Viking1066
Brigadier General
Kos of the 47th Independent Chutai at Chofu AB photo 2 the net
Picture of the Day - Miscellaneous (8 Viewers)
- Thread starter Shinpachi
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Viking1066
Brigadier General
Nakajima B5N2 1943 the net
The Republic XF-12 Rainbow was a high-altitude, long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft designed by Republic Aviation in the late 1940s. Developed to meet a 1943 U.S. Army Air Corps requirement for a plane that could cruise at 400 mph, operate at 40,000 feet, and cover 4,000 miles (a specification nicknamed "flying on all fours"), the aircraft was intended to photograph enemy targets from beyond the reach of interceptors.
Only two prototypes were built, with the first flight occurring on February 4, 1946. The XF-12 became the fastest four-engine piston aircraft ever built, reaching speeds of 470 mph at altitudes of 45,000 feet with a range of 4,500 miles. Its innovative design included an onboard darkroom for developing film in flight, allowing for immediate intelligence analysis upon landing.
Despite its superior performance, the program was canceled shortly after World War II ended. The advent of jet engine technology and the availability of cheaper converted bombers (like the RB-50) made the complex, piston-powered Rainbow obsolete before it could enter production. The aircraft was officially retired in June 1952.
Only two prototypes were built, with the first flight occurring on February 4, 1946. The XF-12 became the fastest four-engine piston aircraft ever built, reaching speeds of 470 mph at altitudes of 45,000 feet with a range of 4,500 miles. Its innovative design included an onboard darkroom for developing film in flight, allowing for immediate intelligence analysis upon landing.
Despite its superior performance, the program was canceled shortly after World War II ended. The advent of jet engine technology and the availability of cheaper converted bombers (like the RB-50) made the complex, piston-powered Rainbow obsolete before it could enter production. The aircraft was officially retired in June 1952.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
A really beautiful airplane.
756 km/h top speed..plane was designed during the war.
