Stargazer2006's imaginary aircraft

[elmayerle]

I love the Dartmaster.  I'll have to find and scan a drawing of a twin-engined B-58 based LRI.  It's a most attractive design.

[Stargazer2006]

I love the Dartmaster.  I'll have to find and scan a drawing of a twin-engined B-58 based LRI.  It's a most attractive design.

Are you saying that I conceived something that had already been considered 55 years ago? Oh blast! Can't wait to see that!

[apophenia]

Are you saying that I conceived something that had already been considered 55 years ago?

Amazing how often that happens! Anyway, love your  Dartmaster ... it's got a pugnacious look about it  :)

[Stargazer2006]

What if the Curtiss C-46 Commando, a transport aircraft of World War II fame, had been further developed after the war?

Enter the Super Commando, an imaginary development of the C-46 with a high wing and a raised tail for rear loading and parachuting.

This image was created using a C-46 profile and a Fairchild C-123 Provider profile as a basis. I took bits and pieces from each and redrew several elements. I then incorporated all the markings and captions, mostly made from genuine company documents.

But why North American? Because the aeroplane division of the Curtiss-Wright company was absorbed by North American Aviation in the early 1960s. The AC-146K is a 1960s aircraft that could have been used in Viet-Nam for instance. Don't try to find any accuracy or likeliness in the markings. I did not try to make them credible, just to look nice!

[Logan Hartke]

Very cool, but I'd hate for you to have to try to work out the geometry of a front view for this one. 





Cheers,

Logan

[Stargazer2006]

Logan, you have just killed me!! 

[apophenia]

Very nice Stéphane! Any plans for shiny post-war civilian growth versions of the Commando?

[Stargazer2006]

Very nice Stéphane! Any plans for shiny post-war civilian growth versions of the Commando?

Why not, though I think the C-46 was a bit too chubby to make a convincing post-war airliner (though I know it was used that way in some parts of the world).

[finsrin]

Very nice Stéphane! Any plans for shiny post-war civilian growth versions of the Commando?

Why not, though I think the C-46 was a bit too chubby to make a convincing post-war airliner (though I know it was used that way in some parts of the world).

737 wings help with it being a mini wide body.

[Stargazer2006]

Here is an imaginary Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing advertisement based upon a real one from 1935. The only remaining elements from the original are the aircraft at the top, the text and the footer.

All the rest (including the markings on the aircraft) was added from bits and pieces to create an imaginary fighter variant which I called the Outfighter.

There existed a military variant of the Model 17, called the C-43 Traveler (Army) and the GB (Navy) but a combat variant would have been interesting (though I guess it would have required quite a bit of redesign for it to be a fighter...). Bah! It's only fantasy anyway!

The tough bit was to add some old paper texture and rework the various elements to give them that old worn out mag feeling.

Did I succeed?

[Tophe]

A biplane fighter 1936? This is not impossible, to match the Japanese/Russian/Italian/British ones, with top maneuvrability...

[Acree]

You succeeded beautifully Stephane!  I did a doubletake for a second thinking it was a "real" old ad!  Thinking of a Staggerwing-based fighter is reminiscent of the Curtiss XF13C-1 of 1933.  It had the look of a cabin biplane, but was later converted as a high-wing monoplane layout.  It also had retractable landing gear like the Staggerwing (albeit a different style). 

[apophenia]

The tough bit was to add some old paper texture and rework the various elements to give them that old worn out mag feeling.

Did I succeed?

And then some! NIce effect ... care to give away any trade secrets Stéphane? 

[elmayerle]

If memory serves me correctly, Beeh did look at fighter versions of the Staggerwing with the upper wing being a gull wing to improve vision from a bubble canopy or greenhouse.  ISTR that an Allisn-powered version was considered.

[GTX_Admin]

That would be this one:

[Stargazer2006]

Cool pic, thanks for sharing!

When someone recently mentioned the Northrop C-125 Raider in a post, I realized how much I like that forgotten transport and what potential it held for "whiffing" (what-if-ing).

From that strict U.S. Air Force landplane I developed a seagoing floatplane for the U.S. Navy, the C-125C Sea Raider.

This time I took the time to do both a fake photo and a three-view arrangement. Hope you guys like it!




[PLAN REPLACED BY A BETTER VERSION. SEE NEXT PAGE.]

[GTX_Admin]

 :)

Looks better with floats then the real thing did.

[Logan Hartke]

Looks like some Bellanca influence there.  I approve!

Cheers,

Logan

[Stargazer2006]

:)

Looks better with floats then the real thing did.

Agreed!!! 

Looks like some Bellanca influence there.  I approve!

Indeed. The floats and background were taken from the photo of Bellanca 77-320 and then the port float was stretched aft. I specifically wanted that Bellanca float arrangement for the Raider, I think they work really well together. I also had to invent the underwing housings for the main triangular struts. Glad you approve!!!

[Stargazer2006]

Ouch! It hust hit me that I had forgotten to add the additional tail fins on the top and front views. Blast... Got to rework it quick!

[Stargazer2006]

Ouch! It hust hit me that I had forgotten to add the additional tail fins on the top and front views. Blast... Got to rework it quick!

Done. There were actually a few mistakes that needed fixing, so to anyone who already saved the plan onto their computer, please update the file!

[Jeremak]

Great plane. For me it look like successor of Antonov An-2, build for filling gap between An-2, and bigger soviet transport planes. Especially due nose engine, and "barrelish" fuselage.

[Stargazer2006]

Great plane. For me it look like successor of Antonov An-2, build for filling gap between An-2, and bigger soviet transport planes. Especially due nose engine, and "barrelish" fuselage.

Yeah. I do think the Raider was a great plane. It deserved much better than the small production batch purchased by the USAF.

[apophenia]

Yeah. I do think the Raider was a great plane. It deserved much better than the small production batch purchased by the USAF.

Canadair planned to build the Raider as the CL-3/CL-12.
http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1949/1949%20-%200924.html

Can't you just see the Sea Raider sitting on a remote Canadian lake? And those Bellanca floats would feel right at home too 

[finsrin]

Seeing your C-125C kick started the old gray cells to remember YC-125 which gone off my memory screen.
C-125C with three T-56 or similar could scoot in-out of places deposit and retrieve Seal teams.