Beechcraft PD-159-1-1 and other "Cascade" wing STOL projects

[boxkite]

In the German edition „Die ungewöhnlichsten Flugzeuge der Welt“ of the English original „The World’s Strangest Aircraft“ a table with different STOL – VTOL research aircraft layouts (from the 1950s) was published. An example is given to each category (for instance Bell X-14 for deflected jet, McDonnel XV-1 for unloaded rotor, Bell XV-3 for tilting rotor, etc.). Only one of the impressions, the multi-wing, is a mystery for me. Because all of the other sketches have a real background, I assume there was one (?) proposal for such a multi-wing STOL aircraft. In the scan is shown only a part of the table to give an impression of one of the other sketches (the tilting rotor XV-3).

Does anybody know more if actually a multi-wing was designed on the drawing board?

 

[boxkite]

Could it be the Goodyear "Convo"? It's only speculation due to the description as a flying shade/(roller) blind ... I'm looking for details on this Goodyear design.

 

[yasotay]

Also it might have been an Army proposal that was not taken on by any of the contractors, and thus just a consideration that the Army might have considered worth looking at.

 

[OM]

...A NACA Langley clip of a Cascade Wing design:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTXd0Rakii8

...Anyone have any more details on this one and/or have any better luck with the search engine finding same?

 

[Stargazer]

A great find from the 1961 "Project Hummingbird" study, the Beechcraft PD-159-1-1 Cascade, a multiengine, triple-wing utility transport VTOL project:

http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015009821359

 

[Mark Nankivil]

Nice find - interesting to see that much overlap on the prop discs.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[cluttonfred]

Great stuff here and in the related "Project Hummingbird" threads. Can anyone provide a link to a complete .pdf file of the reference document? It appears to be public domain, but the Hathi Trust link provided only allows registered users from certain institutions to download the full document. I've tried the NTRS and DTIC servers, no luck. Thanks!

 

[robunos]

I've just spent the time to download and re-construct the PDF......
You can get it here :-

http://depositfiles.com/files/m89yqgsgu

Much goodiness inside, and give the credit to Star for finding it,
I'm just the one who spent an hour and a half clicking on a mouse button....
Please note that pages 56-105 are missing from the source...


cheers,
Robin.

 

[cluttonfred]

You're a better man than I am, Robin, thanks!

 

[Stargazer]

I've just spent the time to download and re-construct the PDF......

Gosh! You're fast! I'm only halfway through clicking! LOL

Thank you so much, Robin.

 

[Stargazer]

Just realized there the Beechcraft Cascade looks an awful lot like this aircraft project previously described as a Goodyear, except the Cascade has four propellers instead of two and is larger:

Source: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,636.msg59949.html#msg59949

Could it be that both designs were submitted to a similar specification at some point? Any thoughts?

 

[lark]

You could be very close Star...

 

[Grey Havoc]

Interesting.

 

[Stargazer]

Also, the earliest mention I found of the "cascade wing" concept comes in this reference:

Dynamic stability and control of cascade-wing vertically rising airplane (1954)
in MONTHLY CATALOG OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS - Decennial Cumulative Index 1951-1960
Index to the monthly issues from January 1951 to December 1960 (page 1351)
http://www.archive.org/stream/monthlycatalogof219511960unit/#page/n3/mode/2up

Please note that the year is compatible with this being from a contemporary program to the McDonnell XV-1, seen in the attachment further above.

 

[Stargazer]

Does anybody know more if actually a multi-wing was designed on the drawing board?

Yes, the Beechcraft PD-159-1-1 Cascade, a likely contender of the Goodyear aircraft shown above.
See http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,12266.msg120299.html#msg120299

 

[Stargazer]

A NACA photo of the same:

 

[Stargazer]

The so-called "cascade-wing" design was test-flown at NACA (but with four wings):

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,10636.msg100218.html#msg100218

 

[Stargazer]

And the Beechcraft PD.159-1-1 Cascade project, which used the same lift principles:

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,12266.0

 

[hesham]

Hi,


I found this triplane model,and they said; it was a really project,powered by four
turboprop engines,also they said; it was from Vegas Vulture,and I don't know if
that the name of the company which made the model,or the name of the company
which designed it.


http://smallflyingartsforum.com/YaBB.pl?action=print%3Bnum=1120194569

 

[Jemiba]

It is said "this model is from the Vegas Vulture".
If I would be asked to build this model, I would start with a Vought XC-142.
add, maybe the tail of a Grumman Mohawk and at least delete the gap between
the sponson and the middle wing, which, to my opinion, doesn't look too realistic... :

 

[hesham]

My dear Jemiba,


may be it is fake aircraft,but the strange thing,,that the site didn't speak about
false aircraft !.

 

[royabulgaf]

Some outfits idea of a COD aircraft? The fuselage looks more like an extended Short Skyvan.

 

[Stargazer]

After taking a closer look at the original post, we find that:

1°) it was never built
2°) the model is from "Vegas Vulture" (in fact the name of a forum member who sourced the photo!)
3°) the model was built from factory drawings
4°) the aircraft was intended as a 4-engine turboprop
5°) it would have been built from an American manufacturer

 

[Stargazer]

I have identified the aircraft in the photo posted by hesham. Topics merged.

 

[Jemiba]

Great Stéphane, I accept the title "doubting Thomas" ! :-\
Even that small separation between sponson and wing is visible in the front view, although
not so clear in the side view. And yes, that modeller got it quite right, especially as it was
meant to be a flying model. Strangest thing to me is the bracing.

 

[hesham]

Thank you Stargazer for your discover.

 

[Stargazer]

The earliest multiple-wing "Venitian blind" design I have found is this "Super-Safe Aircraft" of 1931 by T. A. E. Lake:

 

[masher47]

The Beech PD-66 was not only a multiengine but also a multi-winged transport. Here is the data from the archives. Some files are too big, will try to reduce and reload them. This is a four engined triplane.

 

[hesham]

Many thanks to you Masher47,

and please if you have a more of Beech Projects,you can send them.