#republic xf-12

[stone-cold-groove]

A Republic XF-12 prototype in a commercial airliner configuration.

[longislandairpower]

Nice Hush Kit piece on the Republic Rainbow. Take a look.

[usafphantom2]

4 February 1946. First flight of the Republic XF-12 Rainbow s/n 44-91002. American all-metal prototype reconnaissance aircraft. Powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engines.

@ron_eisele via X

[anumberofhobbies]

An airliner variant, the 46-seat RC-2, was planned to kick open the civil market door. The RC-2 would have been a superb airliner, the best in its class and far superior to the offerings of Lockheed and Douglas. Unlike the Rainbow, the RC-2 was to have only one turbo-supercharger per nacelle (as opposed to two), making the heavier aircraft marginally slower. Despite this, it would still have been able to fly 3,450 miles at 400mph at 40,000 feet. American Airlines was the planned launch customer, with an initial order for twenty.

[duckduckg]

Republic XF-12 Rainbow

[coolthingsguyslike]

[lonestarflight]

source

[crownedstoat]

Republic : XF-12 : Rainbow by SDASM Archives Via Flickr: Catalog #: 00015390 Manufacturer: Republic Designation: XF-12 Official Nickname: Rainbow Notes: Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

[dieselfutures]

Republic XF-12 Rainbow

[skyfire85]

Lockheed F-104G aircraft lined up at Ingolstadt Manching Airport Germany. | Photo: Unbekannter Autor

FLIGHTLINE: 116 - LOCKHEED F-104 STARFIGHTER

The F-104 was designed as a simple, lightweight interceptor with maximum altitude and climb performance.

Springing from the mind of Kelly Johnson and his team at Lockheed, the F-104 was developed in the early 1950s as a blindingly fast, high flying interceptor to engage Soviet bombers. Based on interviews with pilots returning from the Korean war, Johnson wanted to reverse the trend in the USAF toward increasingly heavy and complex fighters. The USAF seemed to agree, issuing a operational requirement on 5 November 1952 for a lightweight day fighter to supplement, if not ultimately replace, the F-100 Super Sabre. In addition to the Lockheed design, which had been given the internal designation L-246, Republic Aviation proposed their AP-55, derived from the XF-91 Thunderceptor, North American advanced the NA-212, which was developed from the F-100, and Northrop submitted their N-102 Fang.

Lockheed was awarded a development contract on 12 March 1953 for two prototypes of the newly-christened XF-104. The initial design had changed in the interim, with data gleaned from the and X-7 programs being incorporated into the new interceptor. The XF-104 now featured a long tubular fuselage, dominated by a single massive J79 turbojet and featuring small wings so thin that they needed covers during maintenance, lest ground crew cut themselves. The V-tail and variable-position horizontal stabilizers had given way to a single T-tail with an all-moving stabilizer.

Schematics of the F-104. | Illustration: Bagera3005 @ DeviantArt

The first flight of XF-104 #1 took place in March 1954, powered by a Wright J65 engine as the J79 was facing issues in development. The XF-104 had small, trapezoidal wings like the X-3 and X-7, and as such the fuel and landing gear would need to be contained in the fuselage. Because the wings and tail were nearly the same size, the wings were given a 10° anhedral to counteract a tendency to Dutch Roll. The high T-tail led to Lockheed installing a unique downward-firing ejection seat, so as to not injure the pilot if he struck the tail. This feature was removed in the production F-104 as ejection seat technology improved. Both XF-104s were lost during the test program, though enough data was acquired that the production F-104A featured numerous improvements and modifications.

F-104A showing leading and trailing edge covers. | Photo: Bill Spidle

The Starfighter saw service in the USAF from 1958 until 1969, though use continued with the Puerto Rican Air National Guard until 1975. The plane was widely exported, serving in the air forces of 14 other nations, as well as NASA. Canada, Italy and Japan license-built their own copies, with the CF-104 being modified to perform nuclear strike and recon roles, the F-104S designed to fire AIM-7 Sparrow missile, and the F-104J, which resembled the F-104G, but retained the original F-104A’s interceptor-only role.

A pair of USAF F-104s, circa 1960, with Buzz Numbers visible on the aft fuselage. | Photo: USAF

An F-104 shooting down a QF-80 drone during a test. | Gif from a USAF film

The F-104C was a fighter bomber variant developed for the USAF's Tactical Air Command (TAC). The radar was improved, and two pylons were added to each wing, along with one under the fuselage, allowing the plane to carry rockets and conventional bombs, along with a single Mk.28 or Mk.43 nuclear weapon. The C model was also equipped with aerial refueling equipment. TAC's F-104C served in Vietnam from 1965 through 1967 before being supplanted by the F-4. Starfighters under the direction of EC-121 Warning Stars shot down 25 MiGs during the war, and 15 F-104s were lost to SAMs, AAA, engine failure, one air-to-air kill by a PLAN J-6, and one mid-air collision.

TAC F-104C Starfighters from the 435th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 479th Tactical Fighter Wing, at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in 1965. | Photo: USAF

The F-104G was the definitive variant, and 1,127 were produced by Lockheed, Canadair, and a consortium of Messerschmidt/MBB, Fiat, Fokker and S.A.B.C.A. The type featured a strengthened fuselage, wing, and empennage structures; the larger vertical fin with fully powered rudder as used on the two-seat versions; fully powered brakes, a new anti-skid system, and larger tires; revised flaps for improved combat maneuvering; and a larger braking chute. The G model was also a multi-role aircraft, with 7 hardpoints under the wing and fuselage allowing carriage of AIM-9 Sidewinders, unguided bombs and rockets, and fuel tanks.

A formation of F-104Gs from the air arm of the German Navy in 1965. | Photo: Marineflieger

It was this multi-role aspect that interested the international community, and the so-called “Deal of the Century” was struck (with bribes greasing the wheels along the way), allowing Lockheed’s new mount to replace a large number of aging first-generation jets. West Germany acquired 915 Starfighters, with 151 going to the Marineflieger and the rest to the Luftwaffe. Though an adequate fighter-bomber, the F-104 design was optimized for high-speed, high-altitude flight, and the adaptations to low-altitude flight were not entirely effective. The plane quickly gained a reputation as being accident-prone, with 270 aircraft lost in West German service and 110 pilots killed. The press dubbed the plane Witwenmacher (‘widowmaker’), and the running joke being “How do you get an F-104 for cheep? Buy a plot of land in West Germany and wait.��. Still, the plane soldiered on in Luftwaffe service, surviving past reunification and being finally retired in 1991.

NASA acquired F-104As in 1963, which were then modified with the addition of a Rocketdyne AR2-3 rocket engine in an angled housing beneath the tail fin, as well as hydrogen peroxide reaction control thrusters, and were used to train pilots for the X-15 and X-20 DynaSoar. One of these NF-104As was lost during a test flight by Chuck Yeager, which was depicted in the book The Right Stuff, as well as the film that was adapted from it.

A NASA NF-104A executing a rocket-assisted zoom climb. | Photo: USAF

Three F-104G aircraft were also acquired by NASA in 1963 for use as high-speed chase aircraft under the designation F-104N. One of these aircraft was famously lost in a mid-air collision with the XB-70A Valkyrie bomber, killing both Joe Walker, pilot of the F-104, and Carl Cross, co-pilot of the XB-70. The other aircraft remained in NASA service until 1994, making it the last Starfighter in US service.

A formation of USAF and NASA aircraft in 1966, From foreground to background they are a T-38A, F-4B, XB-70A, F-104N and YF-5A. The flight had been set up at the behest of General Electric, which manufactured the engines in all 5 craft. | Photo: USAF

The immediate aftermath of the collision. Investigators determined that Joe Walker in the F-104 lost sight of the XB-70 and drifted into the larger plane's wake vortex, which catapulted the Starfighter across the Valk's back. | Photo: USAF

The F-104, in various models, served with the armed forces of 15 nations, along with NASA and at least one civilian demo team. Italy was the last user, with the F-104S being retired in 2004.

[iloveahangar]

Frist flown on Feb 4th, 1946 the XF-12 Rainbow was a four engine, all metal reconnaissance aircraft manufactured by Republic Aviation. It was referred to an aircraft was "flying on all fours" meaning: four engines, 400 mph cruise, 4,000 mile range, at 40,000 feet. 🛩 Two prototypes were built with the second crashing on November 7th 1948. Whilst returning to Eglin Air Force Base from a test flight the number 2 (port inner) engine exploded. The pilot was unable to maintain control due to violent buffeting, and he ordered the crew to bail out. Five of the seven crew escaped safely, including the pilot. The aircraft impacted two miles south of the base in the Choctawhatchee Bay. In June 1952, the remaining prototype was retired, stricken from the USAF inventory and ended up as a target on the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 😔. Republic had also intended to build an airline version of the aircraft to be known as the RC-2 (first pic). This would have been one sleek looking airline for its time! 🌎 www.iloveahangar.com 📦 Free shipping on shoes! #aircraft #airforce #airplane #airshow #avgeek #aviation #aviationdaily #aviationgeek #aviationhistory #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #aviationphotos #avnerd #testpilot #fighterpilot #flight #flying #flyinglegends #instaaviation #military #militaryaviation #militaryaviationphotography #bomberpilot #oldairplanes #pilot #plane #planepics #usaaf #usaf #usairforce https://www.instagram.com/p/CUU6IZqBTvS/?utm_medium=tumblr

[greatmagazinestudent-world]

Republic XF-12

[daidi-dragan-glas]

Republic XF-12 Rainbow (high altitude photo reconnaissance)

[usafphantom2]

Ronnie Bell Following

Republic XF-84H Thunderscreech prototype.

DAYTON, Ohio -- Republic XF-84H at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo)XF-84H serial number 51-17060 in flight, with the ram air turbine extended

Role

Experimental fighter

Manufacturer

Republic Aviation

First flight

22 July 1955

Primary user

United States Air Force

Number built

2

Developed from

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak

The Republic XF-84H "Thunderscreech" was an experimental turboprop aircraft derived from the F-84F Thunderstreak. Powered by a turbine engine that was mated to a supersonic propeller, the XF-84H had the potential of setting the unofficial air speed record for propeller-driven aircraft, but was unable to overcome teething aerodynamic deficiencies, resulting in the program's cancellation.

Although the USAF Wright Air Development Center was the key sponsor of the Republic Project 3347 turboprop fighter, the initial inception came from a U.S. Navy requirement for a carrier fighter not requiring catapult assistance.Originally known as XF-106, the project and its resultant prototype aircraft were redesignated XF-84H, closely identifying the program as an F-84 variant, rather than an entirely new type. With a projected contract for three prototypes, when the US Navy cancelled its order, ultimately, the remaining XF-84H prototypes became pure research aircraft built for the Air Force’s Propeller Laboratory at Wright-Patterson AFB to test supersonic propellers in exploring the combination of propeller responsiveness at jet speeds.

The XF-84H was created by modifying a F-84F airframe, installing a 5,850 hp (4,360 kW) Allison XT40-A-1 turboprop engine in a centrally-located housing behind the cockpit with a long extension shaft to the nose-mounted propeller. The turbine engine also provided thrust through its exhaust; an afterburner which could further increase power to 7,230 hp (5,390 kW), was installed but never used. Thrust was adjusted by changing the blade pitch of the 12 ft (3.7 m)-diameter Aeroproducts propeller, consisting of three steel, square-tipped blades turning at a constant speed, with the tips traveling at approximately Mach 1.18 (1,446 km/h). To counter the propeller's torque and "P-factor", the XF-84H was fitted with a fixed dorsal yaw vane. The tail was changed to a T-tail to avoid turbulent airflow over the horizontal stabilizer/elevator surfaces from propeller wash.

The XF-84H was destabilized by the powerful torque from the propeller, as well as inherent problems with supersonic propeller blades. A number of exotic blade configurations were tested before settling on a final design. Various design features were intended to counteract the massive torque, including mounting the left leading edge intake 12 in (30 cm) further forward than the right, and providing left and right flaps with differential operation. The two prototypes were equally plagued with engine-related problems affecting other aircraft fitted with T40 engines, such as the Douglas XA2D Skyshark and North American A2J Super Savage attack aircraft. A notable feature of the design was that the XF-84H was the first aircraft to carry a retractable/extendable ram air turbine. In the event of engine failure, it would automatically swing out into the airstream to provide hydraulic and electrical power. Due to frequent engine problems, as a precaution, the unit was often deployed in flightNoise

The XF-84H was quite possibly the loudest aircraft ever built (rivaled only by the Russian Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" bomber[16]), earning the nickname "Thunderscreech" as well as the "Mighty Ear Banger".On the ground "run ups", the prototypes could reportedly be heard 25 miles (40 km) away. Unlike standard propellers that turn at subsonic speeds, the outer 24–30 inches (61–76 cm) of the blades on the XF-84H's propeller traveled faster than the speed of sound even at idle thrust, producing a continuous visible sonic boom that radiated laterally from the propellers for hundreds of yards. The shock wave was actually powerful enough to knock a man down; an unfortunate crew chief who was inside a nearby C-47 was severely incapacitated during a 30-minute ground run. Coupled with the already considerable noise from the subsonic aspect of the propeller and the T40's dual turbine sections, the aircraft was notorious for inducing severe nausea and headaches among ground crews. In one report, a Republic engineer suffered a seizure after close range exposure to the shock waves emanating from a powered-up XF-84H.

The pervasive noise also severely disrupted operations in the Edwards AFB control tower by risking vibration damage to sensitive components and forcing air traffic personnel to communicate with the XF-84H's crew on the flight line by light signals. After numerous complaints, the Air Force Flight Test Centre directed Republic to tow the aircraft out on Rogers Dry Lake, far from the flight line, before running up its engine. The test program did not proceed further than the manufacturer's Phase I proving flights; consequently, no USAF test pilots flew the XF-84H. Although The Guinness Book of Records recorded the XF-84H as the fastest propeller-driven aircraft ever built, with a design top speed of 670 mph (1,080 km/h) (Mach 0.9) and 623 mph (1,003 km/h) (Mach 0.83) during tests, this claim has been disputed. The unofficial record speed is also inconsistent with data from the National Museum of the United States Air Force, which gives a top speed of 520 mph (840 km/h) (Mach 0.70), nonetheless, making the XF-84H the fastest single-engine propeller-driven aircraft until 1989 when "Rare Bear", a highly modified Grumman F8F Bearcat reached 528 mph (850 km/h) (Mach 0.71) With the likelihood that the engine and equipment failures coupled with the inability to reach design speeds and subsequent instability experienced were insurmountable problems, the USAF cancelled the program in September 1956 . the prototypes never flew in USAF pilots hands, as they only completed the initial manufacturers flight tests.

Via Flickr

[airmanisr]

Republic XF-12 by Willard Womack Via Flickr: The F-12 was built to be a fast, four engine, reconnaissance airplane capable of cruising at 400 mph. It carried its own dark room in order to develop photos in flight. Powered by four R4360, 3000 hp engines. Had it been developed earlier it may have gone into production, but with the war over and jets arriving, there was no need for it.

[worldofaviation]

Republic XF-12 Rainbow, P-47 Thunderbolt and RC-3 Seabee