Mystery nose(?) cone

[JDK]

Anyone know what aircraft this was for?


Convair/General Dynamics Plant and Personnel by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, on Flickr

The link gives the origin and builder. Images seem to tend towards mid/late war in this sequence, including B-24 and B-29s.

Not important, just curious!

[Jesse C.]

Could it be a turret, maybe? Didn't the Bolo have a similar one on its nose?

[51fixer]

PBY Nose turret?

[Wildchild]

B-26 is my guess

[bdk]

Could that be a tail cone or tail stinger?

[Jollygreenslugg]

G'day folks,

Looks rearward-facing at a guess. Not a bomb-aimer's position with the structure in the middle. Part of a barbette or rear of a pod/nacelle? What was the experimental twin with barbettes in the rear of the engine nacelles? The Mitchell competitor maybe? Airship, even?

Cheers,
Matt

[bdk]

Are you thinking of the Bell Airacuda?

[bdk]

Rats! Double post...

[gregv]

Martin Maryland?

Maybe someone with more structure expertise than I can indicate whether or not this looks like it would have taken glazing all over or if it might have been further completely sheeted in aluminum skin, or maybe a mix of both?

greg v

[Jollygreenslugg]

BDK, I was thinking of the Airacuda until I looked one up.

Gregv, very good point about glazing versus skinning. Looking at the structure, there aren't any recessed areas where glazing might sit, even with strips which would be laid over the top. The sheet over the bottom section of 'windows' could indicate that the whole structure could be metal-skinned. I was thrown by what appears to be an opening section (which frames the bloke's face), although it could easily be a plain access panel.

Now to examine what aircraft have such a shaped nosecone, or tailcone, or nacelle section.Looks too pointy to be early Convairliner.

The whole thing threw me also, as it is reminiscent of the complicated manually-operated and multi-panelled gun positions from 30s aircraft.

Cheers
Matt

[WallyB]

The photo is captioned Convair (SD) 1950s, so what were they building then?

Completely wrong shape for a ventral/dorsal turret and I can't think of anything with a nose like that.
Tail gun position ? The B-36, B-46 or B-60 didn't have one (I think) so I'm stumped.

[Randy Wilson]

Looking at the series of photos, some have dates shown and they seem to be late 1942 to early 1943. I agree that it doesn't seem to be a turret structure. There is the framework of a small access panel or hatch right in front of the worker's face. I find it interesting that all or most photos in the series, including this one, have "File Copy" handwritten on them. Still looking at various Consolidated designs of the period to try and figure out what it might go to.

Randy

[The Inspector]

Early model B-36 tail gun aiming radar dome? Was CONVAIR doing sub work for another contractor like DOUGLAS who was building B-47's during the Korean war.

[Cubs]

Could it be some type of jig? The size and contour is remarkably similar to the Martin B-26 nose.
I know it's a Convair photo and the caption says 1950's. If it's an actual airframe part, it's fairly stout. With double row rivets.Also, the little access door is countersunk for rivets or screws. Which implies
use in the forward slipstream.

Maybe it's a license built part for a Betty Bomber

[Cubs]

Why does it keep looking like a Martin part? Look at the nose of a Martin Mace missile.