 Re: Super Transportation Yeah but there's something to be said for style don't you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt the Bruins Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Re: Super Transportation Maybe the aquatic-powers hero should have his own ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DusterBoy Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Re: Super Transportation OMG! ROFLMAO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peregrine Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Re: Super Transportation One note about the historic experimental jet planes - putting jet engines into conventional WWII airframes didn't work, because the 90 degree-mounted wings couldn't handle the stress of jet thrust and speeds long-term (sometimes short term). It wasn't until swept wings were introduced that viable jet aircraft could be deployed. Still, they are cool, aren't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted January 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Re: Super Transportation Here's s'more: The AMV-211 The Gridlock Commuter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
concord Posted May 9, 2010 Report Share Posted May 9, 2010 Re: Super Transportation Not very 'super' vehicles but in use by a group of supers... Wardens' Response Van Alcatraz Foundation Security Vehicle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawnmower Boy Posted May 10, 2010 Report Share Posted May 10, 2010 Re: Super Transportation One note about the historic experimental jet planes - putting jet engines into conventional WWII airframes didn't work, because the 90 degree-mounted wings couldn't handle the stress of jet thrust and speeds long-term (sometimes short term). It wasn't until swept wings were introduced that viable jet aircraft could be deployed. Still, they are cool, aren't they? Uhm, no. On the contrary. A wing's resistance to torque is a function of the ratio of the cross-sectional area at the base of the wing (the basic determinant of wing rigidity) to its planform area multiplied or divided by a trig function of the angle of sweep. (Sorry to be vague, I can sort of visualise the math in my head, but it has been one heck of a long time since I took any statics. Anyway, what an expert says on the subject is likely to be a great deal more coherent.) Anyway, the point is that swept wings are intrinsically much weaker than unswept, which is why they have to be so much thicker than unswept wings. And that, in turn, is why the early jet fighters were all straight-winged, including the Me-262.* The 262 did have a 17 degree angle of sweep, but this was to put the landing gear in the right place, and was geometrically and structurally irrelevant,** although it may have made some minor difference to its critical speed. *You can see this in the transition from the North American FJ-1 to the F-86, for example. **Not to mention the same angle of sweep as the Swordfish's wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSgt Baloo Posted August 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2010 Re: Super Transportation I recently did a couple of Early Warp-era starships using the assumption that, since the Vulcans' warp drive vessels used a torus-shaped drive system (in ST: Enterprise, anyway), the engineers on Earth might adopt the design for a while, assuming it has superior characteristics to a pair of long, relatively thin nacelles. In my own imagination, the vulcans chose this design hundreds of years ago as it had proved to be the least problematic configuration. While it can be used to make fast vessels like the Dkyr class and the Suraak class vessels, it has its limitations, and it becomes increasingly difficult (and possibly dangerous) to coax speeds beyond Warp 6.5 from this configuration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Escafarc Posted November 3, 2010 Report Share Posted November 3, 2010 Re: Super Transportation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DusterBoy Posted November 3, 2010 Report Share Posted November 3, 2010 Re: Super Transportation Well, it was good enough for the X-Men, even it that was a custom job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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