French Leduc 021 Experimental Ramjet Cutaway, 1956

French Leduc 021 Experimental Ramjet Cutaway, 1956

Where’s the pilot?  Well, maybe it’s not a plane.  Maybe it’s a missile of some sort.  But then, where’s the warhead? You’re looking at a G.H. Davis cutaway drawing, 1956, of a Leduc 021 ramjet aircraft.  No pilot, no warhead. The Leduc 021 was carried up by a Languedoc airliner, Space Shuttle-style, and then released. … Continue reading French Leduc 021 Experimental Ramjet Cutaway, 1956

French Baroudeur SE 5000 Fighter Jet Cutaway, 1956

French Baroudeur SE 5000 Fighter Jet 1956

A nice G.H. Davis cutaway (note “France” added just above his signature) of a French Baroudeur SE-5000. See the landing gear on the Baroudeur?  No?  That’s because the Baroudeur (roughly translated to “adventurer”) is leaving its landing gear behind on the ground.  That’s right, the SE-5000 carried no gear, instead relying on a wheeled trolley… Continue reading French Baroudeur SE 5000 Fighter Jet Cutaway, 1956

DeHavilland Comet Cutaway, 1950

Comet Airliner Cutaway 1950

The Comet was quite a big deal when it was unveiled in 1950.  Both Popular Mechanics (Popular Mechanics’ deHavilland Comet Cutaway) and Popular Science pulled out all “cutaway stops” to feature this luxurious liner of the skies. Here, illustrator Jo Kotula tips the Comet to an angle rarely seen in aircraft cutaways. Source:  Popular Science… Continue reading DeHavilland Comet Cutaway, 1950

Aircraft Carrier Steam Catapult Cutaway, 1953

Aircraft Carrier Steam Catapult, 1953

Pictured is a 1953 cutaway of the planned HMS Perseus, showing the novel introduction of a steam catapult to replace the customary cylinder, ram, pulley, and wire catapults. The plane is hooked to a long, slotted cylinder.  High pressure steam is released from the ship’s boilers into the cylinder. As of the date of that… Continue reading Aircraft Carrier Steam Catapult Cutaway, 1953

British DeHavilland Comet Passenger Jet, 1950

British DeHavilland Comet Passenger Jet, 1950

  In 1950, easy passenger jet travel was still a dream that could excite the public.  The deHavilland Comet was still in its infancy when, for a test flight, it flew from London to North Africa, a distance of 3,000 miles, at a top speed of 450 miles per hour. See Another Cutaway View of… Continue reading British DeHavilland Comet Passenger Jet, 1950