Kaman Flying Barrel

Hi,

here is unknown Kaman flying barrel project,at least for me.

i think that a BTZ design

Well, Hesham is right, this is a Kaman design, it was shown in
the german magazine aerokurier, too. And Kaman wasn't the only
cmpany besides BTZ (or later SNECMA), to be intersted in the
Coleopter principle. Hiller for example came up with Coleopter
designs, too.

Article from New York Times, Jan 11, 1956 on the Kaman Flying Barrel. Can anyone find more information???

Jemiba said:

this is a Kaman design, it was shown in the german magazine aerokurier, too.

Click to expand...

Je-mi-ba --

Can you scan the Aerokurier article? Any more info?

thx.
Mi-jo-hi.

A riough translation of the mentioned article:
"The helicopter manufacturer Kaman in Bloomfield was tasked by the BuAer with
the development of a VTOL aircraft for research purposes. The contractor describes
this project as a "ring wing" aircraft, that externally looks like a barrel, its fuselage
inside that "barrel". Lift is produced by the air streaming over the inner and outer sides
of the ring wing. Kaman suggested, that for propulsion either piston or jet engines
could be used. Consultant for this project is Dr. Manfred Rauscher from Zurich, founder
of the Aeroelastic Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In the laboraties of the Collins Radio Co. in Cedar Rapids (Iowa), where Alexander
Lippisch is working, a similar vehicle is said to be under development. "

Not too much new information, I'm afraid, maybe the name Dr.Rauscher can
be keyword for new search ?

Jemiba said:

In the laboraties of the Collins Radio Co. in Cedar Rapids (Iowa), where Alexander
Lippisch is working, a similar vehicle is said to be under development. "

Click to expand...

Thanks! I assume that the article refers to Lippisch's Aerodyne work. In Henry Borst's book, "The Aerodynamics of the Unconventional Air Vehicles of A. Lippisch," there is a very small icon of a VTOL Coleoptere design (pg. 3-36).

From the Army 1956.

From Naval Aviation News 1956.

This flying barrel is irremediably reminiscent of the fantasies of the SNECMA of the late 50s ... The program manager was a certain von Zborowski, of Austrian origin, former of Peenemünde and BMW. The advantages and defects of this type of wing were known at the time and in particular its very poor performance at low speed. But Wikipedia says more ...

Was the Kaman flying-barrel propelled by jet engines or propellers?

I wonder if Starship could evolve into this for single stage use...