Blended Wing Bodies

[Orionblamblam]

A preview of issue V1N3 of Aerospace Projects Review. The original version had an article on a single one of these BWB designs... the revised issue describes the lot of 'em.

And yes, they are to scale. One of these design is obviously... kinda big.

http://www.up-ship.com

 

[sferrin]

Is that top one the nuclear powered one?

 

[Orionblamblam]

Yup! VTOL, as well. Lockheed sometimes thinks big and nutty.

 

[BAROBA]

Yup! VTOL, as well. Lockheed sometimes thinks big and nutty.

VTOL? Like take-off in a day?
A 747 weights about 60 metric tons, this would be like a 1000-2000 metric tons (if not more)
The runway would be gigantic in length ( and width)
They could make a runway on top of this thing for other planes to take-off from
Nice to have such ideas

 

[sferrin]

Yup! VTOL, as well. Lockheed sometimes thinks big and nutty.

VTOL? Like take-off in a day?
A 747 weights about 60 metric tons, this would be like a 1000-2000 metric tons (if not more)
The runway would be gigantic in length ( and width)
They could make a runway on top of this thing for other planes to take-off from
Nice to have such ideas

Version I saw was a seaplane as I recall. As for using runways all you need is enough wheels to get the ground pressure down (see the Pelikan for example) and a wingloading to make the takeoff distance reasonable. It's not rocket science.

 

[Orionblamblam]

A 747 weights about 60 metric tons, this would be like a 1000-2000 metric tons (if not more)

5386 metric tons, actually.

The runway would be gigantic in length ( and width)

And hense the hundred and fifty or so lift jets for VTOL operations.

They could make a runway on top of this thing for other planes to take-off from

Interesting you should say that. See the little fighter-sized craft near the port side of the nose? Well... guess where it and 23 of its closest friends were meant to operate from...

 

[sferrin]

There's a picture around on this site of one in flight with four KC-135s DOCKED to the trailing edge.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Version I saw was a seaplane as I recall.

The great little book "Future Fighters" has a Lockheed painting of this critter. The books author speculates that it was to be a seaplane, but it was strictly land-based.

 

[Orionblamblam]

There's a picture around on this site of one in flight with four KC-135s DOCKED to the trailing edge.

Yup. There were two versions of this, with that one being STOL rather than VTOL. Fewer lift jets.

 

[flateric]

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,387.0.html

 

[Orionblamblam]

There ya go.

 

[sferrin]

Version I saw was a seaplane as I recall.

The great little book "Future Fighters" has a Lockheed painting of this critter. The books author speculates that it was to be a seaplane, but it was strictly land-based.

First place I saw it back in grade school.

 

[Orionblamblam]

First place I saw it back in grade school.

Jr. High for me. While the '40's and '50's were the Golden Age of "projects," I think the '80s was the Godlen Age of Current Projects Publications. The books published back then were jam-packed with quality artists impressions of what was on the planning boards. Today there are *far* more bits of art available... but most of it is computer generated crap.

Something I've noticed is that as PowerPoint and similar desktop publishing programs became available, the quality of presentations has gone *down.* In the 1960s, if you had a presentation for the USAF on, say, your neato new fighter design, you had the art department put together a package of drawings and paintings. Today you cobble together some MS Paint sketches yourself. Bah.

 

[sferrin]

The 80s were the years you could go down to Waldenbook almost every weekend and pickup a new book or two by Salamander Publishing and others. :'(

 

[Orionblamblam]

The 80s were the years you could go down to Waldenbook almost every weekend and pickup a new book or two by Salamander Publishing and others. :'(

Yup. Sigh...

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

I'd say "Project Cancelled" from my school library and then Salamander's "Warplanes of the Future" from my local bookshop were the beginnings of this site

 

[elmayerle]

First place I saw it back in grade school.

Jr. High for me. While the '40's and '50's were the Golden Age of "projects," I think the '80s was the Godlen Age of Current Projects Publications. The books published back then were jam-packed with quality artists impressions of what was on the planning boards. Today there are *far* more bits of art available... but most of it is computer generated crap.

Something I've noticed is that as PowerPoint and similar desktop publishing programs became available, the quality of presentations has gone *down.* In the 1960s, if you had a presentation for the USAF on, say, your neato new fighter design, you had the art department put together a package of drawings and paintings. Today you cobble together some MS Paint sketches yourself. Bah.

*snicker* I've seen at least one humorous piece floating around work that purportedly describes a MSPE (Masters of Science Degree in Powerpoint Engineering) program. Given all the presentations we required to produc on occassion, it sometimes feels all too true.

 

[Jemiba]

"VTOL? Like take-off in a day? "

Found this tiny little concept in Icare from 1971 :
Nuclear powered and 150m span ... ;D

 

[sferrin]

First place I saw it back in grade school.

Jr. High for me. While the '40's and '50's were the Golden Age of "projects," I think the '80s was the Godlen Age of Current Projects Publications. The books published back then were jam-packed with quality artists impressions of what was on the planning boards. Today there are *far* more bits of art available... but most of it is computer generated crap.

Something I've noticed is that as PowerPoint and similar desktop publishing programs became available, the quality of presentations has gone *down.* In the 1960s, if you had a presentation for the USAF on, say, your neato new fighter design, you had the art department put together a package of drawings and paintings. Today you cobble together some MS Paint sketches yourself. Bah.

*snicker* I've seen at least one humorous piece floating around work that purportedly describes a MSPE (Masters of Science Degree in Powerpoint Engineering) program. Given all the presentations we required to produc on occassion, it sometimes feels all too true.

I've heard some of the military folk referred to as "Powerpoint Warriors"

 

[robunos]

while googling for something else, i found this,

http://www.aoe.vt.edu/~mason/Mason_f/AIAA2003-6732.pdf

cheers,
Robin.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

from NASA,the BWB extension for shielding.

 

[Jeb]

Version I saw was a seaplane as I recall.

The great little book "Future Fighters" has a Lockheed painting of this critter. The books author speculates that it was to be a seaplane, but it was strictly land-based.

First place I saw it back in grade school.

I've got it on my bedside table now. ;D Found a copy on Amazon and bought it for myself this past Christmas.

 

[AeroFranz]

Don't want to go too OT, but Bill Gunston's above mentioned 'Warplanes of the future' and the similar 'Future Fighters and Combat Aircraft' were outstanding references. That was almost 20 years ago (the X-29 hadn't flown yet!). Is it me or there hasn't been anything comparable since (quality-wise)?

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20080021214_2008019933.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

Airbus (Aerospatiale ) BWB;
http://aero.stanford.edu/bwbfiles/AerospatialeBWB.html

 

[Abraham Gubler]

Some interesting patents with great images in relation to the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) blended wing body (BWB) airliner, military support aircraft. Great supplements to APR 1/3

Transformable Airplane, David Whelan et al
Boeing patent detailing a military combi version of the BWB (2-250G in the figures?) including bomber with rearward ejection chutes, ISR, IFR tanker and military strategic transport and modular combinations.
US Patent: 7093798
http://www.google.com/patents?id=uDp6AAAAEBAJ&dq=7093798

Variable Size Blended Wing Body Aircraft, Mark Page et al
Details of the modular body structure of the McDD/Boeing BWB commercial airliner concept.
US Patent: 6568632
http://www.google.com/patents?id=AiANAAAAEBAJ&dq=6568632

Separate Boundary Layer Engine, Gerhard Seidel
BWB buried engine intake design.
US Patent 6527224
http://www.google.com/patents?id=zhENAAAAEBAJ&dq=6527224

Method And System For Presenting Differing View To Passengers In A Moving Vehicle, Orin Humphries
Boeing application for ‘window seats’ for BWB, good images of internal layout.
US Patent: 7046259
http://www.google.com/patents?id=FPF3AAAAEBAJ&dq=0217978

Landing Arrangement For An Aircraft, Kenneth Udall
Rolls-Royce designto lower the BWB’s nose on landing to engage thrust reversers.
US Patent: 7143975
http://www.google.com/patents?id=nRF9AAAAEBAJ&dq=7143975

Engine Arrangement, Karim El Hamel, et al
Rolls-Royce plan for engine pod/nacelles for BWB.
US Patent: 7107755
http://www.google.com/patents?id=cjV6AAAAEBAJ&dq=7107755

The attached image is just a teaser the real interesting stuff is in the patents...


Edit: Add some more patent picturesincluding the bomb bay modules configuration and the R-R thrust reverser friendly landing alignment: going to want rear facing seats for that one.

 

[Abraham Gubler]

Another great BWB resource is this Power Point from Boeing Phantom Works:

Technologies For Subsonic Transport by R.H. Leibeck

www.asme.org/gric/AeroWkshop/presentations/RobertLiebeck.pdf

Includes data on a range of BWB commercial and military proposals including BWB 450G comparision to the A380.

Update: Looks like this link has been deactivated.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20080005538_2008003855.pdf

 

[Abraham Gubler]

The Cruise Efficient Short Take-Off and Landing (CESTOL) Power Point:

http://mdao.grc.nasa.gov/presentations/CESTOL.ppt

and the paper (cited in APR 1/3):

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20070010603_2007007182.pdf

 

[robunos]

Technologies For Subsonic Transport by R.H. Leibeck

i can't get the link to this to work, i get redirected to the homepage, tried searching on the site but no joy, :'(

cheers,
Robin.

 

[Simon666]

Anyone got more info on this kind of hybrid design?

http://fseg.gre.ac.uk/NACRE/details.html

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://mikesnead.net/resources/cat/tech_paper_configurable_air_transport.pdf

 

[hesham]

Hi,

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19960023625_1996039480.pdf

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

http://www.aiaa.org/aerospace/images/articleimages/pdf/AA_Oct06_WIL.pdf

Enjoy!

 

[hesham]

Hi,

the Boeing 747 XL.
http://members.cox.net/rebid/bldwing.htm

 

[KJ_Lesnick]

Jemiba,

That 150 meter span VTOL vehicle is impressive. It actually reminds me a little bit of this airplane in this videogame... I think it was one of the Ace Combat (I saw vids on Youtube awhile ago IIRC) series. That vehicle however took off of water though in the regular old fashioned horizontal mode.


KJ

 

[Demon Lord Razgriz]

Jemiba,

That 150 meter span VTOL vehicle is impressive. It actually reminds me a little bit of this airplane in this videogame... I think it was one of the Ace Combat (I saw vids on Youtube awhile ago IIRC) series. That vehicle however took off of water though in the regular old fashioned horizontal mode.


KJ

Was it Ace Combat 6 with the Estovakian Aerial Fleet consisting of the P-1112 Aigaion Flying Aircraft Carrier, & the escorts P-1113 & P-1114? Or was it Ace Combat Zero with the Belkan XB-0?

 

[flateric]

Please, no videogames here, OK?

 

[Antonio]

Was it Ace Combat 6 with the Estovakian Aerial Fleet consisting of the P-1112 Aigaion Flying Aircraft Carrier, & the escorts P-1113 & P-1114? Or was it Ace Combat Zero with the Belkan XB-0?

Estovakian?, those names are really ridiculous. Who is the creator?

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

Games are for kids