Civilian versions of bomber aircraft

[blackkite]

Hi Victor passenger transport, HP.96, HP.101, HP.111, HP.108, HP.113, and HP.123.

Handley Page "heavies" family tree - Page 24 - Shipbucket

 

[Schneiderman]

HP97 from the Handley Page Bulletin - Sept 1952

 

[taildragger]

Not sure if this is an actual project but it clearly depicts a 1944 concept for a Halifax-derived postwar airliner.
The Halifax vertical tail is retained to demonstrate the lineage, I suppose, but it kind of uglies up an otherwise attractive profile.

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

Did this in any way influence the Hermes? The fuselage looks somewhat similar, at a first glance at least.

 

[hesham]

Not sure if this is an actual project but it clearly depicts a 1944 concept for a Halifax-derived postwar airliner.
The Halifax vertical tail is retained to demonstrate the lineage, I suppose, but it kind of uglies up an otherwise attractive profile.

It looks like HP.64 ?.

 

[Stenda G]

Model of passanger and cargo aircraft based on Tu-85.

 

[Grey Havoc]

About Tupolev: Almost all his bombers had civil derivatives, and it was beginned not in middle 1950s, but in late 1920s. The first Tupolev airliner, 9-seat trimotor ANT-9 from 1929, was derived from R-6 (ANT-7) twin-engine recon/bomber aircraft: the wing and tail unit were the same, combined with new fuselage. Also engines were different: while R-6 had two inline 630-hp M-17s (Soviet license-built BMW-VIs), the ANT-9 had three radial engines: 3x230-hp Gnome-Rhone Titan on a prototype, 3x300-hp Bessonov M-26 on serial aircrafts. But the M-26 engine was unsuccesssful, and in 1931 a version called PS-9 was designed; it had two M-17s and the powerplant was completely taken from the R-6!

Regarding the PS-9:

Tupolev PS-9 Крокодил: Russki Gator.

The Soviet authorities decided by the late 1920’s the time had arrived to create local airliners good enough to procure instead of the foreign aircraft then in use. The original ANT-9 took fl…

elpoderdelasgalaxias.wordpress.com

 

[elmayerle]

Let us not forget what was likely the first B-25 executive transport converion, the one done by NAA during WW II for General Eisenhower. Of course, along those lines might the two-seat P-15B conversion, "The Stars Look Down", that flew the general over the Normandy beachhead by considered an executive version?

 

[Grey Havoc]

Regarding the Tu-104:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqhtkG6glug

 

[hesham]

From Western Aerospace 1948.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

the B-58 bomber with people pod.

http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1960/1960%20-%202646.html

Also the whole page.

 

[publiusr]

I wonder if that passenger pod influenced "Lord of the Flies."

I could see that for Stratolaunch.

 

[Stargazer]

I could see that for Stratolaunch.

Totally!!

 

[Grey Havoc]

Junkers Ju 86C-1: Pastoral life for them.

Of the airliners derived from the Luftwaffe three late-1930s medium bombers the Ju 86’s was ironically the most successful. With a fairly decent 10 passenger capacity, Lufthansa operated both…

elpoderdelasgalaxias.wordpress.com

 

[hesham]

Hi,

the B-58 bomber with people pod.

http://www.flightglobal.com/PDFArchive/View/1960/1960%20-%202646.html

From, flygrevyn_1957-3

 

[Norse]

Is the someone who ever have seen an illustration,or who haves more info of
the civil transport version of the Short Sperrin ?

Thanks in advance.

I'm also trying to figure that out as well?

 

[PhR]

There was an SST derivative/relation of the XB-70 studied at one point.

I have in my collection a photo showing a XB-70 with windows!

Edit: sorry, I missed previous answer with same photo: https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...ns-of-bomber-aircraft.3126/page-2#post-200857

 

[riggerrob]

About the time On-Mark considered a turboprop conversion of B-26, they discovered corrosion problems with twing spars. That corrosion also killed off any more conversions of B-26s for the Vietnam War.
Please note the On Mark conversions - to executive configuration include half of a new fuselage, deeper with a pressurized cabin that extended forward under the wings. They needed to build ring frame bulkheads to carry wing spar loads around the pressurized passenger cabin.
To increase range, On Mark also developed the distinctive wing tip fuel tanks.

Were there ever any A-26s or B-26s converted to turboprop? Seems like it would be a match made in heaven.

 

[riggerrob]

Let us not forget what was likely the first B-25 executive transport converion, the one done by NAA during WW II for General Eisenhower. Of course, along those lines might the two-seat P-15B conversion, "The Stars Look Down", that flew the general over the Normandy beachhead by considered an executive version?

After WW2 several more NAA B-25s were converted to executive transports. The waist gunners' cabin is plenty big enough to acommodate passengers with more headroom than needed. Mind you, it is almost impossible to squeeze forward into the cockpit. B-25s were preferred because they were a fraction of the cost of serious DC-3/C-47 Dakotas.
At least one American surgeon equipped his B-25 with w winch-down operating table for charity missions to old Mexico.
The RCAF flew B-25s as navigation trainers and light transport well into the 1950s because they were readily available and their nose-wheels made them easier to fly than most WW2-surplus airplanes.
I interviewed on retired RCAF pilot/engineering officer who loathed the walking main landing gear on Beechcraft C-45 Expeditors.

 

[Apophenia]

About the time On-Mark considered a turboprop conversion of B-26, they discovered corrosion problems with twing spars...

There are conflicting stories about the On Mark 450 turboprop project. On Mark Engineering bought 19 x surplus USAF B-26s but those aircraft were to be broken up to provide parts for the 450 programme. But the On Mark 450 airframe structure was to be totally new - one assumes that this would have included completely new spars.

A new, 90"/2.28 m, circular-section fuselage was pressurized with seating for 14 passengers. The Model 450 wings would be akin to those of the On Mark Marksman but mounting Allison 501D turboprops in place of the old radials. The cost of those Allison engines in the mid-'50s was such that Model 450 operators were expected to lease these turboprops on a pay-per-hour basis.

On Mark had firms orders from US federal services contractor, Maytag Aircraft Corporation, but concluded that Allison 501D purchase costs were too high. With an unwieldy buy-the-plane, rent-the-engine in play, On Mark decided that its Model 450 was a non-starter.

-- https://napoleon130.tripod.com/id956.html

I wonder if the spar corrosion story suggests that On Mark may have also considered the economy of new fuselage and engines on reconditioned B-26 wings? Perhaps that corrosion discovery was the final nail in the Model 450 coffin?

 

[iverson]

After WW2 several more NAA B-25s were converted to executive transports <snip>

NAA built B-25/PBJ conversions for its own executives:

 

[PhR]

Plenty of Douglas B-26 Invader were modified for civil usage.

 

[Scott Kenny]

In general, the civilian "bomber" I'd want is a PBY Catalina Amphibian. Outside in (insert historical paint scheme here), inside like a flying Winnebago. Give it a pair of 1200hp PT6AG engines so it'll run on diesel if I have to. Won't get anywhere fast, but will get there in style.

A detail that has intrigued me for years, why did the T104 have a "bomb aimers" position?

Very old comment to reply to, but it's because they didn't have a whole lot of radar navigation beacons in the Soviet Union. The navigator would line up on river forks, mountains, etc and use those as guides.

 

[1Big Rich]

B-17s that were interred in Sweden were turned over to the Swedes in exchange for the repatriation of American fliers.

SAAB converted them to "Felix" airliners, Felix for Felix Hardison, US air attaché.

The story of B-17 Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby is here

https://www.historynet.com/baby-comes-back-a-b-17g-lands-in-sweden/

A couple photos here

Boeing Images - First Swedish-Converted B-17F "Felix" Airliner

Welcome to The Boeing Company's official source for licensed aerospace photography, illustrations and videos.

secure.boeingimages.com

Jan Forsgren book on the Swedish B-17s

Swedish B-17 Flying Fortresses | Lone Sentry Blog

Regards,

 

[Cthell]

Not sure if quite in the spirit of the question, but B-25 #44-30823 was converted post-war into a platform for aerial cinematography, with a rebuilt nose incorporating a cameraman position and once a 9-camera 360-degree Circle Vision rig deployed on a trapeze from the bomb bay

North American Aviation B-25 Mitchell Registry - A Warbirds Resource Group Site

The North American Aviation B-25 Mitchell registry follows the history of all B-25s that survived military service.

www.warbirdregistry.org

It has subsequently been converted back to original configuration

 

[riggerrob]

In general, the civilian "bomber" I'd want is a PBY Catalina Amphibian. Outside in (insert historical paint scheme here), inside like a flying Winnebago. Give it a pair of 1200hp PT6AG engines so it'll run on diesel if I have to. Won't get anywhere fast, but will get there in style.



Very old comment to reply to, but it's because they didn't have a whole lot of radar navigation beacons in the Soviet Union. The navigator would line up on river forks, mountains, etc and use those as guides.

Soviet navigators used drift sights to calculate cross-winds and time across terrain.

 

[SAustin16]

Cthell, you are absolutely correct about the Tallmantz B-25 with the cine-nose. It was an excellent aircraft, and the second to last aircraft my dad ever flew (with Frank Pine, shortly before Frank passed away). That B-25 had a lot of history.

 

[iverson]

B-17s operated by Bolivian carrier LAB, allegedly the largest civilian operator of B-17s in the world:

 

[iverson]

Civilianized B-18s:

 

[iverson]

And a B-23:

 

[iverson]

Executive conversions of the B-26 Marauder: