posted on Mar, 25 2016 @ 11:07 AM
a reply to:
Anonymous ATSThe Bell X-1 did not use any "stolen" brit supersonic technology. The 'Stabilator' was invented long
before the M.52... its not a british invention..Chief Aerodynamicist Dennis Bancroft stated that the Bell Aircraft company was given access to the
drawings and research on the M.52 in 1944 BEFORE design work was completed on the Bell X-1 but unfortunately his remarks do not prove accurate nor is
there any evidence that the already completed X-1 design was influenced at all by the Miles .M52 data as it empennage bares no similarities
whatsoever... stories that the stabilator was added after the X-1 design was completed is also false as the pivot assembly for a stabilator was
already build into the X-1 original design as far back as early 44' this confirmed by the development team that installed an electric trim actuator
without any knowledge of the M.52s tail design. One only has to look at the two aircraft to see there see no similarities in their control surfaces or
design. The brits are very fond of quoting that "they" invented the flying tail as part of the development of the M.52..... the truth is the
stabilator was in mass production on French and German aircraft as early as 1915... and 2 American designs the Curtiss XP-42, XP-55, it was already a
30 year old design when the brits claimed to have invented it.
Because the M.52 program was overreaching and doomed to failure from the very beginning... The UK lacked both the high speed aerodynamic research and
the jet engine technology. The Governments very poor decision of selecting of the Miles company and Whittles PowerJets Ltd. sealed the fate of the
M.52. NACA engineers saw little value in data from plane that never flew or had any chance of reaching the sound barrier. The Bell engineers predicted
the possiblity, and left the option in the design of the aircraft AOA elevator trim adjustment. US Airforce test team confirmed the need... The
actual stabilator design was developed by the Air Force test team.. not Bell. The Miles M.52 could never reach the sound barrier without a viable
engine design, Frank Whittles failure to produce the required engine left the program with no option other than cancellation.