AAC / Phalanx VTOL Projects

[GTX]

Hi folks,

I was looking for more information on the Phalanx Corporation Dragon Four-Poster VTOL concept of the 1980s (see pic below). I am also interested in some of the other concepts that Phalanx Corporation were working on including:

Phalanx Dragon family of 4 poster blended wing-canard VTOL aircraft.

Phalanx-Intra-Lift shoulder wing 4 poster blended wing-canard VTOL aircraft.

Phalanx Hind-16C/ST Aggressor Trainer and/or Assault-Lift Gunship.

Phalanx Hunter helicopter.

Phalanx Falcon three seat military/civil light STOL aircraft.

Regards,

Greg

 

[Dronte]

Hello GTX, seems that we have the same interests. I was also about to begin a
topic requesting but information about the Phalanx Dragón and ADDAX series.
They are very interesting designs but apparently it is very difficult to get
information in this respect.
I take a good time trying to get something but alone I have found the following
paragraph in Jet Warplanes-The Twenty-first century of M.H.J. Taylor, an old
book of 1987 that I found in a dark store of Argentina.

"This[antihelicopter role],in fact, is one of 36 specified roles for the projected American Phalanx MP-18 Dragon. The Dragon is unorthodox in desing, able to use diferent modules and rear fuselage sections to suit the wide variety of missions. It has been designed to incorporate stealth technology, will be constructed of composite materials and will use two small turbofan engines with two pairs of three-dimensional vectoring nozzles to achieve VTOL operation. The estimated maximum speed of Mach 2.5 would be achieved by the adoption of a very lightweight low drag desing, with a take-off weight of only about 5800lb (2630kg) in two-seat armed form. Prototypes were reportedly under construction in 1985.Naturally , for antihelicopter use the Dragon need to be low subsonic"

I attach the only illustration of this source .

Apart from the images that your has already remitted alone I have found on-line (in a forum whose name doesn't remember, where they also requested information in this respect without giving but data) what seems to be a model to scale 1:1 and a couple of having derived civilians of this design.
A greeting from Argentina.

 

[amsci99]

GTX & Dronte,

I have some information (intended for a web page and from a friend in Canada) on all the entire Phalanx series. It''s around 4MB and I can email if to you guys if you are interested.

The designer of the Phalanx series also did the design work on a heavily modded Huey called the Penetrator and marketed by the defunct American Aircraft Corporation. Very little on that and I am still looking. Would you guys happen to have information on an Australian Fan-in-Wing VTOL project? I last saw it listed in Jane's in the late 90's

By the way Dronte, where did you get the 3 pictures which you attached, I don't seem to have them.

 

[Dronte]

The last three illustrations that I attached was found on-line in February of this year. As I already pointed out it was a forum that apparently no longer exists. Sorry, but not even memory the name of the forum. There neither no information was given on the origin of the images, apparently the author of the one post had also found them on-line without another reference.
For if it serves as something, the original names of the images were respectively:

1113hl
11122zy
111235da

I will be very grateful if you can send me the information that you

mention to:

dodo75@sinectis.com.ar

Lament not to be able to be of but utility.
A greeting from Argentina.

 

[GTX]

Amsci99,

Thanks - my e-mail is Greg.Twiner@UtopicSolutions.com

Re the Australian Fan-in-Wing VTOL project - I think I know the one you mean - it had a large fan that took up almost the entire wing? I think it was developed by a company in West Australia (could be wrong) during the 1980s. I will see if I can dig up some info for you.

Regards,

Greg

 

[Orionblamblam]

GTX & Dronte,

I have some information (intended for a web page and from a friend in Canada) on all the entire Phalanx series. It''s around 4MB and I can email if to you guys if you are interested.

I would be interested as well. My email address is: scottlowtherFARG@ix.netcom.com Remove the "FARG;" I've gotta put that in there or otherwise the bots trolling the net will snag my email address and I'll be bombarded with spam...

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

AAC/Phalanx

Phalanx Falcon
Two seat, tandem STOL light attack aircraft with high shoulder wing canard configuration with a pusher propeller driven by a Lycoming AI0-540D engine. $250,000 - $500,000 depending on avionics/equipment.

Stealthstar
Three seat in tandem helicopter, with wings to unload the rotor blades, with a new anti-torque system. New build for $2.5 to $3.8 million or remanufactured from an OH-58 or OH-6 for $800,000-900,000.

Penetrator
Assault lift gunship re-manufactured from the UH-1 Huey. $2.4 million.

Patriot
VTOL tilt-prop canard design, twin propellers mounted mid span on its aft, shoulder mounted, swept back wings. Intended for military & civilian applications, MP-36 military version will cost $9 million and a 30 seat commercial version $12 million

Dragon
VSTOL jet fighter based on original Phalanx design shown in 1986.

Source:
Frank B Mormillo, "The Penetrator: Dream or Reality" Air International April 1993

 

[Orionblamblam]

GTX & Dronte,

I have some information (intended for a web page and from a friend in Canada) on all the entire Phalanx series. It''s around 4MB and I can email if to you guys if you are interested.

I would be interested as well. My email address is: scottlowtherFARG@ix.netcom.com Remove the "FARG;" I've gotta put that in there or otherwise the bots trolling the net will snag my email address and I'll be bombarded with spam...

Hey... never heard back on this. Anybody else ever see any of the Phalanx stuff?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Amsci99 is still active on the site- hopefully he will reply.

 

[LowObservable]

The drug culture is no place for amateurs...
I spent way too much time in the early 1980s heading off people who were disposed to take this thing seriously. All kinds of loopy claims - Mach 2, stealth and VSTOL off a single JT15D - but they hired a PR guy and got some press.

 

[sferrin]

I'd like to get my hands on the 4Mb package too. Anybody remember the magazine International Combat Arms from the late 80's? They had an article on the Phalanx and gave some of the specs for a couple of the versions. The fighter-sized one was suppose to be good for Mach 2.5, 80,000 feet and was VTOL to boot. Always wondered why they didn't have an ATF entry Seems like they were pimping one version for the LHX competition as I recall too but I don't remember them ever showing up on the official list of entries.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

LowObservable:
I know, but there's still something cool about the design nevertheless. Looks like something from a science fiction movie.

Incidently, in the 1993 Air International article they said Phalanx had made it to "tooling stage", and the Penetrator was going to raise money to continue development. That plan didn't go so well.... ;D

 

[LowObservable]

http://www.sec.gov/litigation/opinions/34-43235.htm

I'd hate to be tossed in the slammer with a name like Ponce.

 

[Jemiba]

".. also did the design work on a heavily modded Huey called the Penetrator .."
Reading "modded" reminds me on those computers with flickering cables and fans,
blinking cases with screws, that look likes sculls or dragons ... ???

.. and looking at this derivative of the good old Huey Cobra, I've the same feeling.
(picture from FlugRevue '92) .
Cannot help but wonder, if there was much more, than a design gimmick behind it ! ;D

 

[amsci99]

Gentleman,

I am still around and I have managed to retrieve the information from my friend in British Columbia, Canada. Please credit Andrew Dodd for the pictures and all other information on the Phalanx Corporation. For those who have left their email behind, you should get the pictures before the end of the day. I ask that you do not contact Andrew directly as this would be intruding upon his privacy.

I learnt that the Penetrator was recently restored and was flown again after a long hiatus.

 

[Rafael]

amsci99, I am also interested in that info. My email is rafaelgonzalez65@cantv.net

Thanks.

Rafa

 

[Dronte]

Archives Received . Thank you very much. :-*
If sometimes you travel to Argentina I invite a "Bife de Chorizo" to you (if it is that the heat wave leaves some cow alive)
By the way and like curiosity. Remember the series of animation of Rambo of the ' 80? In some chapters it appeared a jet whose design evidently was inspired by the Phalanx Dragoon or the Addax-S

Greetings

 

[sferrin]

Any chance you could forward that to me too? ;D (sferrin@xmission.com)

 

[amsci99]

Overscan,

Is it possible for you to post a scan of the AAC 'Penetrator' article from Air International?


GTX - Did you managed to find the fan-in-wing aircraft project I was talking about sometime back. Would appreciate it if you could post it for the benefit of all the forum members.

 

[GTX]

GTX - Did you managed to find the fan-in-wing aircraft project I was talking about sometime back. Would appreciate it if you could post it for the benefit of all the forum members.

I haven't yet, but I haven't forgotten about it - I am still chasing a few leads.

BTW, thanks for the files.

Regards,

Greg

 

[JAZZ]

Only Australian fan-in-wing type concept that comes to mind is the Sadleir Sa-7..is this the aircraft you are looking for GTX?

 

[boxkite]

This radio-controlled model of the Sadleir concept was published in JAWA 1997-1998.

 

[GTX]

is this the aircraft you are looking for GTX?

I don't think so - the one I was thinking of was from the Mid 80's (I believe the one shown is from the mid - late '90s). It may of course been an earlier variation of the Sadleir aircraft though.

Regards,

Greg

 

[Sundog]

This Dragon just seemed to me to be an incredibly bad rip-off of the Addax-S, to me. When I was at the Dayton airshow back in the late 80's early 90's, I think the same company showed a military helicopter concept that when you looked at it, you couldn't believe anyone would take them seriously.

I can't help thinking their lead engineer on the program was someone who used to design toys for the G.I. Joe line.

 

[amsci99]

JAZZ and boxkite,

Thanks for the pics of the Sa-7, in fact that was what I was looking. I first saw it in a copy of JAWA back when I was in college. The R/C model would make a good toy if it works and overall it looks more credible than the Dragon. By the way what happened to the company behind the Sa-7?

 

[hesham]

Hi,

by the way the Sa.7 was preceded with a six experimental designs to
this company.

 

[amsci99]

hesham,

Any chance you might have the six designs on file somewhere to post? Much appreciated and my thanks in advance.

 

[sferrin]

JAZZ and boxkite,

Thanks for the pics of the Sa-7, in fact that was what I was looking. I first saw it in a copy of JAWA back when I was in college. The R/C model would make a good toy if it works and overall it looks more credible than the Dragon.

I think Stavati picked him up

 

[amsci99]

Hi,

by the way the Sa.7 was preceded with a six experimental designs to
this company.

Did a search under 'Sadleir VTOL' and found some patents and this
http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2000/01/01/60519/Our+wacky+world.html

Seems that the RC model did fly and proved the concept. Would be great to be able to get a copy of the video. I believe that the company did go bust like most developing VTOL concepts.

 

[GTX]

by the way the Sa.7 was preceded with a six experimental designs to
this company.

Maybe it was one of the proceeding designs that I was thinking of.

Regards,

Greg

 

[Deino]

??? I'm not sure if this one uses a similar concept to the Phalanx Corporation Dragon ... ???

Source as a "cut & paste" from two pages: AIR International Aug. 1988 p. 103 +104

 

[hesham]

Hi,

for the Sadleir and its six designs I don't know much,all of
them look like to Sa.7 and from helicopter and fixed wing
designations,there was also three full scale test rigs,VX-1,VX-2
and VX-3,the later was powered by 1,300cc turbocharged
motorcycle engine.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

I heard that there was two Phalanx,Model-15 and Model-18,
does anyone know the different between them ?.

 

[sferrin]

Hi,

I heard that there was two Phalanx,Model-15 and Model-18,
does anyone know the different between them ?.

They'd planned on a whole range of them. In hindsight they were damn near crooks peddling snake oil. Their ATF-sized verson was suppose to be VTOL, and make Mach 2.5 at 80,000 feet. Of course their method of VTOL was "secret". BTW anybody remember the publication "International Combat Arms"? Used to have all kinds of cool "future" stuff in it.

 

[LowObservable]

"Damn near"?

You're too kind. It was a total PITA convincing people that, just because others were taking Phalanx seriously, it was a crock from end to end. And the Aurora 400 guy (Moshier) later turned up peddling the SoloTrek, that exoskeleton lift-fan suicide-kit a few years ago.

 

[kenneth]

in post 96 there is a reference and also a picture of a vtol aircraft from Patriot of American Aircraft Corp. anyone has more information about the aircraft and the company? and what about the canard strike aircraft at the backgound on the right?

 

[Stargazer]

in post 96 there is a reference and also a picture of a vtol aircraft from Patriot of American Aircraft Corp. anyone has more information about the aircraft and the company? and what about the canard strike aircraft at the backgound on the right?

All I know is that they are apparently the same guys who converted a Bell Cobra into the Penetrator demonstrator:

 

[roberto_yeager]

in post 96 there is a reference and also a picture of a vtol aircraft from Patriot of American Aircraft Corp. anyone has more information about the aircraft and the company? and what about the canard strike aircraft at the backgound on the right?

All I know is that they are apparently the same guys who converted a Bell Cobra into the Penetrator demonstrator:

It was a Bell Cobra or a Bell UH-1H?

1Saludo

 

[hesham]

Hi,

I don't know what is the under wing here ?.

http://books.google.com.eg/books?id=_-MDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA69&dq=phalanx+aircraft&hl=ar&ei=MDG8TLuTDcGgOrPT9fgM&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q&f=true

 

[Grey Havoc]

And the Aurora 400 guy (Moshier) later turned up peddling the SoloTrek, that exoskeleton lift-fan suicide-kit a few years ago.

Here's Trek Aerospace's website: http://www.trekaero.com/