On August 29, 1949, the Soviet Union exploded the first atomic bomb at the Semipalatinsk test site in Kazakh . From the beginning, Americans on the other side of the earth could not sit still. The nuclear power of the Red Empire developed rapidly. , but for people on the other side of the Iron Curtain , everything is in the clouds, and the United States needs an eye to help it see clearly its opponents' trump cards. U.S. Air Force officials have been pursuing the idea of ultra-high-altitude reconnaissance. An aircraft that can fly above all anti-aircraft weapons will naturally be able to peep into any sensitive area with impunity. Bill Lamar and engine expert Maj. John Seaberg of the Wright Air Force Development Center (WADC) in Ohio drafted a design study request to develop a highly specialized low-volume production aircraft to accomplish this. One task. @nordland Today's Toutiao original release
This is the only highly restored model I have found. The author is shown in the picture
Lamar and Seaberg's idea was to combine the powerful turbine engine that was being developed at the time with a long and thin The combination of low-wing load-bearing airfoils intends to create an aircraft that can fly at very high altitudes above enemy targets, making it difficult to detect and even harder to shoot down.
The research project, called Bald Eagle (Bald Eagle), calls for a subsonic aircraft with a combat radius of 1,500 nautical miles, the ability to reach altitudes of 70,000 feet, a crew and a payload of 100 to 700 pounds . It will be equipped with an available production engine (modified if necessary) and have an overall weight as low as possible.
They suggested bypassing well-known aircraft manufacturers such as Lockheed, Boeing and Convair, and instead contacted Bell Aircraft Company and Fairchild Aircraft Company. This is because the planned orders may be very small and may not be appreciated by large companies, and these smaller companies may give the project a higher priority.
Then to add an option, they also asked Martin to submit a proposal to retrofit an existing B-57 light jet bomber with a longer wingspan and improved engines to enable high-altitude reconnaissance. The three companies were given until the end of the year to submit results. All three companies submitted their respective studies by January 1954.
Three bids
Martin 294
RB-57D
Martin modified B-57 (model 294), using two 10,000 pound thrust Pratt & Whitney J57-P-9 turbojet engines in place of the J65-W-5 engines. The aircraft's wingspan was extended from 64 feet to 106 feet, increasing total wing area to 1,500 square feet. Developed from the existing platform, by April 1955, the Type 294 had officially received the RB-57D designation, and the initial order of 6 airframes had been increased to 20. The first RB-57Ds were built in three versions, including the first 13 as single-seat models equipped with multiple cameras and attachments. The sensor unit was located in a compartment behind the pilot's station. Martin also built an RB-57D-1 capable of carrying the AN/APQ-56 high-resolution side-looking radar for day and night radar mapping and reconnaissance. The final six airframes, designated RB-57D-2, carried a second crew member to operate sensors to collect electronic intelligence (ELINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) data.
RB-57D
Fairchild M-195
Fairchild's designers initially considered a variety of possible configurations, ranging from subsonic turboprop aircraft with high aspect ratio wings to supersonic rockets and ramjets powered aircraft. The supersonic option was quickly eliminated due to the expected length of time required for design and development. The final plan, M-195, uses high aspect ratio straight wings, which can reach a ceiling of 65,000 to 67,200 feet.
Considering the reduction of overall structural weight and aerodynamic gain, the design team finally chose a single J57 engine. The body is made of aluminum and uses as many off-the-shelf components as possible. The M-195 features a pressurized cockpit with an ejection seat.The sensor bay is designed to accommodate two 36-inch equivalent focal length (EFL) tilt cameras and two 6-inch EFL tilt cameras. The aircraft uses a rear tricycle landing gear that is rare among jets. The two main landing gear wheels are retracted into the wing roots in a typical manner, and there is a steerable tail wheel. The lower-mounted wings are equipped with Rafale mitigation systems to raise flaps and ailerons when necessary. The engine is placed above and behind the cockpit, taking in air from a rear air inlet. This arrangement minimizes the length of the intake and exhaust ducts, increasing available thrust. At the same time, the pressurization duct leading to the cockpit is shorter, improving pressurization efficiency.
The empty weight of the aircraft is 10,943 pounds. Total takeoff weight is approximately 19,000 pounds. Initial ascent to a mission profile of 61,100 feet is possible at 150 knots. The pilot will then climb to an operating cruise altitude of 65,000 feet over a distance of 161 miles. After leveling off and setting the cruise speed to 390 knots true airspeed, the aircraft would have 1,200 miles to reach its target. The return trip will be at cruising altitude, followed by a spiral descent as close to base as necessary. Landing weight is expected to be approximately 12,106 pounds.
Bell model 67
Bell offered a sophisticated-looking, lightweight twin-engine aircraft called the Model 67. Led by the company's chief project engineer Richard Smith, the Bell team designed the X-16 to cruise at an altitude of 70,000 feet. , with a range of 3,300 miles without refueling. Carrying a payload of two 12-inch EFL cameras or two 36-inch EFL cameras within the fuselage allows imaging of all objects in the flight path 50 miles wide and 795 miles long.
The extremely light fuselage features a high-aspect-ratio wing. Designers lightened the wingspan, which spans nearly 115 feet, by giving the wing a 15-degree sweepback and moving the ailerons inward from the wingtips. Aerodynamic divergence effects. The aircraft is powered by two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-31 turbojet engines modified to improve performance at high altitudes. To save weight, the aircraft has a centerline bicycle landing gear with outrigger wheels to provide balance during takeoff and landing. To achieve the high cruising altitude and range requirements, the airframe was designed to be extremely lightweight, so overload was limited to between +3 g and –1 g.
Although declassified, the sensitive payload bay has been obliterated
The pressurized cockpit is equipped with standard instrumentation, an ejection seat, a periscope sextant for navigation, a fighter-style joystick, and the necessary controls to operate the reconnaissance system. All equipment. Empty weight is estimated at 23,330 pounds, with a fueled gross takeoff weight of 36,200 pounds.
X-16
Although the Martin RB-57D provided a quick, low-risk response to the needs of high-altitude reconnaissance, and thus received the order. But it was a stop-gap measure to quickly fill a gap, not the powerful new design the Vulture program needed. Fairchild's M-195 met the proposed requirements, but it had neither the performance of the model 67 nor the low risk of the RB-57D. model 67 quickly won the competition.
In May 1954, Seaberg presented these plans to the commander of the Air Force Research and Development Command in Baltimore and to the U.S. Air Force Headquarters at the Pentagon. Both the RB-57D and model 67 are approved by the Air Force. To disguise his later classified role, Bell was given the designation X-16. A contract was signed in September to complete the prototype within 18 months and then produce the first batch of 27 aircraft.
Halfway through Lockheed
Just as the Air Force was preparing to launch the project, an outsider got a tip from the Pentagon. "Kelly" Johnson, head of Lockheed's Skunk Works and designer of the F-80, F-104, and SR-71, discovered Seaberg's initiative and hurriedly reported it to the Seaberg team. Unsolicited Lockheed proposal CL-282.The plan submitted by Johnson included the use of a YF-104 fuselage, high aspect ratio wings, and General Electric J-73 turbine engines. Faced with the uninvited Johnson, Seaberg naturally insisted on the two proposals that had already been approved by the Air Force, and declined on the grounds that the J-73 engine lacked sufficient power to complete the task. As expected, the Air Force rejected Lockheed's proposal.
"Kelly" Johnson
Still, the well-connected Johnson won't quit easily. While the Air Force was busy with the X-16, he came into contact with President Eisenhower's future science adviser, Dr. James Killian, who was leading a Department of Defense committee responsible for the defense of the United States against a surprise attack. While one of Killian's groups focused on intelligence, Johnson managed to get his proposal for an reconnaissance aircraft into committee. Not only did Killian like Lockheed's Soviet flyby concept, he convinced Defense Secretary Charles Wilson and CIA (CIA) Director Allen Dulles of its value. With these three big guys endorsing , President Eisenhower authorized the manufacture of 30 Johnson aircraft, named U-2, in November 1954, and the leadership of the project was transferred from the Air Force to the CIA. As a result of these high-level actions, the X-16 was replaced by the U-2.
However, X-16 did not disappear immediately, but was temporarily in a state of suspended animation. During the creation of the highly secretive U-2, the project was deliberately made public to provide cover for Johnson's team. Finally, at the end of October 1955, the X-16 was officially shut down. The U-2 made its first flight two months later. @nordland Today's Toutiao original release
X-16 Paper data
Crew: One, pilot
Length: 60 feet 10 inches (18.55 meters)
Wingspan: 114 feet 10 inches (35 meters)
Height: 17 feet 1 in. (5.2 m)
Wing area: 1,099 sq ft (102.19 m 2)
Empty weight: 23,280 lb (10,582 kg)
Gross weight: 36,124 lb (16,420 kg)
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney J57-PW- 37A turbojet engines , 10,000 lbf (44 kN) each Thrust
Performance
Top speed: 480 km (553 mph, 885 km/h)
Range: 2,867 nautical miles (3,319 mi, 5,310 km)
Service liters Limit: 71,832 ft (21,900 m)
Wing loading: 33 lb/sq ft (160 kg/m 2 )
Thrust/Weight: 0.55
