Barnes Wallis Wild Goose / Swallow

[Hood]

A new book on Barnes Wallis 'Bouncing-Bomb Man: The science of Barnes Wallis' by Dr Iain Murray and published by Haynes has all sorts of picutes and plans and CGI reconstructions of various Wallis aircraft projects.

There is a drawing of the Heston JC.9 which adds nothing to those posted on this site. Dr Murray admits that the reasons for ordering the JC.9 and the reasons for cancelling it are not clear. He isn't sure who ordered it in the first place the it seems the Air Ministry cancelled it.
A 1951 memo outlines the basic role of the JC.9 he describes it has being single-seat capable of 1-2 hour flights with a structure stressed to take 7gs in subsonic flight and all-up weight 7,500lbs.

It seems to reduce risk even further Heston was building a model half of the AUW of the full-scale JC.9 with Heston only needed to build the fuselage and wing coverings and it was planned to use the model at Predannack launched from the trolley. Only when these half-scale tests were complete would a pilot take the JC.9 afloft.

The JC.9 was to be powered by an Adder turbojet in the rear fuselage with intakes either in the upper rear fuselage or forming the front of the vertical tail surface. It looks like it would be launched on an unpowered bogie so what means were provided for landing is a mystery. Span was 38ft unswept and length 46.5ft. Since wing pivots were to be fitted it seems likely the JC.9 would have undertaken sweep change in flight eventually.

 

[Zeppelin]

Was there any design ties between the AW.171 and the Barnes Wallace Swallow design.. would they have used the same engine design?

 

[SlickDriver]

The Swallow used 4 x Bristol Orpheus BE.38 rated at 5590lb (24.9KN) and the AW.171 used 2 x Bristol Orpheus rated at 4,850lbs. I think that it is very unlikely there was much in the design overlap, but that is just my opinion.

 

[Spook]

Another Picture of Dr.Barnes Wallis working on the Model !!.......

Source: Aviation "Britain in Pictures" ;D

 

[hesham]

Hi,


I think the artist drawing has some differs rather than the 3-view drawing,look to
the cockpit position.

 

[Hood]

The plan of the JC.9 in 'Bouncing-Bomb Man: The science of Barnes Wallis' is from the BAE Systems archive and shows the JC.9 on its take-off trolley. It matches the bottom plan you've posted but features a large dorsal fin extension too which doubles as an engine intake.

 

[hesham]

The plan of the JC.9 in 'Bouncing-Bomb Man: The science of Barnes Wallis' is from the BAE Systems archive and shows the JC.9 on its take-off trolley. It matches the bottom plan you've posted but features a large dorsal fin extension too which doubles as an engine intake.

That's right my dear Hood.

 

[Triton]

Model of Vickers Type 010 Swallow on display at RAF Museum Cosford.

Source:
http://www.warbirdsnews.com/avaition-museum-news/raf-museum-cosford-exhibits-models-cancelled-concept-aircraft.html

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Patent pages.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-model-of-Barns-Wallis-concept-aircraft-the-Swallow-/141845502673?

 

[Stargazer]

This ought to be in an museum!!!

I should think the price of this one is going to skyrocket... Complete, original, extremely rare, in its original company stamped crate... Perfect.

 

[Barrington Bond]

I'm puzzled, where's the engines? Though I do have a picture with an underslung engine pod it doesn't seem visible on this.

Regards,
Barry

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

It doesn't immediately look like it had any. Normally they were above and below the wings.

 

[Hood]

Thought I'd add this here.
At the Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, they have a small Barnes Wallis display. On display is this small model of, what I presume to be, an early Swallow configuration. Although not clear on this photo, the rear fuselage on the portside is actually lower and tapers more sharply than on the starboard side.
[The object in the foreground is Wallis's solid catalyst Cold Motor.]

 

[Rhinocrates]

It looks like it's the bomber/attack version of the Wild Goose. That project introduced a laminar flow fuselage and variable geometry (Swallow had the narrow fuselage and chines). The apparent asymmetry is due to the aft fuselage being vertically split, with each half being moveable to give pitch/roll control at high speed. It probably dates from about 1953 and was the predecessor of Swallow.

This is a place to plug Bouncing Bomb Man: The Science of Sir Barnes Wallis, by Iain Murray, pub. Haynes 2009. There are a few used copies going at Amazon from 65 pounds, and the prices rises sharply.

You can get by on one kidney anyway.

 

[Hood]

Thanks Rhinocrates, this is indeed Wild Goose related, your comment about the moveable fuselage for pitch/roll control jogged my memory.
I can second your recommendation for 'Bouncing Bomb Man' too.

 

[Rhinocrates]

Thanks. Nice image BTW.

 

[flateric]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gdV32Gv1IA

 

[Grey Havoc]

https://www.reddit.com/r/WeirdWings/comments/c5s9eg

 

[blackkite]

Hi!

 

[blackkite]

Hi!

The History of NASA Langley Research Center - NASA

crgis.ndc.nasa.gov

 

[AndrewN]

In case any one is interested, I have just finished two models of a version of the Swallow design - the experimental aircraft concept design. I have posted some photos over on the modelling list.

 

[steelpillow]

In his biography of Wallis, Morpurgo says that Wallis regarded his concept of the "wing controlled aerodyne" as distinct from the aeroplane. The wing controlled aerodyne not only had movable wings but it lacked conventional control surfaces such as ailerons and tails, utilising small movements to create large control forces on the fuselage. History has decided that it is just another class of aeroplane.

Derek Wood in Project Cancelled describes how right at the start, alongside Wild Goose, was the Green Lizard anti-aircraft missile, launched from a "gun" tube and with pop-out swept wings. In fact, it was government funding for Green Lizard which enabled the Wild Goose work to go forwards.

Morpurgo, Wood and others describe a good many subsequent projects, emanating originally from Wallis and rippling outwards, typically accreting tails, ailerons and other conventional control features as they went. They involved among others Vickers, Heston, NASA, Folland and Boulton Paul. Some are already mentioned here. Ultimately they led to a generation of more conventional swing-wing types in service.

I am especially keen to know more about the Boulton Paul P.117 project, described in this post as a wing controlled aerodyne (presumably of Wallis descent) though with no specific aircraft design proposed.

 

[blackkite]

Probably, a wind tunnel test revealed that this had insufficient directional stability in the low-speed range, so stabilizers were added to the engine pod.

 

[blackkite]

Hi!

File:Vickers Type 010 (10023953863).jpg - Wikimedia Commons

commons.wikimedia.org

 

[nuuumannn]

The Swallow model at Cosford and the Wallis attack aircraft in the Wallis display at the Yorkshire Air Museum. The display stand states that it is a "Subsonic - supersonic long range aircraft" "Primary aircraft Type 2 'Attack'"

 

[steelpillow]

I think, the JC-9 was intended for similar purposes, as the Shorts S.B.5,
which had a fixed landing gear, too. Question is, if the swept back wing
position would have been useful then.

From https://www.barneswallisfoundation.co.uk/life-and-work/supersonic-hypersonic-flight/
"Small aircraft builder Heston Aircraft was a subcontractor on the Wild Goose project and Wallis worked with Heston to build a small flying demonstrator designated JC9. With a single seat, retractable tricycle undercarriage and measuring 46 feet in length, the JC9 was planned to fly first as a glider, then utilise a turbojet engine for powered trials. The JC9 was shipped in sections to the Vickers Weybridge facility for final assembly, but for reasons unknown, it remained disassembled until later scrapped."

The control system relied on small adjustments to the wing as a unit, so the whole pivot and control mechanism would have to have been in place. Wild Goose and the JC9 were both conceived of as subsonic, so I do not envisage a large amount of wing sweep would have been possible, in the way that it would be with the later Swallow.

 

[hesham]

From the book - British Aircraft Corporation

 

[TsrJoe]

The History of NASA Langley Research Center - NASA

crgis.ndc.nasa.gov

 

[fightingirish]

Nice CGI, especially when the aircraft changes its RAF camouflage to a BOAC livery just before approaching its destination!

Britain's Supersonic Transport: The Mach 2.5 Vickers Swallow
The Vickers Swallow was a Mach 2.5 supersonic aircraft project headed by Barnes Wallis, working at the British aircraft company Vickers-Armstrongs.
The Vickers Swallow lacked conventional features, such as a vertical stabiliser and rudder, instead using the movement of variable geometry wings and swiveling engines mounted on pylons far out on the wing tips as its primary means of flight control.
Multiple roles were envisioned for the full-scale Swallow. It was initially viewed as suitable for a very long distance airliner; projections of its range would have enabled a non-stop England-Australia route to be served. Later on, the Swallow was increasingly viewed as a potential supersonic successor to the subsonic Vickers Valiant, one of the RAF's V bombers.

View: https://youtu.be/CeDrnUiFxpo

Source:

https://youtu.be/CeDrnUiFxpo

 

[hesham]

From Air Pictorial 1961,

this Info is new for me,a 100,000 ft ceiling or more ?.

 

[hesham]

From Air Pictorial 1961.