X-Plane-of-the-Day

[qzgy]

Hey, so @NotAnAimbot - Any chance of the CF-105 appearing today?

[NotAnAimbot]

Here we go!

March the 25th 1958: A.V. & Roe Canada CF-105 "Arrow"

As Soviet bombers became more and more performant, Canada's indigenous fighter, the relatively slow straight-wing CF-100 "Canuck", became more and more obsolete and unable to cope with the new generation of enemy aircraft. Thus development was started on an indigenous interceptor which would operate at 50 000 feet altitude and Mach 2 speed, and the fighter was to be able to reach that altitude in less than five minutes. These specifications were basically asking for one of the best aircraft available at that time.

The aiframe and engine were completely developed in Canada, the Arrow's planned powerplant being the Orenda "Iroquois" which would have given it Mach 3 capability. A delta wing was chosen for more fuel room and the advantages of a swept wing, while providing for lower landing speeds. Although low speed maneuverability would have been reduced, the Arrow wasn't built to operate in these conditions, for it was expected to mainly fly in a straight line towards bomber formations. Crew was supposed to be of two pilots, one flying the plane and another operating weapons housed behind the pilot.

Much less of a crowd than the original

However, after the appearance of ICBMs, the Arrow was considered obsolete, a more or less controversial decision. The development program for both airframe and engine was ended and prototypes were destroyed, for reasons which still remain unknown or controversial today. The nose section of one of the prototypes was hidden and is now on display at the Canadian Aviation museum in Ottawa, Ontario, and some rumors speak of a secret complete Arrow hidden somewhere, yet to be found today.

 

Builder's notes

AG3 toggles the afterburners. Not much else really, except a warning against strong yawing or rolling at high speeds. This causes the fuselage's side wing panels to create lots of lift and destabilize the plane, something which I've partially fixed with SAS modules.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/apgvfoz4vtcfpvp/CF-105 Arrow.craft?dl=0

Edited June 22, 2017 by NotAnAimbot
changed the pics

[Munbro Kerman]

June 1958: Vought XF8U-3 Crusader III

A successor to the Vought F-8 and competitor to the F-4 Phantom II, Chance Vought looked to create an aircraft that was larger yet had a better performance. The jet would use similar technology as the F-8U Crusader used: a variable incidence wing. A more powerful Pratt & Whitney engine would be used along with a liquid-fueled rocket engine to increase performance. The plane was designed to surpass Mach 2, so vertical fins were implemented to combat the rough flight conditions. The fins were able to rotate to a horizontal position during landing. The XF8U-3 reached a top speed of Mach 2.39.

Three years prior, the US Navy created a competition for Mach 2+ aircraft that would start fly-offs between the XF8U-3 and the future F-4 Phantom. The aircraft had advantages in maneuverability but the pilot would be overwhelmed due to the workload created after firing missiles. The F-4 Phantom did not have this problem and had a larger payload capacity, which would end the XF8U-3 and the F-8U. The program was scrapped and the planes were given to NASA, where they would do routine mock dogfights with Navy Phantoms until complaints stopped the harassment. 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/MunbroKerman/XF8U-3

Tomorrows' Craft:

@Servo's X-15

[Servo]

June 1959 - December 1968: North American + USAF X-15 Program

The X-15 program was one of the longest-lived experimental programs in the U.S. X program line. The three X-15s built flew a total of 199 missions, earning eight of the nine test pilots Air Force astronaut wings. The majority of the X-15 flights followed one of two flight paths: speed or altitude. Each flight began with the pilot being carried aloft by one of the NASA motherships (either Balls 8 (NB-52008) or The High and Mighty One (NB-52003)) to an altitude of about eight miles and 600mph. There, the X-15 was released and the pilot ignited the Reaction Motors XLR-99 engine. In the speed configuration, the pilot would maintain a level flight plan, reaching up to Mach 6.7 (2020m/s, 7,274mph) (the X-15A, piloted by Pete Knight on October 3, 1967). Here, valuable data would be gathered about aerodynamic performance with high dynamic pressures, as well as testing a ramjet design. In altitude runs, Joseph Walker set the record at 354,200 feet on August 22, 1963 (67 miles, or 107 kilometers). For comparison, that's orbital altitude and (almost) orbital speed on Kerbin; Earth orbital speed and altitude is 150km and 10km/s.

The X-15 program was a direct predecessor to the space shuttle in many ways. It tested a number of superalloys and ablative coatings capable of withstanding reentry, generated the first space-worthy pressure suit, tested reentry (and atmospheric exit) of spaceplane designs, was the first use of RCS systems, tested the effects of spaceflight on test pilots (and astronauts), and demonstrated cooperation between the government (NASA), the military (The Air Force and Navy), and the private sector (North American).

Download Link:

X-15 only: https://kerbalx.com/servo/X-15

X-15 + NB-52: https://kerbalx.com/servo/B-52-Stratofortress-+-X-15

Tomorrow's Craft:

@NorthAmericanAviation's North American XF-108 Rapier

[NorthAmericanAviation]

September 1959: North American XF-108 "Rapier"

The North American F-108 project was a sister project to the XB-70 Mach 3+ bomber, supposedly designed to be an escort. The design of the aircraft was highly advanced for the time of its conception, and even though the program was cancelled in 1959, the gathered data were used in the design of the A-5 Vigilante to give it more favorable supersonic flight characteristics. Influence of the A-5's design is very evident in the tail fin, cockpit/nose area, and intake ramps, Which employed V.A.I.D., similar to the F-107.

Because the Rapier was developed jointly with the Valkyrie, it shared similarities in crucial build aspects, such as its power-plant: the Rapier used two YJ-93 jet engines, a third the count of its bomber/research counterpart. If the thrust-to-weight rating of 5:1 in the YJ-93 is any measure, this design of engine certainly had a lot of potential.

Download Link:
https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/North-American-XF-108-Rapier

Tomorrow's Craft:
@qzgy's Lockheed XV-4 "Hummingbird"

[qzgy]

July 1962: Lockheed XV-4 "Hummingbird"

The XV-4 Hummingbird, or originally the VZ-10, was a US Army project researching the feasibility of a VTOL aircraft for surveillance purposes. It was part of a line of V/STOL projects conducted in the 1960's.

2 variants were made, the XV-4A and XV-4B. They differed in the method in which the vertical capabilities were achieved. The first prototype (XV-4A) had two JT-12 engines that had the thrust redirected through multiple nozzles to achieve vertical takeoff, helped by a secondary flow of cold air. However, this produced an abysmal 1.04 TWR which was below performance estimates, and the prototype later crashed on the 10th of June in 1964 with the unfortunate loss of the pilot. The second version as modified between 1966 and 1968 so that the JT-12 engines replaced by 6 J85 turbojets, with 4 acting as dedicated lift jets and the other two able to be diverted for vertical thrust. Additional changes were made to the aircraft, including the addition of an SAS system and conversion to a hybrid fly-by-wire system. The second prototype crashed the 14th of March, 1969, with the pilot managing to safely eject (an improvement over the last crash, if a bit grim).

         

While the first takeoff was early July of 1962, actual tests of VTOL capability was first conducted on a tether in November of the same year, with free hovers beginning in May of the next year. The 8th of November 1963 marked the first full transition from hovering to horizontal flight. Testing on the second vehicle was cut short by the crash, leaving little to no record to be found (on the internet, at least).

Builder Notes: Like the real thing, the lift jets are angled at about 10 to 20 degrees. Keep this in mind when flying. Also try to remember to enable RCS for better control.  Action group info on the KerbalX page.

Download Link: https://kerbalx.com/qzgy/XV-4B

Tomorrow's Craft: @Munbro Kerman's X-20

Edited June 25, 2017 by qzgy

[Munbro Kerman]

Due to the craziness of my schedule and the craft not being fully ready yet I will release the X-20 sometime tomorrow.

[Munbro Kerman]

Sorry for not being able to post on time, other things needed to be taken care of. 

April 1963: Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar Spaceplane

A program for the USAF, the X-20 was a spaceplane that could do multiple military tasks such as bombing, satellite sabotage, and reconnaissance missions. The X-20 was also capable of rescuing astronauts and repairing satellites. The spaceplane, being developed during the Vostok and Mercury programs, was much more different than an ordinary space capsule. A capsule would follow a ballistic re-entry trajectory, the X-20, like the much later Space Shuttle, could glide down to Earth.

This made the X-20 far more advanced than other spacecraft at the time. The design consisted of a low-wing delta shape, with no tail but instead winglets for control. The framework would be made of a superalloy called René 41. The craft had a transtage for maneuvering and abort. Instead of using wheels, the craft had skids instead of wheels that would require cooling compartments. Two problems that plagued the program would ultimately end the project. One problem was uncertainty over the booster to launch the X-20 into space. Titan II, Titan III, and the Saturn I were all possibilities for the launcher.

The Titan III would be picked, but uncertainty over the safety of the booster delayed the program. The second problem was the lack of a clear goal for the project. The original purpose was to be an aeronautical weapons system that included a pilot. Many wondered if the USAF should have a manned program. The Air Force claimed that the X-20 allowed for controlled re-entry, and that was the main point in the project. The program was deemed too expensive which would contribute to the ending of the Dyna-Soar spaceplane. Data from the X-20 would help to develop the later Space Shuttle, X-23, and X-24. 

 a the 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/MunbroKerman/X-20-Dynasoar

"Tomorrows'" Craft:

@NorthAmericanAviation's X-21

 

 

[SinisterSonar]

I would just like to say, you guys never, ever cease to amaze me with your craft. Keep it up! 

[NorthAmericanAviation]

On 6/26/2017 at 6:24 PM, BogusDionysus48 said:

I would just like to say, you guys never, ever cease to amaze me with your craft. Keep it up! 

Thanks! Always cool to here what people have to think, be it critique or praise

No X-21 tonight b/c personal reasons and schedule got thrown around, will post sometime tomorrow

[SinisterSonar]

7 hours ago, NorthAmericanAviation said:

 

No X-21 tonight b/c personal reasons and schedule got thrown around, will post sometime tomorrow

I'll be looking forward to seeing it! 

[NorthAmericanAviation]

April 1963: Northrop X-21

Northrop’s X-21 was designed to explore the flow of air over wings. Normal flow follows a smooth, linear path across the wing surface (Laminar), but then breaks from that flow pattern and moves into a state of turbulence. This turbulence creates a large amount of drag, an the X-21 program sought to reduce this drag by extending the area of laminar flow, thus also reducing fuel consumption.

To retain continuous laminar flow across the surface of the X-21’s wing, there were several slats cut into the wing parallel to the flow of air across it. Air was drawn in through these slats, compressed, and then projected out of the back of the wing to push the zone of turbulence further away from the leading edge of the wing and fuselage of the plane. The system was unreliable, as it tended to become clogged when dust particles found their way in, inevitably. Nevertheless, unprecedented data regarding Flow contamination (suspended particles affecting lift generation), Span-wise turbulence on the ‘boundary layer’ of airflow, and surface irregularities.

The X-21 was built on a Douglas A3D/B-66 airframe, engines were uprated and moved to the aft of the fuselage, as the wings had been modified and housed the aforementioned 'laminar flow induction' system.

Download Link:
https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/Northrop-X-21

Tomorrow's Craft:
@Servo's Northrop/NASA M2F1

[Servo]

I'm doing this from mobile, so formatting is off + no download yet.

August 1963: NASA M2F1 LIFTING BODY

 

The M2F1 is on the left, next to three other NASA lifting bodies.

In 1962, NASA Dryden began building a simple lifting body to explore the principles of body lift and wingless flight, a concept that had only been explored in theories. The project would result in a strangely shaped aircraft without wings or a tail.

 

The aircraft was unpowered, so it had to be towed into the air by a tow vehicle. For the first tests, the tow vehicle was one of the more unlikely NASA vehicles ever: A souped-up Pontiac convertible.

Later tests were performed with more conventional tow aircraft. The program resulted in unprecedented data on the behaviour of body lift and the boundary layer of air surrounding the aircraft.

NASA continues to experiment with lifting bodies today, as the M2F1 spawned a long and successful lineage.

Download link: 

Coming soon

Tomorrow's craft:

@NorthAmericanAviation's XV-5

[NorthAmericanAviation]

May 1964: Ryan-General Electric XV-5A "Vertifan"

The Ryan-General Electric XV-5 Vertifan is a VTOL aircraft proposed to the U.S. Army in November 1962. The crew who worked on the Vertifan was called the XV-5A Fan Club.

Blower Design
The blowers for vertical lift on the Vertifan are powered very much like a turbocharger in a car: exhaust gases are blown around a duct which is connected to the blower fan spindle. these gases spin up the fans which produce lift. This method is very different from a normal thrust diverter, as used in the Yak-36, Yak-38, Hawker-Siddeley Kestrel/Harrier. It Is also different from the Yak-141 and F-35B, which use a mechanical drive.

The Proposal
In 1961, General Electric won a U.S. Army Contract to develop the fan-in-wing design with Ryan Aeronautical Corporation. Ryan was essentially a subcontracted builder in this program, as GE developed the entire thrust system, based off of the GE J-85. The XV-5 was a featherweight, but it packed a punch; empty weight was just 7,000lbs, and the fan system developed 1.31:1 TWR, giving the XV-5 31% in excess power. There was also a balancing fan in the nose, covered by louvers. The wing-mounted fans had shutters underneath, meaning that the XV-5 could transfer in any direction. The wing-mounted fans also controlled roll to some degree.

Download Link:
https://kerbalx.com/NorthAmericanAviation/Ryan-XV-5-Vertifan

Tomorrow's Craft:
@Servo's Northrop/NASA M2F2

[Servo]

July 1966 - NASA/Northrop M2F2 Lifting Body

After the tests with the M2F1 airframe, NASA Dryden continued investigating lifting bodies with the M2F2 program. Lifting bodies are strange sort of aircraft which don’t rely on wings or tails for aerodynamic lift. Instead, the airfoil is shaped to create a high pressure zone underneath the plane, creating lift.

The M2F2 program expanded on the M2F1 program, adding a metal airframe, retractable landing gear, and a rocket engine.
The NASA lifting body program continued with the M2F3, HL-10, and the X-24, and would result in the design of the space shuttle program in the 1980s.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/M2-F2

Tomorrow's Craft:

My own NASA HL10 Lifting Body

[Kaussie_Kockatoo]

I’m sorry for being off topic, but in some KSP images there is clouds. What Mod is this

Also, what application do you use to get photos onto the forum?

[MiffedStarfish]

1. The mods are probably a combination of EVE and scatterer. I personally prefer scatterer's clouds, they are more natural looking and 3 dimensional than EVE's, but I use both. I don't think they're updated to 1.3 though.

2. Any image hosting site, I find Imgur most convenient.

[Servo]

December 1966 - Northrop/NASA HL-10 Lifting Body

The HL-10 was the continuation of NASA’s lifting body program of the 1960s, and the first of a new type of lifting body. Rather than the bathtub-shaped aircraft that were emblemized by the M2Fx program. The sleek, rounded design would be used in the Martin Marietta X-24A, as well as in designs for many orbital-class lifting-body proposals.

Interestingly enough, the futuristic-looking HL-10 found its way into pop culture alongside another lifting body. The hit TV show ‘the Six Million Dollar Man’, which spawned the phrase We can rebuild him, we have the technology featured shots of both the HL-10 and the M2F2 in the opening credits. Footage of a crash involving the M2F2 is central to the plot, causing main character Steve Austin to be so badly injured that he could only be saved with bionic implants. In real life, the pilot Bruce Peterson walked away from the crash with only minor injuries.

 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/HL-10

Tomorrow's Craft:

@Munbro Kerman's Lockheed YF-12

[qzgy]

That big tail fin looks so out of place. Nice job though. These curvy things are especially hard to model.

Edited July 3, 2017 by qzgy

[eagle92lightning]

Okay you guys have forgotten a but load of aircraft such as the X-1A (it is slightly different than the X-1)

[NotAnAimbot]

1960s-70s: Lockheed X-27/CL-1600 Lancer

In the 1960s, a competition known as the "International Fighter Aircraft competition" aimed to provide low-cost fighters for U.S. allies. Competing aircraft included the McDonnell-Douglas F-4F Phantom, Dassault Mirage F1, Northrop YF-17 and F-5E Tiger II, the last one eventually winning the bid. Lockheed's entry was known as the CL-1200 Lancer, a prototype interceptor to replace the aging F-104 Starfighter. Although generally similar to the previous fighter, the CL-1200 was actually a major improvement, and would have performance still valuable well into the 90s for an interceptor.

The X-27 mock-up, courtesy from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/x-27.jpg

Major changes included:

  Quote

a.   Enlarging the wing area by 53 per cent and relocating it in a high position.
b.    Enlarging the tailplane and relocating it low on the fuselage.
c.    Enlarging the fin area.
d.    Providing a 46 per cent increase in internal fuel capacity, by lengthening the fuselage and including wings tanks.
e.    Improving the air intake design.
f.     Improving the high lift devices on the wings.
g.    Providing additional stores positions on the wings.
h. Substituting a Pratt & Whitney TF30-P-100 engine for the General Electric J79 used previously.

Taken from Lockheed-Martin ad from http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,832.0.html. I highly suggest you read it if you want more information on the plane and its context.

Elevator deflection was also changed from 17 to 25 degrees for additional maneuverability, in addition to a triangular section added in front of the trapezoidal wings. Full leading edge flaps were added, being automatically controlled with the trailing edge flaps during combat. Planned armament was an internal M61 Vulcan cannon, in addition with up to 4 AIM-7 Sparrow missiles or 10 AIM-9 Sidewinders. All development was cancelled in November 1970 when the F-5E won the competition and no orders had been placed.

The USAF planned to purchase at least one CL-1200 under the name X-27 for low-risk engine testing, which is the version replicated. This model would have replaced shock cone intakes with rectangular ones. It was also slightly smaller and slower by estimates from Lockheed. However, due to lack of support from congress or the air force, no airworthy prototype was constructed, and the project didn't go past the mock-up stage.

Builder's notes

I couldn't replicate the exact shape of the elevator while keeping it functionally a full deflection one, so I kept it at a single tab one. Top speed is also slightly higher at Mach 3.3 instead of the real Mach 2.6, but dimensions are very close to the real one. Flaps can be extended using the 1 action group, although you might need to toggle them from normal extension to inverted some times.

Download: 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jy843smsszvyjvf/X-27 Lancer.craft?dl=0

Edited July 4, 2017 by NotAnAimbot

[Munbro Kerman]

Really sorry for not being able to post when I should have, things at work got crazy and there was no time to post. 

1967: Lockheed A-12/YF-12

During the 50's, the USAF was looking to replace the F-106 interceptor, so multiple companies placed their proposals. Lockheed's Skunkworks was developing the A-12 for the CIA as a reconnaissance aircraft. The Air Force became interested and ordered three aircraft. The SR-71, being very similar, had multiple differences. The YF-12's nose was modified to house a fire-control radar that was intended for a different proposed aircraft: the XF-108. The YF-12 also had the addition of a second crew member to control the radar.  

These changes changed the aerodynamics of the craft which would require fins beneath the engines to maintain stability. Bays in the fuselage carried air-to-air missiles for defense. Due to the war in Vietnam funding could not be issued and the aircraft was no longer needed after Intelligence claimed that defense of the continental U.S. was not necessary. 

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/MunbroKerman/Lockheed-YF-12

Tomorrows' Craft:

@Servo's X-24A

 

[Servo]

We're a few days behind here at XotD, but never to fear, I have a lovely double-dip of lifting bodies for you fine folks!

The Lifting Bodies up to this point. From left to right: M2F1, M2F2, M2F3, HL10, and X-24A. The X-24B will be covered by @qzgy tomorrow.

April 1969: Martin Marietta X-24A

After the M2Fx program of the 1960s, NASA Dryden continued to research the unique properties of lifting bodies. They were being considered for use as steerable reentry vehicles, as well as for other uses. The research done in the X-24 program impacted every modern reentry vehicle design, including the Space Shuttle, DreamChaser, and especially the X-37 spaceplane.

Download Link: 

https://kerbalx.com/servo/X-24A

June 1970: M2F3

The M2F3 was the third and final ’M-series' of lifting body investigated at NASA Dryden, and closely followed behind in investigating how lifting bodies behavied at trans-and supersonic speed. After the M2F2 crash, the design was rebuilt over the course of three years. The major addition was a third vertical stabilizer which helped mitigate the lateral stability problems faced by the earlier design. The M2Fx program would pave the way for future lifting body research, including the X-24 program, and all later non-capsule reentry vehicles.

Download Link:

https://kerbalx.com/servo/M2-F3

Tomorrow's Craft;

@qzgy's X-24B

[qzgy]

August 1973: Martin Marietta X-24B

The X-24B was the finale of the Dryden lifting bodies program. The design came from a number of studies trying to improve the lift-to-drag ratio of the original shape and also have it suitable for re-entry. To save costs on building a new air frame, the X-24A was just modified to produce the desired shape.

The craft flew 36 times, testing the feasibility of accurately landing an unpowered glider from a reentry. On two of the final flights, an accurate landing was performed by the X-24B on the main runway at Edwards Air Force Base. These flights helped with the development of the Space shuttle program with validation of the concept of landing a lifting body or lifting body type spacecraft unpowered to a runway landing. After testing, the X-24B was retired to public display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Ohio.

Download:

https://kerbalx.com/qzgy/Martin-Marietta-X-24B

Tommorow's Craft: @NorthAmericanAviation's YC-14

[MatterBeam]

This is amazing work. I love lifting bodies and I find those in photo/ in KSP comparison shots quite impressive.

Keep it up guys!