Bell D-35

History of the Bell D-35

The Bell D-35 at the end of World War II (1939-1945). With the Italian, German and Japanese war machines dismantled, the US will now focus on deterring/defending the airspace from the Soviet threat to the East.

Various design competitions were held in 1945 for one solution - the D-35, which was eventually abandoned.

USAF requirements call for the interceptor to be capable of 700 mph and capable of short-term supersonic performance through aerodynamic design and engines. The aircraft will be able to fly more than 50,000 meters to face threats head-on, and the rate of climb will allow the system to reach full power in as little as four minutes.

In accordance with USAF wartime tradition, the proposed weapon would be centered on multiple machine guns, in this case a 4 x 12.7mm air-cooled heavy Browning.

Bell was one of six responses to the request, joining rivals Consolidated Vultee, Douglas, North American, Northrop and Republic Aviation.

Since the turbojet technology of the day could not provide the required thrust/power/speed output to propel an aircraft to high altitudes at high speed, it was decided that a rocket engine would be best suited for this requirement. For Bell's filing, that would involve pairing two rocket boosters for maximum power, set at 12,000 pounds.

The resulting October 1945 Bell design focused on a delta wing plane (swept 45 degrees along the leading edge) with a single-seat cockpit above the nose and vertical tails at each wingtip. The main aircraft is shoulder-mounted on both sides of the fuselage, with the propulsion system buried in it.

The unit will exit through a circular opening in the rear of the fuselage between the two trailing edges of the main aircraft. Four machine guns would be mounted under the nose below the cockpit floor to allow the aircraft to deliver a good offensive strike against enemy bombers.

Like other rocket-powered developments of the time, Bell's proposal would launch unconventionally, most likely through a launch orbit with its own booster energy. This is believed to be because only one pair of main landing gear legs were planned for ground walking maneuvers, as well as skids added on each wingtip fin to allow the aircraft to land on open fields under its own weight and drag.

As designed, the fighter should have an overall length of 28 feet, a wingspan of 26.5 feet, and a total weight of nearly 17,000 poundsexpanding to 29,100 pounds when fully loaded.

Despite the work, the D-35 did not move beyond the paper stage - the requirement moved along the lines claimed by Consolidated Vultee and Republic Aviation, leaving the D-35 with no further use. The two X-planes that resulted from this decision were the Republic XP-91/XF-91 and the CONVAIR XP-92, both of which are described elsewhere on this page.

Specification

Base

Years in Service

1946

Origins

United States

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

1

Production

0

Manufacturer

Bell Aircraft - USA

Carrier

United States (removed)

scrolling

air-to-air combat, fighter

The general ability to actively attack other aircraft of similar form and function, usually using guns, missiles and/or airborne missiles.

Intercept

The ability to intercept incoming airborne threats with high performance, usually speed and rate of climb.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

Aircraft designed for prototyping, technology demonstration, or research/data collection.

Notable Features

Multi-engine

Include two or more engines to improve survivability and/or performance.

wing sweep

The main plane or leading edge has retraction lines for improved high-speed performance and handling.

wings

Main aircraft covered with winglets for improved fuel efficiency and handling.

Sturdy aircraft frame

The inherent ability of the airframe to take significant damage.

High-speed performance

Can accelerate to higher speeds than the average aircraft at the time.

High performance

The ability to fly and operate at higher altitudes than the average aircraft of the day.

Pilot/crew ejection system

Auxiliary procedures to allow pilot and/or crew ejection in the event of an air emergency.

Closed crew room

There are partially or fully enclosed crew work areas.

Scalable

Has retractable/retractable landing gear to maintain aerodynamic efficiency.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

28. 1 ft

(8.55m)

Width/span

29. 2 feet

(8.90m)

Cured weight

17,196 lbs

(7,800 kg)

MTOW

29,101 lbs

(13,200 kg)

Wgt Difference

+?11,905

(+5,400 kg)

Main aircraft structure

Monoplane/Shoulder/Delta, no tail

Monoplane

Designed to use a single main wing main aircraft; this is the most popular arrangement of main aircraft.

Shoulder

The main aircraft is mounted on the upper part of the fuselage, usually on an imaginary line that intersects the pilot's shoulders.

delta fanny pack

The delta plane lacks the traditional tail arrangement, where the entire wing area is occupied by the delta plane.

(Structural descriptors refer to base production variant Bell D-35)

Performance

Installed:

2 rocket booster engines, each producing 12,000 pounds of thrust, for short-term high-speed flight.

Maximum speed

699 km/h

(1,125 km/h | 607 kn)

Cruising speed

600 km/h

(965km/h|521kn)

Maximum speed difference

+99 km/h

(+160 km/h | 86 kn)

Maximum

50,033 feet

(15,250 m | 9 km)

Range (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: > 19030

Weapon

Recommended: 4 x .50 caliber (12.7 mm) Browning air-cooled heavy machine gun (HMG).