XP-39 II - The Groundhog Day Thread

[GrauGeist]

Early squirrel operated reconnaissance drone.

View attachment 603005

But could it nuke Japan?

 

[windhund116]

Demonstration by test pilot W.E. Coyote of center-of-gravity fail.

 

[SaparotRob]

Demonstration by test pilot W.E. Coyote of center-of-gravity fail.

View attachment 603008

COG too far aft?

 

[Dash119]

COG too far aft?

He forgot to move the radio forward...

 

[SaparotRob]

Oh. Thanks. I never get this stuff right.

 

[buffnut453]

He forgot to move the radio forward...

Nah...he removed his nose armour.

 

[GregP]

Nah...he removed his nose armour.

Buffnut, could you expand on that?

 

[buffnut453]

Nah...he removed his nose armour.

Buffnut, could you expand on that?

By removing armour from the forward area of the system, he forced the CofG to move aft, causing instability. Here's an image of a correctly-configured Wile E Coyote with nose armour in place:

 

[Dash119]

By removing armour from the forward area of the system, he forced the CofG to move aft, causing instability. Here's an image of a correctly-configured Wile E Coyote with nose armour in place:
View attachment 603029

Of course, anyone who has been following along would know he had removed the nose armor. If I had any intelligence, it would it would insulted by such comments.

But as I pointed out, all he had to do to correct that issue was to move the radio forward.

Oh, and delete the IFF unit in the tail...

 

[GregP]

Don't forget deleting the 30-cal MG ... AND their ammunition and mounting hardware.

 

[Dash119]

Don't forget deleting the 30-cal MG ... AND their ammunition and mounting hardware.

Sorry, but that will not affect Mr. Coyote's CofG nearly as much as moving the radio. It will however contribute to a nearly 1000 fpm increase in the rate of climb at all altitudes...

 

[Dash119]

Prior to the second flight, you can see Mr. Coyote has realized his mistake and is removing the IFF...

Photo courtesy the Internet
via Acme Rocket, LLC.
a division of Bell Aircraft...

 

[Airframes]

I read somewhere that, after that flight, with the IFF removed, M. Coyote replaced the IFF, as he'd been told (in jest, but he believed it) that IFF stood for "It Flies Faster".
With the IFF now replaced, but unfortunately wrongly located, and not properly secured , the craft certainly did fly faster - in a vertical dive, straight into the nutsack replacement storage facility located on he edge of the desert airstrip. This resulted in a severe shortage of nutsacks, particularly those allocated for fitment to Groundhogs, and was a key factor in the short and inglorious service life of the Grrounhog.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Well, don't forget the X-15 Cruise Basselope........ The CG was almost perfect!

 

[Dash119]

Well, don't forget the X-15 Cruise Basselope........ The CG was almost perfect!

View attachment 603044

Clearly a viable alternative to the B-29 for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki missions. Oh, wait...

 

[GregP]

 

[windhund116]

ACME the manufacturer of that prototype rocket, built many useful wartime products. Constantly tweaking the engineering envelope. Searching for the perfect CG!!!

 

[windhund116]

 

[SaparotRob]

Hey, where did everybody go?

 

[windhund116]

Saw their shadows?