[Zippo]

Macky42, thanks for the link.

Arthur, the inflatoplane is my favored also.Read to your heart's content.

As for the rest here they are:



No 3
THE GYRODYNE MODEL GCA-55
The Gyrodyne Model 55 in a single-seat ground cushion vehicle of the annular jet type, powered by a 72 h.p. Porsche four-cylinder engine. It was developed under a U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics contract and flew for the first time in October, 1959.
The basic fuselage structure of the Model 55 consists of the modified forward portion of an XRON-1 Rotorcycle, including the pilot's seat, control column, rudder pedals and throttle. The pilot's longitudinal, lateral and directional controls are of the conventional helicopter type. The throttle control is located to the left of the pilot in the position of the collective-pitch control in a helicopter. The cyclic stick and the rudder pedals are connected to a series of vanes located in the annular jet exit.
The vehicle's air duct is bell-shaped and is constructed of aluminium spinnings. The engine is located to the rear and drives an axial-flow fan of 1.025 pressure ratio. Beneath the fan the air is ducted to an annular jet in the periphery of the base and to radial slots in the base. The annular jet produces the elevated static pressure underneath the base which provides lift augmentation. The radial jets tend to compartmentize the pressurized air beneath the base of the vehicle and thus provide positive static stability.
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DIMENSIONS.—
Diameter of air duct 6 ft. (1.83 m.)
Overall height approx. 5 ft. (1.52 m.)
WEIGHTS.—Weight empty 535 lb. (243 kg.)
Max. loaded weight 800 Ib. (363 kg.)
PERFORMANCE.— Operating height above ground approx. 6 in. (15 cm.)
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(Specs for No 4,the "Flying platform" coming soon)


Nos 5-6
THE GOODYEAR MODEL 466 468 INFLATOPLANE

The Goodyear Inflatoplane is a light aircraft with a completely pneumatic airframe. The wing and tail assemblies are made of a rubberised fabric developed by Goodyear and called Airmat, which consists of two layers of nylon fabric joined by thousands of dropped threads. When inflated the layers of nylon are forced apart, the threads being stretched taut to maintain the correct surface contours. The fuselage is of simple rubberised airship fabric. The entire aircraft when deflated can be transported in a truck, jeep, trailer or aircraft (for air-dropping). It can be inflated from a compressed air bottle or by manual pump. Maximum inflation pressure is 7 lb./ sq. in. (0.49 kg. cm.²) for the single-seat version, and 8.5 Ib./sq. in. (0.60 kg./ cm.²) for the two-seat model.
The Inflatoplane has a horizontally-opposed air-cooled two-stroke engine, mounted above the rear of the wing and driving a two-blade wooden tractor air-screw.
Flying controls ere conventional and the rigidity of the wing is such that
it will support the weight of a man on each side immediately outboard of the bracing struts.
Since the original prototype flew in 1956, several improved versions have been developed under military contracts, with both open and enclosed cockpits and alternative wheel and single hydroski landing gear. On those models, a compressor can be fitted at the back of the engine to maintain pressure in the airframe even when a number of .30 in. calibre bullets have pierced the fabric.
The two current versions of the Inflatoplane are :—
Model 466 (XAO-2G1). Two-seater with 63 h.p. McCulloch 4318E engine.
Model 468 (XAO-3G1). Single-seater, with 44 h.p. Nelson H-63A engine. Five built for U.S. Navy, five for U.S. Army.
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DIMENSIONS (Model GA-466).— Span 28 ft. (8.5 m.) Length 19 ft. 8 in. (8.0 m.)
DIMENSIONS (Model GA-468).— Span 22 ft. (6.7 m.) Length 19 ft. 8 in. (8.0 m.)
WEIGHTS (Model GA.466).— Weight empty 290 Ib. (130 kg.) Weight loaded 740 Ib. (336 kg.)
WEIGHTS (Model GA-468).—Weight empty 225 Ib. (102 kg.) Weight loaded 550 Ib. (250 kg.)
PERFORMANCE (Model GA-466). Max. speed 70 m.p.h. (112 km.h.) Cruising speed 55 m.p.h. (88 km.h.) Stalling speed 43 m.p.h. (69 km.h.) Rate of climb at S/L 500 ft./min. (152 m./min.)
Service ceiling 6,500 ft. (1,980 m.) Take-off run (grass) 390 ft. (120 ft.) Endurance 5.4 hours.
PERFORMANCE (Model GA-468).— Max. speed 72 m.p.h. (115 km.h.) Cruising speed 60 m.p.h. (96 km.h.) Stalling speed 37 m.p.h. (59 km.h.) Rate of climb at S/L 550 ft./min. (170 m./min.)
Service ceiling 10,300 ft. (3,140 m.) Take-off run (grass) 250 ft. (76 m.) Landing run (grass) 350 ft. (107 m.) Endurance 6.5 hours


No7
FAIRCHILD M-224-1 U.S. Army designation: VZ-5FA
Under development for the U.S. Army, the M-224-1 is an experimental vertical take off aircraft employing the deflected slipstream technique.
It began its tethered flight tests on November 18, 1959.
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TYPE.—VTOL research aircraft.
WING.- Braced high-wing monoplane,.
Single streamline section bracing strut each side. Wing section NACA 4415. Aspect ratio 5.62. Constant chord of 5 ft. 10 in. (1.78 m.). No dihedral. Incidence 5°.
All-metal structure, covered with aluminium sheet. Aluminium ailerons outboard of aft slotted flaps. Total area of ailerons 34.2 sq. ft. (3.18 m.²). Total area of conventional inboard aft flaps 35.5 sq. ft. (3.30 m.²). Total area of VTOL flaps 126 sq. ft. (11.71 m.²). Gross wing area 191 sq. ft. (17.74 m.²)
FUSELAGE.—Welded steel-tube structure, fabric covered.
TAIL UNIT.—Braced monoplane type, with tailplane mounted at tip of fin. Wire and strut bracing. One-piece horizontal surface with variable incidence. Two small four-blade propellers provide control in vertical and low-speed flight.
Areas : fin 16.75 sq. ft. (1.56 m.²), rudder 11.25 sq. ft. (1.04 m.²), tailplane 61.12 sq. ft. (5.68 m. ²). Tailplane span 18 ft. 6.3 in. (5.65 m.)
LANDING GEAR.—Non-retractable tricycle type, with tail-skid for VTOL operation at high angles of attack. Fairchild oleo-pneumatic shock-absorbers, manufartured by Aircraft Engineering Products, Inc. Goodyear main wheels and tyres. Wheelbase 11 ft. 7 in. (3.53 m.)
POWER PLANT.—One 1,024 s.h.p. General Electric YT58-GK-2 shaft-turbine engine, driving four Hartzell three-blade metal airscrews, diameter 8 ft. 5 in. (2.56 m.). Airscrew pitch controlled by means of collective-pitch lever.


No 8
THE HILLER X-18

In February, 1957 the U.S. Air Force awarded Hiller an initial contract for the development of a twin-engined tilting- wing convertipane to be designated X-18.
This had to be capable of vertical take-off and landing, as well an high forward speed.
Although it is the largest of the higher-speed VTOL aircraft so far built in the United States and is unconventional by present standards, its construction has not required the use of a large number of completely new and unconventional
com-ponents.The X-18's wings, trans-missions, airscrews, engines and
systems arc essentially the same as those used in conventional fixed-wing aircraft, and the prototype has, in fact been designed around the fuselage of a Chase YC-122 transport, at considerable saving in time and cost. The Allison T40 turboprop engines and their Curtiss-Wright 16-foot six-blade eontraprops were obtained from the now abandoned U.S. Navy VTOL ''tail-sitting" aircraft programme. A standard VVestinghouse J34 turbojet, mounted in the rear fuselage, is provided with an extended tail-pipe and jet-diverter for pitch control in vertical flight.
The high-set wing is designed to pivot through 90 degrees for vertical take-off, so that the airscrews work in a similar way to the rotors of a helicopter. During cruising flight, the X-18 looks and works like a conventional twin-engined transport aeroplane, but with much less wing area than is usual.
When airfields are available, it is able to operate as a conventional fixed-wing transport with increased payload.
The X-18 flew for the first time, as a conventional aeroplane, at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on November 24, 1959.
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WINGS.—High-wing cantilever monoplane. NACA 3015 section. Aspect ratio 4.36. Incidence varying from 4° normal to 90° at maximum tilt. Vertical take-off setting 87". Conventional all-metal structure. Wing tilted by two hydraulic actuators, one on each side of fuselage beneath front spar, driven from engine gearboxes, wing rotating around 35% chord line. Actuators interconnected by cross-manifolding so that either one can operate wing in an emergency. Normal hydraulically boosted ailerons.
CONTROL SYSTEM.- -Standard transport type wheel and rudder pedals. Alechanioal "mixer" unit permits the same control movements to be used throughout the entire transitional regime from vertical to horizontal and back to vertical flight, functioning proportionally according to the wing-tilt angle. Pitch control changes from tailplane and elevators in horizontal flight to jet-diverter in vertical flight: yaw control from rudder in level night to ailerons in vertical night; and roll control from ailerons in level flight to power-plants in vertical night. Flight controls have stability augmentation built into roll and pitch axes; hydraulic boost is used in ailerons and jet diverter ; servo tab boost on rudder. Only additional control in cockpit is the lever to tilt the wing. Wing is mechanically locked in down position, and hydraulically locked in intermediate positions.
POWER PLANT.—Two 5,850 e.s.h.p. Allison T40-A-14 turboprop engines driving six -blade Curtiss-Wright electric contra-rotating airscrews, 16 ft. 1 in. (4.9 m.) diameter.
One Westinghouse J34 turbojet engine (3,400 Ib.—1,540 kg. s.t.) in rear fuselage
with extended tailpipe and jet-diverter for pitch control in vertical flight.
DIMENSIONS.—
Span 48 ft. (14.64 in.)
Length 63 ft. (19.21 m.)
Height 24 ft. 7 in. (7.5 m.)
WEIGHT.—Loaded 33,000 Ib. (14,982 kg.)
PERFORMANCE (estimated).
Max. speed in level flight (limited by fuselage streamlining) 250 m.p.h. (400 km.h.)
Max. speed at which wing may be tilted 178 m.p.h. (285 km.h.)

Regards

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