The 1960 Lockheed plane of the future

 


TWO aircraft companies are taking first steps to introduce faster-than-sound, large-sized commercial and military airplanes within the coming decade. North Amer- ican Aviation, Inc., is building a prototype of the B-70 intercontinental bomber (above). Lockheed Aircraft Corp. is advocating a 2000-mile-per-hour transport adaptable for use as a military tanker, and has suggested a possible design (below) as well as an estimate of production costs.

The B-70 will feature a supersonic survival seat for each of the four crew members. Constructed like a capsule, it is sealed so there is no need for the men to wear oxygen masks or pressurized flying suits. In an emergency, at near-vacuum heights above 70,000 feet, for example, the seat will rocket from the plane and be lowered by a 34-foot parachute. It will function as a boat should it land in water, and will carry 45 pounds of survival gear, giving protection against cold and heat.

Lockheed officials, arguing there is now no technical, operational or economic reason why a supersonic transport could not be developed in the U.S., suggest that its shape could be needle-pointed fore and aft, and that it have a swept-back stabilizer near the front of the fuselage. Passengers would sit forward of the delta wing. Such a 250,000-pound steel airliner would cost some $160,000,000 to develop, according to Vice-President Burt C. Monesmith. He estimates that in quantities of 200 the planes could be built for $9,240,000 each.


_________________________

images and info provided by the Popular Mechanics Archive | Zetu Harrys Collection

___________________________

If you like what I do support the project with a coffee

0 Comments