Armstrong Whitworth AW.171
| AW.171 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Experimental aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Armstrong Whitworth |
| Status | cancelled |
| Number built | none |
The Armstrong Whitworth AW.171 was a British project of the 1950s to develop a supersonic VTOL flying wing aircraft. It was planned to investigate the extremely low aspect ratio delta wings proposed by Professor A.A. Griffith for supersonic transports. The A.W.171 design was a very slender delta flying wing powered by two Bristol Orpheus turbojets mounted at the wingtips, with 10 Rolls-Royce RB.108 lift jets. The pilot was to lie in a prone position to minimise drag.[1] Work was cancelled in 1957 before a prototype was completed.
Specification
Data from Paper Planes:Armstrong Whitworth's unbuilt projects[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 70 ft 10 in (21.59 m)
- Wingspan: 17 ft 7 in (5.36 m)
- Gross weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
- Powerplant: 2 × Bristol Orpheus turbojet, 4,850 lbf (21.6 kN) thrust each
- Powerplant: 10 × Rolls-Royce RB108 turbojet (lift jets), 2,100 lbf (9.3 kN) thrust each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 1,534.54 mph (2,469.60 km/h, 1,333.48 kn)
- Maximum speed: Mach 2.0
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
- Williams, Ray. "Paper Planes:Armstrong Whitworth's unbuilt projects". Air Enthusiast, Forty-three, 1991. ISSN 0143-5450. pp. 60–79.