Boeing Model 804 Project

Rexs_Hangar

Rexs_Hangar

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Hello everyone,

Looking for some potential clarification on this relatively unknown project.

It was one of several developed to meet WS-110A ("Weapon System 110A") and could be considered an "on paper" rival to the XB-70 (though the Valkryie was smaller owing to concerns that the bomber proposals were too massive, I believe)

Early version was Model 804-1 (originally beginning as 724-115) which appeared to be a tailless delta, powered by six GE X279E engines which were housed in individual nacelles under the wing (unlike XB-70 which held them internally).

The design was then refined into the 804-1A, which featured canards, and then further refined again into the 804-4.

Model 804-4 Specs

Top speed: ~ Mach 3
Powerplant: 6 x GEX279J (Max thrust of 28,500 lb each), usual fuel would be JP-6 but it appears that high energy fuels were also considered.
Range: ~6,835 nautical miles
Payload capacity: ~25,000lb

It was meant to carry a variety of nuclear/chemical payloads or air to surface missiles. However, I am unable to determine what ordnance would have been the most likely payload - the design dates to 1957, but it would not have flown until the early sixties.

Considering the advent of more potent long-range anti aircraft missiles, and the development of ICBMs, its true usefulness would have been limited (hence why the XB-70 didn't get far), but could it have served as a launch platform for stand-off nuclear missiles like the AGM-28 Hound Dog?

Most of the information I've found comes from US Supersonic Bomber Projects by Scott Lowther (an excellent book, by the way)
 
As I recall it was required to carry the same payload as NAA submitted NA-259 latter to become NA-278 XB-70; bomb bay would be similar in size.
There were several versions of Boeings WS-110A, 804 Models 1- 10, however yes model 4 was the one submitted to go up against NAA.
 
Josef Gatial did a nice model of the 804-4.

boeing-model-804-4_sc3-jpg.14009


https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/boeing-model-804-4.1655/
 
In regards to weapons load, initially WS-110A was primarily intended to use nuclear and conventional bombs. There are drawings of the 804-4 with Hound Dog, and alternatively a new more advanced air-surface weapon, carried externally under the fuselage, and another drawing showing the internal weapons bay with a single thermonuclear device on one side and 2 x decoy missiles on the other (same configuration as the external air/surface weapon).

If selected over the NAA design, it is likely that (like the B-70) there would have been a planned new air/surface missile roughly similar to SRAAM and also Skybolt capability. B-70 had 2 x 14ft weapons bays which limited internal missile length to about 13 ft - Skybolt would have been carried externally.

These drawings are in Landis & Jenkins Valkyrie: North American's Mach 3 Superbomber along with dozens more of the Boeing designs. If you are interested in this stuff this book is a must buy.
 
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Rexs_Hangar said:
It was one of several developed to meet WS-110A ("Weapon System 110A") and could be considered an "on paper" rival to the XB-70 (though the Valkryie was smaller owing to concerns that the bomber proposals were too massive, I believe)
Click to expand...
Have you seen the XB-70 at Wright-Patterson? It's HUGE, a Blackbird can basically fit underneath it!

Rexs_Hangar said:
It was meant to carry a variety of nuclear/chemical payloads or air to surface missiles. However, I am unable to determine what ordnance would have been the most likely payload - the design dates to 1957, but it would not have flown until the early sixties.
Click to expand...
Basically whatever the B-52s carried. Mostly gravity bombs, but later on SRAMs. And launching an SRAM at Mach 3 and 75000ft gets interesting, gives a ~200nmi range to the things.


Rexs_Hangar said:
Considering the advent of more potent long-range anti aircraft missiles, and the development of ICBMs, its true usefulness would have been limited (hence why the XB-70 didn't get far), but could it have served as a launch platform for stand-off nuclear missiles like the AGM-28 Hound Dog?
Click to expand...
Dropping Hound Dogs at Mach 3 would have been ... interesting, to say the least. Smaller items that wouldn't mess up the balance as bad would be simpler.
 

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