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Aviation History
1958
1958 - 0854.PDF
870 FLIGHT, 20 June 1958 Military Aircraft of the World . . . Grumman S2F-1 Tracker. subsonic cruise. The ability to achieve Mach 3 for up to three hoursis one of the greatest technical achievements in all aviation. The basic vehicle will have six General Electric J93 turbojets of some30,000 lb thrust each, burning hydrocarbon fuel ahead of the turbines and—probably—alkylated borane fuel in the afterburners. The airframewill be largely made of brazed stainless-steel honeycomb, and the crew —probably numbering three—will occupy a detachable capsule. Thebasic guidance system is the stellar/inertial AN/ASQ-28, for which the prime contractor is I.B.M. Under subcontract to this firm the Autoneticsdivision of North American will produce the N2J star tracking unit. G.E. are working on a defence-system programme to surmount suchhurdles as the noise level of 190 db outside the B-70 and 160 db inside, the 4,000 deg R temperature of the jets and the fact that, with high-energy fuel, the contrail could become opaque to the surveillance radar. The following are some recent references to the aircraft. Mr. "Dutch"Kindelberger, chairman of the board of North American: "The human crew provides unique advantages . . . these include target location andidentification, flexibility to choose alternate targets - . . ability to coun- ter defensive measures . . . and the capability of recall." Mr. Kindel-berger noted that the B-70 will be able to launch a ballistic missile. Gen. Thomas D. White, U.S.A.F. Chief of Staff: "The project isvital to us ... we hope to cut the normal development cycle by 18 months . . . and have considered setting up a special organization Lockheed ASW Electro (model). Grumman AO-1 Mohawk (mock-up); below, Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune. similar to the Ballistic Missiles Division. Maj-Gen. James Ferguson,director of requirements, DCOS (Development): "Its sophisticated systems will enable the crew to ferret out small targets of uncertainlocation which are critical elements of military strength. It will have both high- and low-level penetration capability." The B-70A is scheduled to fly in 1962 or late 1961, and to enterS.A.C. service in 1963. ANTI-SUBMARINE Grumman S2F Tracker First flown in December 1952 and nowoperating from many carriers and shore bases, the S2F Tracker is a search and strike anti-submarine aircraft, powered by two 1,525 h.p.Wright R-1820-82 engines. Carrying a crew of four, the Tracker can search with radar (in a dorsal pod and a retractable "dustbin"), a search-light (starboard wing), magnetic detector gear (retractable tail boom) or sonobuoys (ejected from behind the engine nacelles); it can then strikewith bombs, mines, torpedoes, depth charges or underwing rockets. One hundred S2F-ls are being built by D.H. Canada for the R.C.N.; theS2F-2 has a wider bomb bay to house a new weapon (probably the Betty nuclear depth charge); the S2F-3 is a later version now underdevelopment. About 640 S2F-ls and -2s have been built. Span, 69ft Sin; length, 42ft 3m; height, 16ft 3im; wing area, 485 sq ft;• gross weight, 24,000 to 26,000 Ib; max. speed, about 300 m.p.h. Lockheed P2V Neptune Since 1944 the U.S. Navy have placed 26separate orders for this patrol and anti-submarine aeroplane, which is also used by several other countries. Most of those in service areP2V-6s or -7s, which can search with radar and magnetic detection gear and strike with bombs, torpedoes, depth charges (including nuclear),rockets, mines and such missiles as Petrel and Bullpup. Two 20 mm guns are mounted in the dorsal turret (0.50in in early models) and themajority of current versions have underwing pods housing 3,400 lb- thrust Westinghouse J34 turbojets, supplementing the 3,250/3,500 h.p.Wright R-3350-32W Turbo-Compounds. Many Neptunes have wheel/ ski gear. The RB-69 is a U.S.A.F. special-electronics version. Span, 101/r 6in; length, 91ft Sin; height, 29ft 4m; weight empty,-47,450/49,456 Ib (43,950 to 46,046 without jets); gross weight, 78,760 Ib (75,310 without jets'); max. speed, 345 m.p.h. without jet pods. Lockheed ASW Electra (P3V?) For many months the U.S. Navy havebeen evaluating existing military and commercial aircraft with a view to an off-the-shelf purchase of a modified version as a replacement forthe P2V Neptune. The Electra transport is the design chosen; and, notwithstanding the need for low-altitude endurance, the turbopropengines have been retained. Choice of the Electra was announced on April 24. A $2m researchand development contract is speeding the engineering changes necessary and an aerodyamic prototype of the ASW version is to fly in August.It is claimed that the new machine "will fly faster, locate targets better and fight harder than any other airplane ever proposed for ASW duty."The 136in-diameter pressurized fuselage will be equipped for a crew of ten, and extensive radar and detection equipment will be carried,including a magnetic anomaly detector in the tail and an APS-20 or similar set under the belly. The engines will be four 4,050 h.p. AllisonT56-A-7A. Span, 99ft; length, about 115/1; height, ~ilft; wing area, 1,300 sq ft;gross weight, about 120,000 Ib; max. speed, about 450 m.p.h.; range at altitude, more than 2,000 n.m. Sikorsky HSS A special ship-based anti-submarine version of theS-58 (p. 875), the HSS is equipped with a dunking sonobuoy and a variety of weapons. The auto-stabilized HSS-1N has all-weathercapability. RECONNAISSANCE Douglas A3D-2P and A3D-2Q Skywarrior The A3D-2P version ofthe aircraft described on p. 868 has a completely pressurized airliner- type fuselage, housing twelve cameras, extensive radar and specialreconnaissance gear and a crew of three. The related A3D-2Q carries several tons of countermeasures equipment and an operating crew ofseven. The tail guns are retained in both versions.
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