RARE 1950s USAF Prototype Desk Model LOCKHEED AIRPLANE

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RARE 1950s USAF Prototype Desk Model LOCKHEED "THE LOCUST"WE HAVE FOR SALE A RARE PROTOTYPE AIRPALNE FOM THE 50STHIS ITEM HAS COME FROM AN ESTATE W THE OWNER WAS EMPLOYED BY LOCKHEED AIRCRAFT IN THE 40S AND 50SHE WAS A LOCKEED JET DESIGNER THE INITIALS ON THE BOX ARE L.E AND T.E AND AFTTHIS PLANE IS CALLED "THE LOCUST"IT LOOKS TO HAVE A PROPELLER IN THE FRONT AND JETS ON THE SIDE OF THE PLANEMAYBE THIS IS A RAMJET OR TURBOSHAFT DESIGNI TRIED TO FIND SOME INFO ON THIS PLANE AND CAME UP EMPTYIF ANYONE HAS SOME INFO THAT I COULD ADD, THAT WOULD BE GREATI BELIEVE THIS IS A "TRUE PROTOTYPE MODEL" NOT A PLASTIC OR METAL PRODUCTION ITEMBUT A ONE OF A KIND PROTOTYPE PLANETHE BODY LOOKS TO BE IN VERY GOOD CONDITION FOR ITS AGET ARE SOME SMALL CRACKS IN THE FILLER AS SHOWNTHE PLANE COMES APART AS SHOWN AND FITS INTO THE CARRY CASETHE WINGS, WHEELS, WING TIPS, ALL COME OFFT IS A SMALL WHEEL FOR THE BACK OF THE PLANE AND ONE EXTRA LARGE WHEELTHE PLANE MEASURES 16.5" BY 15" BY 9.5" TALL WHEN ON THE STANDTHIS IS VERY COOL ONE OF A KNID ITEM WITH THE ORIGINAL BOX AND INSTRUCTIONS AS SHOWNSO I HAVE HAD 3 DIFFERANT PEOPLE EMAIL ME SOME INFO ON THIS PLANE. FIRST THIS IS DEFFEFINTLY A PROTYPE, MADE PROBABLY IN THE 40S. THIS AIRPLANE OR AIRPLANE TYPE WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN THAT COMBINED BOTH A TURBOPROP AND A JET PROPULSION DESIGN (JET ENGINE). T WERE 3 OR 4 DIFFERANT TYPE PLANES THAT HAVE THIS DESIGN THAT WERE MADE IN THE 40S. 1) XF2R F2R DARK SHARK, 2) RYAN RF FIREBALL 3) CONVAIR XP-81 4) XF2R2r DARK SHARK WAS A MODIFIED XF2R DARK SHARK WITH THE JET INTAKES MOVED TO THE SIDED OF THE FUSELAGE. ONLY ONE RYAN XF2R DARK SHARK WAS EVER BUILT THE MODEL PROTYPE THAT IS FOR AUCTION IS MOST LIKE THE "DARK SHARK" AND MIGHT HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE EARLY PROTYPE. WITH THAT SAID THIS IS A TRUE "ONE OF A KIND" ESTATE FIND Although the Dark Shark proved to be a capable aircraft, it never got further than the prototype stage; all-jet aircraft were considered superior. US Naval Mixed Engine (Jet & Turbo Prop) Aircraft RyanRyan XF2R-1 Dark Shark Jet and turboprop mixed engines fighter FR Ryan FR Fireball Mixed-power naval fighter with a radial and a jet engine. Too late for WWII, only 66 were built. Type: FR-1 Year: 1945 Crew: 1 Engines: 1 * Wright R-1820-72W 1 * 725kg General Electric J31-GE-3 Max. Speed: 685 km/u Ceiling: 13150 m Max. Range: 2300 km Armament: 4*mg12.7mm P-59 Airacomet tested by the USN. Maybe it was both. F2R Ryan XF2R Dark Shark Development of the FR Fireball with a turboprop engine. One built. Type: XF2R-1 Year: 1946 Crew: 1 Engines: 1 * 726kg General Electric J31-GE-3 1 * General Electric XT31-GE-2 Max. Speed: 800 km/u Ceiling: 11920 m Max. Range: km Armament F-109 Ryan F-109 Became the Ryan X-Vertijet, a tail-sitting VTOL testbed. FR-1 Fireball (Model 28) - 1pClwM rg; 1350hp Wright R-1820-56 + 1600# GE I-16 turbojet*; span: 40'0" length: 32'4" load: 1947# v (both engines): 426/399/91 v (Wright only): 295/153/x range: 1030 ceiling: 43,100' (data for FR-1). *Turbojet was added in aft fuselage after two flights with the Wright only for use in climbs and combat. First USN fighter with tricycle gear, first jet to land on a carrier. Ryan XFR-1 (Ryan) XFR-1 1944 = ff: 6/25/44 (p: Robert Kerlinger). High-mounted horizontal tail. POP: 3 prototypes [48232/48234], all crashed in testing (one as FR-1), killing two test pilots, and led to strengthening modifications for the production model. FR-1 (Ryan) FR-1 1945 = Production model with 1425hp R-1820 and 1600# GE J31, larger vertical fin. POP: 66 completed out of a contract for 700 [39647/39712]. FR-2, FR-3 - Development cancelled by the end of hostilities. XFR-4 1945 = Westinghouse J34. POP: 1 modified from FR-1. Ryan XF2R-1 [39661] (Ryan via Peter M Bowers) F2R Dark Shark 1946 = XFR-1 with GE XT31... read more

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