Republic AP-100 VTOL fighter

[Scott Kenny]

6x J85s... Today we could replace that with 6x afterburning Williams FJ44s, though I'd remove the middle lift fan to use as a bomb bay and just use a 3-bearing nozzle like the F35.

Well, where would the three-bearing nozzle be located?

Not as far aft as the J85s, this would also deal with the smaller fourth lift fan aft of the aft bomb bay.

Or it could replace the aft lift fans. Still gives CG issues, but less than the original design.

 

[acegeek9992]

6x J85s... Today we could replace that with 6x afterburning Williams FJ44s, though I'd remove the middle lift fan to use as a bomb bay and just use a 3-bearing nozzle like the F35.

Well, where would the three-bearing nozzle be located?

Not as far aft as the J85s, this would also deal with the smaller fourth lift fan aft of the aft bomb bay.

Or it could replace the aft lift fans. Still gives CG issues, but less than the original design.

Let’s say we could cut down on the number of engines required to power the AP-100. What engines would be best suited for the job and why?

 

[acegeek9992]

Hmmm... blatant self promotion, ya or nah?

View attachment 700274

Nope - I think it’s perfectly fine!

 

[Scott Kenny]

6x J85s... Today we could replace that with 6x afterburning Williams FJ44s, though I'd remove the middle lift fan to use as a bomb bay and just use a 3-bearing nozzle like the F35.

Well, where would the three-bearing nozzle be located?

Not as far aft as the J85s, this would also deal with the smaller fourth lift fan aft of the aft bomb bay.

Or it could replace the aft lift fans. Still gives CG issues, but less than the original design.

Let’s say we could cut down on the number of engines required to power the AP-100. What engines would be best suited for the job and why?

Something closer to the size of a Pegasus with a 3-bearing nozzle (3x exhaust streams) or an F135. No reason to use 6x engines that I know of, all that does is massively drive up maintenance overhead.

J85s are 690lbs each, while the F135 is 3750 and the Pegasus is 3960, so the weight will be close to the same but much better weight and balance by being able to stick ordnance where the engines are in the AP100 design and have all the engine mess in the center of the fuselage.

Pegasus would be my vote based on timeline.

 

[hesham]

From Interavia 1961.

 

[alostbaron]

Does anybody know if the rear weapons bay would have carried other kinds of weaponry? If it could carry a small nuke then maybe it could also carry a couple aim-9s or something?

 

[d24]

In the documents I also found the attached picture. Project code seems AP-100 ?? With six modified GE J-85 engines. This is the only info I have found. Anyone knows more about this?

 

[Arjen]

From the XV-5 / lift fan thread
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/th...-liftfan-vtol-designs.1938/page-5#post-652000

Available details of the X353-5 are as follows.

BASIC GAS GENERATOR.-- A standard J 85-GE-5 turbojet, used without afterburner. Fixed conical nozzle mounted at rear of engine.
DIVERTER VALVE.-- Directs gas flow from turbojet to tip-driven turbine.
SCROLL.-- Hot gas flow enters circular scroll inlet and is split into two arms of the scroll, where gas is directed at blades of the power turbine.
POWER TURBINE.-- Tip-turbine blades mounted on rim of fan are driven by turbojet exhaust gases, turning the large coaxial fan.
FAN.-- Single-stage, with tip speed of 720 ft./sec. (220 m./sec.). Variable exit louvres control direction of airflow for hover, transition from vertical to horizontal flight or vice versa, and acceleration, louvres close during normal cruising flight to present a smooth wing surface. Fan pressure ratio l-1 : l. Fan air flow 535 lb (243 kg) sec.

 

[blackkite]

There are some differences between these two models.

 

[aim9xray]

Well, yes. The one on a base is a "in-house" physical model, created by Republic craftsmen some sixty years ago. The other is a nice contemporary piece of CGI made of electrons, created by an artist and posted by @ranmit11. Ummm, which do you believe is more realistic?