Lockheed XB-30 concepts

McColm · December 07, 2011, 08:01:36 AM

Hi,
I know that Anigrand Craftswork do a 1/144 Lockheed XB-30, a military version of the Lockheed "Connie" and that the familiar C69 was used as a transporter as well as reconnaissance & AEW.
I was thinking along the lines of a maritime patrol aircraft , using a super G 1/72 kit from either Heller, Airfix, Revell or Monogram.
I'll have to see whether the fuselage will allow for a decent size weapons bay and sonobouy launchers or a I could stretch the fuselage and make it a bit longer. An M.A.D. boom fitted to the tail, with a new nose for the maritime radar or a dome/bulges.
I know that supercharge engines were used and even turbos. Were contra-rotating engines ever considered or JATO packs?
Anything too radical and you'd spoil those graceful lines.
It seems to me this subject has been covered before in the AEW, Tanker, SAR, Gunship and Bomber role.

pyro-manic · December 07, 2011, 09:25:13 AM

Just add a ventral weapons pannier or underwing pylons to the Warning Star and there you go.

PR19_Kit · December 07, 2011, 09:36:39 AM

Connies could carry an under-fuselage cargo pod anyway, BOAC called their's the 'Speedpack'. Mind you, they looked pretty ugly and I'm sure they didn't do the drag figures much good.

McColm · December 08, 2011, 04:13:36 AM

I was thinking along the lines of an internal weapons bay. I've found out that the Allison T-56 turboprop engines were considered, as I've got a few in my stash I could add these and square-off the wing tips or fit ESM pods.
Another twist could be a Rotodome AEW.
If my Nimrod wings don't fit the P-3 Orion they will fit the 'Connie'.

PR19_Kit · December 08, 2011, 06:40:17 AM

Lockheed made a turbo-prop Connie in the 50s.

It was based on the L-1049 Super Connie and was called the L-1249. They built at least 2 of them IIRC and they were powered by the big T-34 engine that was also used on the C-133. Apart from the Starliner

I think the L-1249 was the best looking Connie variant ever.

(Quoting the source file 'This photo has no known copyright restrictions........)

McColm · December 08, 2011, 06:45:28 AM

Thanks

PR19_Kit · November 27, 2015, 07:46:32 AM

This thread will do a treat for my B-30 musings mentioned in Spinners' thread.

How did they plan to carry the bombs? The wing is too low for there to be a bomb bay underneath, as in a Lancaster, B-24 or B-29, all of which were mid-wing designs with the main spar going over the top of the bomb bay. The B-17 doesn't count as it had such a small bomb bay I expect it fitted between the wing spars.

The main spar position on the B-30 is the problem, it would either have to cut the bomb bay in half or bend up and over the bomb bay, which would weigh a TON!

tomo pauk · November 27, 2015, 08:06:07 AM

Hmm - maybe 3 bomb bays were inside? One in front of the front spar, another between the spars, another behind the rear spar. Basically, similar layout as with the B-29.

Gondor · November 27, 2015, 08:42:31 AM

Quote from: tomo pauk on November 27, 2015, 08:06:07 AM
Hmm - maybe 3 bomb bays were inside? One in front of the front spar, another between the spars, another behind the rear spar. Basically, similar layout as with the B-29.

Sounds the most practical to me.

Gondor

The Big Gimper · November 27, 2015, 10:03:22 AM

Don't forget about TomZ's "stock" B-30 build.

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,37894.0/highlight,b-30.html

Captain Canada · November 27, 2015, 10:29:37 AM

That L-1249 is gorgeous !

PR19_Kit · November 27, 2015, 10:55:00 AM

Quote from: tomo pauk on November 27, 2015, 08:06:07 AM
Hmm - maybe 3 bomb bays were inside? One in front of the front spar, another between the spars, another behind the rear spar. Basically, similar layout as with the B-29.

The B-29 only had two bomb bays, forward and aft of the main spar. See Section V, para 2 below.

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=yh8_1MCHNYkC&pg=PA47&lpg=PA47&dq=b-29+bomb+bays&source=bl&ots=1gj5MxisFi&sig=eWCiyZDZ3BNR54b-1hs1wOl5X2U&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiO4ZG7orHJAhWCXBQKHQu0B28Q6AEIVjAM#v=onepage&q=b-29%20bomb%20bays&f=false

tomo pauk · November 27, 2015, 01:06:03 PM

Indeed, there were just two bomb bays in the B-29. One was in front of the front spar, the other was aft of the rear spar. Between the spars there was a compartment where fuel tanks were located in later aircraft, the crew could walk over those from front part of the A/C to the aft part, and vice versa.

McColm · November 27, 2015, 01:53:14 PM

Having destroyed a few Heller and Airfix kits, having two weapons bays would only work on the Super G. Forward of the wings works fine, due to the curvre of rear fuselage this limits the space.
Kit suggested using the weapons bay from the Airfix HS/BAe Nimrod MR1/MR2.
Never tried this although I do have one in the stash.

Haven't given up on the KB-30 /KC-121 refueling tanker with flying boom as I have the Academy KC-97G and L models.
Whilst the amphibious version is on hold for now.
The shoulder wing concept, is still being studied. A raid in the spare parts bin should have the undercarriage sorted and new wings.

Gondor · November 27, 2015, 02:17:16 PM

Quote from: tomo pauk on November 27, 2015, 01:06:03 PM
Indeed, there were just two bomb bays in the B-29. One was in front of the front spar, the other was aft of the rear spar. Between the spars there was a compartment where fuel tanks were located in later aircraft, the crew could walk over those from front part of the A/C to the aft part, and vice versa.

The ground crew might be able to do that in a B-29, the flight crew could not as the two main compartments were pressurised and linked together by a tunnel in the top of the fuselage.

A pointer for anyone building the Academy 1/72 scale B-29 or derivatives, the tunnel does not have a hole in it so that the crew can use the astrodome. The tunnel is in two identical parts with a flat part section that fits under the lip that the astrodome sits on.

Gondor