The Most Unusual Use of a Studebaker Truck

[r1lark]

One of the most unusual uses of a Studebaker truck:

The truck holds the nose mockup of the Republic XR-12 "Rainbow" 4-engine airplane. The picture was taken at the Republic factory in Farmingdale, Long Island, NY; the truck with the mockup was used to test the crews' view thru the special nose. The XR-12 was developed late in WWII as a fast photo reconnaissance plane. Supposedly the XR-12 was the fastest 4-engine piston driven plane ever, at 470 mph.

From Wiki: The Republic XF-12 Rainbow was an American four-engine, all-metal prototype reconnaissance aircraft designed by the Republic Aviation Company in the late 1940s. Like most large aircraft of the era, it used radial engines, specifically Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major corncob engines. The XF-12 was referred to as "flying on all fours" meaning: four engines, 400 mph (640 km/h) cruise, 4,000 mi (6,400 km) range, at 40,000 ft (12,000 m). The aircraft was designed to maximize aerodynamic efficiency. Although innovative, the jet engine and the end of World War 2 made it obsolete, and it therefore did not enter production.

Two prototypes were built; one crashed due to a malfunction, but the second was in service in the Air Force until 1952. Republic converted the design into a commercial passenger airplane, but I'm not sure how many if any were built. A beautiful plane, and would have made a beautiful passenger plan, almost as beautiful as the Lockheed Constellation IMHO. Here are a few pics of the two prototypes (trivia question -- in the last picture, why is the other plane in the picture significant?) :

[fastjohnll]

Looks like Harry Truman's presidential plane.

[r1lark]

Looks like Harry Truman's presidential plane.

Yep! Douglas VC-118 “The Independence”

[62 Lark]

The Republic Factory was about 1.5 hours from me here on Long Island. Grumman Aerospace, Republic and their sub-contractors like MAB (Mattituck Airbase) , employed thousands of workers. A very important part of history. Thanks !

[studegary]

A couple of strange sort-of connections.
I was not from LI. When I was young, I happened to be driving my '57 President Classic past Republic. Traffic lights on the highway were just turning red. I saw no reason for the lights (no intersections, no railroad tracks). I kept going and nearly got blown off the road by jet engine exhaust.
I had a brother-in-law that worked for Pratt & Whitney as an engine engineer.

[StudeRich]

I guess you found out there WAS a reason! They COULD have posted a Sign: "STOP for low flying Aircraft"! DUH!
Or maybe you were hanging on to your Girlfriend too tight to see it!

[studegary]

I guess you found out there WAS a reason! They COULD have posted a Sign: "STOP for low flying Aircraft"! DUH!
Or maybe you were hanging on to your Girlfriend too tight to see it!

They weren't "low flying". They were stopped with their exhaust aimed out over the highway. It was either a test situation or where they were prior to take off. I didn't wait to find out exactly what was happening.
There was no one else in the car, but I was on my way to see my girlfriend.

[firestoper 25]

Wow, talk about doubling up- I just yesterday was looking the deeper data on the Martin plane it very interesting, just too late due to the jet take over.

[Skip Lackie]

A couple of strange sort-of connections.
I was not from LI. When I was young, I happened to be driving my '57 President Classic past Republic. Traffic lights on the highway were just turning red. I saw no reason for the lights (no intersections, no railroad tracks). I kept going and nearly got blown off the road by jet engine exhaust.
I had a brother-in-law that worked for Pratt & Whitney as an engine engineer.

I also learned that one obeys red lights, even when no traffic is evident. Back in the late 1960s, I spent a couple of months working at the Marine Corps Air Station in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The lab I worked at was in a very remote corner of the base, at the end of a long, circuitous road. On the first day there, I came upon a red traffic light in the middle of a grassy field, and stopped, very puzzled. After about 30 seconds, a USMC F-4 fighter roared from right to left in front of me, taking off. The traffic light was to keep you from crossing the runway, which this lonely road crossed at a 90-degree angle. After that, I stopped and looked both ways, even when the light was green.

[Guido]

I also learned that one obeys red lights, even when no traffic is evident. Back in the late 1960s, I spent a couple of months working at the Marine Corps Air Station in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The lab I worked at was in a very remote corner of the base, at the end of a long, circuitous road. On the first day there, I came upon a red traffic light in the middle of a grassy field, and stopped, very puzzled. After about 30 seconds, a USMC F-4 fighter roared from right to left in front of me, taking off. The traffic light was to keep you from crossing the runway, which this lonely road crossed at a 90-degree angle. After that, I stopped and looked both ways, even when the light was green.

“Private Lackie, how did you destroy the Jeep?”

“A F-4 hit it while I was driving in the middle of a field...”

[Milaca]

How many R3 Avanti engines would it take to make that truck go 470 mph, in order to test the crews real-world view through the special nose (at the same rate of speed as the airplane)?

[Mark L]

With that much window surface in the flight compartment, I imagine that the fuselage was not pressurized.