Convair 707?

[Typhoon1244]

Does anybody know the story behind this?

 

[2000flyer]

Does anybody know the story behind this?

See what those steroids will do! I'm interested to hear the history as well.

My guess is that Boeing configured the Convair this way as a cockpit configurations test bed of some sort. I remember seeing an S76 helicopter with an Apache nose on it for crew training and testing. Just a hunch.

 

[Kaman]

Hello,
I cannot cite the source, but this particular CV-580 previously flew with the USAF and NASA at different points in it's career. It was used to test various cockpit configurations and flight control systems/modes. Much of what pilots enjoy in the way of automation began with studeis by NASA and the military in the 1950's. In the 50's the military was really pursuing automation and computer controlled systems.
I too am curious about the Boeing cockpit grafted onto the front-end. Guess I need to research that, and I'll see what I come up with.

Regards,

ex-Navy Rotorhead

 

[EagleRJ]

...or maybe someone slipped PCP into the coffee pot down at the A&P school?

That thing looks like it would have negative yaw stability, with so much sail area forward of the CG (even with the fins on the wings). I bet it was a real handfull to fly!

 

[Dan CFI/CFII]

Let's see how good my memory is...

I thought they modified the Convair with all those other controls and various wingletty things so that they could make it do things (like translate sideways) that it couldn't normally do. Then they set up the 707 cockpit with a fly by wire system to control all that, leaving the original Convair cockpit and controls intact.

I remember reading about this I think, but I don't remember where...

Dan

 

[GeorgeTG]

Gotta love GOOGLE

NASA synthetic vision test for flying approaches:

PDF:
http://oea.larc.nasa.gov/PAIS/pdf/FS-2000-02-48-LaRC.pdf

and regular HTML (different article)

http://www.aero-space.nasa.gov/curevent/news/vol1iss1/synthetic.htm

Cheers
George

 

[JBcrjca]

I haven't the foggiest idea what kind of testing that Convair was used for, but it must not have been a long term project. The ship was converted back to normal configuration and went on the fly for Great Lakes Airlines (in '79), Air Ontario, Austin Airways, Air New England, etc. while registered as C-GJRP. Airliners.net has several photos of it under that reg. Most recently (if '94 is recent) it's listed as flying cargo down in Columbia.

Edit: weird...those two links show pics taken in the late '90s of a modified Convair, but it doesn't look like a Boeing cockpit as shown on N21466. Either there were two airplanes converted, or the production list I looked at was incorrect.

 

[LR25]

How can you tell if its a 707, 727, or 737 nose?

 

[skydraulic]

How can you tell if its a 707, 727, or 737 nose?

I think the easiest way is to scroll to the bottom the picture and it states " The Convair has a 707 nose attached for experimental purposes"

Other than that, the only way I could tell from that profile view would be the location of the pitot tubes. A 737's pitot tubes are higher up and the 727's are located further forward.

 

[LJDRVR]

It was a variable-stability trainer/research aircraft. If I remember correctly, it was owned by Tex Johnston's company. (After he had retired from Boeing.)