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


 
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.
 
Last edited:
Rexs_Hangar said:
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)
Click to expand...
Rex's hanger? Love your videos.
 
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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