50s aircraft that originated during World War II

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Ok, here's a good one that was developed from a WWII era military bomber, which then was developed into a military transport, then to a civil aircraft and then developed into a specialized transport: the "Super Guppy".

The Super Guppy was designed for transporting space mission booster engines for NASA.
It was a modified Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser, which itself was developed from the C-97 transport.

The C-97 was developed of course, from the B-29.

The Super Guppy is still in service.
 
GrauGeist said:
Here you go:

View attachment 656244
(Image source: San Diego Air and Space Museum)
Click to expand...
IIRC NA-140, AC 11114 was a three ship contract dated May 1945. XFJ-1 wa NA-143, also 3 ship contract dated 12-44. Both designs initiated with P-51H airfoil/wing. I believe neither contract resulted in three ships.

Sweptwing charge number was NA-151 dated November 1946 to also migrated from J-33 to J-47 engine. XFJ-2 was nabvalized F-86E, then prodcution FJ-2 had folding wings and 4x20mm Mk-12 cannon.
 
Those square windows combined with not fully understood aeroelastic effects doomed a good airplane.

But directly was responsible for Boeing to truly dominate commercial air.
 
The Handley Page Hastings and Hermes were based upon the WW2 proposed HP66 Halifax replacement and the Hastings went on to fly covert supply missions (allegedly) into Laos by the RAF and RNZAF in the Vietnam War in the 1960's and fly maritime reconnaissance operation in the Cod War in the 1970's whilst the Hermes operated civil passenger flights into the 1960's. Flying me as a baby to Singapore for one.
 
No mention of the Me 262's great rival, yet...

RAFM 104

Originated from a 1944 specification, although didn't fly until 1946.

DSC_0239

This began from a specification that was first issued in 1938 in its first incarnation...

DSC_0152

And ended up as this, which saw action during Korea with the RN and RAN.

DSC_0043

6 degrees of separation. This was developed from a specification issued in 1944...

DSC_0889

And was fitted with swept wings to make this, which was a prototype only...

DSC_0023,

...Which morphed into this, the full scale one, that is, with a proper tricycle undercarriage...

RAFM 22

Which evolved into this, which actually wasn't very good.

NAM 73
 
yulzari said:
Flying me as a baby to Singapore for one.
Click to expand...

I remember reading that one RNZAF Hastings pilot said the type was "...the best three-engined transport in the world..."

Halifax reproduction and Hastings from roughly the same angle. The Halifax at Elvington has the wing from a Hastings.

YAM 29

DSC_0128

Another beguiling British transport that had its origins in WW2.

Bristol Freighter-1
 
It can be a long hard road to mediocrity.
 
Back to the genuine WWII bomber that didn't quite make it in time: the B-36.

The main quality of the planned B-36 was its very long range. A close #2 was its sheer size. It was intended to be able to bomb targets in Germany from bases in Maine or Newfoundland, but when England didn't collapse the task of bombing Germany fell to the B-24s and B-17s that were already available. But later on it was felt that we might need to bomb Japan from bases in Hawaii, so the AAF asked Consolidated (Convair after the merger with Vultee in 1943) to deliver 100 B-36s by August of 1945. But this, too, proved unnecessary when Admiral Nimitz was able to secure Saipan sooner than had originally been thought likely. With Saipan in hand, the B-29 was good enough, and the B-36 program was again delayed. The first operational, armed variant—the B-36B—began to be delivered to the 7th​ Bombardment Wing at Carswell AFB in November 1948.

The familiar four jet engines were not added until the B-36D, and then the B and C models were retro-fitted.


B-36B in flight.......................................................................................................................................................................... B-29 and B-36 size comparison
 
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