Secret Projects: Flying Wings and Tailless Aircraft

75 Pages·2011·23.43 MB·English

by  Bill Rose

BILL ROSE
SECRET PROJECTS
FLYING WINGS
AND TAILLESS AIRCRAFT
SECRET PROJECTS
FLYING WINGS
AND TAILLESS AIRCRAFT
BILL ROSE
MIDLAND
Animprintof
IanAllanPublishing
Contents
Introduction 6
ChapterOne BritishTaillessAircraft 10
ChapterTwo GermanWorldWar2FlyingWingDevelopment 34
ChapterThree USFlyingWings (1935-1950) 70
SECRETPROJECTS:
FLYINGWINGSANDTAILLESSAIRCRAFT ChapterFour USFlyingWings(1950-1990) 95
byBillRose ChapterFive USMannedTaillessAircraft(1980-2030) 109
ChapterSix SovietTailless Designs 130
Firstpublished20I0
GlossalY 143
ISBN9781857803204
Index 144
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Secret Projects: Flying Wings and Tailless Aircraft 5
would seat passengers within the wing.
Unfortunately for Junkers, the design was
deemed to have contravened conditions of
aircraftconstructionsetoutbytheAlliesand
theJG-Iwasthereforescrapped.Junkershad
patented a flying wing aircraft in 1910 and
Introduction
was a trong supporterofthis configuration,
envisaging future giant transporters capable
ofcarrying 1,000passengers.
Althoughsuchadesignnevermaterialised,
The flyingwingisthepurestform inaviation. wereadded. Becau eofthis, manyso-called envisaged ascaled-up man-carrying aircraft, there would be significant progress made in
Millions of years before mankind existed it flyingwingsweremoreaccuratelydefinedas powered bysome form ofsteam propulsion Germany during the following decades by
was evolved by nature as a simple and effi 'taillessaircraft'andthewingcouldbeswept and patented the design, although many Alexander Lippisch and the Horten brothers
cient way oftransporting seeds over consid back,sweptforward,swivellinginanoblique a pect oftheconceptwereaheadofitstime. whowerere ponsibleforanumberofhighly
erable distances. When men first nviously manner, traight, of variable geometry, or This was followed bythe firstdemonstration significant tailles designs. World War2saw
cast their eyes skywards and considered the delta-shaped. of sustained flight when Alphonse Penaud major developments of their work with Lip
ideaofundertakingflight,birdsweretheobvi Typically, the flying wing and closely (1850-1880) flew a rubber band-powered pischandtheHorten designingadvancedjet
ous inspiration; however, some pioneers related configurations are unsuitable for model for a distance of 131ft (40m) on 18 and rocket-powered aircraft that pushed
studied the way that certain trees used the development as a supersonic aircraft August 1871 inParis. Havingshownthatpow towards the boundaries ofsupersonic flight.
windtocarryaerodynamicseedstonewloca because oftheir large wingspans. Neverthe ered flight was possible, Penaud went on to In North Am rica, the main advocate and
tions. This would encourage experiments less,therearesomeinterestingexceptionsto conceive aseries ofastonishinglyadvanced developerofthe flyingwingwasJack (John)
with flying wing models and large manned the rule and scope for supersonic perfor flyingwingaircraftthatwereneverflown,but Northrop, although it should be noted that
gliders. However,various technical problems mance with certain highly-swept tailless setth standardforallfuturede igns.Penaud Vincent Burnelli (1895-1964), who is often
and aresistance to new ideas restrained the designs. Thataside, the flying wing is poten wassucceededbytheaviationpioneerLouis overlooked, made great strides with lifting
development ofpowered designs, with rela tiallyaveryefficientaerodynamic configura Pierre Mouillard (1834-1897) who, it is bodydesigns.
tively slow progress being made until World tion for carrying substantial payloads at believed, madeashortflight of90ft (27m)at AtonestageduringWorldWar2,American
War 2 when engine performance improved subsonicspeedsoverlongdistances. an altitude of 30ft (9m) in his fourth glider strategists believed that Britain would fall to
dramatically. The flying wing was then con Some historians will rightly attribute the nearCairo, Egypt,on3JanualY 1878. Germany and Jack orthrop was given the
sidered for the role ofadvanced fighters and earliest designs for a manned flying wing to While Otto Lilienthal (1848-1896) is often task ofdesigning a new US Army Air Corps
intercontinentalbombers. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) who pro credited with flying the first succes ful bomber capable of reaching Europe. Thi
Th perfectflyingwingisashape reduced ducedadetaileddrawingofaman-powered manned glider in 1891, it is widely claimed project led to construction of the futuristic
to thebare minimum,with few, ifanyprotu ornithopter (flapping wing device) around that Mouillard and Lilienthal were following B-35flyingwing;however,bythetimeitflew,
berances, nosignificantvisible fus lage sec 1485.Thede ignwaslittlemorethanafanci inthefoot tepsofEngli hinventorSirGeorge the propeller-driven warplane was virtually
tion and the efficient use of internal space. ful idea, but intere t in the possibility of Cayley (1773-1857). He designed and built obsolete.Thedesignwas re-engin ered into
Thistypeofaircraftpromiseshighliftandlow manned flight gath red momentum during severalgliders,whichwerereportedlyte ted the jet-powered B-49, but the new Northrop
drag, although stability and handling were the following centuries,eventuallyleadingto byan unknown 10-year-oldboyand Cayley's aircraftwast chnicallyflawedandcouldnot
challengesforearlydesigners.Subsequently, experiments with balloon and mall hand coachman on several occasions between compete with the relatively straightforward
many flying wing aircraftwere aerodynamic launchedglidingmodels. 1799 and 1853. Whether or not Cayley B-47 produced byBoeing. Subsequently, the
compromises.Theearlyflyingwingsrequired One particularly interesting idea that deservestobecreditedwiththefirstmanned B-49 never became operational and interest
vertical stabilisersforeffectivecontrol, while stemmed from asimplepaperdartwasafly gliderflightremainsopentodebate.Another inflyingwingssharplydeclined.
fuselage sections spread beyond the wing's ingwing design produced byJamesWilliam earlypioneerwasIgoEtrich(1879-1967)who Whiledesignerscontinued tostudythe fly
boundaries,and insomecases, engine pods Butler and Edmund Edwards in 1867. They builtgliders based on the winged lianaseed ing wing, no significant aircraft of this type
andthisworkprovedtobeinfluentialtomany were built for many years, although British
future designers. The application ofan inter post-warinterest in tailless aircraft led to the
nal combustion engine to a tailless design successful delta-wing Avro Vulcan bomber.
wasthenadoptedbypioneerssuchasFrench Bythe 1970s,advancesincomputertechnol
engineer Rene Arnoux and British designer ogyweremakingtheflightcontrolofunusual
JohnWilliam Dunne (1875-1949). designsarealityandscientistsrecognisedthe
WorldWar1sawvastimprovementsinavi potentialofthe flyingwingasanaircraftwilh
ation technology with aircraft becoming a an exceptionally low radar cross section.
valuable military asset. After ho tilities
ceased in 1918, German engineer Hugo TheBurgess-DunneFlyingWingBiplaneof1914.
Junkersturnedhisattentiontowardsbuilding BillRoseCollection
an efficient aircraft known as the JG-1 that
'LeStablavion'(stableaircraft)wasbuiltbyFrench
constructorReneArnouxanddemonstratedtothe
TheGermangliderpioneerOlioLilienthal publicin 1913.Poweredbya55hp(41kW)Chenu
undertakingashortflightatBerlinonan pistonengine,theperformanceandhandlingwere
unspecifieddatein 1896.Heexperiencedmany saidtobedisappointing.BillRoseCollection
accidentsduringthesetrialsanddiedasaresult
ofseriousinjuriessustainedinacrashon9August Featuringapusherconfiguration,ReneArnoux's
1896.Hislastwordswere'Sacrificesmustbe two-seatflyingwingmonoplanewasdemonstrated
made'.BillRoseCollection inParisduring1914.BillRoseCollection
6 Secret Projects: Flying Wings and TaillessAircraft Secret Projects: Flying Wings andTailless Aircraft 7
Ithad been apparent that flying wings were B-49 and AvroVulcan proved hard to delect AnillustrationoftheexperimentalNorthropN·IM
hardertodetectwithradarthanconventional withprevailing ground-based radarsyslems. flyingwingduringatestflight.BillRosel
NorthropGrumman
aircraftandthiswasbelievedtobeafeature Anabilitytohideaircraftfrom enemydelec
ofthe Horten jet fighter that first flew at the tion would have many advanlages and this ThefuturisticVickersSwallowsupersonicnuclear
endofWorldWar2. Itisnowsuggestedthat resultedinhighlyclassified US research dur strikeaircraftwasdesignedinthe1950sandis
anystealthqualitiestheHortenjetfighterpos ingthe 1970s10producealow-visibilitycom shownresplendentinRAFmarkingsandanti-flash
whitefinish.TheSwallowwastoofaraheadofits
sessed were more accidental than inten balaeroplane.Thiseventuallyresultedinthe
timetobearealisticproposition.
tional,evenwhenconsideringthesignificant LockheedF-117Athatwasdevelopedfroma BillRoseCollection I -..
advancesinradarcountermeasuresmadeby diamond shape, and although it was
Germanscientistsduringthewar. describedasafighter,wasdesignedasaspe NorthropGrumman'sproposalfortheUSAF'snext
Ithasbeen reported on several occasions cialised subsonic attack aircraft that was generationbomberexpectedtoenterservicein
2018.NorthropGrumman/BillRoseCollection
that post-war aircraft such as the Northrop incapable ofair-to-air combat. The abilityto
launchasmall-scalesurpriseattackwasobvi
ous,buttheF-117Awasnotexpectedtofare handling problems for civil versions and
Engineer,aviationpioneerandfounderofthe
wellinamajorconfrontationwiththeSoviet few airports could accommodate BWBs at
famousaircraftmanufacturingconcern,
Union, whose air defence capabilities present.
HugoJunkerswasanadvocateoftheflyingwing
anddidmuchtosecureitswidespreadacceptance. remained significant and were under con Because there are many grey areas
BillRoseCollection stantrevision.Therefore,theUSAFrequireda between true flying wings, tailless aircraft,
nexl-generation bomber with an interconti BWBdesignsanddeltas,Ihavetriedtoavoid
HugoJunker'sinfluential1910patentforanew
nentalrange,asubstantialpayloadcapability settingdefinitelimitsonwhatkindofaircraft
typeofaircraftthatwouldcontainitsmost
importantfeaturesinsidethewing. and relative invisibility to all existing and aresuitableforinclusioninthisbook.Thishas
ESPPatentOffice anticipatedradarsystems.Thisledtopropos proved tobe quite achallenge, as itis often
als for anadvanced bomberthat resulted in unclearwhere to drawthe line despite con
theNorthrop-GrummanB-2ASpiritmakingits siderableconsultationwithcolleagues.Asan
DlUfSCHf'-' PFICH firstflightin1986.Developedandbuiltingreat example, it now appears acceptable to
secrecy, the B-2Astrategic bomber became describe anaircraft in technical papers as a
to be the most expensive combataircraftin 'tailed' flying wing and some authors regard
history,withitseventualuseinsmallregional designs such as the Mirage or Concorde as
conflictswidelyregardedasoverkill. belonginginthe flying wing category. There
~EICIiSI'.-\lfNTA~lf Nevertheless,theB-2Aremainsatechnical fore, Ihave setmyownguidelinesandhave
PATENTSCHRIFT masterpieceandisatrue flyingwingaircraft included various interesting tailless aircraft
in every respect, although its shape was ranging fromtheBritishWorldWar2experi
- Jft. 253788
selected forreasons oflowvisibilityand the mental GAL gliders and the German Me163
nASSE 77h. GRUPPE :l.
sleek appearance was almost a by-product. rocketfightertotheadvancedvariablegeom
TheUSNavyalsosoughtanewcarrier-borne, etry of the Vickers Swallow and exotic
HUGO JL;NKERS " AACHEN-FRANKENBliRC multi-rolecombataircraftwithastealthcapa obliquewingdesigns.
...Gleitfliegermitlur AurnahtDe yon nichlAuftrieb.n.u~enden TelludieJlenden bilityandthisledtotheA-I2AAvengerII,atri This book mainly deals with manned air
I. Koblk6rper•.
angular-shaped flying wing developed by craft as the detailed additional coverage
Pat.alStrt Otll"(""R.le","0111.fdft"1910d.
General Dynamics and McDonnell Douglas. required for unmanned tailless designs
In some respects, this aircraft was more would at least double the space and there
advanced than the B-2A. However, spiralling arepracticallimitsinproducingsuchapubli
development costs brought the A-I2A pro cation. I have not attempted to write an
F(II(.6. grammetoanabrupthalt. exhaustive technical appraisal of the flying
r;;"""'@?<I.~,~ AnewUS manned bomberis currentlyin wing ortailless designandthisbookis nota
its initial development phase and is widely definitive reference work containing exam
visualised as asecond-generation B-2. How plesofeveryknowndesign.Thatsaid,Ihave
Fig.+- ever,themainapplicationforlow-observable tried to provide background information on
Fig.I.
technologyatthepresenttimeisforincreas many - often lesser-known - military con
ingly sophisticated remote-control aircraft cepts anddesignsthathave (inafewcases)
that often feature flying wing configurations. been built as prototypes and occasionally
Further tailless aircraft seem inevitable as reachedproduction.
Fig.5·
designerslooktowardsaerodynamicallyeffi Manyindividualsprovidedassistancewith
cient blended wing body CBWB) configura background material for this book, but I
tions to satisfy demands for new tactical would like to especially thank Chris Gibson
airlifters, tankersandairliners. Theseaircraft and Tony Buttler, Dr lain Murray, Robert
are likelytobecomeacommon sight inour Bradley of the San Diego Air & Space
skiesduringthecomingdecades.BWBswill Museum,MartinMuller,AlexiMalinovskyand
notbecapableofhigherspeedsthanexisting TonyChongofNorthrop-Grumman.
aircraft in the same class, but will transport
greaterpayloadsoverlongerrangesatlower BillRose, Norfolk,England
cost.Onthedownside,theremaybeground February2010
8 SecretProjects:Flying Wings andTaillessAircraft SecretProjects: Flying Wings andTaillessAircraft 9
ChapterOne Aproposedsix-engine,threecontra-prop
Pterodactylflyingwingbomber,withanestimated
weightof85,000Ib(38,555kg).BillRoseCollection
ProfessorHill'swartimeproposalforafour
engine,propeller-drivenflying\\1ngPterodactyl
Bomber.BillRoseCollection
British Tailless Aircraft
alsoconsidered and Hill believed thisdesign DO DO DO
couldeasilybemodifiedwhenjetpropulsion
becam available. Estimatesofperformance :1
In late 1942, the K Director of Scientific Cherub engine and new towards the end of bombload.Theprototypewasreadytonyin are not quoted in anyavailable documenta f
ARdevsiesaorrcyhdeocmidmeditttoeeform(TAthAeCT)ailtloe soAviercrraefet w19h2i5c.hIsnec1u92re6d, HAiirllMjoininisetdryWbaecsktilnagndforAfiurcrrtahfet,r t1o93b3. DcoumrinpgarteasbtlsethtoeapeHrfaowrmkearnDceemwaosnsaanidd ptioonrt.eTdhoenPaterroadthaecrtyulnbuosmuablerfuwllyourledtrbaectasubple ,",.:-,-'r'----1--1------"'-t-},-',--l-J--"ld\-:r------------c.-,,:-"",'
development of new designs. German air- development of the Pterodactyl design and longitudinalstabilitywascertainlysuperiorto undercarriage consisting of four larg main
raft designerswere known to be int rested filedapatentforawingadjustmentdesignin arlier Pterodactyl designs. Despite its wheels, positioned across the underside of
in developing tailless military aircraft and 1930 promise,theMkVfailedtowinsupportforfur the wing atthe centre ofgravityand asingle
considerable research was also taking plac Aseriesofsmallaircraftfollowed with Hill ther development. Although disappointed, nose-wheel. During take-offs and landings,
inAmerica. orthropwasworkingonalong designingatwo-s atfighterversionoftheair Hill ontinued to work on the Pterodactyl the pilot would sit in a capsule located
range, nying wing bomberand the ational craft for Specification F3/32, known as the designproducing furthertaillessaircraftcon towards the centreoftheaircraft.Thiswould
AdvisoryCommitteeforAeronautics(NACA MkV.Constructionbeganin 1932withduralu cepts, but the project was effectively at an be exlended below the wing to afford the
the forerunner of ASA) was underlaking min and steel being us d for the majorityof end. pilotabetterviewoftherunwayanditwould
extensive research into laminar now aero the fuselage framework and main wing. be possibl to use the frontwheel asaposi
foils. Therefore, the British hoped to take From the outset, Hill decided to add short, ThePterodactylBombers tioning aid. Fornormal night, the pilotwould
advantageofUSdevelopmenlsforafuturejet unswept lowerwings for strengthening pur In 1939,ProfessorHillwasrecruitedbytheAir sitbehindawindshi ldintheleadingedgeof
propelledtaillessbomber. poses, making the MkV a sesquiplane. The Ministry to oversee various specialised mili thewing,positionedslightlystarboardofcen
undercarriage consisted of tandem wheels laryresearchprojectsandhisfirstassignment tre. Hill also planned to seat the navigator
located beneath the centre of the fuselage involvedaprogrammetoassessvariousways alongsidethepilotat the front oftheaircraft,
GeoffreyHill and skids below each lower wingtip with ofallowing an aircraft to cut enemy barrage with extra windows allowing downward
small trailing wheels. A very troublesome balloons' cables without slalling. In addition observation.
Tailless aircraft were nothing new in Britain ROils-Royce Goshawk I engine in a forward loarange ofconsultative work, Hill became Thebomberwould beequipped with four
with the early pioneering work of John mounted position powered the MkV, provid thechief cientificliaisonofficerbetweenthe remote-conlrolled machine gun turrets, all
William Dunne inspiring more advanced ingamaximumspeedinlevelnightofaround British and Canadian governments in 1942. outboard ofthe engine bays and propellers.
designs by Geoffrey Terence Roland Hill 190mph (306kph) and a service ceiling of At the tart ofthisperiod, he began aprivate Details of bomb carriage are unknown,
(1895-1955). Hill had become preoccupied 30,000ft (9,144m). When empty, the MkV design project for an advan ed tailless although it seems certain that at least two
with the problem ofstallingand this led him weighed 3,5341b (1,602kg) and around bomberwithinitialplansbeingcompletedon separate baysw re envisaged on eitherside
to design the Pterodactyl Mk1, a nying wing 5,I00lb (2,313kg) when fUlly loaded. The 22July 1942. ofthecabinarea.Therewerenoverticalcon
witha310leadingedgesweepandall-moving wingspan was 46ft 8in (14.2m) with a wing Hill's fir t proposal was a boomerang trol surfaces, although inaddition to elevons
wingtips. Theaircraftwasbuiltduringan 18 areaof396ft'(36.78m')andtheoveralllength shaped nying wing with a straight c ntral and naps, Hill proposed movable wingtips.
month period with Air Mini try support and was 20ft6in (6.24m).Asa fighter, the aircraft leading edge and the outer wing section One development ofthis design was an air
n wasagliderinDecember1924.Itwasthen would be equipped with several machine swept(attheleadingedge)byapproximately craftcarrier,ableto transportuplothr epis
equipp d with a 33hp (24.6kW) Bristol guns and was capable of carrying a small 44°. The wingspan was 140ft (42.6m) with a ton-engine fighters (presumably Spitfires or
wing areaof3,350ft' (311m') and the overall Hurricanes) on the upp I' wing. This would controlled machine gun turrets were Baynes Bat
length appears to have been around 50ft make il possible to operale at ranges much mounted outboardofthe propellerson each
(15.24m). The wing would have a central greaterthanmightnormallybeavailable.Pre trailing edge and asingle forward firing gun After leaving chool, Leslie Everett Baynes
depthof7ft6in(2.28m),makingasubstantial sumably the fighters would return to base turretwaspositionedonthe leadingedge, to (1902-1989) became immediately involved
pressurised crew compartment possible. under their own power, or the pilot would the port side ofcentre. The control surfaces with lh aviationindustry. Heworked forlhe
Quoled weight is 85,0001b (38,555kg) and bailoutatapre-arranged location. appearsimilartothelargerde ign. Aircraft Engineering Company in Hendon,
waspresumablyanall-upestimate. Hill alsodesigned asmallerversion ofthe These designs were undoubtedly submit orth London, became a designer for Short
Hill envisaged six forward-posilioned pis Pterodactyl bomber with a wingspan of tedforofficialconsideration,butwentnofur Brothers at Rochester and then d vised the
ton engines mounted in side-by- ide pairs, approximately 100ft (30Am) and a length of therastheywereprobablyconsideredfartoo verysucce ful cud Ilightsailplane.Thisled
drivingthreerear-mountedpusherconfigura about 38ft (ll.5m). It would have an antici unconventional. Undeterred, Professor Hill him into a manufacturing partner hip with
tion contra-rotating propeller assemblie via pated weight of approximately 45,0001b continued toworkon theconcept, whichhe F.D. Abbot, forming the company Abbot
lengthydriveshafts.Theuseofturbojet was (20,411kg).Thisdesigndifferedinhavingfour now envisaged as a large trans-Atlantic air BaynesSailplanes LtdofFarnham,Surrey. In
separate unspecified piston engine , each liner suitable for post-war operation This 1935,apoweredversionoftheScudwasbuilt
driving a tail-mounted propeller. The fUlly proposal was known as the Pterodactyl to meet a request made bySirJohn Carden
DesignedbyGeoffreyHill,theMkVPterodactyl
wasamilitaryvariantofthispre-warseriesof retractable undercarriage would be slightly MkVlll and was to be powered by five Rolls who ran a company developing armoured
aircraftdevelopedtomeetSpecificationF.3/32. simpler than the larger bomber, using three Royce Griffon engines driving pusher pro vehicles. As a consequence of this order, a
Asesquiplaneinconfigurationwithasmall, separate main wheels and a single nose pellers. The airliner was to have a cockpit newpartnershipwas formed, calledCarden
unsweptlowerwing,thePterodactylMkVwasfilled
wheel. It appears that Professor Hill did not section protruding from the central leading BaynesAircraft,withafactorylocatedatHe
withtwoforward-firingmachinegunsandcarried
consider th retractable pilot's cap ule nec edge. Despite interesl from Short Brothers, ton, Middles xwh re poweredaircraftwere
areargunnerwhoenjoyedanunrestrictedview.
BillRoseCollection essary for this aircraft. Rear facing remote- nothingcame ofthisproject. manufactured. Baynes and Carden began
10 Secret Projects: Flying Wings andTailless Aircraft British TaillessAircraft II
Three-viewdrawingoftheBaynesBAT. Melrose 'Winkle' Brownwas less enthusias
BillRoseCollection tic aboutthe Baynes BATwhen he tested it,
finding thecontrolsdisappointing.
TheBaynesBATduringatestflight.Thissmall
gliderwasdesignedduringWorldWar2totestthe Whythisdifferenceofopinionaroseishard
possibilityofbuildingamuchlarger'CarrierWing' tosay,butthetestswerestilljudgedsuccess
capableoftransportingalighttanktoacombat [ul. Unfortunately, there were ongoing prob
zone.BillRoseCollection
lems concerning tank suitability and it had
I> en realised that landing faster than the
known as the Tetrarch. This vehicle had a
tank's maximumspeed was aserious issue.
Generalarrangementofthetailless
combatweightof16,800Ib(7,620kg)andcar
I'hisledtotheideaoffittinganundercarriage HP.75Manxexperimentalaircraft.
riedacrewofthree.Theglider'ssweptwing
to the BAT, butitwas considered over-com ChrisGibson
would have a 100ft(30m) span with vertical
pi x and the Baynes BAT was then moved
stabilisers at the wingtips. It was proposed
onto the back burner. At the same time, a
that just before landing the tank's engine Ft 10
heavygliderwasbeingdevelopedbyGeneral ~~-Siiiltri"T~-~1
wouldbestarted,allowingittogointoaction
o\ircraft called the GAL.49 Hamilcar, which
immediatelyaftertouchdown. Mn 3
hadbeendesignedfromtheoutsettocarrya
TheBaynesBATreceivedenthusiasticoffi
substantial payload that included aTetrarch
cialsupportanditwasdecidedtobuildaone
orthe US-designedM22Locustlighttank.
third-scale,proof-of-concepttaillessmanned
WhiletheHamilcareventuallyenteredser
glider,withawingspanof33ft4in(10m)and
vice, the Baynes BAT never progressed to a
using a single main spar. A small cockpit
hill-sized carrier wing glider. It was then
accommodated the pilot and the undercar
transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establish
riage was composed of a lower centrally
III ntatFarnborough,whichmadegooduse
located skid and wingtip skids. A wheeled
o[itforstabilitytests thatcontinuedafterthe
trolley was used for ground handling and
producingasailplane(whichwasessentially and the armywas looking forways to airlift war. In late 1946, the Baynes BAT was for
take-offs. A nacelle replaced the area
aScud 3) equipped with asmall retractable militarycargo and equipmentto operational lI\ally disposed of as surplus equipment,
beneath the gliderwhere the tankwould be
249ccVilliers engine. Theunitwasmounted areas. In 1941, Baynes designed an unpow Il(,jng purchased by British Light Aircars of
carried. On the full-sized version, the wing
above the aircraft in a pusher configuration ered 'CarrierWing' capableoftransportinga Hl'dhill, Surrey. It seems that the BAT was found to be substantially overweight and The quite distinctive central fuselage sec
would be released at the moment oftouch
and asmall tank carried enough fuel to run lighttank toacombatzone,whichwas gen then movedtoCroydonAirportwhereitwas therewereseriousproblemswiththe typeof tion accommodated a two-man crew with
downanddrawnawayfromthetank.Acon
theengineforabout30minutes. erally referred to as the Baynes Aerial Tank 1,Istseenbehindahangarin1958,apparently glue used during assembly. As a conse the flight observersitting directlybehind the
tract was issued to Slingsby Sailplanes at
At the start of World War 2, Baynes had (BAT). III poor condition. Soon after this, the glider quence,theaircraftunderwentaprogramme pilot and facing rearward. The Manx was
Kirkbymoorsideforthemanufactureofapro
becomeascientificadvisortotheAlanMuntz Takingtheformofatowedglider,itwould wa scrapped. Baynes, known tohis friends of modifications and the main spar was equipped with a tricycle undercarriage with
totype. Built almost entirely from wood, the
CompanyinHestonand hetookresponsibil transportalightarmouredvehicle,whichwas <lndfamilyas'Baron',workedonmanyother largelyrebuilt.Itispossiblethatthishadsome the rearwheels able to retract, but the nose
gliderwascompletedduringspring 1943and
ity for organising its aircraft division. At this expected to be the Armstrong Whitworth interestingwartimeprojectsthatincludedan bearing on the fact that Dart Aircraft had wheel fixed. This was normallyfitted with a
issued with the serial RA809. The first test
timetherewerenosuitabletransportaircraft MkVIILightTankdevelopedin 1938andlater Iinusual tilt-rotoraircraft design and he was ceasedtradingbytheendof1939. streamlinedfairingtoreducedrag.Taxiingtri
flighttookplaceinthesummerof1943atAir
Il'sponsible for design work on converting Built mostly from wood, this aircraft als began at Radlett in late 1940, although
borne Forces Experimental Establishment
I.ancasterstocarrytheBarnesWallisbounc received the semi-official name Manx (after testsbecamelonganddrawnout,withmore
(AFEE), Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire. With
ingbombusedtobreachseveraldamsinthe the tailless cat). Ithasbeenclaimed that the pressing wartime work often taking priority.
Fit Lt Robert Kronfeld at the controls, the
I{uhrValleyduringMay1943. company designation HP.75 may not have The company's senior test pilot, James
BaynesBATwastowedintotheairbehindan
beenapplieduntil 1945,althoughthe official Richard Talbot (1909-1945), was now
AvroTutor.
registration H-0222 was issued at an early involved with these trials, along with Edgar
Kronfeld laterreported that, 'In spite ofits HandleyPage Manx stageinthisproject.TheManxwasfittedwith Alexander'Ginger'Wright(1914-1945),aHan
unorthodoxdesign the aircrafthandlessimi
tworear-mounteddeHavillandGipsyMajorII dley Page test pilot who headed the
larlyto otherlightgliderswith verylightand
In the late 1930s, DrGustavVictor Lachman four-cylinder piston engines, each rated at Observer'sOffice.On12September1942,dur
responsivecontrolsandissafetobeflownby
(1896-1966), an Austrian scientist who 140hp(l04kW)andfittedwithtwobladepro inghighspeedtaxiingtrials,theManxbecame
servicepilotsinallnormalattitudesofflight.'
headed the Design Office at Handley Page pellers acting as pushers. The overall momentarily airborne, achieving a height of
However, the RAE's chieftestpilotCaptEric
Aircraft,turnedhisattentiontowardsthepos wingspan was 39ft lOin (l2.lm), wing area about 12ft (3.65m), but after touchdown, it
sibilityofimprovingaircraftperformancebya was 245ft' (22.76m2), the lengthwas 18ft3in was evident that the nose-wheel had been
BaynesBat significantreductionindrag.Hefavouredthe (5.5m) and the empty weight was 3,0001b damaged, sorepairs andmodificationswere
Crew I flying wing design and the company chair (I,360kg).Maximumtake-offweightwasesti made. Further attempts to fly the Manx fol
Wingspan 33ft4in(I0.15m) man, Frederick Handley Page, fully sup mated at4,0001b (I,814kg) allowing amaxi lowed and it finally became airborne on II
Sweep 22'(leadingedge) ported thisresearch andagreedtoauthorise mum speed of approximately 146mph June 1943,with Talbotat the controls. How
Wingarea 160ft'(I4.86m') the constructionofasmallexperimentalair (234kph) and a service ceiling ofabout 10 ever, the cockpit canopy became detached
Aspectratio 7:1 craft. The initial assembly would be con 12,000ft (3,000-3,650m). The central section soonaftertake-offandtheflightwasimmedi
Length 11ft4in(3.45m) tracted out to Dart Aircraft of Dunstable, ofthewingoneithersideofthecockpitwas ately terminated. As trials continued on an
Emptyweight 7631b(346kg) Bedfordshire, which was a small specialist straightandtheoutersectionwassweptback intermittent basis, the renowned glider pilot
Grossweight 9631b(437kg) companybuildingglidersandreplicalightair by 35° with elevons and leading edge slots. Robert Kronfeld was invited to test fly the
Cruisingspeed 90mph(I45kph) craft. Workseemedtoproceedwellandthe An upright fin and rudder was attached to Manx. Kronfeld was now an RAF Squadron
Maximumspeed 120mph(I93kph) airframe was returned to Handley Page at each wingtip and an additional fin was Leader,assignedtoGeneralAircraftLtd(GAL)
Stallingspeed 40mph(64kph) Radlett, Hertfordshire, during September located on the upperrear ofthe fuselage to ofFeltham,Middlesex,whichwasworkingon
1939, for completion. But the aircraft was enhanceflightcontrol. itsownexperimentaltaillessgliderproject.
12 SecretProjects: Flying Wings andTaillessAircraft British TaillessAircraft 13
GALGliders GAL56'MediumV'
Crew 2
Soonafteritbecameestablishedattheendof
Wingspan 45ft4in(I3.8m)
1942, theTaillessAircraftAdvisoryCommittee
Wingsweep 28.4'(leadingedge)
(TAAC)invitedanumberofaircraftcontractors
Wingarea(net) 317ft'(29.45m')
to submit plans for experimental tailless air
Wingarea(gross) 350ft'(32.5m')
craftthatcouldbeusedforresearchpurposes.
Aspectratio 5.8
Many companies (including de Havilland,
Length 19ft(5.79m)
SaundersRoe,HawkerandFairey)declinedto
Height 8ft9in(2.66m)
take part, leaving Armstrong Whitworth and
Aerofoilsection RAF34Modified
GeneralAircraftLtd(GAL)astheprincipalpar
Chord-root 11ft4in(3.45m)
ticipants,followedbyHandleyPagewhichhad
Chord-tip 43~in(1.1m)
alreadybuiltthe Manx. Designersat GAL had
Dihedral·normal 0.5'
been interested in developing tailless aircraft
Flyingweight
since the mid-1930sand proposalsweresub
(crew+maxballast) 4,4001b(I,996kg)
mitted to the TAAC, which swiftly approved
Stallingspeed 58mph.E.A.S.(93.3kph)
several swept-wing prototypes thatwould be
Maxtowingspeed 150mph.E.A.S.(24Ikph)
used to test low-speed handling characteris
tics.Initially,itwasplannedtobuildsixproto
types, but this was reduced to four. Two
GAL61
He made at least two flights in the Manx HP.75Manx wouldbeglidersdesignated GAL.56and two ~
andreportedthattheaircrafthandledwellin poweredversionsreferredtoasGAL57,using Crew 2
Crew 2
comparison to other tailless designs he had a singleLycomingR-680-13radialengineina Pilotandspaceforproneobserver
Wingspan 39ftlOin(I2.lm)
flown. Bylate 1945, the Manx had logged up pusherconfiguration. Wingspan 51ftIlin(15.8m)
Wingarea 245ft'(22.76m')
to30testflightslastingforatotalofaround17 Constructionwould have to be costeffec Wingsweep 36.4'(leadingedge)
Length 18ft3in(5.5m)
hours. TalbotandWrighthadflown manyof tive, utilising common partswhereverpossi Length 24ft8in(7.5m) I \ '..'
Emptyweight 3,0001b(I,360kg)
the missions, but both were killed on 3 ble.Thiswasnecessarytoavoiddivertingtoo Flyingweight 5,1741b(2,348kg) \.........I
Grossweight 4,0001b(I,814kg)
December1945whena prototype Hermes I many resources away from war production.
Powerplant TwodeHavillandGipsyMajorII
airlinertheywereflying crashedshortlyafter Itwas decided from an early stage to use a
four-cylinderin-linepistonengines
leaving Radlett Aerodrome. This loss had a standard centre section with common the wingtipsand itwas decided to add anti
eachratedatl40hp(I04kW)
direct impact on the Manx programme and attachmentpointsforwinganchorage. How spin parachutes in wingtip containers for
Maximumspeed 146mph(234kph)
theaircraftmadeonemoretestflightinApril ever,itbecameapparentthattherewouldbe emergencyuse.
Ceiling I0-12,000ft(3,000-3,650m)
1946andwasthenplacedinstorage. problems interchangingwings withdifferent Nooverallnamewasassignedtotheglider,
TheManxwasaninterestingdesign,which profiles on a standard body and a decision butthemodelswerereferredtobytheirwing
was brieflyconsideredfordevelopmentas a Above:Receivingthesemi-officialnameofManx was taken toabandon the poweredversions configuration. The first to be completeddur
twin-engine transport aircraft, or possibly a (afterthetaillesscat),theexperimentalHP.75was and build four different gliders, taking the ing autumn 1944was the GAL56/01 (TS507)
light bomber, with a canard configuration. mainlybuiltfromwoodandpoweredbytworear simplestroutetokeeptheprojectoncourse. 'MediumV'whichidentifiedits28.4°leading
mounteddeHavillandGipsyMajorIIfour-cylinder
NothingcameofthisandtheManxremained It was also agreed that GAL test pilots and edgesweep.An RAF-34aerofoilsectionwas withit,describingitasverydifficulttocontrol Top:ThethirdGAL56glider'MaximumV'(TS513),
pistonengines.BillRoseCollection
in storage until 1952when itwas broken up observers would conduct most of the initial used and it had a modified contour to and noting that he 'could not relax fora sec whichmadeitsmaidenflighton30May1947
atLasham.BillRoseCollection
forscrap. Below:TheHP.75Manxinflight.BillRoseCollection testflight. Refinementandconstructionwere enhance the elevon performance. The ond,beginningrightawaywithtakeoff.
then passed to an engineering team at the wingspan was 45ft 4in (I3.8m), length was The second aircraft known as GAL56/04
Above:Three-viewdrawingoftheGAL56
Hanworth factory, Feltham, Middlesex, 19ft(5.79m) and itwas 8ft9in (2.66m) high. (TS51O) was designated 'Medium U'. It dif
'MediumV'.BillRoseCollection
which was headed by a Czech engineer The aircraft undertook taxiing trialsatAlder feredfromthefirstaircraftinhavingaparallel
called OttoWels (no connection to the pre mastonduring November 1944and made its chordcentresectionandsweptouterleading
Below:TheGAL56'MediumU'glider(TS510)
war German politician), who specialised in firstflighton17January1945atRAFDunholm edge of 28.4°. The wingspan was 51ft
pilotedbyFitLtRobertKronfeld,afterrelease
flightcontrolsystems. LodgeinLincolnshire.Thislocationhadbeen (I5.54m, height 21ft (6.4) and length lOft fromaHalifaxtowaircraft.BillRoseCollection
Eachcentralsectionutiliseda tubularsteel assignedtoGALasafacilitytostoreHamilcar
framework covered in plywood and the heavy gliders and it was chosen for testing
wings were mainlyofwooden construction, becausethe GAL56wasa secretprojectand
supportedbyasinglespar.Off-the-shelfland there was less chance of the trials being
ing gear was used for the GAL56, with the observedbyanyone.
mainwheels beingDowtyunits designed for For the flight at Dunholm Lodge, an Arm
the Lysander and the tail wheel normally strongWhitleyVbomberwasusedtotowthe
used ona Bisley. The serial numbers TS507, gliderinto the airand test pilot Robert Kron
TS510, TS513 and TS515 were issued on 21 feldwasatthe GAL56'scontrols.Hereported
October1944,althoughitwasfinallydecided that the aircraft handled fairlywell except in
not to proceed with construction of TS515. extreme conditions and after making 48
Each GAL56 accommodated a pilot and flights at Dunholme Lodge, TS507 was trans
observerinthecentresection,withthemain ferredtoRAEFarnboroughinJune1945.How
difference between each model being the ever, when RAE test pilot Capt Eric Brown
wing profile. Finswith rudderswerefitted to flew the GAL56, he was far from impressed
14 SecretProjects: Flying Wings andTaillessAircraft British TaillessAircraft 15
ThefinalandmostadvancedgliderintheGAL Right:OneofJohnLloyd'searlydesignforan
experimentalserieswastheGAL61 (TS515).Itwas experimentaltwin-jetaircraft,whichappeared
completedin 1948andshownattheSBACAirShow inaUKPatent(2,474,685)filedduring1944
II""II "" II""II aptreRpaadrleedllfdourrtiensgtitnhgeastamLaeshyaemar,.bItuwtansevtheernflew. atondthreeAleWas.5e2d.iBnill1R94o9se.TChoilslewctoiounl/dUeKvePnattueanltlOyflfeiaced
lJ BillRoseCollection
Bottom:AW.52Gistowedintotheairduringatest
the glider entered asteep dive and became flight. BillRoseCollection
inverted.Kronfeld toldMcGowanthathehad
o
lost control of the glider and his observer work,whichwassupportedbytheMinistryof
immediately bailed out. The altitude was Aircraft Production (MAP). Lloyd envisaged
approximately 1,000ft (300m) and his para the use ofasmooth surface for the aircraft's
chuteopenedatabout 100ft(30m) making it skin, fabricated from a fairly thick alloy,
a close call. Regrettably, Kronfeld stayed in strengthenedbyrolledcorrugationsoflighter
theaircraftuntil ithittheground. gaugemetaltomaintainadequaterigidity.At early design phase, but engine problems ArmstrongWhitworthAW.50
Asignificantlymoreadvanced GALexperi thecentreoftheaircraftwasacockpitafford appeartohaveruled thisout.
Crew 6
mentalgliderwas nearingcompletion atthis inggoodvisibility, with aslightlyraised crew However, itwas decided that aone-third
time, called the GAL61. It had been reas section and a tail-mounted, rear-facing, scale size glider should be built to test the Wingspan 120ft(36.6m),laterreducedto
signed the original designation TS515 that remotely controlled turret containing two aerodynamics,astherewaslittledatatodraw 112ft6in(34.3m)
wasintendedforusewithafourthGAL56pro 20mm cannons. In addition, itwas also pro onregardingthebehaviourofflyingwingair Wingarea 2,000.04fl'(1858m')
Length 45ft(13.7m)
totype.GAL61 featuredaraisedcockpitinthe posedtoequiptheaircraftwith twoforward craftatlowspeedsorinunusualattitudes.Ini
centreoftheaircraft,withapronepositionfor facing 20mm cannons located in the wings tiallyassignedthecompanyreferenceAW.51, Grossweight 49,7651b(22,573kg)
anobselverwithin thewing.Thisdesign had betweeneachengine. designworkstartedinMay1943,withthepro Maximumspeed
(3m). MediumUwasassigned thereference (13.8m), with alength 23ft6in (7.16m)anda the same 36.40 leading edge sweep as the Propulsion would be provided by four jectaltering toAW.52, which finally became atsealevel 470mph(756kph)
TS5100anditflewforthefirsttimeon27Feb heightof9ft(2.74m). GAL56 Maximum V and in overall appear advanced Metropolitan-Vickers (Metrovick) AW.52G,withthelastletterreferringtoitssta at30,000ft(9,144m) 480mph(772kph)
ruary 1946 at Aldermaston and was then All threegliderswereexhibitedattheSep ance, it loosely resembled the powered F.2/4 Beryl axial flow turbojet engines. This tusasaglider. Rateofclimb 3,000fVpermin(9I4m/permin)
movedtoLasham.Itwasdamagedinanacci tember1947SBACshowheldatRadlettAero orthrop N-IM flying wing. GAL61 had a designwasproducing3,500Ib(15.5kN)ofstatic AssemblystartedatthebeginningofMarch Ceiling Unknown
dentduring 1949andsubsequentlyscrapped. drome and the second GAL56 'Medium U' wingspan of 51ft 11in (15.8m), an overall thrustby1944,buttheF.2/4remainedtoounre 1944, although proceedings were relatively Range 1,500miles(2,414km)
The third GAL56/03(TS513)wascalled'Max wasdemonstratedbyRobertKronfeldaftera lengthof24ft8in(7.5m)andagrossweightof liable for use in anyproduction aircraft. Lloyd slow as priority was being given to more Powerplant 4xMetropolitan·Vickers
imum V' and featured a36.40 sweep. It flew Halifax towed it into the air. But the pro approximately 5,1741b (2,346kg). A fully hopedthattheongoingproblemswiththeF.2/4 pressing war production work. Wind tunnel (Metrovick)F.2/4Berylaxial·flow
for the first time on 30 May 1947at Lasham. grammewas dealtasevere blowon 12Feb retractable undercarriage was fitted as stan would be largely resolved by the time the testing continued and AW.52G was finally turbojetengines,initially
Thisversion ofthe gliderfeatured nose flaps ruary 1948 when Kronfeld was killed while dard equipment and the GAL.61 was a true AW.50wasreadyforproductionandimproved completedinearly1945.Itwasthenassigned producing3,500Ib(155kN)
andwasdesignedtoallowadjustmentofthe testing GAL56/0I (TS507). He had left Lash flyingwinginallrespects.Therewerenover thrust might be available. The engines would the official registration RG324, but by this staticthrust
wingdihedralontheground.Itwasequipped man Airfield with his observer Barry tical stabilisersand the aircraftused elevons belocatedwithinthewingsoneachsideofthe time, the original flying wing bomber had Armament Provisionally,2x20mmforward
with twosetsofsplitflaps.The firsthingedat McGowan and they were towed behind a and wingtip drag rudders for control. GAL61 cockpitdrawingairfrom fourseparateintakes been cancelled. Nevertheless, AW.52G was firingcannonsandonerearfiring
the 50 per cent chord line, with the second Halifax until reaching 16,000ft (4,876m) was completed by mid-1948 and displayed alongtheleadingedgeofthewing. seenasausefulresearchtoolandon2March remotecontrolledturretwith
rearsethingedat70percent.Usedonesetat whereseparationtookplace.Thepurposeof statically at the 1948 SBAC Air Show at Split-flapswouldbeused,pluswingtipfins 1945wastowedintotheairbehindaWhitley 2x20mmcannons.
atime, this was selected on the ground. The the flightwas to carryoutstall tests, but hav Radlett. It was then returned to Lasham for equippedwithrudders.TheAW.50wastobe bomber. This first flight was undertaken by Bombload 12,000Ib(5,443kg)
wingspan of 'Maximum V' was 45ft 4in ingmadeanormalrecoveryfromhisfirststall testing, butapproval tobegin test flights was equipped with a fully retractable tricycle the company's test pilot Charles K. Turner
nevergrantedandtheprojectwasfinallycan undercarriage. Lloyd's initial plans were for Hughes, who reported no unexpected han catedfrom Plymax(athinsheetofduralumin
celled in mid-1949. Although itwas themost anaircraftwithawingspanof120ft(36.6m),a dlingdifficulties. bonded to a thicker sheetofplywood). This
1
interesting of the four gliders, GAL61 never wingareaof2,000ft'(185.8m')andanoverall Spruce and plywood (used for the single allowed a very smooth finish that met the
flew and is thought to have been broken up length of45ft (13/7m). The estimated maxi box spar and ribs) were utilised in much of requirements for effective laminar flow. The
forscrapin 1950. mum speed was 470mph (756kph) at sea the construction, with the outer skin fabri- central cockpit area accommodated a pilot
nI I level and 480mph (772kph) at 30,000ft
I I
U ArmstrongWhitworth FlyingWings (9,144m), with a rate ofclimb slightlybetter
than 3,000fVper min (914m/per min). The
In1942,theDirectorateofScientificResearch anticipated service ceiling is unknown, but
approached Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft range was expected to be 1,500 miles
(AWA)todevelopanaerofoilsectionforwind (2,424km). Gross weight was 49,7651b
tunnel laminarflow experiments. As aresult (22,573kg)withthebombloadaccountingfor
of this, the company's chief designer John 12,0001b (5,443kg) of this figure. However,
'Jimmy' Lloyd (1888-1978) began work on within months, the design underwent a sig
proposals for a military flying wing aircraft. nificant revision, with the wingspan being
Lloyd produced an initial design study ofan reduced to 112ft 6in (34.3m) and the wing
~ advancedflyingwingjetbomberfortheRAF, becoming thinner. As a consequence, the
whichcarried thecompanyreferenceAW.50 centre section became recogni able as a
and he was authorised to continue with this fuselage and the rear gun turret was
removed, leading to nominal changes in
'._..._) I'---.../\ AninitialArmstrongWhitworthdesignstudyfor weight and performance. A smaller twin
anadvancedRAFflyingwingjetbomberwiththe engine experimental version of this aircraft
companyreferenceAW.50.BillRoseCollection was considered at some point during the
16 Secret Projects: Flying Wings and TaillessAircraft British Tailless Aircraft 17