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?
"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

"I dunno, I'm making this up as I go."
 - Indiana Jones

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.
Eddie's personal stalker.
Worshippers in Nannerland

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



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....
"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

"I dunno, I'm making this up as I go."
 - Indiana Jones

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
Do not condemn the judgement of another because it differs from your own. You may both be wrong.

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.

Stargazer

My understanding is that the Davis Manta ultimately evolved into the McDonnell XP-67 Bat/Moonbat, but I may be wrong.

Pablo1965

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