Convair Kingfish

[Hobbes]

I recently downloaded an episode of Discovery Channel's 'Secret superpower aircraft' show, about spy planes. They showed some interesting stuff, e.g. fantastic old Soviet footage of Kapustin Yar and of their spyplanes, some neat CGI models etc.
One of the designs they mentioned (and which I didn't know about) was the Convair Kingfish, a design for a Mach 3 recon aircraft which was to include some stealth characteristics.



Remarkable resemblance to the F-117, huh?

more info

[Archibald]

Yep! This was Convair effort against the A-12 / D-21 combo, in the late 50's. Top speed was to be mach 4+

I'm surprised no one mention this fabulous machine before    

Even more infos here (alas translation doesn't work anymore, as this website is no longer updated    )
http://jpcolliat.free.fr/f12/f12-14.htm

[Archibald]

It seems there was three projects

- unmanned / manned vehicles hanged below the B-58B
- Fish single vehicle, ramjets, mach 4.2 (still launched by a B-58B)
- Kingfish with J-58s and speed reduced to mach 3.2

Interestingly, Convair kept on developping the Kingfish as an insurance in the case of A-12 failure. This, until 1965 and another program, the highly secret INSIGLASS. A mach 5 / mach 25 A-12 sucessor for the CIA
(from Astronautix)
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/isiglass.htm

[Mossie]

Very interesting machine!  Is it me, or does it have the look of a F-106 derivative?  Quite a leap in performance if it it is!

[ysi_maniac]

Cool indeed B)    

[Archibald]

High speed recon vehicles alt timeline

1959 Navaho interim unmanned recon vehicle. Mach 3.25
1960 Power is shot down. A-12 manned vehicle to complete the Navaho
1962 first flight of the A-12 Top speed Mach 3.6
1963 Fish resurrected and now launched from a Valkyrie. Mach 4.2
       Dyna Soar program go ahead
1968 Fish /Valkyrie combo enter service. A-12 and Navaho withdrawn.
1971 Dynasoar enter service for recon.

Of course, the corona KH-4 exists, but drawbacks of spy satellites are well known    

[Archibald]

1963 Fish resurrected and now launched from a Valkyrie. Mach 4.2

Guess what I've found just after posting this ?

   

[ysi_maniac]

What a beauty        

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Very interesting machine!  Is it me, or does it have the look of a F-106 derivative?  Quite a leap in performance if it it is!

The wings look very similar in plan form to the wings from the CF-105 Arrow.  Maybe Avro Canada was a sub-contractor for this program...  

[GTX]

Hi folks,

Some more infomation and pics on the Convair Kingfish may me found here and here.

Regards,

Greg

[Maverick]

The whole Fish jigger is bloody interesting stuff, the guys when ballistic had the things hanging off B-58s for a mother ship, quite logical I guess given the stalky undercart and Convair lineage.  Can't see one being a fighter tho... just a liiiittle bit too fast I'm thunking.. You know the whole "Bear at... o poo-poo (with an english accent)... 150miles behind us!"   Just gotta love the 60s tech tho... weren't afraid to put silly stuff up in the air or wind-tunnel at least.