V-1710 thanks much…
It has been more than a decade since I last saw a photo of it. I had forgotten about it until I saw the photo. This aircraft simply blows away the 'Connie' in the looks department, in fact it is my absolute favorite 4-piston engine aircraft period, heck it almost was a fighter... Wow!!! Thanks again.
I was introduced to this aircraft during a visit to Mitchel Field, Long Island, New York during the late seventies.
I searched the net for more photos and links to data as I needed to be reacquainted… Thought I'd share what was found…
The Republic XF-12 'Rainbow' (XR-12 after Sept. 1947)
Type: Long-range photo-recon. Aircraft
Crew: 7
Length: 93' 10" (28.62m)
Height: (8.75m)
Wingspan: 129' 2" (39.38m)
Wing area: (152.4 sq m)
Empty Weight: 66,980 lbs (30,382 kg)
Max Weight: 113,250 lbs (51,370 kg)
Engines: 4; Pratt-Whitney R-4360-31 28-cyl Wasp Major
Horsepower: 3250 hp each
Range: 4100 miles
Cruise Speed: 400 mph
Max Speed: 460 mph
Ceiling: 41,000 ft
This aircraft design was started in 1943 as a convoy fighter, to protect the bombers going on long-range missions. The Air Force later changed that requirement to that of a long-range photoreconnaissance aircraft, obviously fighter types of the day were proving more than 'adequate'. Alexander Kartveli and Republic switched to meet this requirement, as did Hughes with the XF-11.
So low-drag was a primary consideration of Kartveli throughout the design of the XF-12. Many of its features were taken directly from Republic's his considerable experience with fighter plane design. In an extremely rare case of design direction, absolutely no compromise with aerodynamics was made in the shape of its fuselage, the long pointed nose of the design virtually prohibited flow separation, on take-off and landing, the two halves of the streamlined upper windscreen rotated down into the nose to provide an unobstructed view for the pilots through a second flat windscreen. The engine nacelles, with their torpedo like shape were about the size of a P-47's fuselage. Rather than having individual cowl flaps, the entire nacelle was equipped with a sliding ring arrangement and internal variable-speed fan for cooling air on the cylinder heads. A system to route exhaust and supercharger and accessory waste gases to an oval "jet pipe" exhaust gained 250-300hp per engine; it added 20 mph to the XF-12s top speed at altitude (Republic press release).
When the XF-12 was modified with increased "all weather" equipment and outfitted with a new power plant capable of providing short bursts of extreme power, it suddenly assumed tremendous importance in the eyes of both the U.S. Air Force and the State Department. As a potent intelligence weapon, the XF-12 had the ability to obtain photographs both in daylight and under conditions of restricted visibility and at high altitudes over long ranges and with great speed; they intended operation from northern bases (Alaska and Canada); utilizing the XF-12 as a "flying photo laboratory", capable of mapping broad stretches of territory in the Arctic regions, performing reconnaissance with near-invulnerability (…Like the DH Mosquito, or SR-71).
The USAAF ordered two XF-12 prototypes in March 1944; the first acting as a proof of concept airframe was rolled out in December 1945. It made its first flight on 7 February 1946. A production order for 6 F-12's was placed in 1947.
The second prototype was fully equipped. In the pressurized cabin it carried, next to the three cameras, all necessary equipment for film-developing, printing and interpreting. The first flight was also made from Farmingdale, Long Island, 12 August 1947.
The Rainbow was re-designated XR-12 in September 1947.
"Operation Bird's-eye" was conceived to demonstrate the newly-designated XR-12's ultimate photo capabilities. On Sept. 1, 1948, the second XR-12 lifted off from Air Force Flight Test Center at Muroc, Calif. (now Edwards AFB), and climbed westward to gain altitude over the Pacific Ocean. Upon reaching its 40,000 foot cruising altitude, the XR-12 headed eastward and began photographing its entire route of flight over the entire United States. The crew shot a continuous 325 foot long strip of film composed of 390 individual photos covering a 490-mile-wide field of vision. The aircraft landed at Mitchel field at Garden City, Long Island, N.Y., completing a flight lasting six hours and 55 minutes. The record shattering flight was featured in the Nov. 29, 1948, issue of Life magazine and the actual filmstrip went on exhibit at the 1948 Air Force Association Convention in New York City.
At the time this record was made, the Air Force had already canceled the entire XF-12 program. The primary reason for its demise was the availability of both B-29 and B-50 types to meet the long-range photo-reconnaissance requirement until the far more capable RB-47 was brought into service.
Disaster struck on 7 November 1948 when number two engine of the second prototype exploded over Eglin AFB and the crew was forced to bail-out, the aircraft crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. Subsequently flying of the first prototype was suspended, the project was shelved.
Had the Rainbow been available in 1944, it almost inevitably would have been ordered in quantity, and the whole postwar structure of the commercial aircraft market might have been altered by the RC-2 (The passenger aircraft derivative, orders for which were given, but canceled by Republic, as without the military contract, Republic decided it was not economically feasible to construct.) with Republic building follow-on airliners. As it was, the Rainbow the first prototype ended its life sadly as a US Army artillery target at the Aberdeen Proving ground, despite its graceful lines and high performance.
Info sourced from:
(
http://1000aircraftphotos.com/HistoryBriefs/RepublicXR12.htm )
(
http://www.daveswarbirds.com/usplanes/aircraft/XF-12.htm )
(
http://www.aerofiles.com/_repub.html )
Images sourced from:
(
http://www.air-and-space.com )
Twitch… With regard to the Space Ship One… Ya think!!!! I too am floored.
This is my last 'contribution' to WW2aircraft.net.
My last post will be found here upon completion…
(
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/about962-0-asc-600.html ).
Sorry, I will no longer post or reply in any of these forums; go there to see why...