Grumman Nutcracker
Nutcracker (German nutcracker ) was the name of a project started in the mid-1970s by Grumman Aerospace Corporation for a VSTOL aircraft that was to largely meet the requirements of the US Navy for such aircraft for the 1990s. One of these requirements was to use VSTOL aircraft from smaller types of ships.
While at that time the thrust direction of the engines z. B. was changed by thrust deflection or its pivoting, the complete fuselage with the engines and tail units should be tilted downwards by up to 90 degrees with the Nutcracker.
To develop this “nutcracker system”, two Grumman OV-1 Mohawk machines were selected as test machines because they had good design prerequisites. Possible military roles for the Nutcracker were submarine hunters , scouts , fighter-bombers and transporters ; however, civil use was not ruled out either.
Small platforms - possibly combined with a hangar - and an anchoring crane should be sufficient to accommodate the nutcracker on ships . The planned take-off and landing procedure was described by Grumman as follows:
"When taking off, the Nutcracker with the angled rear fuselage detaches itself from the anchoring crane and accelerates to 50 km / h in six seconds, 170 km / h in 14 seconds and - fully stretched - while stretching the rear fuselage at the same time, which depends on the required take-off elevation. in 19 seconds to 230 km / h. When initiating the landing approach, the rear of the fuselage begins to tip over after just three seconds. After 20 seconds the speed is reduced to 110 km / h, after 17 seconds to 55 km / h and after 53 seconds the absolute standstill is reached, which is necessary for anchoring to the crane. "
The project has been discontinued.
literature
- Soldat und Technik 5/1977 pp. 250–251 . Verlag "Soldat und Technik", Stuttgarter Str. 18–24, Umschau-Verlag, Frankfurt a. M.