What is this hovering aircraft

I have found this picture of what I think is a british attempt of a VTOL aircraft from the 50s. But I'm not sure what it is so if anyone knows more about it please let me know.




(I bet the first one to recall it is going to be waynos)

[edit on 30-4-2006 by vorazechul]

[edit on 30-4-2006 by vorazechul]

Those are French markings. Piqued my interest now, gonna start googling

Originally posted by Britguy
Those are French markings.

Yes they are French. Just checked it the colours are in the oposite order in the british markings.

[edit on 30-4-2006 by vorazechul]

watched this on wings

the aircraft wasnt that feasible because of weight restrictions (on the amount of things it could carry)

also landing that wasnt an easy task :p

I think its a SNECMA small scale test model for an alternative layout to the Coleoptere. The cruciform wing seen above was researched as an alternative to the annular wing that was built and flown as a full sized manned prototype. The only drawings I have seen of this proposal have a more squared off, 'Mirage-esque' appearance but from what I know nothing else fits the bill.

Here is the initial proposal, although different in detail it can be seen that the concept is identical.



Meanwhile this was the full sized annular wing prototype. (Yes, you're right, it did crash )



[edit on 30-4-2006 by waynos]

This picture is a scale model made by JC Carbonel, a prolific modeller when it comes to strange planes, and from what I understand, some sort of a researcher, too, about kits history. It represents the Stratodyne, a project from Morane Saulnier that didn't make it off the drawing board.

didn't the airforce have something similar to that?

bigx, do you mean the US Air Force? It is quite similar to the Ryan Vertijet which was an American tail sitting jet VTOL prototype. In a similar vein there was the UK Fairey Delta 1, although this only ever flew conventionally as its VTOL requirement was axed before it was completed, and the propeller driven XFV-1 and XFY-1 of the US Navy.

Originally posted by waynos
(Yes, you're right, it did crash

)

It doesn't sound so bad to me. The anular wing might be a bit impraktikal in the way they made it back then, but it sure has some potential.
You might find this interesting: www.laesieworks.com...

Modern FBW systems would all the difference in the world to this idea if it was shown to have any intrinsic benefits to it, I'm sure someone somewhere is looking into it, but in 1959 it was hopelessly optimistic

Looks like an experimental Le Morane-Saulnier Statodyne, French tail sitter to me. but i think they never made any. I don't read french very well but if you do check out 1st link below.

prototypes.free.fr...

www.aiaa.org...

www.aiaa.org...

[edit on 1-5-2006 by Subatomic]

Originally posted by vorazechul

Originally posted by waynos
It doesn't sound so bad to me. The anular wing might be a bit impraktikal in the way they made it back then, but it sure has some potential.

Might be one of those deals like the Flying Wing, which was a good design but was a bear to fly without decent (or any) computer control. I remember tossing those tin-snipped Coke cans for quite a distance. Pretty unstable at low speeds, but nothing a good fly-by-wire system couldn't fix.

The annular wing looks a lot like a form of compound wing
And I wonder if the tube that the wing actually is can be used as a thrust augmentor to get more from the jet engine it has.

Like I said - it can have many applications

One major problem with tail-sitter aircraft is landing them backwards, not least because it is very difficult for the pilot. However modern FBW with relaxed control and automated landing technology now makes tail sitter aircraft look more feasible.

The US Golden Eye UAV (/UCAV concept) is a current generation tail sitting aircraft.

www.moller.com


check that out

Why do I get the impression they built this simply because they had the money?

[edit on 3-5-2006 by johnsky]