The mysterious Manta

[Weaver]

Here's a link to a 1942 Popular mechanics:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RicDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=contra-props&source=bl&ots=-2S2bP6diQ&sig=TZuUc4103EnfU9ilvOXSeYk3BFk&hl=en&ei=IljqTLDqCIygOvGwvJ4K&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEQQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=contra-props&f=false

Scroll down to page 62, and therein you will find the Manta Aircraft Corps Manta: an odd-shaped affair with a big wing and contraprops. Apparently it got as far as a mockup. Never heard of it before - have you?

[sotoolslinger]

Coool never heard of that one

[pyro-manic]

An interesting looking beast, to be sure. Very odd shaped wings.

[PR19_Kit]

Weird, but then it's before my time of course.

Only just, about 6 months in fact! 

Did you see what's below it? A feature on the Westland Whirlwind, which were apparently '....escorting bombers as far as Antwerp on recent raids over Cologne.....'

[Doc Yo]

 I thought I had, but this is a new one to me. I'd seen the name in connection with twin-boom pusher
from the same time period, but AFIK that never made it to the mock-up stage. I do recall the thing had the
same wing planform-crescent leading edge with a straight trailing edge, but that's about it. Great find, regardless-
and yet another plan-view to add to my collection.

EDIT: And further scrolling through the issue Weaver linked will reveal further fodder for Whiffery. ( And discovering that Prince Albert pipe tobacco once considered itself "the National Joy Smoke" was a hoot. )

[jcf]

Secretprojects thread on the Davis Manta variations, with drawings by Justo Miranda:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3510.0.html

The Manta drawings are from Justo's Unknown #4 which is available for download:
http://www.up-ship.com/drawndoc/rd/rd.htm

[GTX]

Ronnie Olsthoorn also profiled it:



Regards,

Greg

[MadJack76]

Quite striking

[KJ_Lesnick]

It's a damn shame the USAAF didn't jump upon this, it would have produced the potential for a great bomber-escort.  I don't know if there were any feasibility issues, or how much this aircraft weighed, but the performance seemed good (and if not, one could just fit some monster like the V-3420 to it  ) from what is mentioned of it.

[beowulf]

Did you see what's below it?

i think that outrigger tank has got merit tho   

[Weaver]

Y'know, I love the ethos of these old magazines that "everything is interesting" (the Eagle Cutaways book shows the same thing), whether it's a fighter plane or a fridge. Magazines andmedia are too tightly focussed onto niche interests nowadays....

[NARSES2]

Have to agree Weaver. We live in the age of the specialist. I much prefer the idea of "Rennaisance Man", but then again in the modern age specialisation is understandable but you should still have a good general grounding. Gee I'm starting to sound like a Grumpy Old Man - waves at Duncan in the wings 

[KJ_Lesnick]

I have deleted my previous posts and simply amalgamated them into one large post which explains the data that I have obtained on the aircraft from Tophe.

The aircraft design, by 1942, (contrary to the Popular Mechanics/Popular Science article) was to be powered by a V-3420, with a projected maximum horsepower of 2,600 to 3,000 horsepower.  From what it appears, power loading figures would probably be similar to either the P-51 or P-47.  This would yield a lower weight-estimate of approximately 14,450 to 16,670 pounds, and an upper weight-estimate of 18,600 to 21,450 pounds.  The aircraft's wing-area was listed at approximately 35 square-meters (which depending on conversion method comes out to 376.73 to 381.15 square-feet^*1), which due to the large estimated weight-range, the aircraft would yield a lower fully-loaded wing-loading estimate ranging from 38-44 pounds/square-foot (which is roughly comparable to the P-51 Mustang, and the P-61 Black-Widow), and an upper fully-loaded wing-loading estimate ranging from approximately 49-57 pounds/square-foot (Which is roughly comparable to the DH-100 Vampire, and P-47 Thunderbolt).  


Footnotes
^*1A meter is 3.2803 feet, but some people often use the following figures, such as: 3.3, 3.28, 3.281, 3.2808, as well.  The range in square footage is based on the fact that I'm not 100% sure which conversion figure was used.

[Stargazer]

My understanding is that the Davis Manta ultimately evolved into the McDonnell XP-67 Bat/Moonbat, but I may be wrong.

[Pablo1965]

Thanks to post this thread The magazine is a great.