Convair XB-46, Douglas WW II Studies, Fokker XFA-1, Project Wizard, Vought V-362 & V-389 Cutlass

Описание: The December 2023 document release from   / retromechanix   features 102 pages of material with 61 pages of images covering the following subjects:

Convair XB-46 - The final release covering this bomber prototype consists of 2 documents. The first is a 12 page USAF memo dated April 10, 1950 summarizing the issues found in flight testing the Convair XB-46. The second PDF is a general collection of illustrations and photos of the XB-46 from USAF and NACA sources; while several of these have appeared in previously released reports, these images are generally of higher resolution and better quality. In all, there are 34 pages of material with 26 pages of images.

Douglas Miscellaneous WW II Studies - A selection of blueprints scanned from microfilm depicting miscellaneous Douglas studies from the WW II era; both military and civilian subjects are covered. The PDF is 7 pages long with 6 pages of drawings.

Fokker Atlantic XFA-1 Photos - The XFA-1 was an experimental lightweight fighter powered by a 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985C Wasp Junior engine. Built for the US Navy, the fighter was tested in 1932 and failed to meet the specification, resulting in the type not entering series production. The 6 page PDF features 4 high resolution photos of this handsome little interwar fighter.

Project Wizard (MX-794) ABM - Progress Reports 6 and 7 from the University of Michigan covering research work accomplished on this early ABM. The reports date from February 1947 to April 1947 and April 1947 to June 1947, respectively.

Vought V-362 Improved Cutlass - A 14 page brochure about the V-362 interceptor design study, an upgraded F7U-1 with a new longer fuselage to accommodate a radar, rocket installation, and a pair of Westinghouse J46-WE-2 jet engines. The PDF features 12 pages of illustrations.

Vought V-389 Attack Airplane - A Proposal Summary and Design Report for the Vought V-389 attack airplane, a proposed modification of the A2U-1 Cutlass powered by a single P&W J57-P-4 jet engine; the documents date from January 1954. In all, their are 30 pages of material with 13 pages of images.

Sources: NARA Archives II, RG 18, 72, 342; Frank Simons Collection

Retromechanix is scanning, restoring and publishing rare aerospace photos, illustrations and documents covering lesser known American aircraft from the first half of the 20th century, such as forgotten prototypes and secret projects which remained on the drawing board. These documents originate from various US government repositories, such as The National Archives, The Naval History and Heritage Command, The Air Force Historical Research Agency, and other institutions. We believe that the bulk of the collection has not been published before.

Every month, we are uploading at least 100 pages of material in PDF format. Previews of these documents can be viewed here on our Youtube channel. Patreon subscribers may choose to download the documents with photos and drawings reproduced at 150 dpi or 300 dpi, depending upon your subscription tier. By the end of the project, we estimate that subscribers will have access to an archive of over 20,000 pages of primary documents shedding light on secret aircraft projects, prototypes, and lesser known aspects of US aerospace history.

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