Delta Force
Banned
The Vought F7U Cutlass was unsuccessful as an interceptor for the United States Navy, but its styling did inspire the Oldsmobile Cutlass.
The Official Dieselpunk Thread
- Thread starter Delta Force
- Start date
Delta Force
Banned
In the 1930s, Soviet engineer Boris Ushakov worked to develop the LPL flying submarine.
The Soviet Union also focused on flying tanks in the 1930s. They built and flew the Antonov A-40, which was able to deliver a stripped down T-60 tank.
The Soviet Union also focused on flying tanks in the 1930s. They built and flew the Antonov A-40, which was able to deliver a stripped down T-60 tank.
Delta Force
Banned
The Republic XF-84H was powered by a turboprop engine, so it's more of a Golden Age of Aviation design. It may be the fastest propeller driven aircraft ever built. It's definately one of the loudest, and it actually gave one unfortunate ground crew member a seizure when he walked into the shock wave given off by the propeller, which moved at Mach 1.13.
However, it's possible that Rare Bear, a Grumman F8F Bearcat modified for racing, is the fastest. Rare Bear is piston powered, so it's the more dieselpunk of the two.
However, it's possible that Rare Bear, a Grumman F8F Bearcat modified for racing, is the fastest. Rare Bear is piston powered, so it's the more dieselpunk of the two.
F8F has always been a staple of air racing. The Smithsonian's Bearcat is also an ex-racing plane.
Delta Force
Banned
The Bearcat might be one of the few aircraft that started out as a combat aircraft and later became a racing aircraft, instead of the other way around. I'll see if I can find some other racing aircraft.
Delta Force
Banned
This Steyr Type 55 is interesting due to its resemblance to the Volkswagen. Also, it's interesting for being a Steyr Automobile. The company was and is more prominent as a manufacturer of firearms and other ordnance.
Delta Force
Banned
I'm surprised I only just found these photographs of the Convair C-99. It's a cargo variant of the B-36, and Convair even offered a commercial development of the C-99, the Model 37. Although only one C-99 was built, it was a popular aircraft in Strategic Air Command and was heavily used, being the only aircraft large enough to ferry parts for the B-36.
Delta Force
Banned
Here's the Convair Model 37, the civilian airliner variant of the military C-99 (itself a cargo variant of the B-36 strategic bomber).
"Model 37 - Consolidated Vultee's giant 204-passenger transport will make New York to London trip in 9 hours. It has two decks with luxurious accommodations for passengers, crew. Facilities will include restrooms (above) and lounges (below). Fifteen are on order for PAA."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Air-conditioned for five-mile-a minute flight."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Departure time on the highroad of the air."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Clipper Express - when dollars and hours count."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. 'Sleep in the Clouds' in full-length berths."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Sound-proof interiors."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Sky lounge for refreshments."
"Model 37 - Consolidated Vultee's giant 204-passenger transport will make New York to London trip in 9 hours. It has two decks with luxurious accommodations for passengers, crew. Facilities will include restrooms (above) and lounges (below). Fifteen are on order for PAA."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Air-conditioned for five-mile-a minute flight."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Departure time on the highroad of the air."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Clipper Express - when dollars and hours count."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. 'Sleep in the Clouds' in full-length berths."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Sound-proof interiors."
"Preview of tomorrow's Flying Clippers. Sky lounge for refreshments."
Grand Admiral Thrawn
Donor
Sounds nicer than today's flights. Keep posting; I know little of the *-punks, but enjoy them.
Delta Force
Banned
Here are some posters for Convair jet aircraft. It might be worth changing the title of this thread to the Dieselpunk and Jetpunk thread at some point, as there is some overlap in the late 1940s and parts of the 1950s.
If you look closely at the illustrations for the interceptors, you can see the evolution of the Convair delta design. The early design as seen in these first two images was incapable of breaking the sound barrier. Without area ruling, the F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart lineage would have ended with the under performing YF-102.
The other two aircraft here are the B-58 Hustler and the Convair 880 (later developed into the Convair 990 Coronado). The Convair 990A variant was the fastest airliner to enter service after the SSTs, and competed against the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Unfortunately for Convair, airlines desired the wider body and higher passenger loads of the Boeing and Douglas designs, and the Convair Jetliner program led the company to suffer the largest quarterly loss in business history up to that point.
If you look closely at the illustrations for the interceptors, you can see the evolution of the Convair delta design. The early design as seen in these first two images was incapable of breaking the sound barrier. Without area ruling, the F-102 Delta Dagger and F-106 Delta Dart lineage would have ended with the under performing YF-102.
The other two aircraft here are the B-58 Hustler and the Convair 880 (later developed into the Convair 990 Coronado). The Convair 990A variant was the fastest airliner to enter service after the SSTs, and competed against the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Unfortunately for Convair, airlines desired the wider body and higher passenger loads of the Boeing and Douglas designs, and the Convair Jetliner program led the company to suffer the largest quarterly loss in business history up to that point.
Delta Force
Banned
Some unusual World War II era aircraft.
The Vought XF5U is more famously known as the "flying flapjack". Engines in the wings would have driven the motors. The F5U never flew, but the Vought V-173 did, providing the viability of the concept.
The Blohm & Voss BV 141 was an asymmetric reconnaissance aircraft. It entered production and exceeded the requirements set for it, but wasn't produced in large numbers because another (more conventional) design had already entered production.
The Vought XF5U is more famously known as the "flying flapjack". Engines in the wings would have driven the motors. The F5U never flew, but the Vought V-173 did, providing the viability of the concept.
The Blohm & Voss BV 141 was an asymmetric reconnaissance aircraft. It entered production and exceeded the requirements set for it, but wasn't produced in large numbers because another (more conventional) design had already entered production.
Delta Force
Banned
The YB-47E was equipped with air launched cruise missiles, making it rather ahead of its time. I haven't been able to find much about this aircraft or the missiles it might be carrying.
There was also the XB-47D, which had some of its turbojet engines replaced by turboprop engines. For a brief period the USAF considered having its next generation strategic bombers use turboprop propulsion, the XB-47D was the prototype for the XB-55, which would have been a turboprop replacement for the B-47, and was also used to help inform the turboprop design concepts during the B-52 program. I haven't been able to find any pictures of the XB-47D with its landing gear up (the ones of it in flight are too large to post here), so it's possible the program didn't last long, as only initial flights are flown gear down.
There was also the XB-47D, which had some of its turbojet engines replaced by turboprop engines. For a brief period the USAF considered having its next generation strategic bombers use turboprop propulsion, the XB-47D was the prototype for the XB-55, which would have been a turboprop replacement for the B-47, and was also used to help inform the turboprop design concepts during the B-52 program. I haven't been able to find any pictures of the XB-47D with its landing gear up (the ones of it in flight are too large to post here), so it's possible the program didn't last long, as only initial flights are flown gear down.
I have to add this, because this is about as massive as railroad power gets in one place, with three of General Electric's finest - a Union Pacific "Big Blow" gas turbine-electric and two U50 double-prime mover diesels. It's a coal train, but its 18,500 horsepower on the point, so even the Wasatch Range shouldn't be too much of a difficulty.... 
And to add to that, four of GM's E8A passenger train diesels on the Southern Railway's New Orleans-bound Southern Crescent in the early 1970s. Amtrak took over national passenger service in 1971, but several railroads kept their flagship trains out of fear that Amtrak wouldn't do them justice. (Considering what Amtrak had to work with in the early to mid 70s, that fear was entirely justified.) Some of the E8s, built in the late 1940s and early 1950s, pulled mainline passenger trains until the early 1980s and commuter trains until the mid-1990s.
And to add to that, four of GM's E8A passenger train diesels on the Southern Railway's New Orleans-bound Southern Crescent in the early 1970s. Amtrak took over national passenger service in 1971, but several railroads kept their flagship trains out of fear that Amtrak wouldn't do them justice. (Considering what Amtrak had to work with in the early to mid 70s, that fear was entirely justified.) Some of the E8s, built in the late 1940s and early 1950s, pulled mainline passenger trains until the early 1980s and commuter trains until the mid-1990s.
Last edited:
Delta Force
Banned
I've always thought the streamlined trains of the 1930s were quite dieselpunk. The first streamlined diesel train in the United States was the Pioneer Zephyr, the first of many Zephyr trains. The train initially used a diesel engine designed for use in submarines, but it proved unreliable and a different engine was added.
Delta Force
Banned
The Schienenzeppelin, or rail zeppelin, was an experimental German train powered by a massive propeller. It was built out of aluminum, streamlined, and powered by engines from various German manufacturers, including BMW and Maybach. Although it established a record for average speed in commercial operations, reaching 143 miles per hour (230.2 kilometers per hour) between Karstädt and Dergenthin on the Berlin-Hamburg Line, ultimately only one Schienenzeppelin was built. In addition to the obvious reasons for why propellers aren't the best idea for a train that must pass through open stations and other areas with unshielded people, the train also proved unsuitable for attached operations, and the train couldn't go uphill because the airflow would separate with full power application.
Keep in mind that it's a pusher design, with the engine and propeller in the back. The conductor and front of the train are at the opposite end.
Here's the train in operation.
Here's the train stopped.
Here's the frame of the train.
Keep in mind that it's a pusher design, with the engine and propeller in the back. The conductor and front of the train are at the opposite end.
Here's the train in operation.
Here's the train stopped.
Here's the frame of the train.
Delta Force
Banned
The Tiger class cruisers were the last cruisers to be built for the Royal Navy. Although they were completed as guided missile cruisers and were later converted to helicopter cruisers, they were also armed with the 6"/50 QF Mark V (also known as the 6"/50 QF N5), an automatic gun mount capable of firing up to 20 rounds per minute. If not for the adoption of missiles, world navies in the 1940s and 1950s would have been equipped with increasingly sophisticated automatic guns. Between the end of World War II and the development of missiles, very few ships were built with them.
Here is HMS Blake as a helicopter cruiser. The 6" Mark 5 bow turret is still present.
Here is HMS Blake as a helicopter cruiser. The 6" Mark 5 bow turret is still present.
Delta Force
Banned
Unfortunately, the Convair B-58 had a short career due to the development of improved SAMs and Mach 2+ interceptors by the Soviet Union, and the Convair 880 and 990 programs failed so badly that the company lost a fourth of its stock value and suffered the largest quarterly loss in American corporate history up to that time. They were still very advanced aircraft.
The XF5U would have been so cool. The Marines would have loved it and maybe we could have seen the sea control ship concept earlier.
Delta Force
Banned
The Swiss Mirage IIIS could use a SEPR 844 reusable rocket engine to provide a power boost. The engine was mounted in a bay near the tail, and could be fired up to three times per flight. The first firing was used for takeoff and the climb to 60,000 feet (20,000 meters). Although this is more Jet or Space Age, I think something similar was featured in Crimson Skies.
The SEPR 844 firing on a Swiss Mirage IIIS.
A SEPR 844 rocket engine.
A diagram of a Mirage III with an optional SEPR 844 engine.
A diagram of the SEPR 844.
The SEPR 844 firing on a Swiss Mirage IIIS.
A SEPR 844 rocket engine.
A diagram of a Mirage III with an optional SEPR 844 engine.
A diagram of the SEPR 844.