Seversky Stratosphere Fighter Project

[hesham]

Hi,

the Seversky stratosphere fighter was designed in 1938,it had
twin buried engines would have driven four propellers,it was
from heavy fighter class.

Source: The Thunder Factory,book.

 

[Jemiba]

On special request ...
Shown as an artist impression from the year 1938 in “The Thunder Factory” by Joshua Stoff, this design
seems to have some similarities to the later Lockheed L-134-3, with two fuselage mounted engines, driving
four props via shafts, but contrary to the Lockheed design there was a push/pull combination in each
wing, not contra rotating pusher props. With regards to the artist impression, this design would have
been formidably armed indeed with at least 5 guns in the nose, 8 guns in each wing firing outside of
the propeller arc and additionally there seem to have been another gun in each propeller shaft,
summing up to 23 (!) guns firing forward ! And for rear defence there seems to be at least one remotely
controlled gun in the tail, too. I haven’t heard of another design so well armed !
In fact, I cannot help the feeling, that the artist had put a little bit too much “art” in his drawing.
Besides the openings in the middle fuselage, I cannot see anything, that would guarantee sufficient
cooling for the two engines, which would have to be of a very powerful type indeed, just in order to
lift this conglomeration of guns. Landing gear probably would have been of tricycle type, as a classical
tailwheel landing gear would have needed quite long main gear legs, to give sufficient ground clearance
for the aft props. A nother detail, that puzzled me, was the cockpit, which seems to be offset to the
left hand side of the fuselage. But as the dorsal fuselage itself gave no other indication of this, I put it
on the centerline. So, to my opinion, if Seversky really was planning to built a multi-engined high-
altitude fighter, it quite probably would have looked very different.

But, to be fair, maybe the artist back in 1938 was just tasked with making a drawing of “a twin engined
fighter with fuselage mounted engines, but, please, make it well armed !”

 

[hesham]

Thank you my dear Jemiba ,

it is fantastic and very perfect work,thank you again my dear.

 

[Avimimus]

Ah... if it hadn't been for automatic cannons and jet engines...

If I recall his book correctly he had giant troop transports leading aerial invasions, which were protected by flying battle craft with multiple >100mm stabilised recoiless cannon which where in turn escorted by turreted fighters (similar to the one above) and intercepted by a mix of heavy fighters and light (often parasite) rocket boosted fighters that would attack the large craft at point blank range (after passing through the enemy barrage). I think the book was "Victory through airpower" (1943)

S!

 

[Jemiba]

"I think the book was "Victory through airpower"

that sounds interesting, would make a good script for a film, although in
1943 special effects probably wouldn't have been as good, as we are used
to today. But this design was shown here:

 

[Apteryx]

"I think the book was "Victory through airpower"

that sounds interesting, would make a good script for a film, although in
1943 special effects probably wouldn't have been as good, as we are used
to today...

Pardon me if you're just kidding--but just i case you weren't aware, the Disney folks filmed it during the war. Something I've always wanted to see.

 

[Jemiba]

Now, as you mentioned it, I think, I think, I've seen it partially, in a film with the
title "How Donald won the war", made up of short films and scenes from films made
by the Disney Studios during the war, mainly propaganda films with the well known
cartoon characters. Absolutely non-PC today!

 

[Kim Margosein]

No. it was sort of a movie of Seversky's book Victory through Air Power. Cool video of loading up a B-36 class bomber at night, the takeoff, and this really neat video bombsight. I would love to get my hands on a copy.

Kim Margosein

 

[Captain Kremen]

This is my first post....but did that aircraft have tricycle undercart, or was it to be a 'tail dragger'? If the tail wheel was to be used, I'd love to have seen it land...............crunch!
Make a nice model though.
Kremen.

 

[Jemiba]

Welcome on board, Captain!
I think, too, that it would have had a tricycle landing gear (if the designer had much
thoughts about this detail at all !), but AFAIK one of the Bell Airacuda prototypes, fitted
with pusher engines, was a tail dragger, so pusher props not necessarily rule out a tail wheel
undercarriage .

 

[joncarrfarrelly]

Welcome on board, Captain!
I think, too, that it would have had a tricycle landing gear (if the designer had much
thoughts about this detail at all !), but AFAIK one of the Bell Airacuda prototypes, fitted
with pusher engines, was a tail dragger, so pusher props not necessarily rule out a tail wheel
undercarriage .

Most of the Airacudas were tail draggers, only three were built as the YFM-1A with tricycle gear.

Jon

 

[hesham]

My dear Jemiba,


I don't know,if the crew was two or three person.

 

[painstaking]

The movie is available on Youtube in full colour, with an easy research on google or bing, the full story is on wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Through_Air_Power_(film)

 

[Avimimus]

The book gives a fuller and better account of his thinking though. I could scan and upload pages from my copy if people would like?

 

[Stargazer]

The book gives a fuller and better account of his thinking though. I could scan and upload pages from my copy if people would like?

I would LOVE that! Seversky is truly a fascinating (and overlooked) figure of American aviation.

 

[Antonio]

It would be great avimimus!!

Many thanks in advance

 

[Avimimus]

Okay. I'll definitely do it then - Now that I know you guys want it.

It'll take me a couple weeks (the book is in storage).

The book is from 1943, but it might be the second issue and I'm uncertain about copyright. So, I'll scan only about twenty pages for now. I'll focus on Seversky's forecast for what the future of airwarfare will be like (the section this drawing comes from). Let me know if there are any other particular areas you want me to glance through though.

 

[lark]

Long range interceptor fighter of the future- page 314 of the book.

...The authors concept of the lines of development in long range interceptors.
Engines,pilots and gunners on all locations inside the fuselage in an armoured nacelle.
There are retractable gunturrets on the tail, above and below.
Comprehensive array of artillery firing forward is set into the wings.
Large caliber guns or 'rocket torpedoes' can be fired through the propeler hubs
and the nose of the fuselage.
The propellers are driven by remote transmission...

So far the text about the Severky Stratosphere Fighter in the book 'Victory through Airpower.

The book can be viewed and donwloaded on ****://archive.org . In the search bar : De Seversky. (change the 4 stars by http)
Good luck.

 

[Stargazer]

Thanks, lark. Here's a much simpler, a direct link:
https://archive.org/details/victorythroughai00dese

However, I haven't found a way to either read or download the book online.

 

[Avimimus]

Apparently the Internet Archive now has a lending library...? I suppose it isn't out of copyright yet in some jurisdictions... However, the fact that it is uploaded will save me some time.

I think his biggest oversight was over-estimating how easy it is to hit an aircraft with a turret mounted weapon (a common mistake during the interwar years, even though the principle was known since WWI). He also under-estimated the effectiveness of autocannons and jet engines.

That said, his predictions are pretty fascinating.

He is probably the reason I got interested enough in interwar concepts to make this thread: http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,7951.msg69986.html

 

[Avimimus]

It would be great avimimus!!

Many thanks in advance

A little bit over a year late - but I finally found the copy from my safe storage!

Here is the concept aircraft in the context of Seversky's thinking:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,28363.msg296790.html

 

[hesham]

And from an Italian magazine;

http://www.avia-it.com/act/biblioteca/periodici/PDF%20Riviste/Ala%20d'Italia/L'ALA%20D'ITALIA%201940%2002.pdf

 

[Deleted member 2278]

Not sure if this is the right place to put this but it looks like it might be related?

https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/a4/e5/e1/d62fa0576f5688/US2219980.pdf

 

[hesham]

From, Русские крылья Америки. «Громовержцы» Северского и Картвели

 

[hesham]

From Popular Mechanics, November 1942.

 

[hesham]

Hi,

Drawing of Stratosphere flighter, high altitude interceptor

nyheritage.contentdm.oclc.org