avatar_Weaver

The mysterious Manta

Started by Weaver, November 22, 2010, 04:15:49 AM

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Weaver

Here's a link to a 1942 Popular mechanics:

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=RicDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA62&lpg=PA62&dq=contra-props&source=bl&ots=-2S2bP6diQ&sig=TZuUc4103EnfU9ilvOXSeYk3BFk&hl=en&ei=IljqTLDqCIygOvGwvJ4K&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CEQQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=contra-props&f=false

Scroll down to page 62, and therein you will find the Manta Aircraft Corps Manta: an odd-shaped affair with a big wing and contraprops. Apparently it got as far as a mockup. Never heard of it before - have you?
"We thank you, but this diversion is not true. Things never happened thus."

"Oh, but it IS true. Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are
the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."

- Sandman: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Neil Gaiman

sotoolslinger

Coool never heard of that one :thumbsup:
I amuse me.
Huge fan of noisy rodent.
Things learned from this site: don't tease wolverine.
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pyro-manic

An interesting looking beast, to be sure. Very odd shaped wings.
Some of my models can be found on my Flickr album >>>HERE<<<

PR19_Kit

Weird, but then it's before my time of course.

Only just, about 6 months in fact!  ;D

Did you see what's below it? A feature on the Westland Whirlwind, which were apparently '....escorting bombers as far as Antwerp on recent raids over Cologne.....'
Kit's Rule 1 ) Any aircraft can be improved by fitting longer wings, and/or a longer fuselage
Kit's Rule 2) The backstory can always be changed to suit the model

...and I'm not a closeted 'Take That' fan, I'm a REAL fan! :)

Regards
Kit

Doc Yo

#4
 I thought I had, but this is a new one to me. I'd seen the name in connection with twin-boom pusher
from the same time period, but AFIK that never made it to the mock-up stage. I do recall the thing had the
same wing planform-crescent leading edge with a straight trailing edge, but that's about it. Great find, regardless-
and yet another plan-view to add to my collection. :thumbsup:

EDIT: And further scrolling through the issue Weaver linked will reveal further fodder for Whiffery. ( And discovering that Prince Albert pipe tobacco once considered itself "the National Joy Smoke" was a hoot. )

jcf

Secretprojects thread on the Davis Manta variations, with drawings by Justo Miranda:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,3510.0.html

The Manta drawings are from Justo's Unknown #4 which is available for download:
http://www.up-ship.com/drawndoc/rd/rd.htm


"Conspiracy theory's got to be simple.
Sense doesn't come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated crap
actually is than they ever are about
whatever's supposed to be behind the
conspiracy."
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

GTX

Ronnie Olsthoorn also profiled it:



Regards,

Greg
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

MadJack76


KJ_Lesnick

#8
It's a damn shame the USAAF didn't jump upon this, it would have produced the potential for a great bomber-escort.  I don't know if there were any feasibility issues, or how much this aircraft weighed, but the performance seemed good (and if not, one could just fit some monster like the V-3420 to it :mellow: ) from what is mentioned of it.
That being said, I'd like to remind everybody in a manner reminiscent of the SNL bit on Julian Assange, that no matter how I die: It was murder (even if there was a suicide note or a video of me peacefully dying in my sleep); should I be framed for a criminal offense or disappear, you know to blame.

beowulf

Quote from: PR19_Kit on November 22, 2010, 08:42:40 AM
Did you see what's below it?


i think that outrigger tank has got merit tho  ;D  :lol: :lol: :lol:
.............hes a very naughty boy!
allergic to aircraft in grey!
The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time........Bertrand Russell
I have come up with a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasel. ......Edmund Blackadder

Weaver

Y'know, I love the ethos of these old magazines that "everything is interesting" (the Eagle Cutaways book shows the same thing), whether it's a fighter plane or a fridge. Magazines andmedia are too tightly focussed onto niche interests nowadays....
"We thank you, but this diversion is not true. Things never happened thus."

"Oh, but it IS true. Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are
the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot."

- Sandman: A Midsummer Night's Dream, by Neil Gaiman

NARSES2

Have to agree Weaver. We live in the age of the specialist. I much prefer the idea of "Rennaisance Man", but then again in the modern age specialisation is understandable but you should still have a good general grounding. Gee I'm starting to sound like a Grumpy Old Man - waves at Duncan in the wings  ;D
Decals my @r$e!

KJ_Lesnick

#12
I have deleted my previous posts and simply amalgamated them into one large post which explains the data that I have obtained on the aircraft from Tophe.

The aircraft design, by 1942, (contrary to the Popular Mechanics/Popular Science article) was to be powered by a V-3420, with a projected maximum horsepower of 2,600 to 3,000 horsepower.  From what it appears, power loading figures would probably be similar to either the P-51 or P-47.  This would yield a lower weight-estimate of approximately 14,450 to 16,670 pounds, and an upper weight-estimate of 18,600 to 21,450 pounds.  The aircraft's wing-area was listed at approximately 35 square-meters (which depending on conversion method comes out to 376.73 to 381.15 square-feet*1), which due to the large estimated weight-range, the aircraft would yield a lower fully-loaded wing-loading estimate ranging from 38-44 pounds/square-foot (which is roughly comparable to the P-51 Mustang, and the P-61 Black-Widow), and an upper fully-loaded wing-loading estimate ranging from approximately 49-57 pounds/square-foot (Which is roughly comparable to the DH-100 Vampire, and P-47 Thunderbolt).  


Footnotes
*1A meter is 3.2803 feet, but some people often use the following figures, such as: 3.3, 3.28, 3.281, 3.2808, as well.  The range in square footage is based on the fact that I'm not 100% sure which conversion figure was used.


That being said, I'd like to remind everybody in a manner reminiscent of the SNL bit on Julian Assange, that no matter how I die: It was murder (even if there was a suicide note or a video of me peacefully dying in my sleep); should I be framed for a criminal offense or disappear, you know to blame.

Stargazer2006

My understanding is that the Davis Manta ultimately evolved into the McDonnell XP-67 Bat/Moonbat, but I may be wrong.
- My gallery at deviantART!
- STARGAZER, My site on Rutan and Scaled Composites

Pablo1965

Thanks to post this thread :thumbsup: The magazine is a great.