Project Hazel the lost spy plane. You've heard of the SR-71 Blackbird. One of the fastest, highest-flying aircraft ever made. But did you know the famed Blackbird had competitors? When the word went out in 1959 to design and build the ultimate spy plane more than one answered the call. There was only one winner but those forgotten aircraft were just a little mind blowing. Some were just ideas. Others were full-blown development programs with engines, wings, and test airframes built. They were the spy planes that almost were. Planes like Convair’s FISH, the North American SM-64, and even Lockheed's own CL-400 Suntan. But the highest, fastest, most outrageous of them all was an inflatable, balloon-launched, pentaborane-fueled Mach 3 aircraft developed by Convair. It was called Project Hazel. This is the story of that aircraft. This video explores the why of this spy plane and what lead to its development. I then cover the technical details of this amazing aircraft including the inflated structure and pentaborane fuel. We’ll review its performance specifications and specific ability’s that made it unique. At the end we’ll touch base on what I think is the most important aspect of Hazel, It’s legacy. From technologies that moved forward into aircraft like the Mach 8 IMP glider and inflatable reentry vehicles to what it would look like if Hazel flew today and finally well take a peek at a whole new type of vehicle, the Near Space Aircraft that Hazel was the progenitor of. Why do we dig into these old studies? Lessons to be learned. Insights to be found. What was right? What went wrong? There have been amazing engineering feats in the past. I want to glean from them—to find the critical nuggets from the past that will help us succeed today. This video included animation showing how Hazel was launched and flew along with many renders and illustration of this advanced aircraft. Project Hazel Companion Documents https://dark-sky-market.myshopify.com…
Source: Is This Secret Aircraft Faster Than the SR – 71 Blackbird?
