turboplanner

Interesting that they had to get through the tailwheel, prop at the rear and V tail thought bubbles, then learn all about the electric anything equation " Power demand increase=Range decrease", and they had their fire.

2 minutes ago, facthunter said:

I want one. Put it next to my Grumman  tracker. Nev

Howard loved to innovate.

The Spruce Goose controls were going to be too heavy for a pilot to operate so he invented power-assist.

The A-12 Oxcart was built for the CIA as a single seater and could fly 10,000 feet higher than the SR-71, had a top speed of Mach 3.35 (SR-71 3.2), but a shorter range. Its first flight was April 26 1962 and it was retired 1968 following a catfight with USAF who wanted the glory (the SR-71 flew from 1966 - 1999).

The CIA flew the Oxcarts out of Area 51 on Groom Lake.

The book Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen describes the early days of the Oxcart reconnaisance of Russia. The aircraft skins were made of Titanium and after a flight remained so hot that several mechanics were badly burned when they started working on them too soon. The Russians used to overfly Area 51 and the mechanics would sit an Oxcart out on the apron and use gas heaters to heat the skin so it would be giving an infra red heat signal when the Russians arrived. The aircraft were retired when the CIA were able to put photographic equipment into satellites and take the same pictures from orbit in the comfort of their offices.

This photo of Groome Lake, Nevada shows the long runways across the lake. To the right of the solid line is another, longer runway which curves around to the right giving the pilot a lot more length.

Groom Lake is a satellite field of Nellis Air Force Base. I flew a Cherokee over Nellis AFB in 1979 on the way to the Grand Canyon. Groom Lake is not far away, but I didn't know about it then. Will have to go back some time.

There was a B-24  being rebuilt in a WWI2 hanger at Werribee. I spent a few hours there watching a big team of old guys working on engines, making parts, and working on the airframe which looked about 3/4 built. The workmanship was top class but they were only building it to non-flying standard, probably because of cost, which seemed a bit of a waste to me because the workmanship going into it looked excellent and they were working from original drawings.

Melbourne expanded, the all over field (for camouflage) the aircraft used to operate from was covered in houses and factories and the B-24 had to go. The last I heard of it was raising money to move it, but I've lost track of it.