Two possible projects to identify - fantasy or not?

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Hi All.
A friend based in France has just sent these images asking if I know what they are. I have absolutely no ideas at all. Can anyone help?
They are presumably French (although the extraordinary four-engine job has a 'P' Prototype letter), they might be proper project ideas or they could just be fantasy artwork.
Many thanks. Tony.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

They are marked MZC 01 and MZC 02 respectively. They look to me like period magazine illustrations rather than real projects.

 

[CiTrus90]

Aside from the P in a circle, which is, as correctly stated, a prototype marking, on the MZC 01, both those aircrafts show RAF roundels. It's difficult to spot at a first glance, but the grey scales denote a darker external circle outside of the white one in regards to the one inside, while on a French roundel it would be the exact opposite.

Eg.

RAF Spitfires:

French Air Force P-47, F8F, A-26:

Moreover the flags on the keel of both aircrafts have a middle white rectangle which is smaller than the blue and red ones, as typical of RAF markings and opposed to French ones, where all rectangles are of the same size.

That said, i'd be more keen on thinking these are just fantasy artworks, and there are several things that make me think so.

Aside from the technicalities, one of them is the fact that on MZC 01, while all markings seem to depict a British aircraft, the flag on the tail has inverted colors: it should be red first, then white and blue towards the rear.

Another one, is the fact that on MZC 02 there is no visible intake for the jet engine too.

I doubt that one familiar with the what he/she's depicting, could do similar mistakes.

Moreover "MZC" gives me more the feeling to be the signature of an artist rather than something correlated to a designation system.

So, while they're indeed both impressive looking designs, i'd say it's just fantasy artwork though.

Regards.

 

[Michel Van]

if the source is french magazine "Science & Vie" it's just illustration value

the first could be a rocket fighter illustration

the second is just crazy, pusher turboprop ? and pull engine also that Jet engine in empennage.

 

[starviking]

The first one looks like it belongs in a comic. I recall a French language comic which had British avators as the heroes - could it be from there?

 

[hesham]

Nice find at first my dear Paul,

please give me a little bit to ask or search,and we want to know the source ?.

 

[Stargazer]

It's difficult to spot at a first glance, but the grey scales denote a darker external circle outside of the white one in regards to the one inside, while on a French roundel it would be the exact opposite.

I was about to say the exact same thing. Definitely British, or meant to depict something British anyway. Judging from the art style and quality, I'd venture to say that the artist was not an industry illustrator, but rather a magazine illustrator; that the style looks more French than English; and that whole thing looks more notional than factual, i.e. it gives a general feel of what an unknown experimental type could be, using bits and pieces from various aircraft (XP-55, Planet Satellite/Gloster Meteor, Canberra) rather than depicting an actual project. Well, that's just my two cents, anyway.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I agree. I don't know more than I posted about the source this was a message from Tony Buttler.

 

[The Artist]

My thoughts on the MZC-02.

The wings remind me of horizontal stabilizers with the elevators missing. I'm sure anyone who has built prop-driven bombers or transports have seen this kind of shape at least a few times.

My first thought on those bulges at the wing roots was that the intake openings had been obscured as with the covers hiding the shock cones on the YF-104, but the more I look at those shapes, the more I get the feel of mounting/pivot points for swing wings.

I get a familiar feel from the shapes in the fuselage, but I can't place my finger on it. It's like this shape was made from bashing other shapes together.

And, that massive thing sticking up on the aft end looks, to me, like it was cut from a wing, or a tail.

My guess is that these images were done for some story illustration.

 

[starviking]

I agree with you on the wing-hinges on the MZC-02, and the story-illustration feel. I thought it was from a comic, possibly Blake and Mortimer, but a search for aeroplanes in that series provides nothing comparable.

I think the wing-form allows the wing to be folded fully alongside the fuselage, with the 'pods' at the tip locking together over the rear of the plane.

 

[The Artist]

I've been thinking. The wing swing may not be for variable geometry in flight. Maybe the wings spring out once this rocket plane leaves the launch tube. That may be the angle to search in looking for the story for this illustration.

 

[Tony Williams]

The design of the tail on the multi-engined job looks as it it was taken from the Westland Whirlwind.