On Atlas' Shoulders: RAF Transport Aircraft Projects Since 1945

[sat_dxer]

I've had a go at building the transport shown on the front cover, thanks to Chris who supplied the drawings to me last year.

in 1964, the Air Staff published AST.364, which called for an aircraft capable of transporting 100 klbs (45 tons) over 5000 nm (9200 km) at a speed of 500 kts (900 km/h), for use as a strategic transport on Far East routes. BAC submitted this design using the Vickers VC-10 heritage, with the wings and tailplanes being scaled up by ~25% from the VC-10 items. A new fuselage was designed, with a side-hinged swing-nose. Engines were RB.177 Medway variants.

A longer build report can be found here.

Was a real aircraft of this type ever built? Would a high wing root rear engine plane even fly? Any other aircraft of this kind of configuration exist?

 

[Hobbes]

The Vickers design was never built. By then aerodynamics was understood well enough that they wouldn't design something that couldn't fly. A quick search doesn't turn up other aircraft with this configuration.

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

Although I'm late to this discussion, "On Atlas' Shoulders" was my first ever book which contained mostly unbuilt projects, and definitely has a special place in my heart. Apart from that, it's probably reading it that eventually brought me along to this site, which after about a year of checking various threads, I decided to join.

To many people, this may just be a book about transports. To me, it is probably the most important book I've had since I've learnt to read! This book closed a chapter in my life, and started a new one (take the pun as you wish).

 

[starviking]

Was a real aircraft of this type ever built? Would a high wing root rear engine plane even fly? Any other aircraft of this kind of configuration exist?

I suppose the Beriev A-40 Amphibian is closest, though the engine inlets are ahead of the training edge of the wing.

 

[CJGibson]

Thank you Wyvern, I appreciate your kind words.

I found Atlas very interesting to research as very little had been done on the hows and whys of military transport aircraft.

I was surprised at the specialised kit involved and the importance of ABS to the development of modern large aircraft cannot be ignored.

The icing on the cake was when Gordon Leith pointed to an obscure file in the RAFM catalogue and said 'could this be what you're looking for?' It was. The BAC. 222.

Chris

 

[sat_dxer]

Was a real aircraft of this type ever built? Would a high wing root rear engine plane even fly? Any other aircraft of this kind of configuration exist?

I suppose the Beriev A-40 Amphibian is closest, though the engine inlets are ahead of the training edge of the wing.

Excellent find! never thought to check the Wil Green 91/92/93 observer Aircraft books. Wonder if the RAF aircraft would have had any similar flap activating mechanisms under the wings?

 

[starviking]

Was a real aircraft of this type ever built? Would a high wing root rear engine plane even fly? Any other aircraft of this kind of configuration exist?

I suppose the Beriev A-40 Amphibian is closest, though the engine inlets are ahead of the training edge of the wing.

Excellent find! never thought to check the Wil Green 91/92/93 observer Aircraft books. Wonder if the RAF aircraft would have had any similar flap activating mechanisms under the wings?

There certainly appear to be in some of the illos in On Atlas' Shoulders.