WHIF Lockheed Light-Weight Fighter

[KJ_Lesnick]

I'm working around a WHIF based on an F-104 with a bigger more tapered wing similar to that of the X-15 or X-7A-3 (both more tapered than the F-104).  The idea would be to produce a design with better low-speed performance while retaining as much of the high-speed performance.  I'm already looking for people to help me draw up the idea on the art-forum.

In addition to the design being aerodynamically realistic, I also want the design to be realistic from a timeline standpoint and while I know the X-7 first flew in 1951, the Douglas X-3 flew in October 1952 (both of which the wing was based on), and the X-7A-3 first flew in 1954.  What I don't know was when the XF-104 airframe and the X-7A-3's wing-design were finalized.

Does anybody have the data?

[kerick]

The Squadron/Signal books are allways full of that sort of information if you can find one.  This should be well covered on the net.  Try Lockheed's website.  These companies always like to brag about their history. Also try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-104_Starfighter.

[KJ_Lesnick]

kerick

The Squadron/Signal books are allways full of that sort of information if you can find one.

I'll look, but I don't have it.

This should be well covered on the net.

Actually I checked: The best I can narrow it down to was November 1952 to March 1953; secondly I cannot seem to find anything about the wing design of the X-7A-3, when it was conceived/finalized.

[Mr.Creak]

As a result, during 1947, Lockheed, under the auspices of an engineering exercise headed by Willis Hawkins, conducted a brief preliminary design analysis to determine the characteristics of a pilotless vehicle designed to serve as a flying testbed for the Marquardt XRJ-37MN-1 ramjet engine. This study became the Model L-171 and it indicated that a satisfactory vehicle could be produced to fulfill the requirements outlined in Army letter TSEON-7 of
January 1, 1947.

But!...

The L-171 made sense, but suffered from a lack of versatility. Its design complicated the issue of engine variety and its small size (length of the L-171-1 was only 15 feet 3.5 inches) curtailed the internal carriage of sufficient fuel quantities. As a result of the latter, the short projected flight endurance severely limited data acquisition opportunities. These failings forced Lockheed to set the L-171 aside for a more utilitarian approach to the Air Force requirement.

Work on the final X-7 configuration began with the launching of several 1/3-scale, uncontrolled, free-flight models with a shock-cord slingshot.

No dates given, unfortunately, although...

During late 1950 and early 1951, the first of the X-7s was assembled in a small production facility in Plant B-6 at Burbank.

and (regarding the design of the F-104):

These insights were reviewed by Johnson and others in preliminary design and then interfaced with relevant technical data from Lockheed's then-secret X-7 ramjet-powered research vehicle program. Information from the various X-7 flights pertaining to configurations, aeroelasticity problems, and supersonic aerodynamics was used to assess the possibility of building a low-aspect-ratio, thin, straight wing aircraft that would have excellent flight characteristics in the Mach 2 to 3 speed range.

IOW the X-7 wing predated the F-104's and in fact fed into that design.
All quotes from Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works by Jay Miller.

[KJ_Lesnick]

IOW the X-7 wing predated the F-104's and in fact fed into that design.

The X-7A-1's wing did... the question is did the X-7A-3's?  And could that have been fed into the developing F-104 (time constraints)

I suppose there was one proposal that had a different wing at the same time 242-23-1 which could be changed WHIF-style to included a larger and more tapered wing?

[Mr.Creak]

The X-7A-1's wing did... the question is did the X-7A-3's?  And could that have been fed into the developing F-104 (time constraints)

Ah, sorry.
All I can find at the moment is that the X-7A-3 was developed about 1954 - the Miller book simply states that the -3 was done concurrently with the move to Van Nuys (which happened in that year).
I'll see if I can find anything else.

[KJ_Lesnick]

Mr. Creak

Thank you