Consolidated Tailless Bomber

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Being unfamiliar with WW2 projects, what is this tailless Consolidated Vultee bomber (?) design?

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel#Consolidated_Model

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Same, with wing sections extended fore and aft.

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:LMAL_46747.jpg

 

[Antonio]

Tailless Twin-Engine Patrol Studies (1943): possibly a proposal for a PV-1 and PV-2 replacement won by Lockheed with its P2V Neptune.

Source: Convair Advanced Designs. Secret Projects from San Diego 1923-1962. Robert E. Bradley. page 165

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Heh - I haven't opened my copy of that yet!

More here:

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel_3#Model_.2340

 

[James]

Interesting. Never come across this project before.

(My first post here - Hi everyone. )

 

[Antonio]

Welcome James

 

[Apophenia]

This might be old news by now but ... according to Alan Griffith (aka ACResearcher), there were at least three proposals for Consolidated flying wings. The first was a Sept 1941 twin-engined bomber wing a 130 foot span for the USAAC. This variant was later pitched to the US Navy as a "so-called 'Patrol Bomber', Consolidated designation P5Y1". Consolidated was quite persistent with their 'P5Y1". A 1944 brochure for a "Performance Report Two Engine Patrol Landplane Tailless Type" appeared on eBay"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-CONSOLIDATED-REPORT-ON-TAILLESS-AIRCRAFT-/291040911366

"Another variant was to have a wingspan of 134 feet with a gross weight of 90,000lbs. This version was tested in GALCIT wind tunnel in 1943." This would be the version illustrated here.

"Finally, there was a 180,000lb, 180ft wing span beast sporting four engines. This final version was to have a range of 7500 miles."

http://www.hyperscale.com/2015/reviews/books/amsecprojbookpreview_1.htm

According to Claus Reuter (The Development of the Heavy Bomber 1918-1944, page 61), the final, 180 foot span concept was to have each of four buried turbocharged tractor engines driving its own counter-rotating propellers through extension shafts. This bomber would have been highly loaded but control on landing was to be aided by full-span flaps and retractable horizontal tail surfaces.

Crew positions were to be pressurized, including the turrets. Defensive armament was to consist of a nose turret (4 x .50-cal), dorsal and ventral turrets (each with 2 x 37mm cannons). Normal offensive armament load would be 5,000 lbs with a crew of 9 flying at 240 mph over 7,500 miles. Up to 40,000 lbs could be carried over 3,500 miles. Gross weight was about 180,000 lbs.

A variation on the theme had a large, central tailfin. See 'Free Flight Tests of a Consolidated-Vultee Tailless Model', NASA Langley CRGIS video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjYKWtOZ7wE

 

[Apophenia]

A bit more ... attached are specs and a three-view drawing from that 1944 brochure from eBay.

Powerplant was to be twin Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Majors but span is listed as 147 feet (whereas Alan Griffith suggested that this was to be based on the 130 foot span Army bomber's airframe).

 

[Stargazer]

More images of that project:

 

[Stargazer]

And the four-engine variant:

 

[Stargazer]

A splendid painting by Daniel Uhr:

• His topic on this forum: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,18167.0/all.html
• His website: http://duhraviationart.com/

 

[ACResearcher]

The artwork by Daniel Uhr is the cover art from American Secret Projects: Fighters Bombers and Attack Aircraft, 1937-1945 by Tony Buttler and Alan Griffith, Crecy Publishing Ltd, Copyright 2015. I worked very closely with Daniel as he created this beautiful rendition. As one who is extremely pleased to be able to occasionally freehand a straight line I can only be in awe of folks who can come up with such art.

I have a substantial amount of information on these Consolidated tailless bomber projects in my collection, including the document to which Apophenia refers above as well as a number of NACA test results, proposals to the military, etc. I will be going into depth on these aircraft in a future publication.

Cockpit side up.

AlanG

 

[Johnbr]

 

[Avimimus]

Interesting to compare this to:
- The Kalinin VS-2/K-12, K-14, K-16, K-18 program (https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,4819.0.html)
- The Boeing B-306 program (https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,304.0/all.html)

 

[airman]

I suppose that be unsterstood that Tailess formula for Bombers was highly problematic .

 

[Ian Allen]

Hi is there anymore information on this aircraft, thanks

 

[hesham]

Hi is there anymore information on this aircraft, thanks

From Convair Advanced Designs volume one.

 

[ACResearcher]

Hesham,

It would be good for you to mention the author of these books, in this case my friend Bob Bradly - an excellent researcher and a fine gentleman.

I will say I found a tremendous amount on all these aircraft in various archives before I met Bob, but he generously shared his wisdom with me on a number of projects.

AlanG

 

[sienar]

Consolidated R-4360 P5Y flying wing

from; https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/consolidated-vultee-convair-p5y-3838119448