Wind Tunnel Model of Unknown Aircraft.

I have recently came into possesion of this wind tunnel model that you will see in the provided pictures. I have searched online for possible aircraft this could have been but cant really find anything. I was hoping for some help. I will not be able to tell you how I recieved this. The time this was "found" was about 10 years ago so maybe that can help narrow the search down. The bottom part you see is detachable it appears it may have been some sort of rocket booster? I see no other reason why it would detach like it does.


Wind Tunnel Model Pictures

[edit on 1-3-2009 by subscorpion]

Not a clue what it is

but it looks like something a good deal older than 10 years

Looks like an early MK of the Lockheed A-12.

Late 58 early 59.

Hope this helps.

Interesting. I wonder how fast they burn.

I suppose there are many models like these in some form. I would think these may have had some type of attachment plate and ID number or whatever. It would be interesting to know the history behind this type of work anyway.

Any links like youtube? Actually, some of these designs, such as from Hughes Aircraft might be worth some money to the right collectors. Some of the stuff they show on collector's shows, I never would have figured to be worth anything either. And mst of them, I wouldn't keep after I knew.

People pay high prices for some of the most rediculous crap like really ugly cars and artwork. One man's junk is another man's treasure. Oh wait, that doesn't sound right anymore. Junk envy?

By the engines on the side, and its large body in comparison, it looks as though it is a craft that is meant to go several times the speed of sound. Ram-jet maybe, or blackbird 2.0 maybe.

It does look futuristic, and very odd. Defiantly not the norm.

Good pics.

It *almost* looks like a 2 engined version of the B-58, or a design based on the B-58 at least.

en.wikipedia.org...

Good find. Why can't you say how you came across it though?

reply to post by DeltaNine


oooh that one does look pretty close. The person whom obtained this before me got it illegally =P Also there is a round thing under the paint it kind of looks like O= i can try and take a photo of it with my digital camera and maybe it will show up.

[edit on 1-3-2009 by subscorpion]

That would be great, thanks. Also, if I click on your photos I get a 404 error. I think you need to host them on the ATS media thing now? I'm not au fait with it to be honest.

"# B-58C: Unbuilt version. Enlarged version with more fuel and 32,500 lb of thrust J58, the same engine used on the Lockheed SR-71. Design studies were conducted with two and four engine designs, the C model had an estimated top speed approaching Mach 3, a supersonic cruise capability of approximately Mach 2, and a service ceiling of about 70,000 ft along with the capability of carrying conventional bombs. Convair estimated maximum range at 5,200 nautical miles. The B-58C was proposed as a lower cost alternative to the North American XB-70. As enemy defenses against high-speed, high-altitude penetration bombers improved, the value of the B-58C diminished and the program was cancelled in early 1961.[8]"

This is what it is, it is a wind tunnel model of the B-58C, which was never built.

i appriciate the replies, i will be getting 10megapixel pictures up asap. Do you have a picture of the b-58c downtown?

Downtown, that looks like it...and from my own link no less! Serves me right for posting right after waking up

Subscorpian, I can't find any pictures of the C model, mainly I presume because it was never built. I was looking for an artist's concept or something but the closest I found was this:

www.palba.cz...

Some of those panels (middle bottom and top right IMO) match that model, or at least what I can see of the model so far.

Very interesting though! You might make a fair bit from that on eBay if you were so inclined!

Here are the new and updated pictures. I created an album on photobucket since the pictures were too big to fit on the ats uploader. So click the link to see everything.

Wind Tunnel Model Pictures

Also Delta, how much do you think this is worth if you could give an estimate?

Great pictures, thanks! I would wager it is the top right configuration now that I can see it more clearly.

Worth? No idea, but it is a piece of aviation history. Is it made of wood?

Convair don't exist anymore so I suppose the ownership issue is pretty moot. Would you mind u2uing me the story? Sorry but I'm an immensely nosey guy and it sounds like it could be a good story

I agree the top right looks exactly like what I have. Yes it is made from wood.

OK a little bit of extra digging has revealed it's probably not the B-58C but rather the MX-1626, which was a forerunner of the B-58. I've found some extra info on it:

[QUOTE]
The MX-1626 was a two-seat delta-winged aircraft consisting of two main components--a lower droppable bomb-pod and an upper main return component. The return component was a complete aircraft with a tricycle undercarriage to be used only for landing. The aircraft was to be launched from a trapeze which extended downward from its mother craft, but there is a Convair drawing showing the installation of a jettisonable landing gear that permitted takeoffs when the pod was fitted. The return component featured a delta wing with an area of 1200 square feet and a total span of 47 feet. The fuselage was 82 feet long. At the rear of the fuselage was a triangular-shaped vertical tail. A pair of nonafterburning General Electric J53-GE-X25 turbojet engines were mounted in midwing pods. The long pointed pod was integrated into the bottom of the aircraft, and featured three large fins separated by 120 degrees. The free-falling bomb pod was to be roll-stabilized by the control surfaces in the two upper tails. A third J53 engine was to be mounted inside the pod and would be expended when the pod itself was dropped. A maximum speed over target of Mach 1.7 was anticipated, and a maximum total mission radius (carrier plus parasite) of 4000 nautical miles was anticipated.
Convair's parasite proposal turned out to be very short-lived. The parasite idea had arisen at a time when cost factors were particularly important, and it was thought that such an approach would provide a cost-effective answer to the problem of long-range strategic bombing. However, it soon became apparent that the two aircraft would require complex navigational equipment so that they could find each other on the return part of the mission. While joined, the two aircraft would be especially vulnerable to attack. In addition, the two-aircraft attack system would be much more expensive to build and maintain than a single bomber. Consequently, in December of 1951 the MX-1626 design was drastically revised. The parasite idea was abandoned in favor of a single aircraft that would be capable of being refuelled in midair. The third expendable engine in the bomb pod was eliminated, and afterburners were added to the aircraft's remaining two engines. A landing gear capable of supporting both landings and takeoffs would have to be provided. Gross weight rose to about 126,000 pounds and the number of crew members rose to three (pilot, navigator-bombardier, and defense systems operator).

[/QUOTE]

From home.att.net...

So it looks like your wind tunnel model dates from around 1951 from the Phase 1 part of the project. Interesting stuff!

Wow this is extremely interesting! I can't believe you actually found all this information on this, and the fact that it was never put into production makes this model all the more important ( i think). I still wonder what that circular thing is under the paint...any idea on that one?

Could be a number of thins, a refueling hatch perhaps. Initially I thought it might have been an undercarriage door but it doesn't look like there's another one on the other side. It seems a bit small for what turned out to be the B58 UC doors too. Your guess is as good as mine!

reply to post by downtown436


Nice catch!

Man, sometimes this place really amazes me

reply to post by xmotex


I know how the hell do you figure out what some aircraft is when it wasnt even made for one, and two when there are like next to no pictures on the net for it. Kudos to him for being able to do that.

Wow awesome shots! and research guys! I will have to add this model to my cache of aviation history. Man I wish I could come across something like that!