Lockheed Blackjack Weapon System Proposal for WS-125A

[Clioman]

This program has not been entirely declassified, but what I have thus far is interesting. As best I can tell, it hasn't appeared on the site until now, but I'd welcome correction.

Lockheed proposed two aircraft to work in tandem. The nuclear-powered tug (w/a 300 Megawatt P&W N2 reactor powering six turbojets) was identified as the CL-326; it had a wingspan of 122.5', a length of just over 149' and a design gross weight of 337,770 lbs. The strike aircraft, identified as the CL-319 (specifically the CL-319-35 in the drawing dtd June 1956), was powered by two P&W JT9A-20 engines; it had a span of just under 81' and a length of just over 161'. CL-319's gross weight was set at 255,600 lbs. Unfortunately, the extract I have doesn't include any performance figures.

 

[Stargazer]

Great find, Clioman, thanks a lot.

I was wondering why the CL-319 looked familiar... now I know. Take a look at the earlier CL-293 and you'll see what I mean. Same general configuration, also a nuclear-powered bomber project, but engines blended in with fuselage on the CL-293-64. My guess is that the -293 may have been for the original WS-125 requirement, and was revised as the -319 when the requirement itself was changed to WS-125A. Does that make sense?

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

CL-293 was the original WS-125A study. I've not actually seen any evidence of a WS-125 sans suffix existing - http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/projects.html suggests it wouldn't. A is the standard prefix for weapons, L for support.

CL-319 was studied in many versions up to the -35 shown here - and the CL-326 tug reached -43. The drawing here appears to be the CL-326-40. All were initial design studies by Lockheed-California (CALAC) subsequently transferred to Lockheed-Georgia (GELAC).

 

[Stargazer]

CL-293 was the original WS-125A study. I've not actually seen any evidence of a WS-125 sans suffix existing - http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/projects.html suggests it wouldn't. A is the standard prefix for weapons, L for support.

Thanks Paul for clarifying this. Was it the case since the beginning of the WS- series? I have many references to WS-110 and WS-110A for Boeing projects, for instance, and was always led to believe that the latter was a revision of the former.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

CL-293 was the original WS-125A study. I've not actually seen any evidence of a WS-125 sans suffix existing - http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/projects.html suggests it wouldn't. A is the standard prefix for weapons, L for support.

Thanks Paul for clarifying this. Was it the case since the beginning of the WS- series? I have many references to WS-110 and WS-110A for Boeing projects, for instance, and was always led to believe that the latter was a revision of the former.

WS-110 requirement was initially in two forms - WS-110A (bomber) and WS-110L (reconnaissance). The reconnaissance requirement was discarded. Its possible some document or writer refers to WS-110 (sans suffix) to mean both A and L variants, but there was no WS-110 bomber requirement which was superceded by a WS-110A bomber requirement.

 

[Stargazer]

WS-110 requirement was initially in two forms - WS-110A (bomber) and WS-110L (reconnaissance). The reconnaissance requirement was discarded. Its possible some document or writer refers to WS-110 (sans suffix) to mean both A and L variants, but there was no WS-110 bomber requirement which was superceded by a WS-110A bomber requirement.

Thanks a lot for setting the record straight once and for all!