Bell D-36

History of the Bell D-36

The rate at which military aircraft technology evolved during World War II (1939-1945) indicated to American war planners that the postwar period would require many new aircraft to adapt to the battle they met on the battlefield A whole new challenge. In August 1945, several new classes of design characteristics were developed, one of which was designated as a new United States Army Air Force (USAAF) All Weather Heavy Fighter/Night Fighter.

The war version of a heavy fighter is usually a twin-engine platform with machine guns and cannons for ground attack and air-to-air combat. Many of these designs have the inherent ability to carry bombs and launch missiles to create true multipurpose performers.

These planes are usually flown by two people (although the Lockheed P-38 Lightning requires only one) and are used for all types of anti-enemy sorties.

The committee agreed on several performance factors - a minimum top speed of 550 mph and a combat radius of 1,000 miles. The standard stationary weapon is a 6x.50 caliber Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) or a more powerful 4x20mm cannon.

Of course, the design would also need to include inherent bomb-carrying capabilities and support the launch of high-velocity missiles for nearly any mission set.

Bell submitted a possible design for review along with others, and their offer came in the form of "D-36". Engineers opted for a high-wing monoplane with the cockpit located behind a short nose cone, but in front of the wing main plane. The main-wing aircraft will house nearly all of the proposed fuel depots, allowing the fuselage section to house all other mission-related components, including weapons, crew compartments, radar and avionics. The tail is raised and capped by a vertical fin, providing a mid-mounted horizontal plane.

Tricycle landing gear is provided. The engines are mounted through nacelles mounted in each wing, laid in the usual fashion and extending from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the wing. Each engine will drive a three-bladed propeller assembly, although a four-bladed propeller assembly is expected in the future without major changes to the powerplant schematic.

Two crew members, the pilot and a radar operator, will sit side by side around the spacious cockpit.

GE TG-100 (T31) turboprop gas turbine engines will take a place in each wing to provide conventional power, with larger, more powerful engines in the near future. The driveshafts are designed to connect a pair on the fuselage to allow one engine to drive the other propeller when needed - a fuel-saving feature and a safety measure in the event of an engine failure.

The propellers rotate in a "reverse" motion to remove torque from either unit, and each has a reverse pitch function that can quickly decelerate the aircraft in flight. Additional power is also provided by 2 Westinghouse 24C-6 turbojets mounted on the fuselage - making the D-36 a hybrid engine aircraft.

Bell D-36 Spec

Base

Year of Service

1950

Origins

United States

Status

Cancel

Development ended.

Crew

2

Production

0

Manufacturer

Bell Aircraft - USA

Carrier

United States (not selected)

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.

Disable support (CAS)

Designed to operate near active ground elements with a wide range of air-to-surface weapon and ammunition options.

X-Plane (development, prototype, tech demo)

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

Dimensions and Weight

Length

47. 1 ft

(14.35m)

Width/span

56. 1 ft

(17.10m)

Height

16.2 feet

(4.95m)

Cured weight

18,739 lbs

(8,500 kg)

MTOW

30,005 lbs

(13,610 kg)

Wgt Difference

+11,266 lbs

(+5,110 kg)

Performance

Installed:

2 x General Electric TG-100 (T31) turboprop gas turbines, power unknown, wings drive three-bladed propeller blades in counter-rotation; 2 x Westinghouse 24C-6 turbojets in fuselage.

Maximum speed

550 km/h

(885 km/h | 478 knots)

Maximum

43,258 feet

(13,185 m | 8 km)

Area

2,600 km

(4,185 km | 7,751 nautical miles)

rate of climb

7,660 ft/min

(2,335 m/min)

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

Armament

Recommended: 4 x 20mm guns in a bow arrangement. The engine nacelles housed 2 x 20mm guns, facing aft (one gun per nacelle). Optional: 2 x 1,000 lb conventionally thrown bombs 8 x 5" (127 mm) High Velocity Aircraft Rocket (HVAR) air missiles.