+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Sweden required a strong air defense, utilizing the newly developed jet propulsion technology. The original concept had been designed around a mostly straight wing, but after Swedish engineers had obtained German research data on swept-wing designs, the prototype was altered to incorporate a 25° sweep. In order to make the wing as thin as possible, Saab elected to locate the retractable undercarriage in the aircraft's fuselage rather than into the wings.

While the second P29G was used for high speed trials, the first machine remained in its original guise and took over low speed handling tests. Thanks to the unique wing switch mechanism, the supersonic research program could be held within a very tight schedule and lasted until late 1959. Thereafter, the P29Gs’ potential was of little use anymore, and the engine use agreement with the USA put an end to further use of the two aircraft, so that both P29Gs were retired from service in 1960. The 1st machine, outfitted with standard J29F wings and stripped off of its engines, remained in use as an instructional air at Malmslätt air base 1969, while the second machine was mothballed. However, both airframes were eventually scrapped in 1970.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 11.66 m (38 ft 2 in) fuselage only,

13,97 m (45 ft 9 in) with pitot boom

Wingspan: varied*; 11.0 m (36 ft 1 in) with standard 25° sweep wings,

10.00 m (32 ft 9 ¾ in) with experimental 45° wings

Height: 4.54m (14 ft 10 ½ in)

Wing area: varied*; 24.15 m² (260.0 ft²) with standard 25° sweep wings

22.5 m² (242.2 ft²) with experimental 45° wings

Empty weight: 5,220 kg (11,500 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 8,510 kg (18,744 lb)

Powerplant:

2× Westinghouse J34-WE-42 turbojets, each rated at 3,400 lbf (15 kN) dry thrust

and 4,200 lbf (19 kN) with full afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1.367 km/h (849 mph) were achieved*

Range: 790 km (490 mi)

Service ceiling: up to 17,250 m (56,500 ft)*

Rate of climb: up to 45 m/s (8,850 ft/min)*

*Varying figures due to different tested wing configurations

Armament:

None installed; provisions for 4x 20mm Hispano Mark V autocannon in the lower front fuselage.

Depending on the mounted wing type, various external loads could be carried, including a wide range of light bombs, 75 mm (3 in) air-to-air rockets, 145 mm (5.8 in) anti-armor rockets, 150 mm (6 in) HE (high-explosive) rockets or 180 mm (7.2 in) HE anti-ship rockets. Due to the lack of complex wiring or fuel plumbing, no guided weapons or drop tanks could be mounted, though.

The kit and its assembly:

Sweden is a prolific whiffing territory, and the Saab 29 offers some interesting options. This highly modified Tunnan, which is actually rather a kitbashing than a mere model kit modification, is/was a submission to the “More or less engines” group build at whatifmodelers.com in summer 2019.

I actually had the idea of a two-engine J29 in the back of my mind for a long time, spawned by a resin conversion set for the Hasegawa B-47 Stratojet kit that came with new intakes and exhaust sections for the four engine pods. The single engine pod parts had been spent a long time ago, but the twin engine parts were still waiting for a good use. Could the exhaust fit under/into a Tunnan…?

I even had a Matchbox J29 stashed away for this experiment long ago, as well as some donor parts like the wings, and the GB eventually offered the right motivation to put those things together that no one would expect to work.

So I pulled out all the stuff and started – a rather straightforward affair. Work started with the fuselage, which was, together with the (very nice) cockpit assembled OOB at first, the nose filled with as much lead as possible and with the lower rear section cut away, so the B-47 resin jet nozzles would end up at the same position as the original RM2B exhaust. Due to the pen nib fairing between them, though, the profile of the modified tail became (visually) more massive, and I had to fill some gaps under the tail boom (with styrene sheet and putty). The twin engines also turned out to be wider than expected – I had hoped for straight flanks, but the fuselage shape ended up with considerable bulges behind the landing gear wells. These were created with parts from drop tank halves and blended into the rest of the lower hill with PSR work. In the same wake the area under the fin was sculpted and re-created, too.

At that point it became clear that I had to do more on the fuselage, esp. the front end, in order to keep the aircraft visually balance. A convenient solution became an F-100 air intake, which I grafted onto the nose instead of the original circular and round-lipped orifice – with its sharp lip the Super Sabre piece was even a plausible change! The fuselage shapes and diameters differed considerably, though, more PSR became necessary.

Next came the wings: I had already set apart a pair of trapezoid wings with a 45° sweep angle – these were left over from a PM Model Ta 183 conversion some time ago. With their odd shape and size they were a perfect match for my project, even more so due to the fact that I could keep the original J29 wing attachment points, I just had to shorten and modify the trailing edge area on the fuselage. The result was very conclusive.

With the new nose and the wings in place, the overall proportions became clearer: still tail-heavy, but not unpleasant. At this time I was also certain that I had to modify the tail surfaces. The fin was too small and did not have enough sweep for the overall look, and the stabilizer, with its thick profile, rounded edges and the single, continuous rudder did not look supersonic at all. What followed was a long search in the donor banks for suitable replacements, and I eventually came up with a MiG-15 fin (Hobby Boss) which was later clipped at the top for a less recognizable profile. The stabilizers were more challenging, though. My solution eventually became a pair of modified stabilizers from a Matchbox Buccaneer(!), attached to the MiG-15 fin.

The design problems did not stop here, though: the landing gear caused some more headaches. I wanted to keep the OOB parts, but especially the main legs would leave the aircraft with a very goofy look through a short wheelbase and a rear axis position too much forward. In an attempt to save the situation I attached swing arms to the OOB struts, moving the axis maybe 5mm backwards and widening the track by 2mm at the same time. Not much in total, but it helped (a little, even though the aircraft is still very tail-heavy)

As a final addition – since the original, wing-mounted pitots of the J29 were gone now and would not go well with the wing-switching idea – I gave the P29G a large, nose-mounted pitot and sensor boom, placed on top of the nose. This part come, like the air intake, from an F-100.

Painting and markings:

I tend to be conservative when it comes to liveries for what-if models, and the P29G is no exception. At first, I thought that this build could become an operational supersonic daylight interceptor (the J29G), so that I could give the model full military markings and maybe a camouflage paint scheme. However, this idea would not work: the potential real life window for such an aircraft, based on the Saab 29, would be very narrow. And aircraft development in the late Fifties made quantum leaps within a very short period of time: While the J29A entered service, work on the Mach 2 Saab 35 was already underway – nobody would have accepted (or needed) a Mach 1 fighter, based on late Forties technology, at that time anymore, and there was the all-weather Saab J32B around, too. The update program with new wings and a more powerful afterburner engine was all that could be done to exploit the Tunnan’s potential, resulting in the (real world’s) J29E and F variants.

I eventually decided that the J29G would only be a prototype/research aircraft, consequently called P29G, and through this decision I became more or less settled upon a NMF finish with some colorful markings. Consequently, the model was painted with various shades of metal colors, primarily Polished Aluminum Metallizer from Humbrol, but also with Humbrol 191 and Matt Aluminum Metallizer as well as ModelMaster Steel Metallizer. Around the exhaust section, I also used Revell 91 (Iron) and ModelMaster Exhaust Metallizer. Some single panels and details were painted with Revell 99 (Aluminum), and I also used generic decal material in silver to simulate some smaller access panels. Grey decal sheet was used to simulate covers for the cannon nozzles.

The cockpit interior was painted, according to Saab 29 standard, in a dark greenish-grey (Revell 67), and bluish grey was used inside of the landing gear wells (Revell 57). The pitot boom received black and white stripes.

For markings I let myself get inspired from the real world Saab 29 and 32 prototypes, which were all marked with a colored “U” tactical code on the fin and also on the front fuselage, simply meaning “Utverding” (= “Test”). I found four red decals, and I also gave the aircraft a yellow cheatline, lent from an Airfix F-86D decal sheet. The Swedish roundels come from a generic aftermarket sheet, most stencils were taken from the Revell OOB sheet and a Printscale J29 sheet.

Before the model was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish from Italeri, some grinded graphite was rubbed onto the rear fuselage, adding a metallic shine and simulating exhaust stains.

A thorough conversion – this has rather evolved into a kitbashing than just a kit conversion: not much from the original Matchbox J29 has been left over. But I like the outcome, even though things developed gradually from the simple idea of changing the number of engines on the Tunnan. One thing led to another. The resulting aircraft looks quite plausible, even though I am not totally happy with the landing gear, which appears to be rather far forward, despite surgical measures to mend the situation. The Ta 183 wings are a very good match, though, and I cannot help but recognize a certain French look, maybe due to the cruciform tail and the oval air intake? The P29G could also, with Argentinian marking, have become a revised version of the FMA Pulqui II?

SOLE SURVIVOR. Testbed built in 1953 for the SM-64 Navaho missile. Marked USAF GM (=Guided Missile) 19307. Only survivor of thirteen built. In National Museum of USAF, Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, OH, USA 6. October 2017

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Sweden required a strong air defense, utilizing the newly developed jet propulsion technology. The original concept had been designed around a mostly straight wing, but after Swedish engineers had obtained German research data on swept-wing designs, the prototype was altered to incorporate a 25° sweep. In order to make the wing as thin as possible, Saab elected to locate the retractable undercarriage in the aircraft's fuselage rather than into the wings.

While the second P29G was used for high speed trials, the first machine remained in its original guise and took over low speed handling tests. Thanks to the unique wing switch mechanism, the supersonic research program could be held within a very tight schedule and lasted until late 1959. Thereafter, the P29Gs’ potential was of little use anymore, and the engine use agreement with the USA put an end to further use of the two aircraft, so that both P29Gs were retired from service in 1960. The 1st machine, outfitted with standard J29F wings and stripped off of its engines, remained in use as an instructional air at Malmslätt air base 1969, while the second machine was mothballed. However, both airframes were eventually scrapped in 1970.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 11.66 m (38 ft 2 in) fuselage only,

13,97 m (45 ft 9 in) with pitot boom

Wingspan: varied*; 11.0 m (36 ft 1 in) with standard 25° sweep wings,

10.00 m (32 ft 9 ¾ in) with experimental 45° wings

Height: 4.54m (14 ft 10 ½ in)

Wing area: varied*; 24.15 m² (260.0 ft²) with standard 25° sweep wings

22.5 m² (242.2 ft²) with experimental 45° wings

Empty weight: 5,220 kg (11,500 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 8,510 kg (18,744 lb)

Powerplant:

2× Westinghouse J34-WE-42 turbojets, each rated at 3,400 lbf (15 kN) dry thrust

and 4,200 lbf (19 kN) with full afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1.367 km/h (849 mph) were achieved*

Range: 790 km (490 mi)

Service ceiling: up to 17,250 m (56,500 ft)*

Rate of climb: up to 45 m/s (8,850 ft/min)*

*Varying figures due to different tested wing configurations

Armament:

None installed; provisions for 4x 20mm Hispano Mark V autocannon in the lower front fuselage.

Depending on the mounted wing type, various external loads could be carried, including a wide range of light bombs, 75 mm (3 in) air-to-air rockets, 145 mm (5.8 in) anti-armor rockets, 150 mm (6 in) HE (high-explosive) rockets or 180 mm (7.2 in) HE anti-ship rockets. Due to the lack of complex wiring or fuel plumbing, no guided weapons or drop tanks could be mounted, though.

The kit and its assembly:

Sweden is a prolific whiffing territory, and the Saab 29 offers some interesting options. This highly modified Tunnan, which is actually rather a kitbashing than a mere model kit modification, is/was a submission to the “More or less engines” group build at whatifmodelers.com in summer 2019.

I actually had the idea of a two-engine J29 in the back of my mind for a long time, spawned by a resin conversion set for the Hasegawa B-47 Stratojet kit that came with new intakes and exhaust sections for the four engine pods. The single engine pod parts had been spent a long time ago, but the twin engine parts were still waiting for a good use. Could the exhaust fit under/into a Tunnan…?

I even had a Matchbox J29 stashed away for this experiment long ago, as well as some donor parts like the wings, and the GB eventually offered the right motivation to put those things together that no one would expect to work.

So I pulled out all the stuff and started – a rather straightforward affair. Work started with the fuselage, which was, together with the (very nice) cockpit assembled OOB at first, the nose filled with as much lead as possible and with the lower rear section cut away, so the B-47 resin jet nozzles would end up at the same position as the original RM2B exhaust. Due to the pen nib fairing between them, though, the profile of the modified tail became (visually) more massive, and I had to fill some gaps under the tail boom (with styrene sheet and putty). The twin engines also turned out to be wider than expected – I had hoped for straight flanks, but the fuselage shape ended up with considerable bulges behind the landing gear wells. These were created with parts from drop tank halves and blended into the rest of the lower hill with PSR work. In the same wake the area under the fin was sculpted and re-created, too.

At that point it became clear that I had to do more on the fuselage, esp. the front end, in order to keep the aircraft visually balance. A convenient solution became an F-100 air intake, which I grafted onto the nose instead of the original circular and round-lipped orifice – with its sharp lip the Super Sabre piece was even a plausible change! The fuselage shapes and diameters differed considerably, though, more PSR became necessary.

Next came the wings: I had already set apart a pair of trapezoid wings with a 45° sweep angle – these were left over from a PM Model Ta 183 conversion some time ago. With their odd shape and size they were a perfect match for my project, even more so due to the fact that I could keep the original J29 wing attachment points, I just had to shorten and modify the trailing edge area on the fuselage. The result was very conclusive.

With the new nose and the wings in place, the overall proportions became clearer: still tail-heavy, but not unpleasant. At this time I was also certain that I had to modify the tail surfaces. The fin was too small and did not have enough sweep for the overall look, and the stabilizer, with its thick profile, rounded edges and the single, continuous rudder did not look supersonic at all. What followed was a long search in the donor banks for suitable replacements, and I eventually came up with a MiG-15 fin (Hobby Boss) which was later clipped at the top for a less recognizable profile. The stabilizers were more challenging, though. My solution eventually became a pair of modified stabilizers from a Matchbox Buccaneer(!), attached to the MiG-15 fin.

The design problems did not stop here, though: the landing gear caused some more headaches. I wanted to keep the OOB parts, but especially the main legs would leave the aircraft with a very goofy look through a short wheelbase and a rear axis position too much forward. In an attempt to save the situation I attached swing arms to the OOB struts, moving the axis maybe 5mm backwards and widening the track by 2mm at the same time. Not much in total, but it helped (a little, even though the aircraft is still very tail-heavy)

As a final addition – since the original, wing-mounted pitots of the J29 were gone now and would not go well with the wing-switching idea – I gave the P29G a large, nose-mounted pitot and sensor boom, placed on top of the nose. This part come, like the air intake, from an F-100.

Painting and markings:

I tend to be conservative when it comes to liveries for what-if models, and the P29G is no exception. At first, I thought that this build could become an operational supersonic daylight interceptor (the J29G), so that I could give the model full military markings and maybe a camouflage paint scheme. However, this idea would not work: the potential real life window for such an aircraft, based on the Saab 29, would be very narrow. And aircraft development in the late Fifties made quantum leaps within a very short period of time: While the J29A entered service, work on the Mach 2 Saab 35 was already underway – nobody would have accepted (or needed) a Mach 1 fighter, based on late Forties technology, at that time anymore, and there was the all-weather Saab J32B around, too. The update program with new wings and a more powerful afterburner engine was all that could be done to exploit the Tunnan’s potential, resulting in the (real world’s) J29E and F variants.

I eventually decided that the J29G would only be a prototype/research aircraft, consequently called P29G, and through this decision I became more or less settled upon a NMF finish with some colorful markings. Consequently, the model was painted with various shades of metal colors, primarily Polished Aluminum Metallizer from Humbrol, but also with Humbrol 191 and Matt Aluminum Metallizer as well as ModelMaster Steel Metallizer. Around the exhaust section, I also used Revell 91 (Iron) and ModelMaster Exhaust Metallizer. Some single panels and details were painted with Revell 99 (Aluminum), and I also used generic decal material in silver to simulate some smaller access panels. Grey decal sheet was used to simulate covers for the cannon nozzles.

The cockpit interior was painted, according to Saab 29 standard, in a dark greenish-grey (Revell 67), and bluish grey was used inside of the landing gear wells (Revell 57). The pitot boom received black and white stripes.

For markings I let myself get inspired from the real world Saab 29 and 32 prototypes, which were all marked with a colored “U” tactical code on the fin and also on the front fuselage, simply meaning “Utverding” (= “Test”). I found four red decals, and I also gave the aircraft a yellow cheatline, lent from an Airfix F-86D decal sheet. The Swedish roundels come from a generic aftermarket sheet, most stencils were taken from the Revell OOB sheet and a Printscale J29 sheet.

Before the model was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish from Italeri, some grinded graphite was rubbed onto the rear fuselage, adding a metallic shine and simulating exhaust stains.

A thorough conversion – this has rather evolved into a kitbashing than just a kit conversion: not much from the original Matchbox J29 has been left over. But I like the outcome, even though things developed gradually from the simple idea of changing the number of engines on the Tunnan. One thing led to another. The resulting aircraft looks quite plausible, even though I am not totally happy with the landing gear, which appears to be rather far forward, despite surgical measures to mend the situation. The Ta 183 wings are a very good match, though, and I cannot help but recognize a certain French look, maybe due to the cruciform tail and the oval air intake? The P29G could also, with Argentinian marking, have become a revised version of the FMA Pulqui II?

RFA Proteus (K60) is a ship of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary within His Majesty's Naval Service of the United Kingdom. Its roles being a platform for Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROUVs) and a testbed for new specialist capabilities, required for monitoring waters important to UK interests. Acquired in 2023, the ship entered drydock at Cammell Laird for modification into a Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance Ship (MROSS). She formally entered service in October 2023.

The ship was formerly named MV Topaz Tangaroa in 2017–2022, and was used as a platform supply vessel operated by P&O Maritime Logistics.

Pictured here alongside at Portland Harbour, Dorset, UK

The engine being tested was TPE331

This Lincoln MKZ is an open connected and automated vehicle research platform, or open CAV, at the University of Michigan. It is an open testbed for academic and industry researchers to rapidly test self-driving and connected vehicle technologies at Mcity, a world-class proving ground for advanced mobility vehicles operated by U-M's Mobility Transformation Center. The Lincoln will be joined by two Kia Souls equipped as open CAVs in coming months.

Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering Multimedia Content Producer, University of Michigan

The success of the AC-47 Spooky COIN aircraft in Vietnam led to consideration given to an upgraded version in a larger, newer aircraft—the AC-47s already approaching 30 years old during the war. The C-130 was the natural choice, and in 1967 a JC-130A testbed was modified as a gunship. It was initially given the callsign Super Spooky, but later changed to Spectre.

After successful operational trials over both South Vietnam and the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, several more C-130As and C-130Es were modified to Project Spectre standard, mounting four GAU-2/A 7.62mm Minigun gatling cannons and four M61A1 Vulcan 20mm gatling cannons. A few were in turn modified by removing two of the Vulcans in favor of two Bofors 40mm cannon for use against armored targets under Project Surprise Package. Besides their heavy weaponry, the AC-130s also had a comprehensive electronics suite, consisting of night vision equipment, FLIR, improved avionics and navigation equipment, and a digital fire-control system. In addition, AC-130s also carried a modified MAD sensor called Black Crow, which allowed the gunships to detect spark plugs used by North Vietnamese trucks. Following the end of the Vietnam War, the USAF retired all other gunship designs but kept the AC-130 in service, standardizing them as the AC-130H with two Vulcans, a single Bofors, and a M102 105mm howitzer, as the 20mms and the 40mm cannon had proven inadequate against hardened targets (such as tanks) or area attacks.

This proved to be a presicent choice, as AC-130s have seen service in every war fought by the United States since Vietnam: Grenada, Panama, both Gulf Wars, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya. During the Panama operation, Spectre crews successfully decapitated Panamanian Defense Force leadership by destroying the PDF’s headquarters, while they were instrumental in stopping an Iraqi armored column during the Battle of Khafji. In Afghanistan in 2001, AC-130s were the first USAF aircraft to see action, and proved so devastating in their first combat, the Battle of Konduz, that the city fell the next day to Northern Alliance forces without a shot.

The Spectre has been continually improved, and current USAF units use AC-130H/U variants. The AC-130U deletes the two Vulcans in favor of a single trainable GAU-12/A Equalizer 25mm gatling cannon, and has a much more advanced sensor suite over the H model. The “U-Boats” use an APQ-180 synthetic aperature radar and GPS-guided fire control, and can attack two targets simutaneously with twice the ammunition storage of the AC-130H. Increasing scarcity of Bofors parts has led to studies for a replacement weapon. It is also planned in the near future to retire the AC-130H for a new version, the AC-130J, based on the MC-130J Combat Shadow II.

The effect of the AC-130 in any form is devastating; no camp or unit defended by Spectres has ever been overrun by an enemy force. The guns of a Spectre can place a bullet on every square foot of a football field every second until the ammunition runs out. The only real weakness of the AC-130 is its vulnerability to ground fire, though most threats to the Spectre from light antiaircraft fire are usually eliminated quickly, while heavier flak can be defeated by escorts. Spectres carry a range of powerful ECM and countermeasures against SAMs, but aside from shoulder-fired SAMs, AC-130s rarely operate in such a high-threat environment and never in areas where enemy fighters could intercept them.

Currently, the USAF has a single wing of AC-130s, with AC-130Hs being slated for retirement soon, while the AC-130U will serve for some years to come; plans are underway to replace them with more advanced AC-130Js, based on the C-130J. The armament package that the AC-130J has not yet been determined, but is known to include precision-guided weapons.

As Dad planned to convert a C-130H model to an AC-130, he needed to get closeups of the gun system. This shot shows the 40mm Bofors cannon (on the left) and the M102 105mm howitzer (on the right). The dome between the two is the fire control radar. These two weapons systems are still used on the current AC-130U, and will be familiar to players of the "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare" series of games. This aircraft belonged to the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida.

For a picture of the model that resulted from these shots, go here: www.flickr.com/photos/31469080@N07/15856555273/in/photoli...

For a picture of the AC-130 as a whole: www.flickr.com/photos/31469080@N07/15889989329/

Arriva London Ltd.:

DW411 was retrofitted with a new driveline, as a testbed for what would become the Wrightbus StreetDeck. The original 6-cyl Cummins ISBe engine was replaced with the Mercedes-Benz (Daimler) OM934. The vehicle caught fire shortly after arrival to the London fleet in 2011, so instead of being written off, she was given a new lease of life, and a slightly different identity!

VDLbus DB300 (Daimler) /

Wrightbus Gemini 2DL (10.5m)

H41/24D - 2011

Rockwood Road, Stamford Hill

Saturday 1st August 2015

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

In the aftermath of the Second World War, Sweden required a strong air defense, utilizing the newly developed jet propulsion technology. The original concept had been designed around a mostly straight wing, but after Swedish engineers had obtained German research data on swept-wing designs, the prototype was altered to incorporate a 25° sweep. In order to make the wing as thin as possible, Saab elected to locate the retractable undercarriage in the aircraft's fuselage rather than into the wings.

While the second P29G was used for high speed trials, the first machine remained in its original guise and took over low speed handling tests. Thanks to the unique wing switch mechanism, the supersonic research program could be held within a very tight schedule and lasted until late 1959. Thereafter, the P29Gs’ potential was of little use anymore, and the engine use agreement with the USA put an end to further use of the two aircraft, so that both P29Gs were retired from service in 1960. The 1st machine, outfitted with standard J29F wings and stripped off of its engines, remained in use as an instructional air at Malmslätt air base 1969, while the second machine was mothballed. However, both airframes were eventually scrapped in 1970.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 11.66 m (38 ft 2 in) fuselage only,

13,97 m (45 ft 9 in) with pitot boom

Wingspan: varied*; 11.0 m (36 ft 1 in) with standard 25° sweep wings,

10.00 m (32 ft 9 ¾ in) with experimental 45° wings

Height: 4.54m (14 ft 10 ½ in)

Wing area: varied*; 24.15 m² (260.0 ft²) with standard 25° sweep wings

22.5 m² (242.2 ft²) with experimental 45° wings

Empty weight: 5,220 kg (11,500 lb)

Max. takeoff weight: 8,510 kg (18,744 lb)

Powerplant:

2× Westinghouse J34-WE-42 turbojets, each rated at 3,400 lbf (15 kN) dry thrust

and 4,200 lbf (19 kN) with full afterburner

Performance:

Maximum speed: 1.367 km/h (849 mph) were achieved*

Range: 790 km (490 mi)

Service ceiling: up to 17,250 m (56,500 ft)*

Rate of climb: up to 45 m/s (8,850 ft/min)*

*Varying figures due to different tested wing configurations

Armament:

None installed; provisions for 4x 20mm Hispano Mark V autocannon in the lower front fuselage.

Depending on the mounted wing type, various external loads could be carried, including a wide range of light bombs, 75 mm (3 in) air-to-air rockets, 145 mm (5.8 in) anti-armor rockets, 150 mm (6 in) HE (high-explosive) rockets or 180 mm (7.2 in) HE anti-ship rockets. Due to the lack of complex wiring or fuel plumbing, no guided weapons or drop tanks could be mounted, though.

The kit and its assembly:

Sweden is a prolific whiffing territory, and the Saab 29 offers some interesting options. This highly modified Tunnan, which is actually rather a kitbashing than a mere model kit modification, is/was a submission to the “More or less engines” group build at whatifmodelers.com in summer 2019.

I actually had the idea of a two-engine J29 in the back of my mind for a long time, spawned by a resin conversion set for the Hasegawa B-47 Stratojet kit that came with new intakes and exhaust sections for the four engine pods. The single engine pod parts had been spent a long time ago, but the twin engine parts were still waiting for a good use. Could the exhaust fit under/into a Tunnan…?

I even had a Matchbox J29 stashed away for this experiment long ago, as well as some donor parts like the wings, and the GB eventually offered the right motivation to put those things together that no one would expect to work.

So I pulled out all the stuff and started – a rather straightforward affair. Work started with the fuselage, which was, together with the (very nice) cockpit assembled OOB at first, the nose filled with as much lead as possible and with the lower rear section cut away, so the B-47 resin jet nozzles would end up at the same position as the original RM2B exhaust. Due to the pen nib fairing between them, though, the profile of the modified tail became (visually) more massive, and I had to fill some gaps under the tail boom (with styrene sheet and putty). The twin engines also turned out to be wider than expected – I had hoped for straight flanks, but the fuselage shape ended up with considerable bulges behind the landing gear wells. These were created with parts from drop tank halves and blended into the rest of the lower hill with PSR work. In the same wake the area under the fin was sculpted and re-created, too.

At that point it became clear that I had to do more on the fuselage, esp. the front end, in order to keep the aircraft visually balance. A convenient solution became an F-100 air intake, which I grafted onto the nose instead of the original circular and round-lipped orifice – with its sharp lip the Super Sabre piece was even a plausible change! The fuselage shapes and diameters differed considerably, though, more PSR became necessary.

Next came the wings: I had already set apart a pair of trapezoid wings with a 45° sweep angle – these were left over from a PM Model Ta 183 conversion some time ago. With their odd shape and size they were a perfect match for my project, even more so due to the fact that I could keep the original J29 wing attachment points, I just had to shorten and modify the trailing edge area on the fuselage. The result was very conclusive.

With the new nose and the wings in place, the overall proportions became clearer: still tail-heavy, but not unpleasant. At this time I was also certain that I had to modify the tail surfaces. The fin was too small and did not have enough sweep for the overall look, and the stabilizer, with its thick profile, rounded edges and the single, continuous rudder did not look supersonic at all. What followed was a long search in the donor banks for suitable replacements, and I eventually came up with a MiG-15 fin (Hobby Boss) which was later clipped at the top for a less recognizable profile. The stabilizers were more challenging, though. My solution eventually became a pair of modified stabilizers from a Matchbox Buccaneer(!), attached to the MiG-15 fin.

The design problems did not stop here, though: the landing gear caused some more headaches. I wanted to keep the OOB parts, but especially the main legs would leave the aircraft with a very goofy look through a short wheelbase and a rear axis position too much forward. In an attempt to save the situation I attached swing arms to the OOB struts, moving the axis maybe 5mm backwards and widening the track by 2mm at the same time. Not much in total, but it helped (a little, even though the aircraft is still very tail-heavy)

As a final addition – since the original, wing-mounted pitots of the J29 were gone now and would not go well with the wing-switching idea – I gave the P29G a large, nose-mounted pitot and sensor boom, placed on top of the nose. This part come, like the air intake, from an F-100.

Painting and markings:

I tend to be conservative when it comes to liveries for what-if models, and the P29G is no exception. At first, I thought that this build could become an operational supersonic daylight interceptor (the J29G), so that I could give the model full military markings and maybe a camouflage paint scheme. However, this idea would not work: the potential real life window for such an aircraft, based on the Saab 29, would be very narrow. And aircraft development in the late Fifties made quantum leaps within a very short period of time: While the J29A entered service, work on the Mach 2 Saab 35 was already underway – nobody would have accepted (or needed) a Mach 1 fighter, based on late Forties technology, at that time anymore, and there was the all-weather Saab J32B around, too. The update program with new wings and a more powerful afterburner engine was all that could be done to exploit the Tunnan’s potential, resulting in the (real world’s) J29E and F variants.

I eventually decided that the J29G would only be a prototype/research aircraft, consequently called P29G, and through this decision I became more or less settled upon a NMF finish with some colorful markings. Consequently, the model was painted with various shades of metal colors, primarily Polished Aluminum Metallizer from Humbrol, but also with Humbrol 191 and Matt Aluminum Metallizer as well as ModelMaster Steel Metallizer. Around the exhaust section, I also used Revell 91 (Iron) and ModelMaster Exhaust Metallizer. Some single panels and details were painted with Revell 99 (Aluminum), and I also used generic decal material in silver to simulate some smaller access panels. Grey decal sheet was used to simulate covers for the cannon nozzles.

The cockpit interior was painted, according to Saab 29 standard, in a dark greenish-grey (Revell 67), and bluish grey was used inside of the landing gear wells (Revell 57). The pitot boom received black and white stripes.

For markings I let myself get inspired from the real world Saab 29 and 32 prototypes, which were all marked with a colored “U” tactical code on the fin and also on the front fuselage, simply meaning “Utverding” (= “Test”). I found four red decals, and I also gave the aircraft a yellow cheatline, lent from an Airfix F-86D decal sheet. The Swedish roundels come from a generic aftermarket sheet, most stencils were taken from the Revell OOB sheet and a Printscale J29 sheet.

Before the model was sealed with semi-gloss acrylic varnish from Italeri, some grinded graphite was rubbed onto the rear fuselage, adding a metallic shine and simulating exhaust stains.

A thorough conversion – this has rather evolved into a kitbashing than just a kit conversion: not much from the original Matchbox J29 has been left over. But I like the outcome, even though things developed gradually from the simple idea of changing the number of engines on the Tunnan. One thing led to another. The resulting aircraft looks quite plausible, even though I am not totally happy with the landing gear, which appears to be rather far forward, despite surgical measures to mend the situation. The Ta 183 wings are a very good match, though, and I cannot help but recognize a certain French look, maybe due to the cruciform tail and the oval air intake? The P29G could also, with Argentinian marking, have become a revised version of the FMA Pulqui II?

Installation

Sphæræ at EAPlab

For the whole month of June the mobile multi-dome structure for immersive and synaesthetic experiences designed by Cocky Eek (FoAM) was the testbed for a range of artists invited by iii to experiment and develop new artworks for the venue, with a main focus on the in-depth exploration of the unique auditive, visual and spatial affordances of Sphæræ.

A number of the artists participating in the residency present their results – ranging from fundamental experimentation to full-fledged new works. You are cordially invited to join this event and experience disorienting acoustic explorations, morphing and breathing architectures and pulsating audiovisual fields piercing Sphæræ’s ethereal atmosphere.

Nicky Fox, director of NASA’s Heliophysics Division, discusses the Space Environment Testbeds payload during a NASA prelaunch technology TV broadcast for the Space Test Program-2 (STP-2) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 23, 2019. The payload’s four experiments will reveal the ways local space weather affects spacecraft hardware. It is one of four NASA payloads scheduled to launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A beginning at 11:30 p.m. EDT on June 24, 2019. STP-2 is managed by the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Photo Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux

NASA image use policy.

20180606_1207_7D2-190 A Tale of Tails

Airbus' flying testbed A350-900 (the first one off the production line) F-WXWD arrived in Christchurch for a less than 20 hour stop over before heading home to France via Kuala Lumpur.

Behind it is Emirates A380 A6-EEG and further in the background are the arches over the new Gateway Bridge, the city side of the airport.

And in the foreground are "tailless" sheep on the airport farm.

#9634

Class 47 no 47601 approaches Darnall station on an eastbound mgr train on 24 October 1977. This loco had been built as D1628 at Crewe in 1964, and then renumbered 47046 under TOPS in 1973. In 1977 it was selected as a testbed for the projected Class 56 and fitted with a 16-cylinder Ruston 16RK3CT engine rated at 3250 hp. As such it was renumbered 47601 in January 1977.

Two years later it was selected as a testbed for Class 58 and fitted with a 12-cylinder Ruston engine rated at 3300 bhp. 47601 was then renumbered 47901. 47901 carried this engine until withdrawal from CF in March 1990 - the loco was cut up by MC Processors in Glasgow in March 1992.

Installation

Sphæræ at EAPlab

For the whole month of June the mobile multi-dome structure for immersive and synaesthetic experiences designed by Cocky Eek (FoAM) was the testbed for a range of artists invited by iii to experiment and develop new artworks for the venue, with a main focus on the in-depth exploration of the unique auditive, visual and spatial affordances of Sphæræ.

A number of the artists participating in the residency present their results – ranging from fundamental experimentation to full-fledged new works. You are cordially invited to join this event and experience disorienting acoustic explorations, morphing and breathing architectures and pulsating audiovisual fields piercing Sphæræ’s ethereal atmosphere.

InSight Launch, May 4 2018, Tower Rollback, Vandenberg SLC3, California, USA

GE Flight Test-designed and built YJ93 pod installed on B-58A testbed. This is as close to flying as the B-58 would ever get for GE. The YJ93 development program was cancelled before its first flight on the testbed.

Approaching Gynn Square is Blackpool Heritage Tram 648, which carries an East Lancs body and a member of the 'Centenary Class'.

It was originally numbered 651 and was owned by GEC Traction and used on the Blackpool system as an operational testbed. It was later purchased by Blackpool and re-equipped in line with the other cars.

Sandia National Laboratories physicist Susan Clark leads the team that built the Quantum Scientific Computing Open User Testbed. The ion-based quantum computer was made for outside researchers to use.

Learn more at bit.ly/35aR46y

Photo by Bret Latter

Arriva London Ltd.:

DW411 was retrofitted with a new driveline, as a testbed for what would become the Wrightbus StreetDeck. The original 6-cyl Cummins ISBe engine was replaced with the Mercedes-Benz (Daimler) OM934. The vehicle caught fire shortly after arrival to the London fleet in 2011, so instead of being written off, she was given a new lease of life, and a slightly different identity!

VDLbus DB300 (Daimler) /

Wrightbus Gemini 2DL (10.5m)

H41/24D - 2011

Rockwood Road, Stamford Hill

Saturday 1st August 2015

Flash Airlines (this Flash Airlines...) was a Nigerian Cargo Company active between 1985 and 1996 with 2 DC-8s.

5N-ATZ (c/n 45965 l/n 346, series -55CF) was built in 1968 for Iberia, leased to Aviaco and Lacsa and at the end sold to Jet Avionics/Quite Nacelle Corp in 1985. The plane will be used as testbed for JT3D engine hush-kit certification and then sold to FB Air in June 1987. It will later be sold to EAS Cargo and leased by Flash Airlinesbetween 1988 and 1992.

The slide was taken in RTM and is dated April 1990.

Uno B9TL Gemini 285 is seen at Borehamwood Tesco on route 601 to Borehamwood, Ripon Park.

Before life at Uno, this bus was new to First South Yorkshire as 37260 in 2007, had an accident that led to it being withdrawn and almost scrapped, became a hybrid testbed gaining a Gemini 2 front in the process.

At the insistence of the Army, Boeing Chief Test Pilot Eddie Allen made the first flight of the Lockheed Model 49 Constellation prototype (civil registered NX25600) on 9 January 1942. Lockheed’s chief test pilot, Milo Burcham, was the copilot. The flight from the Lockheed facility in Burbank to Muroc Field, California, lasted about fifty-eight minutes. The aircraft, designated XC-69 by the US Army Air Corps and assigned serial number 43-10309, would spend most of its career as a testbed. It was sold and broken up for parts in 1958. The XC-69 is shown with the last Model 5 Vega built (company number 210), which had been impressed into Army service as the sole UC-101 in 1942. The UC-101 (serial number 42-94148) was assigned to the US Engineer’s office at March Field, California, until 1944. It was returned to civilian life after the war and was destroyed in an accident at El Paso, Texas, in 1945.

© M J Anahory. These images are protected by copyright. You cannot copy or republish this photo without written consent of the copyright holder. Any copyright infringements will be followed up with action legal or otherwise.

Rolls-Royce has announced further investment in the UK, including a testbed in Derby similar to the one pictured.

Prototype testbed

Rolls-Royce has announced further investment in the UK, including a testbed in Derby similar to the one pictured.

Rolls-Royce has announced further investment in the UK, including a testbed in Derby similar to the one pictured.

Rolls-Royce has announced further investment in the UK, including a testbed in Derby similar to the one pictured.

The Boeing YAL-1 Airborne Laser Testbed weapons system was a megawatt-class chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL) mounted inside a modified Boeing 747-400F. It was primarily designed as a missile defense system to destroy TBMs while in boost phase. The YAL-1 was assigned to the 417th Flight Test Squadron Airborne Laser Combined Test Force at Edwards AFB. However, the inherent non-viability of the whole concept led to the project's cancellation and the YAL-1 made it's last flight on 14th Feb. 2012 to Davis-Monthan AFB and AMARG for scrapping.

1967 Daimler Sovereign 4.2

Lot 1 (Kempton Park Racecourse, 18th October 2006)

Sold for £5,738

(including buyers premium)

Lot details

Registration No: PGV102E

Chassis No: 1A32348DN

Mot Expiry: April 2007

Introduced in 1966, the Daimler Sovereign was a more luxurious version of the contemporaneous Jaguar 420. Differentiated from its badge-engineered sibling by means of a different grille and better standard equipment, it otherwise shared the same four-door monocoque bodyshell equipped with all-round independent coil-sprung suspension, disc brakes and a detuned version (245bhp vs. 265bhp) of the Jaguar MKX's 4235cc DOHC straight-six engine. In many ways a testbed for the forthcoming Jaguar XJ6's styling and mechanical layout, the Daimler Sovereign remained in production until 1969 by which time some 5,829 are thought to have been made. Among the rarest of the Browns Lane designed Daimlers, the Sovereign is a highly underrated motorcar.

Finished in British Racing Green with suede green leather upholstery, this particular example is described by the vendor as being in "very good" overall condition. Reportedly "a very rare manual (overdrive) matching numbers original colour car with Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate", 'PGV 102E' is further understood to have been begun life in the Channel Islands where it was used for "diplomatic service until returning to the UK during 1976". Apparently treated to refurbished front / rear subframes (new mountings, suspension bushes, bearings, universal joints, wheel bearings etc), an overhauled steering box, rebuilt differential, reconditioned callipers and new brake discs by its previous keeper, the Daimler has also benefited from replacement carpets / headlining and dashboard relacquering. Indeed, the car is thought to have had "some £4,000 recently spent on it". Though, we are informed that "no receipts are available as the owner purchased parts at Jaguar Spares Days and carried out the work himself". Boasting "new wire wheel hubs / spinners, tyres that have done less than 2,000 miles, power steering and a period Motorola radio (in working order)", 'PGV 102E' is said to "drive well with good oil pressure". Believed but not warranted to have covered 59,000 miles from new, this pampered Daimler is offered for sale with MOT certificate valid until April 2007 and historic class (free) road tax until March 2007.

www.handh.co.uk/auction/lot/1-1967-daimler-sovereign-42/?...

Once the fastest production car in the world, the Jaguar XK120 was Jaguar's first new product following the end of the war, being designed in those dark final days of the conflict and being developed over the next three years, making its début in 1948.

The XK120 was launched in open two-seater form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine. The display car was the first prototype, chassis number 670001. It looked almost identical to the production cars except that the straight outer pillars of its windscreen would be curved on the production version. The roadster caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production.

Beginning in 1948, the first 242 cars wore wood-framed open 2-seater bodies with aluminium panels. Production switched to the 112lb heavier all-steel in early 1950. The "120" in the name referred to the aluminium car's 120 mph top speed, which made it the world's fastest production car at the time of its launch. Engine models ranged from a 160bhp DOHC Straight-6 Double SU H6 low end model, to the fastest version which was powered by a 210bhp DOHC Straight-6 Double SU H8, giving the car a top speed of 124mph, which in 1949 was a spectacular feat when compared to the Austins and Morris' of the time.

On 30 May 1949, on the empty Ostend-Jabbeke motorway in Belgium, a prototype XK120 timed by the officials of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium achieved an average of runs in opposing directions of 132.6 mph with the windscreen replaced by just one small aeroscreen and a catalogued alternative top gear ratio, and 135 mph with a passenger-side tonneau cover in place. In 1950 and 1951, at a banked oval track in France, XK120 roadsters averaged over 100 mph for 24 hours and over 130 mph for an hour, and in 1952 a fixed-head coupé took numerous world records for speed and distance when it averaged 100 mph for a week.

The Motor magazine road-tested an XK120 roadster in November 1949. This pre-production car, chassis number 670001, road-registered as HKV 455, was the first prototype built. It was also the 1948 London Motor Show display model, and had been driven by Prince Bira in the 1949 Silverstone Production Car Race. The magazine reported a top speed of 124.6 mph, acceleration from 0–60 mph in 10.0 seconds and fuel consumption of 19.8 miles per imperial gallon. The car as tested cost £1263 including taxes.

In 1949 the first production roadster, chassis number 670003, was delivered to famous actor Clark Gable.

The XK120 was ultimately available in two open versions, first as an open 2-seater described in the US market as the roadster, then also as a drophead coupé from 1953; and also as a closed, or fixed head coupé from 1951.

Production of the car ended in 1954 after 12,055 examples were constructed, being replaced by the Jaguar XK140. Today you'd be hard pressed to find XK120's on a regular basis, but if you attend car shows like me you'd be likely to find at least one show up.

Most notably though, the car returned to the centre stage of modern motoring through a spectacularly organised and choreographed race between the presenters of Top Gear on their Race to the North, a competition set in a hypothetical 1949 between the primary modes of transport at the time, with James May in the Jaguar XK120, Richard Hammond on a Vincent Blackshadow motorbike, and Jeremy Clarkson on the rebuilt Peppercorn A1 Pacific number 60163 'Tornado'.

Kbely, 1990. Ejectionseat testbed

The Jaguar XK120 is a sports car which was manufactured by Jaguar between 1948 and 1954. Jaguar's first post-war sports car, it succeeded the SS 100, which ceased production in 1940.

The XK120 was launched in roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine. It caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production.

The "120" in its name referred to its 120 mph (193 km/h) top speed (faster with the windscreen removed), which made the XK120 the world's fastest standard production car at the time of its launch.[3]

It was available in two 'open' versions – first as the roadster (designated OTS, for open two-seater, in America), then, also as a drophead coupé, DHC, from 1953 – and as a closed, or "fixed-head" coupé (FHC) from 1951. The DHC was a more deluxe open model, featuring the wood dashboard and wood accent veneers on the interior as found on the FHC.

The roadster version was successful in racing.

The first 242 cars, all roadsters hand-built between late 1948 and early 1950, had aluminium bodies on ash frames. To meet demand it was necessary for the mass-production versions, beginning with the 1950 model year, to have pressed-steel bodies. They retained aluminium doors, bonnet, and boot lid.

With alloy cylinder head and twin side-draft SU carburetors, the dual overhead-cam 3.4 L straight-6 XK engine was comparatively advanced for a mass-produced unit of the time. With standard 8:1 compression ratio it developed 160 bhp (119 kW).[2] A 7:1 low compression version was also available to cope with low quality fuel. This same basic design of the XK engine, later modified into 3.8L and 4.2L versions, survived into the late 1980s.

All XK120s had independent torsion bar front suspension, semi-elliptic leaf springs at the rear, recirculating-ball steering, telescopically adjustable steering column, and all-round drum brakes that were prone to fade. Some cars were fitted with Alfin (ALuminum FINned) brake drums to help overcome this brake fade.

The roadster's lightweight canvas top and detachable sidescreens stowed out of sight behind the seats, and its barchetta-style doors had no external handles; instead there was an interior pull-cord which was accessible through a flap in the sidescreens when the weather equipment was in place. The windscreen could be removed for aeroscreens to be fitted.

The drophead coupé [DHC] offered a padded, lined canvas top, which folded onto the rear deck behind the seats when retracted, and roll-up windows with opening quarter-lites. The flat glass two-piece windscreen was integral as a body-colored steel frame. Dashboards and door-caps in both the closed steel top coupe' [fixed-head, FHC] and DHC were wood-veneered, whereas the spartan roadster's were leather-trimmed. All models had removable spats ("fender skirts" in America) covering the rear wheel arches, which enhanced the streamlined look. On cars fitted with optional centre-lock wire wheels (available from 1951), the spats were omitted as they gave insufficient clearance for the two-eared Rudge-Whitworth chromed knockoff hubs.

In addition to wire wheels, upgrades on the Special Equipment, or SE, version (called the M version in the United States) included increased power, stiffer suspension and dual exhaust system.

All models of these early Jaguars are highly sought by collectors around the globe.

The Motor magazine road-tested an XK120 roadster in 1949. With hood and sidescreens in place, it achieved a top speed of 124.6 mph (200.5 km/h), accelerated from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 10.0 seconds and consumed fuel at the rate of 19.8 miles per imperial gallon (14.3 L/100 km; 16.5 mpg-US). The car as tested cost £1263 including taxes.[2]

In May 1949, Jaguar demonstrated an XK120 roadster to the press on the high-speed autoroute between Jabbeke and Aeltre in Belgium. The road was closed for the occasion. The white left-hand drive car, chassis number 670002, was the second XK120 built. Jaguar's development engineer Walter Hassan was to have driven but fell ill, so Jaguar test-driver Ron "Soapy" Sutton substituted for him. With hood and sidescreens erected, and the airflow under the car improved by the addition of a full-length aluminium undertray, the Jaguar was timed through the flying mile by the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium at 126.448 mph (203.498 km/h). With hood, sidescreens and windscreen removed, a metal airflow deflector fitted in front of the driver, and a tonneau cover fastened over the passenger side of the cockpit the speed improved to 136.596 mph (219.830 km/h). The XK120 showed itself to be the fastest production car in the world.

Wikipedia

By Eduardo Merille

This is the 25th 747 built, first flown in March 1970 and delivered new to Pan Am as "Clipper Star of the Union." Later renamed "Clipper Ocean Spray," it became General Electric's engine testbed in 1992. Retired by GE in 2017, it will be displayed at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

F-70A is an autonomous¹ hypersonic VTOL 7GF operating in AD environment beyond the 2050 timeframe, equipped with NG EA, ISP, ADSs, PQR detection, Li-Fi, DEW and enhanced capabilities in areas such as reach, persistence, survivability, net-centricity, SA, cyberattack, HSI, WEs. Cfr. notes² over the above image.

Customers: USAF, USN, USMC

Total operational aircraft quantity: 100

Total program cost (2020-2050): US$200 billion

Unit flyaway cost: US$700 million

Unit OSCPFH: US$150,000/h

NOTES

1. The F-70A is also an Optionally Piloted Aerial Vehicle (OPAV).

2. Scale ≅ 1:17.693; 1 m = 214√p; 1√p = 1/96" ≅ 4.68E-3 m;

OALₛ = 4,715√p ≅ 1.248 mₛ; WSₛ = 2,145√p ≅ 5.675E-1 mₛ.

Crew: 2 · OAL/WS/OAH 22.0726/16.0528/4.8514 m · WA 92.903 m² · E/L/MTO M 13,608/27,488/29,484 Kg · ELC 13,608 Kg · IFC 15,876 Kg · 2× 445 KN GE/PW F250 + 1× 80 KN RR LS1 STOVL · TVC ±15° @40°/s P/Y · NE/C S @SC M10.0/5.0 · SC 3E4 m · CR 2.5E6 m · WL 550 Kg/m² · 1× AN/APG90 QAESA + 1× AN/AAQ40 DAS-MWS/EOTS/SATP/SAIRST + 1× AN/ASQ239 EWS + 1× MADLCS + 2× HMDS · 1× 2,000-rds 20 mm GAU22A + 2×8 IRLAS + 2×2 IFS + 4× EWPS

Rockwell-Lockheed A/FX 1992 concept, initially non hypersonic, significantly influenced the forthcoming F-70's design and style.

REFERENCES

R. Avella 2025: Boeing F-47 6GF concept.

D.A. Vincenzi & al. 2024: Human factors in simulation & training.

M. Ghafarian & al. 2023: Dynamic Vehicular Motion Simulators.

X. Li & al. 2023: Flying-wing wing rock mode.

H.P. Williams & al. 2021: ETC Kraken GL6000 @ ±3g₀.

J. Van Welbergen 2020: Thales FCAS 2035 avionics.

R.L. Laurent Jr. 2020: ETC ATFS-400-31 @ ±20g₀.

P.G.A. Cizmas 2020: Aerothermodynamics & jet propulsion.

B. Zohuri 2019: Directed-Energy beam weapons.

A.R. Jha 2017: UAV theory, design & apps.

J. Park & al. 2016: Tailless aircraft control surface design optimization.

E.H. Hirschel 2015: Aerothermodynamics.

Y. Gordon & S. Komissarov 2013: Unflown wings, p. 523.

E.H. Hirschel & C. Weiland 2009: HFV aerothermodynamics.

T.A. Heppenheimer 2002: History of the Space Shuttle.

J.J. Bertin 1994: Hypersonic aerothermodynamics.

W.T. Gunston 1992: Faster than sound, pp. 228-266.

J. Hecht 1984: Beam weapons.

A.J. Eggers Jr. 1957: LR hypervelocity vehicles.

A.J. Eggers Jr. & al. 1957: LR hypervelocity vehicles.

ÆHSA · B21 · X30 · FBWL · FS · ITE · NEAT · NESI · MSTC · AIM260 · CHAMP · LREW · MSDM · SCIFiRE · AS24 · R37M · HTK · ABL · ec

C-FETB - Boeing B-720-023B - Pratt & Whitney Canada Inc.

at CFB Trenton Airbase (YTR) on display within the National Air Force Museum

c/n 18.024 - built in 1960 for American Airlines -

operated by MEA between 1971 and 1985 as OD-AFQ -

operated by Pratt & Whitney Canada as a flying engine testbed between 1986 and 2010.

C-FETB was the 720 flying test bed operated by Pratt & Whitney Canada until 2010.

It was equipped to test a variety of engines, for example:

A large turbofan could take the place of the inside / inner engine underneath the right/starboard wing.

A small turbofan could be mounted on the right/starboard side of the forward fuselage.

A turboprop could be mounted in the nose.

The following engine types were tested on C-FETB:

- the International Aero Engines (IAE) V2500 turbofan

- the Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D turbofan

- the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300 turbofan

- the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW500 turbofan

- the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600 turbofan

- the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop

- the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100 turboprop

One of 154 model 720s manufactured by Boeing between 1959 and 1967, C-FETB was the single remaining operational 720 in the world. On May 9, 2012, the aircraft made its final flight, travelling from Saint-Hubert to CFB Trenton – the last flight ever of a 720.

Eager to preserve this historically significant test bed, Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum (CASM) came to an agreement that saw the 720 went on indefinite loan to the National Air Force Museum of Canada, in Trenton, Ontario.

Unfortunately the red colour is fading away quickly during the harsh Canadian conditions

Thursday, October 18th. Dual-Polarized

Phased Array Radar

National Weather Radar Testbed Advanced Technology

Demonstrator tour, ribbon cutting and reception.

The XK120 was launched in roadster form at the 1948 London Motor Show as a testbed and show car for the new Jaguar XK engine. It caused a sensation, which persuaded Jaguar founder and design boss William Lyons to put it into production.

The "120" in its name referred to its 120 mph (193 km/h) top speed (faster with the windscreen removed), which made the XK120 the world's fastest standard production car at the time of its launch.[4]

It was available in two open versions, first as the roadster (designated OTS, for open two-seater, in America), then also as a drophead coupé (DHC) from 1953 – and also as a closed, or "fixed-head" coupé (FHC) from 1951. The DHC was a more deluxe open model, with wind-up windows, and wood-veneer dashboard and interior door caps, as on the FHC.

The roadster was successful in racing.

(Wikipedia)

- - -

Der Jaguar XK 120 war ein zweisitziger Roadster, den Jaguar 1948 als Nachfolger des S.S.100 auf den Markt brachte.

Der Jaguar XK 120 OTS (Open Two Seater, so die etwas umständliche Bezeichnung für den Roadster) besaß einen Sechszylinder-Reihenmotor mit 3442 cm³ Hubraum und 160 bhp.

Ab 1951 gab es den Jaguar XK 120 FHC (Fixed Head Coupé), ein Coupé mit gleicher Motorisierung und 194 km/h Höchstgeschwindigkeit. Bis zur Einstellung 1954 wurden 2678 Stück gebaut.

1953 kam der Jaguar XK 120 DHC (Drop Head Coupé), ein Cabriolet mit gefüttertem Stoffdach und der gleichen Motorisierung, auch als SE, dazu. Es wurde allerdings nur ein Jahr lang angeboten und erreichte in diesem Zeitraum die Stückzahl von 1767 Exemplaren.

(Wikipedia)

A Trent XWB engine in a test bed in Derby, UK.

Pima Air and Space Museum

The Boeing 747 began as a concept for a U.S. Air Force contract competition to design a heavy lift cargo aircraft. That contest was eventually won by the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy, but Boeing’s failure to win that contract led it to develop one of the most iconic aircraft ever. The first 747 made its maiden flight in February 1969 and the type made its first commercial flight less than a year later. Since then the humpbacked shape of the 747 has become familiar to millions of travelers around the world. The “Jumbo Jet” is the first twin isle airliner and in some configurations could carry more than 500 passengers. This immense size allowed a much lower operating cost per seat and helped bring long distance air travel into the price range of vastly more people. Boeing has built more than 1,560 since 1969. As of 2018, only about 20 remain to be delivered. The era of the 747 as a passenger plane is coming to an end as it is replaced by more fuel-efficient twin-engine aircraft, but it will continue to be in use as a cargo plane for many years to come.

It was built by Boeing Aircraft Company at Everett, Washington and delivered to Pan American World Airways on March 21, 1970. It is the twenty-fifth 747 built. Following Pan Am’s practice of naming its aircraft, this airplane flew with the name “Clipper Star of the Union” until 1982 when it was renamed “Clipper Ocean Spray.” It remained with Pan Am until the bankruptcy of the airline in 1991. In March 1992 it was purchased by General Electric for use as an engine test bed. Since then the plane has flown more than 3,000 hours carrying various test engines for GE as they develop the engines that power many of the planes that are replacing the 747 in airline service. General Electric donated the aircraft to the Pima Air & Space Museum in November 2018.

Wingspan: 195 ft 8 in.

Length: 231 ft 4 in.

Height: 63 ft 5 in.

Weight: 735,000 lbs (loaded)

Maximum Speed: 595 MPH

Service Ceiling: 45,000 ft

Range: 6,000 miles

Engines: Four Pratt and Whitney JD9D-3 turbofans with 43,000 pounds of thrust each

Crew: 3 flight crew, 15 flight attendants, 374 to 490 passengers

Manufacturer: Boeing

Markings: General Electric Aviation, 2018

Designation: 747-121

Registration: N747GE

Serial Number: 19651

Cloud Control –This is a picture of the Magellan management and network control racks at NERSC. To test cloud computing for scientific capability, NERSC and the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility (ALCF) installed purpose-built testbeds for running scientific applications on the IBM iDataPlex cluster.

credit: Lawrence Berkeley Nat'l Lab - Roy Kaltschmidt, photographer

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Raytheon Flight Test Operations fly this modified Boeing 727, N289MT, as a test plarform for new avionics. It is sometimes called 'Pinocchio' , on account of it having an F-15 Eagle fighter nose fitted, but is better known as 'Voodoo 1' which is it's callsign. It is seen taxiing for another sortie from it's base at Los Angelesairport (LAX), Califoenia.

KLAX (Los Angeles International Airport) - 19 DEC 2020

"SkyWest 3043" from Denver International Airport (KDEN) on short final to RWY 25L.

Production Site: Montreal (YMX)

Rollout: 13 AUG 1999

First Flight: 19 SEP 1999

Test Registration: C-FBKA

To Bombardier Aerospace: 13 AUG 1999 as C-FBKA

Hex Code: C003A9

Configuration: Testbed

Engines: 2x General Electric CF34-8C5B1

To SkyWest Airlines: 29 APR 2005 as N707SK

Operated for United Express

Hex Code: A97029

Fleet Number: 707

Configuration: C6Y60

Engines: 2x General Electric CF34-8C5B1

Re-configured "C6Y64" in 2013

Withdrawn from use on 06 DEC 2016

Operated for American Eagle: 08 JAN 2017 as N707SK

Hex Code: A97029

Fleet Number: 707

Configuration: C9W12Y44

Engines: 2x General Electric CF34-8C5B1