Invisible Themepark

Category: Cutaway Drawings and Cross-Sections

Cutaway and cross-section drawings of vehicles, weapons, submarines, airplanes, buildings, and more.

  • BZhRK Barguzin Russian Rail Missile Had Precedent with Peacekeeper Rail System, 1986

    BZhRK Barguzin Russian Rail Missile Had Precedent with Peacekeeper Rail System, 1986

    Peacekeeper Rail Garrison Car Cutaway, 1986

    Over at Popular Mechanics, Kyle Mizokami reports that Russia is developing a rail-mounted system of mobile ICBMs that will constantly rove the country, making “the country’s nuclear arsenal more mobile and thus more difficult to locate in wartime.”

    Fantastic idea.  But it’s hardly a new idea.

    The Peacekeeper Rail Garrison Car Program was developed by the U.S. Air Force in the 1980s, during the Reagan Administration, as a way to keep the upcoming LGM-118 Peacekeeper (MX) ICBM on the move and disguised in the event of nuclear war.

    The 50 missile launchers would be installed in pairs in 25 trains specially built by the St. Louis Refrigerator Car Company.

    The program was disbanded in 1991 with the easing up of tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States.

    If you like illustration art, it’s interesting to note that this drawing of a railcar with a missile inside looks like the style of cutaways from the 1960s–lurid colors, chunky brush strokes.

    Source:  Flickr / X-Ray-Delta

  • Boeing Stratocruiser Cutaway, 1952

    Click Image For Full 1636 x 781 px Size

    In 1952, the 67.5 ton Boeing Stratocruiser cost a (then) whopping $1.5 million.  With a 3,000 mile range, this craft–first delivered to PanAm–offered up luxury as few commercial passengers had seen before:  a galley, a lower-deck lounge, sleeping berths, a forward stateroom, and more.

    Truly a case of “swords to ploughshares,” the Stratocruiser was “developed from the C-97 Stratofreighter, a military derivative of the B-29 Superfortress used for troop transport,” according to Wikipedia.

    Or as a promo film from that time says, “from bomber to boudoir,” referring to the powder room accommodations for women.

    Making Dinner on the Stratocruiser

     

    Source:  LIFE, August 16, 1948

  • Camper Built Inside a Car, 1952

     

    The illustrator for this drawing is unknown, which is a shame because it’s such a precisely rendered cutaway of a 1949 Nash that had been converted into a camper.

    Lucius Sheets of Huntington, Indiana, converted his Nash into a camper that allowed him to sleep, cook, and eat on the road, saving motel expenses.

    The right rear door, where the woman stands, was the meal center where basics could be stored.  A piece of plywood attached to hooks near the food center and served as the table.  Mr. and Mrs. Sheets preferred to stand while eating.

    Best as we can tell, Lucius Sheets died around 1979.

    Click to Enlarge to 943 x 607 px

    Source:  Popular Science, October 1952

  • Triple Deck Auto Transport Plane Cutaway, 1952

     

    A lovely 3-color cutaway by Popular Science stalwart, technical illustrator Ray Piotch, of the Blackburn Universal Freighter (“BUF”).

    The BUF had two lower freight decks that could accommodate 6-8 autos, depending on size, and an upper deck for 42 passengers.

    This hulking beast wasn’t known for its speed, though, reaching a maximum of 180 miles an hour.

    See AirpowerWorld for pictures of the real-life BUF.

    Source:  Popular Science, October 1952

  • Super Dome Train Car Cutaway, 1952

    Sightseeing “dome” rail cars were not new in 1952, but to this point these VistaDomes, as they were called, had extended only partially along the length of the car.  With the new Pullman super dome car, this “greenhouse” area now extended 73 feet, the entire length (more or less) of the car, accommodating 68 passengers.

    The half-inch thick glass top was double-walled, air conditioned air flowing through the plenum during hot summer months.

    Downstairs was a 28 seat diner with full electric kitchen.

    The Napa Valley Wine Train is one of the few outfits running Super Dome Cars, though in their literature they mistakenly refer to them as VistaDomes.

    Click to Enlarge to 1251 x 762 px

    Source:  Popular Science, July 1952

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