Convair Advanced Designs: Secret Projects from San Diego, 1923-1962

[overscan (PaulMM)]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Convair-Advanced-Designs-Projects-1923-1962/dp/1580071333/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251202335&sr=1-5

No info on this yet.

 

[Stargazer]

Looks amazing! Can't wait to see it!

 

[Skybolt]

The author is one of the archivist at SDAM.

 

[Antonio]

Added to my shopping list

 

[robunos]

My credit card really hurts now!!

cheers,
Robin.

 

[sferrin]

The author is one of the archivist at SDAM.

San Diego Air & Space Museum?

 

[Skybolt]

What else ?

 

[Abraham Gubler]

I love the size of the plane in the background with an apparant standing wheelman!

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Robert Bradley

Robert Bradley graduated with a degree in physics from the University of Southern California. After graduation he worked for four years at North American Aviation in El Segundo in the Systems and Tactics Group. In1957, he moved to Convair Astronautics (later General Dynamics Space Systems Division) in San Diego where he remained until his retirement. After his retirement in 1993 he became a volunteer archivist at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, specializing in the museum's space and missile collection and its Convair archives. Mr. Bradley has a long-standing interest in aerospace history, with special emphasis on design studies and proposals of projects that did not reach the hardware stage. He lives with his wife Linda in the Pacific Beach community of San Diego.

Consolidated Vultee, which later became Convair, built some of the world's best flying boats in the 1930s, and the world's best bombers during World War II. Convair's six-engine B-36 strategic bomber was credited with keeping the world safe during the early throes of the Cold War. But before all these great aircraft took to the skies, scores of ideas and concepts were proposed and analyzed by company management to determine if production would even be feasible.

Convair Advanced Designs is a book that brings these futuristic, but stillborn, concepts to life for the very first time. This book features many never-before-seen company photographs, models, and drawings of such futuristic concepts as a folding-rotor anti-submarine patrol bomber and a giant seaplane passenger transport launched from a high-speed rail car! Readers will also be fascinated to see how certain seemingly unbelievable designs evolved into actual production airplanes years later, such as the giant Convair Tradewind turboprop seaplane transport.

AVAILABLE MARCH 2010!
8.5 x 11"
176 pages
325 b/w photos and illustrations
Hardcover
ISBN 13: 9781580071338

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

Anybody buy this book yet?

 

[Skybolt]

Still not available.

 

[edwest4]

If you go to amazon.com, a few copies are being offered for $999.00.


Go figure.




Ed

 

[Michel Van]

odd on Amazon Germany and UK say:

Hardcover Available- 1 Jun 2010

 

[edwest4]

I spoke with the publisher today and it has not arrived back from the printer. They believe it will be in before the end of the month. We'll see.





Ed

 

[AL]

Specialty Press has posted PDF's of sample pages including table of contents here:http://www.specialtypress.com/vstore/showdetl.cfm?DID=8&Product_ID=2208&CATID=1

 

[Stargazer]

Gosh I SOOOO want this book! Thank you very much for the link to the samples.

 

[Sundog]

Something I hadn't realized, based on the table of contents, is that the San Diego division didn't design fighters. I guess those were only designed in Texas?

 

[circle-5]

Something I hadn't realized, based on the table of contents, is that the San Diego division didn't design fighters. I guess those were only designed in Texas?

I'm quite certain the F-92, F-102 and F-106 interceptors, among others, were designed and built in San Diego. I asked about this, and apparently, these are supposed to be included in Volume II of this book. The publisher is probably waiting to see if Volume I -- Bombers and Seaplanes -- is a hot seller (which it should be) before going ahead with volume II.

 

[Stargazer]

... which doesn't seem like such a wise move from a strict commercial viewpoint, as fighter books are usually the hot sellers, not seaplane books!!!

 

[shockonlip]

Unless they're "Mach 4 Attack Seaplanes" ! But there were only two pages
on this. Since the large studies on this particular design are available
through DTIC (I have seen the DTIC number in at least one related book),
I would hope we would be treated to more than just a few pages of info.

There were also some of the other supersonic seaplane designs too. These
could be cool. Maybe these are the ones with the rotating up engine nacelles
like in Scott's pubs.

Anyway, like everyone else, I will buy this book.

So, I agree with you though Stargazer.

I think the F-102 was mfg in San Diego. Not sure where design was.

 

[Orionblamblam]

I would hope we would be treated to more than just a few pages of info.

Most publishers of topics such as this want "broad" rather than "deep." A little bit ona whole lot of design s sells better than a whole lot on a few designs... and far better than a lot on a lot, which would cost a lot.

There were also some of the other supersonic seaplane designs too. These
could be cool. Maybe these are the ones with the rotating up engine nacelles
like in Scott's pubs.

One of my reasons for being interested in this book is so I know what *not* to focus on. Bradley and I have a lot of the same stuff, and I'd just as soon not cover what he's done. Although complete lack of toe-steppage is impossible.

 

[edwest4]

amazon.com sent me a note saying the book will be shipping within 30 days. The Specialty Press web site shows it's available now.




Ed

 

[Sundog]

I just received my copy. If you like unbuilt projects and all kinds of cool plane designs, which you do if you're at this site, you've never seen before, you'll love this book, just based on a quick overview. If I have any criticism of this book, it would be the small size of some of the three views. But that's tempered with the fact that if some of them weren't that small they would not have been able to put so many of them into this book. Simply stated, it's a must have.

 

[edwest4]

Got my copy today and the production quality is high. The three views are a good compromise between size and available space. I think it's definitely worth the money. The Mach 4 Attack Seaplane from 1958 looks like a predecessor to the XB-70.





Ed

 

[AL]

Got my copy. Where's the "folding-rotor anti-submarine patrol bomber "? Nevermind, page 49.

 

[robunos]

My copy has arrived today.
Only had time for the briefest of looks, but
those '1937 Army Flying Wings' look *very*
interesting...


cheers,
Robin.

 

[prolific1]

I found the Convair book at the Aerospace/Automotive bookstore near NBC Studios. This is Jay Leno's favorite hangout spot. It was an interesting book but the amount of information and art on the coolest bits in it was a little on the weak side. This store is pretty cool though since they have...like everything.

 

[GeorgeA]

Autobooks/Aerobooks is one of the highest achievements of Western civilization. I hit it every time I'm in Los ANgeles. There is also an In-n-Out Burger nearby, which is proof there is a God.

 

[prolific1]

My good man...there are several In and Out burgers in that area alone. ;D

 

[AeroFranz]

Mmmm...double-double, animal-style.... ;D

 

[Orionblamblam]

Autobooks/Aerobooks is one of the highest achievements of Western civilization. I hit it every time I'm in Los ANgeles.

These two statements contradict each other.

 

[prolific1]

What ever gave you that idea? My city is a fine place to live...replete with law abiding citizens.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMdi-lOqDv8&feature=player_embedded

 

[foiling]

Love the look of that aircraft bookstore in Los Angeles - but LA is so huge it is too much of an effort to go shopping when I'm there. Here, in South Africa, bookstores on my topics - aircraft & wildlife, mainly - are virtually useless. I do all my book purchasing on-line. It's very hit & miss, but I have amassed a sizeable collection in both fields over the past two years, (since I was retrenched). Most of it worth the cost.

 

[Skyraider3D]

That shop looks like my house* and I am currently moving... my poor back


* OK, OK, they have a couple more books than I do. But it's quite amazing how many books one can collect in the space of just a few years!

 

[Stargazer]

That shop looks like my house* and I am currently moving... my poor back


* OK, OK, they have a couple more books than I do. But it's quite amazing how many books one can collect in the space of just a few years!

My feelings exactly. I'm currently preparing for a house change in August and packing my thousands of books is a torture!

 

[dreamstar]

Does anyone know if there is going to be a counterpart book on the projects at Fort Worth?

 

[AL]

Or a volume on fighters from San Diego?

 

[FutureSpaceTourist]

Or a volume on fighters from San Diego?

See earlier in the thread: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,7577.msg89193.html#msg89193

 

[Madoc]

Folks,

I recently picked up a copy of this book as well. I like it lots!

However, I do agree that it can be a tad light on the details of particular designs. Balancing that is the sheer number of designs listed. Pretty fascinating stuff and as a whole it is an impressive package. I just was hankering for more details about those fascinating and never before heard of designs!

Scott, I was actually surprised at how many of the illustrations in the book were ones I had originally seen on your site!

Madoc

 

[Orionblamblam]

However, I do agree that it can be a tad light on the details of particular designs. Balancing that is the sheer number of designs listed.

When dealing with printed books, there are definite financial limitations that must be noted. Just about everyone would prefer large format books with each aircraft illustrated by large foldouts... but that just ain't gonna happen.

Scott, I was actually surprised at how many of the illustrations in the book were ones I had originally seen on your site!

I got lucky with an eBay purchase some years ago. I had some stuff that the SDAM did not... not suprising given that I think their entire collection comes from private collectors (mostly former Convair employees, of course).