ChuckAnderson

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Hi Everybody!
Chuck Anderson here!!

Is anyone familiar with the following aircraft design, and if so, can anyone tell me where I can find further information?
My original source was from an artist's conception appearing in an issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology in the 1980's. (I'm sorry that I can't be more specific.) Aside from the b&w illustration, the only other information I have, comes from the caption below the illustration.

Here's the information I have:

This was a Boeing project sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR). (I don't know the specific Boeing Project Number.)

MISSION: High-altitude, long-endurance ocean-surveillance.

TYPE: Subsonic, twin-jet aircraft

GENERAL PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:
Long, shoulder-mounted swept wings of high aspect ratio
Two (2) large jet engines mounted under the wings (one engine per wing of course)
Long, slender fuselage, bubble canopy, swept-back rudder and ailerons.

DIMENSIONS:
Wingspan: 200 feet
Wing Aspect Ratio: 20
Fuselage Length: 82.5 Feet
Maximum Designed Gross Weight: 60,000 lbs.

CREW:
Two (2) in tandem (under large bubble canopy)

PERFORMANCE (Estimated):
Ceiling: 100,000 feet
Endurance: Eight hours

It was to have gone into service with the USN in the 1980's.

I'll scan the illustration I have and I'll try to get it to this forum sometime this week. Thanks!

Chuck Anderson
cbakiteskites@yahoo.com
University Place, WA
 
*chuckle* You know, it almost sounds like a resurrection of the X-16.
 
Hi elmayerle!

It does seem that way as far as the aircraft's general configuration seems to be, but its much more "streamlined" than the old X-16, but you may be right as this wouldn't be the first aircraft design resurrected from an old one.

I'll try to post the illustration I have as soon as I can!

Chuck
 
Ocean-surveillance Boeing.

page 274 : AirPictorial August 1971

and

page 17 : Aviation Week & Space Technlogy , 10 May 1971

Illustration in Navy Colours and brief description.
A beautifull aircraft,but I still love the X-16...

p.s. Anyone who haves a good artist impression of the X-16?
 
Hi Everyone!

This concerns the post that I made earlier, concerning a proposed Boeing Ocean Surveillance aircraft. Please consider this post that you are reading right now as an updated, IMPROVED post of the last one.

I wrote to the Boeing Historian asking about this, and after a couple of weeks I received some very interesting, much more detailed information on this aircraft. As part of this information, I received :

(1) A real good artists conception of what the aircraft would look like in flight, and
(2) A real good 3-view line drawing.

I'll send you the pictorial information online to this website as soon as I can!!!!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here now, is the written information I received:

GPX Global Patrol Aircraft
Senior Pine

The GPX is designed for a maximum flight duration of 56 hr. At a cruise velocity of mach 0.6, this equates to 17,000 nmi. The aircraft can maintain a flight altitude between 65,00 to 75,000 ft with a payload of 4,000 to 12,000 lb. With a 4,000-lb payload, the aircraft can reach cruise altitude in about 35 minutes.

BASELINE CONFIGURATION
TOGW: 80,000 Lbs
Propulsion: (2) PW JTF 22A-5 Turbofans (F100)

Wing Geometry---
Area (Sq Ft): 2050
Aspect Ratio: 19.125
Taper Ratio: 0.4
Thickness Ratio: 0.15
Sweep C/4: 7 degrees

Wingspan: 198' 0"
Height (Ground to Tail Cone): 8 1/2'
Height (Ground to Top of Tail): 19' 2"
Length: 72' 4"
Span of Ailerons: 24' 10"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I said, I'll get the illustrations to you as soon as possible.

Chuck Anderson
cbakiteskites@yahoo.com
University Place, Pierce County, State of Washington
 
Boeing's high-flying ocean surveillance aircraft concept in 1971

Found in the October 1971 issue of the US Navy's Naval Aviation News.

It was conceived as a two-seat twin-jet aircraft flying at 100,000 feet for up to eight hours.

Sunho
 

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Artist's impression of Boeing GPX released by the US Navy. Described as a "very high-altitude, ocean-surveillance-system."

Source: "High flier" Popular Mechanics February 1972
 

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Re: Boeing's high-flying ocean surveillance aircraft concept in 1971

Better picture. ;D
 

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Re: Boeing's high-flying ocean surveillance aircraft concept in 1971

Thank you Ryan for the high-res scan. Here's a Boeing OSSA factory model. (Sir George Cox collection)
Note how engines have been brought in closer to the fuselage.
 

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Re: Boeing's high-flying ocean surveillance aircraft concept in 1971

...very similar looking to the Bell X-16...


cheers,
Robin.
 
Re: Boeing's high-flying ocean surveillance aircraft concept in 1971

Does that giant glass canopy look completely impractical on a high-flying aircraft or what?!
 
From L+K 16/1971,

I can't remember what was this Boeing Project ?.
 

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Isn’t that the Bell, not Boeing, X-16?

No, it's not. Look at the linked thread,* which discusses the resemblance.


Edit: *which is now the same thread. Thanks for the merge. mods.
 
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Late to the party as usual but what was the planned purpose of this aircraft? chasing Soviet subs?
 
Late to the party as usual but what was the planned purpose of this aircraft? chasing Soviet subs?
Not entirely dissimilar to the MQ-4C Triton - maintaining a surface picture over a large area. No way you're locating any submarines from altitudes comparable to the U-2 or SR-71.
MX basing. Loitering over CONUS or the ocean ready to launch MX
Not sure where you're getting that from; MX wasn't a Navy mission, and the missile weighed several times more than the aircraft being discussed here!
 

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