That was my thought, but the odd "boat hull" fuselage in the front is certainly different (as is the planform). I'm left to wonder if this might be an ISINGLASS design or some such.
The rest of the document describes the ISINGLASS program. I'll post more later on this, however it looks as if S-103 and S-104 were studies used to compare manned versus unmanned systems.
An NRO memo to DRNO from Brig. Gen. Jack Ledford, USAF, as of 1965, indicates that the proposed propulsion system for ISINGLASS is the "RL-20 A-1." He also wrote that "P&W has also indicated a growth potential for this engine of about 10 seconds in Isp beyond the values attainable at the time of...
...it's like old "telephone" game where a message starts out one way and gets completely changed by the end of the game.
So this mixup of ISINGLASS's maker has become very widespread.
In fact, I was just going back through Bill Rose's still outstanding SECRET PROJECTS book on military space...
For what it's worth:
R. LYNCH, GENERAL DYNAMICS CORP., GENERAL DYNAMICS/CONVAIR, SAN DIEGO, CALIF.
"The first manned lifting entry vehicle configuration", 3rd Annual Meeting, Annual Meeting, 29 November 1966 - 02 December 1966
http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.1966-959...
...The planform and basic configuration is similar to the GRM-29A (according to the ANSER document). This ties the planform back to the ISINGLASS development time frame. The ISINGLASS vehicle proposal was delivered in 1965 by McAir. My thought is that this is the Model 192 or a close variant of...
...SUCCESSOR of the A-12 to try and slain it
- and get some kind of revenge against Lockheed ?
Note that the (technical) distinction between ISINGLASS and RHEINBERRY
was
ISINGLASS: Mach 4.5, airbreathing > ramjets - HYPERSONIC
RHEINBERRY: XLR-129 with 450 seconds isp and 0.80 mass fraction...
You know....I'm lookin back at the Mach 12 Demo. It's a completely different beast than ISINGLASS. Different purpose, different weight, different engine count.
One thing that did occur to me are it's dimensions. They're roughly similar to MODEL 192.
...info on Mitre Corporations evaluation of a CIA/NRO 1969 Advanced Aerodynamic Reconnaissance System aircraft concept to be fielded in FY1971 if developed. This concept was considered after ISINGLASS and would have used similar technologies. Configuration was also being developed by McDonnell.
We may know the same guy. But ISINGLASS cancellation is also close to the point where it was decided to put the A-12s in mothballs and hand the mission to the CIA, which (according to the CIA's history) the agency resisted.
No, the actual 'testing' was never more than cold flow (essentially water) being run through some mocked up components made from other engines (mostly the J2) and never got to combustion or even actual propellant flow testing. The XLR-129 was a pretty much totally 'paper' engine that...
...OF AIR-LAUNCH CRISIS RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS
CONFIDENTIAL
From a C-130 or B-52 wing pylon:
DRONES:
-------Lockheed D-21 (cancelled)
-------Ryan AQM-91 COMPASS ARROW
SPACE VEHICLES
-------unmanned: HIGH TOWN MK.1
-------manned: ISINGLASS/RHEINBERRY - DYNASOAR - GEMINI-B
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/project-isinglass-project-rheinberry.382/page-9#post-599291
There was an early program, called BGRV and using an Atlas F as booster; derived from Alfa Draco in the mid-1960's. Are they related, even loosely ?
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