Convair A-44

[overscan]

Convair A-44

Artist's conception of the Convair A-44 in flight. Design as of June 18, 1946.

XA-44, later became XB-53

From http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

 

[Orionblamblam]

Two versions...

 

[Archibald]

Can't imagine flight caracteristics of this machine... :-\

 

[lark]

Could it be that the XA-44 attack aircraft had a less swept wing
compared with the later XB-53 bomber ?

 

[Justo Miranda]

From "The vanishing paperclips" by Hans H.Amtmann ,Monogram 1988
and "Les ailes volantes" by Alain Pelletier , ETAI publishing 1999
Engines 3 x General electric J35
Wingspan 24,55 m
Lenght 24,23 m
Hight 7,21 m
Wing surface 127,3 sq m
Max weight 27180 kg
Max speed 938 km/h
Ceiling 13400m
Range 3540 Km
Armament two retractable turrets ,5400 kg bombs and 40 HVAR rockets

 

[Just call me Ray]

I always found the glazed nose curious, since I was under the impression work on this thing started when bombing radars were becoming very popular and a glazed nose was considered obsolete. I remember seeing some "XB-53" drawings that faired it over.

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

Does anyone know if this an XB-53 variant? I found it looking for something else.

Moonbat

 

[Orionblamblam]

Does anyone know if this an XB-53 variant?

No. It was artwork produced, IIRC, for a book, not for a serious proposal.

 

[Clioman]

Could it be that the XA-44 attack aircraft had a less swept wing
compared with the later XB-53 bomber ?

Lark is correct. The XA-44 design had a forward sweep of about 12 degrees and a dihedral of 3 degrees. The XB-53 had a forward sweep of 30 degrees and a dihedral of 8 degrees. More details to follow.

 

[Stargazer2006]

Could it be that the XA-44 attack aircraft had a less swept wing
compared with the later XB-53 bomber ?

Lark is correct. The XA-44 design had a forward sweep of about 12 degrees and a dihedral of 3 degrees. The XB-53 had a forward sweep of 30 degrees and a dehidral of 8 degrees. More details to follow.

Waiting eagerly, Clioman!!!

 

[hesham]

Does anyone know if this an XB-53 variant? I found it looking for something else.

Moonbat

It was General Gavin aircraft;

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,5148.0/highlight,general+gavin.html

 

[Triton]

CONVAIR A-44 FACT SHEET

The Convair XA-44 was the original designation for what was later reclassified as a bomber aircraft with the designation XB-53. The aircraft was to have a 30-degree forward swept wing with an 8-degree dihedral. Convair engineers used forward swept wing research data captured from Germany in World War II as the basis for the design. The wing was mounted at the far aft portion of the fuselage and also served as the horizontal stabilizer. The design had a conventional vertical stabilizer and rudder, but changes in pitch and roll were accomplished with wing mounted control surfaces. The elevators were on the inboard wing while the ailerons were outboard. The wingtips were also designed as variable incidence control surfaces.

The design called for three General Electric J35 turbojets of 4,000-pound thrust each mounted within the fuselage. Estimates indicated as top speed of approximately 580 mph. Classified as a medium bomber, the XB-53 would have carried up to 12,000 pounds of bombs. It was also designed for 40 High Velocity Aerial Rockets (HVAR) mounted on underwing pylons.

Convair diverted funding initially allotted to the XB-46 program to work on the XA-44/XB-53 project. Two aircraft were ordered (S/N 45-59583/4), but neither was completed before the XB-53 program was canceled.

TECHNICAL NOTES (as designed):
Armament: 12,000 lbs. of bombs and 40 5-inch High Velocity Aerial Rockets (HVAR); XA-44 designed for 20 .50-cal. machine guns
Engines: Three General Electric J35 turbojets of 4,000 lbs. thrust each
Maximum speed: 580 mph
Range: 2,000 miles maximum
Service ceiling: 44,000 ft.
Span: 80 ft. 7 in.
Length: 79 ft. 6 in.
Height: 23 ft. 8 in.
Weight: 60,000 lbs. (estimated maximum takeoff weight)
Crew: Four
Serial numbers: 45-59583 and 45-59584 (ordered but not completed)



Source: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=3184

 

[hesham]

Also from google;

http://books.google.com.eg/books?id=GmFhOCYckfQC&pg=PA418&dq=MARTIN+xa-15&lr=&num=100&as_brr=3&as_pt=BOOKS&cd=1#v=onepage&q=MARTIN%20xa-15&f=true

 

[Triton]

Consolidated Vultee XB-53 Swept Forward Wing Design Test


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCPI45YNM0E

 

[Hammer Birchgrove]

It looks like it could use canards and a three-way fly-by-wire system.

 

[Stargazer2006]

NACA Langley archives once again provide much help in understanding the differences between A-44 and B-53. Here are two sets of photos of Models 61 and 74 as tested in Langley's 12-foot Low Speed Tunnel in 1945 and 1947, respectively.

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel_3#Model_.2361

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel_3#Model_.2374

 

[Jos Heyman]

What an interesting page with a wide variation of models.
Just a note of warning. As far as I understand these are NASA model numbers, and probably more exactly model numbers assigned by the windtunnel only. As such, they do not represent Convair (or for that matter any other contractor) design or model numbers.

 

[Stargazer2006]

You are absolutely right about this, they are NACA model number, I never said they were Convair. You know, I'm sure, that the A-44's/B-53's model numbers are still unknown to this day!

That design's evolution is fascinating indeed. While digging further, I came across a set of even earlier NACA models that seem to have led to it (last one seems Convair, first two look more Northrop):

1940 Tailless Model: http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel_2#Tailless_Model (first five photos only)

Model 32 (first form): http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel_3#Model_.23321 (misidentified as "Model 321")

Model 32 (second form): http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/File:1946-1-16_Model.jpg

Model 58: http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel_3#Model_.2358

 

[Retrofit]

NACA Langley archives once again provide much help in understanding the differences between A-44 and B-53. Here are two sets of photos of Models 61 and 74 as tested in Langley's 12-foot Low Speed Tunnel in 1945 and 1947, respectively.

http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/Additional_Photos_for_12-Foot_Low_Speed_Tunnel_3#Model_.2361

Humm, the model 61 seems more related to the fuel transport glider Cornelius XFG-1. Two prototypes completed. One crashed after a spin.

Photo from unknown source.

 

[Stargazer2006]

You are absolutely right, I hadn't realized that on seeing the model.

 

[Vahe Demirjian]

The 2013 volume of Convair Advanced Designs by Robert Bradley also notes that the XA-44 was also considered for use as a photo-reconnaissance machine and escort fighter.