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03-30-2014, 11:27 AM | #21 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Came across this on Facebook the other day via "Atomic Samba":
Atomic Samba - Soviet Flying Sub project, 1930's "It all started with a ground-breaking research by B.P. Ushakov, conducted by the Russian military in utter secrecy, between 1934 and 1938. The design never achieved a prototype stage, but was seriously considered for military application: the plane could fly 800 km at the speed of 200 km/h and could dive to 50 meters, having underwater speeds of 3 knots." Via, Dark Roasted Blend While it looks nothing like the SHARC, what other "flying sub" designs exist out there? Can't imagine that there would be a whole helluva lot as impractical as it might be. Funny thing is, and I don't have it with me immediately to reference, the Marvel G.I. Joe: ARAH series issue #8 also featured a Cobra submersible helicopter of a closer design that Cobra Commander and the Baroness escaped in. Either way, perhaps some other element out there absconded with the original Russian designs that were utilized to build their own version of a submersible aircraft which was then nabbed by the US government and/or MARS Industries to create these newer versions? Both the SHARC and the Cobra craft from issue #8 could never really work in the real world - at least the way they're portrayed in the comic and cartoon. A real-world version would have to go through a more prolonged process; it could never just fly out of the water, or into it. The physics to make it happen just wouldn't work - especially for the latter. It would be smashed to bits if you attempted to fly out of the air into the water. It could fly out of the water, but it would have to be structurally designed in a way that really allow for any maneuverability in flight. However, if you landed on the surface of the water first and went through some process that would allow the ship to submerge, that could possibly work. Likewise, if you surfaced in the ship and then began to gain enough speed across the top of the water to take flight and fly away. The SHARC acronym (Submersible High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft) indicates that it could be utilized as a fighter craft, but the reconnaissance application would make more sense realistically, as a dual-purpose craft that would need to fly, float and sink would probably not be too maneuverable, especially in the air. Just my thoughts on the matter.
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03-30-2014, 02:16 PM | #22 |
Commando
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Britain
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Even as a kid, I called BS on the SHARC flying. I see it more as a straight-up small submersible.
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04-06-2014, 02:16 PM | #23 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Midway, PA
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From Unusual Locomotion: "Udes XX -20 articulated prototype built by Hägglunds and Bofors, 24 t, Scania 500 hp, was a really off-road vehicle, especially in snowy areas and marshes of Northern Sweden. Low ground pressure, thanks to length, direction by articulation whose power loss was only 2% against 20% with a skid steering vehicle. The positive pitch control allowed crossing major obstacles but also making turns in place as a classic tank. For Sven Berge, creative designer, this concept had no defaults even if the interior was divided in two parts and the price highest. The merit of Sweden was to design this new concept and especially to build a prototype. Then the question always arises: the increased performance they justify the price increase? And there, the project will be canceled because of the price but not technical reasons. Photo by Stefan Karlsson in 2009 after the arrival of the prototype at Srängnäs."
"Udes XX-20, 1980. Swedish engineers had already produced the Bv202 and Bv206, articulated vehicles whose they were the precursors. Studied and tested in the 60s and 70s, they were not then series produced." (I'm assuming this was translated from the original source.) Seems a little similar to the Cobra MAGGOT: Obviously not an exact design, but not too dissimilar either.
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04-06-2014, 02:41 PM | #24 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Another one from Unusual Locomotion. It's really a useful site with hundreds of interesting styles of vehicles: "The 3304 Volvo ' PV- Jeep' built in 360 copies in 1963-64. 93 km/h, 1.57 t, 65 hp."
Vaguely reminiscent of the 2001 Desert Striker built upon a VAMP body:
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04-06-2014, 03:00 PM | #25 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
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And another one from Unusual Locomotion: "According to a Kitchen's patent in the 30's, the Loopwheel of Lockheed in 1970 was a curved elastic and light strip of titanium alloy for Mars robots and land vehicles. The ELMS vehicle (1985) had four independent Loopwheels and could run on the slopes while remaining horizontal. Pict: mars-sgi.com trakrov loopwheel1"
Though made around 1985, the 1983 PAC/RAT Flamethrower utilized an undercarriage very similar to this albeit in a tripod formation.
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04-12-2014, 04:31 PM | #26 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
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This is the Convair 49 Project circa 1967. From aviastar.org: "The most unique proposal in the AAFSS competition came from the San Diego division of Convair. The Model 49 did not fit the normal mold for either an airplane or a helicopter, and represented something entirely new. Propulsive power came from turbine engines driving counterrotating propellers within the shroud. Convair believed that the system was inherently more reliable than a conventional helicopter, and pointed out the only pilot control inputs involved directional control and setting rotor blade angle and engine speed. The crew of two occupied an articulating capsule on top of the shroud and was provided with a full array of sensors. The engines, fuel, crew capsule, and avionics bays were equipped with dual-property steel armor for protection against 12.7-mm projectiles. A wide variety of weapons were proposed for use on the vehicle. The normal complement included two side turrets with either XM-134 7.62-mm machine guns or XM-75 40-mm grenade launchers. Each turret was provided with either 12000 rounds of 7.62-mm ammunition or 500 40-mm grenades. A center turret carried an XM-140 30-mm cannon with 1000 rounds of ammunition. The center turret could also mount 500 WASP rockets, or a second 30-mm cannon. Each of the turrets could rotate and elevate and was capable of being fired while sitting on the ground, in a hover, or during high-speed forward flight. Mechanical stops were provided that prevented any of the weapons from firing at the nose of the crew compartment when it was articulated forward/down. Four hard-points were located on two of the engine nacelles; each could carry a fuel tank, three BGM-71 TOW missiles, or three Shillelagh missiles. Alternately, one of these hardpoints on each nacelle could carry a single M40A1C 106-mm recoilless rifle and 18 rounds of ammunition. The 106-mm cannon had an effective range of 10000 yards, and was effective against hardened targets. All of the hard points could rotate so that they could be oriented into the wind during high-speed flight, or aimed while being fired from either forward flight or a hover. Four external fuel tanks provided up to 1200 gallons additional fuel for ferry flights. The mission modes for the Model 49 are shown above. The shrouded-rotor vehicle was capable of vertical takeoff and landing, just like a helicopter, and was also capable of hovering. The propulsion system consisted of three shroud-mounted Lycoming LTC4B-11 turboshaft engines, although the General Electric T64, Allison T56, and Pratt & Whitney JFTD12 were also investigated. The engines were coupled through clutches, shafting, and gear-reduction units to contra-rotating variable pitch rotors within the shroud. The thrust and lift systems were extremely interrelated, and the shroud amplified the thrust under some conditions, compensating for the relatively small diameter of the rotors. The engines and gear boxes were located in three of the nacelles along the sides of the shroud; the fourth nacelle contained the weapons and avionics. The overall control system was thought to be similar to conventional helicopters except for the removal of the cyclic pitch feature. Convair planned to leverage the experience gained during the Navy XFY-1 Pogo program in the areas of vertical control systems and powerplant installations, and believed the development risk was minimal." (T.Landis & D.R.Jenkins "Lockheed AH-56A Cheyenne", 2000)
This design screams "G.I. Joe" to me, although there isn't really anything in their arsenal that resembles this outright. There are elements that can be seen in parts here and there; the Trubble Bubble, the Pogo and the Iron Grenadiers AGP all have evidence of possibly being partly inspired by this prototype design. Interesting.
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04-12-2014, 04:45 PM | #27 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Via Dark Roasted Blend: "a Soviet "Meteor" "Rocket" hydrofoil (1960's-1980's) rusting away in the autumn forest - near Kama Reservoir (Zaoszerskaya shipyards near Perm)"
Pretty cool. I think this design could have been half the inspiration for the Hydrofoil LCT (Landing Craft Tank) from GI Joe ARAH issue #1. The other half would have been the LCM-8 landing craft used by the US Navy and Army from 1959 to the present.
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05-11-2014, 12:24 PM | #28 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Been a while since I've had time to do some more digging, but I've found a few more items over this past week. First up is the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter.
"The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter has to be simultaneously one of the coolest and strangest vehicles ever built. The Surface Orbiter came from humble beginnings, a milk tanker to be precise. But thanks to the hard work (14,000 hours over four and a half years) by Rick Dobbertin of Syracuse, New York, the Surface Orbiter became a reality. The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter was designed to be a truly all-terrain amphibious vehicle, and one which could circumnavigate the globe without the need for support vehicles. Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding, this epic vehicle never got to prove itself as a true globetrotter. That's not to say it didn't do its fair share of testing and travel. It logged over 33,000 miles on land, and perhaps more incredibly it traveled over 3,000 miles by water, including open seas with waves up to 18 feet (5.4 meters) high! The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter was also the first amphibious vehicle to pass the length of the Panama Canal. The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter's build process was one of truly gargantuan proportions, especially for one man. Measuring in at 32.5 feet (10m) long, with a width of 7.5 feet (2.3m) and standing 10.5 feet (3.2) high, the body is a 1959 Heil stainless steel milk tanker with 2.5 inches of Styrofoam insulation packed between the two walls. It can carry 340 gallons (1,287 litres) of diesel for its 250 hp 6.5 litre V8, and 40 gallons (151 litres) of drinking water for the crew. Top speed over land is a respectable 70 mph. However in the water it's a much more placid 11 mph. Equipment for the Dobbertin Surface Orbiter includes a GPS system with 24-mile range radar, multiple radio systems, auto-inflating life raft, dual steering wheels, marine cruise-control, and a bunch of other essential equipment for the independent world-traveller." (from Diseno-art.com) While this is an amphibious vehicle, it has a distinct appearance that is similar to the ROC Mole Pod. The Dobbertin Surface Orbiter was created in 1993, so it could have been an inspiration for the Mole Pod. A pretty interesting vehicle nonetheless.
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05-11-2014, 12:45 PM | #29 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
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This is the 1979 Colani Sea-Ranger, another interesting amphibious craft that has that GI Joe look. Sort of looks a bit like a half-sized Rolling Thunder, but there are even some less obvious elements that can be seen in the Cobra Hammerhead, which makes a little more sense since it was also amphibious. And there was also an R/C toy version that looks to be pretty durn close to GI Joe scale.
" The 1979 Colani Sea Ranger was just one of the many crazy ideas to erupt from the head of the prolific German designer Luigi Colani. Colani has designed a huge range of items during his extensive career, from vehicles and buildings, to furniture and everyday items like pens. His work has taken him from his native Germany, to California as an aircraft designer for McDonnell Douglas in the fifties, back to Germany, then to Japan, Switzerland and China, before retiring back in Germany. Berlin to be precise. So despite the Colani Sea Ranger’s quite absurd appearance, you can be sure that it’s been well thought out. It was also pretty capable in the mud, primarily due to the fact it was based on a Mercedes Unimog chassis and running gear. This was then wrapped in a watertight amphibious shell which looked like something straight out of a science fiction book. Highlights of the Colani Sea Ranger included the open interior which had fantastic 360 degree views thanks to large angled windows, a side ladder to allow the occupants to climb up onto the roof, a powerful radio antenna, and of course that single rear swiveling fishing seat which was styled a bit like the iconic 70s egg seats. The prototype of the Colani Sea Ranger made its world debut at the 1980 Hanover Fair, and despite drawing an inquisitive crowd, there wasn’t enough interest to manufacture it commercially. It remains a one-off housed at the Colani design museum." (From Diseno-art.com) https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=k03XqxcIakA
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05-11-2014, 01:04 PM | #30 |
endlesssummerofthedamned
Join Date: Jan 2008
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Not too sure what the hell this one's comparable to, but it's interesting either way. The Soviet TES-3 Mobile Nuclear Power Plant - say waaaah? Sure, let's drive a freakin' nuclear power plant around.
Lots of information about this rolling radioactive lunchbox here. "The plant’s turbine generator produces 1.5 megawatt, however its three steam generator can give 20-atmosphere, 285-degree steam in quantities sufficient to create 2 megawatt of power at the turbine. As all nuclear reactors, the TES-3 also produced vasts amounts of radiactivity. As such, during the plant’s work a large earth berm had to be dug around the early propotypes to protect the crew from radioactivity."
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