Armstrong-Whitworth AW-52 flying wing

[zerstorer1946]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H1tyMRtcho

......saw this on youtube, seen alot of picturesof this aircraft, but no film of it... until now!
beautiful!

 

[mz]

Magnificient! Good footage, especially of the flaps / airbrake.
The brits managed to make even a flying wing ugly..

 

[saturncanuck]

Yes, nice footage.

WE seem to have trouble making a successful flying wing, don't we? The problem is the design creates as many aerodynamic problems as it solves.

 

[Jemiba]

Good find indeed ! And ugly ? Noo ... !
I'm just wondering, why still yet nobody asked about the RCS of the A.W.52,
or revealed, that Great Britain already HAD a stealth design, long before this
term was even known to others ... ;D

( *sarcasm out*)

 

[saturncanuck]

Yes, Great Britain DID have a stealth bomber in 1942 -- the de Havilland Mosquito

Good find indeed ! And ugly ? Noo ... !
I'm just wondering, why still yet nobody asked about the RCS of the A.W.52,
or revealed, that Great Britain already HAD a stealth design, long before this
term was even known to others ... ;D

( *sarcasm out*)

 

[zerstorer1946]

anyone know where i could get a decent accurate plan for this plane?
me and my mate have been talking about making a rc ducted fan model of this plane.

 

[Jemiba]

I once found this drawing in the net, sorry,correct source unknown, my description file
is empty ( a problem, I stumbled across by one of the ACDSee updates .. ???) ! So I
just post 300dpi files here, if it is, what you need, just send me your mail adress via PM

 

[robunos]

I once found this drawing in the net, sorry,correct source unknown

don't know where you've got them from, but they've been pinched from 'British Experimental Jet Aircraft' by barrie hygate, pp. 36-39.

cheers,
Robin.

 

[Jemiba]

Sorry, as I've mentioned, I haven't the url anymore, but the drawing
was (or is ?) downloadable as "aw52.zip", as I've still this file and IIRC,
I got there via a link from another site. :-[

 

[Justo Miranda]

Hi everybody
You should buy the whole trilogy!
It is a good investment ...

 

[Justo Miranda]

From "Supplements to Aeroplane" January 2005

 

[Justo Miranda]

From "Aeroplane" October 2006 and unknown source ...

 

[robunos]

You should buy the whole trilogy!

I have!!!! ;D ;D

cheers,
Robin.

 

[zerstorer1946]

awesome! thanks this info s just what i need! ;D

 

[Stargazer2006]

Here is a beautiful photo of the A.W.52 prototype (TS363) at the SBAC show at Farnborough, 1948.
RAeS Library photo

Topic moved from "The Bar" to the "Postwar projects" section where it belongs.

 

[blackkite]

Hi! You can see AW.52's flight in these videos.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H1tyMRtcho

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYVwzWyXkaM

 

[blackkite]

Hi! Which drawing is correct?
According to "BRITISH EXPERIMENTAL JET AIRCRAFT , BARRIE HYGATE", cockpit was offset 3" to the left of the centerline.

https://www.militaryimages.net/media/armstrong-whitworth-a-w-52.103638/
http://www.aviastar.org/air/england/arm_aw-52.php
https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/armstrong-whitworth-aw52.49979/

 

[blackkite]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SHRMq3hNfs

 

[Schneiderman]

Hi! Which drawing is correct?
According to "BRITISH EXPERIMENTAL JET AIRCRAFT , BARRIE HYGATE", cockpit was offset 3" to the left of the centerline.

That is correct, the offset is quite clear in front-view photographs. Which means that your first attachment is inaccurate for at least the cockpit, a warning that drawings which include a lot of detail, such things as panel lines and rivets, are not necessarily right.

 

[Justo Miranda]

Here

 

[Richard N]

What was the reason for the cockpit offset?

 

[Schneiderman]

To give space for the navigator/radio operator. A similar solution was used for the DH Sea Vixen

 

[Richard N]

From Justo's posts 11 and 12, the drawings show that the navigator is located behind the pilot and there is no space beside the pilot. I am asking what the reason for the offset is in this case.

The left side of the cockpit is dominated by controls and the right by instruments and that may be part of the reason.

 

[Justo Miranda]

The goal was to improve visibility down during landing

 

[blackkite]

Good question and good answer!

 

[Schneiderman]

The goal was to improve visibility down during landing

Partly, yes, but mainly a question of space. The staggered side-by-side arrangement something of a compromise between fuselage length and width. It was considered a weakness of the design by the pilots. In the AW52 the offset was necessary as the crew access door was on the lower right side alongside where the navigator's seat would have been fitted. The offset allowed the pilot to squeeze beside his ejector seat to enter the cockpit.