Douglas Skyrocket

[Steve Pace]

I found this online - a view of the D-558-2 I've never seen before (note original cockpit canopy). Credit Life magazine -

Steve Pace

 

[fightingirish]

Great find, Steve!!! B)

 

[fightingirish]

Some pictures and drawings of the Douglas Skyrocket mockup at San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive


Links:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/7881222578/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/7881222634/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/7881222634/sizes/l/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/7881223718/sizes/l/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/7881223568/sizes/l/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/7881223778/sizes/l/in/photostream/

(Pictures added from the links, as we cannot be sure, how long they would last there)

 

[Steve Pace]

FANTASTIC - Thanks! - SP

 

[pathology_doc]

fightingirish - that last one reminds me of the fellow riding the bomb to his doom in Dr Strangelove. I can almost hear the "Yeeeee-hah!"


I take it this is the eject system, with the chap riding the nose-cone down to some safe opening speed?

 

[GTX]

That side view does show just how attractive an aircraft it was. Great find.

 

[shockonlip]

In the photo of the two men next to the jet engine, the guy on the
left looks like Douglas test pilot Gene May.

 

[Steve Pace]

In the photo of the two men next to the jet engine, the guy on the
left looks like Douglas test pilot Gene May.

It is Gene May.

 

[Steve Pace]

Eugene Francis 'Gene' May -SP

 

[Grif]

This explains the canopy design on this old model plan:

http://www.outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=370

Grif

 

[RAP]

Inboard drawing of D558-2.

 

[hesham]

From Decollage 11/1947.

 

[Dynoman]

Interesting read:

Toward Mach 2: The Douglas D558 Program

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/pdf/88788main_D-558.pdf

 

[Dynoman]

D-558-II Cockpit (cockpit layout between models and across the program changed).

 

[Dynoman]

D-558-I Cutaway

 

[Dynoman]

Great read. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the D-558 program, design and test histories.

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/probing_the_sky.pdf

 

[Justo Miranda]

Old stuff

 

[Justo Miranda]

Post-2

 

[The K2]

I always loved the design of the D-558-2. Every time I visit the Chino Planes of Fame air museum, I have to go by and visit the one on display.

 

[martinbayer]

As much as I love the split windscreen brutalist design also rocked by the later X-15, I've always also had a soft spot for the completely faired in canopy look a la https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dougl...uglas_D-558-II_Skyrocket_front_upper_view.jpg.