Greetings All,
Wasn't sure where to post this, but here is our latest IRMA Kit No.10 NACA-Langley-Jacobs-Jeep in 1/72 after over a decade of research working with the National Aeronautical and Space Administration - NASA Center for AeroSpace Information on the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics - NACA and the NASA Langley Research Center.
This was yet another avenue the USA was pursuing during WWII. Eastman N Jacobs was so impressed by the Caproni-Campini CC2 motorjet of Italy that he pursued a similar layout that became known as the NACA-Langley-Jacobs-Jeep, or Jake's Jeep as some people called it. He continued his research into 1943 when the US Army Air Force (USAAF) and US Navy (USN) decided on pursuit of turbojets, axial-flow and centrifuge, and rocket motors. Undaunted at first, Jacobs kept working on his Jeep with the limited resources solely from NACA. He even engaged the Wright motor company, officially the Curtiss-Wright Aviation Company, to begin construction of the Jeep. When the coffers ran dry, he then abruptly retired at 42 and went into other things.
No one knows how far along the Jeep advanced, but there are some photos of the engine in the fuselage being tested. It may have reached completion or just preliminary construction. Under war time conditions, experimental aircraft were destroyed upon write-off or project cancellation. Still, the Jeep may have been overlooked as was the Northrop N-9MB Flying Wing, which was thought to have been destroyed, but was discovered recently and restored. Although the Jeep was not selected for production, the motorjet that Jacobs worked on was the catalyst of today's turbofan.
If you want to read more on this unique aircraft, there is an article on its history here: http://www.internationalresinmodellers.com/articles_25_naca_-_langley_-_jacobs_-_jeep and a build article here: http://www.internationalresinmodellers.com/articles_26_building_the_naca_-_langley_-_jacobs_-_jeep. If you'd like to purchase a kit, you can do so here: http://www.internationalresinmodellers.com/irma_on-line_store.
Happy modelling everyone!