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An ex-Lockheed test pilot, his goal was to set an absolute altitude record with it - zoom climb it to flame-out, and control the ballistic portion of the flight with reaction thrusters.

After setting a low altitude speed record with it, but before the altitude attempt, Greenamyer had to punch out when one landing gear failed to extend. (You'd never survivve a gear up landing in an F-104.)

I'd hoped to find a lot more info on it on google, but will have to settle for this: Greenamyer

That's an old one. The Hiller Hornet first flew in 1950.

Anyway, seems to me that the problems you described could be alleviated by having a standard collective/cyclic control for the rotor. But if you go this far, you could probably just as well make it a "proper" helicopter.

Which is what these guys are doing. A twin-engine, coaxial rotor personal helicopter. IMHO more likely to become reality than that Skycar.

The Fairey Rotodyne was built nearly fifty years ago. Like the Dragonfly, it used (what was then called) tip-jet rotors, so there was no need for a counter-torque rotor on the tail.

The Rotodyne was advanced technology for its day, but it was killed by the politicians.

It's the Ka-52 "Alligator" that was brought into service in 1997; it is a two-seat derivative of the Ka-50 "Black Shark" which was put into service in 1982.

It's the Ka-52 "Alligator" that was brought into service in 1997; it is a two-seat derivative of the Ka-50 "Black Shark" which was put into service in 1982.

However, IIRC, USSR did have a cruise missile developed based on MiG-17 - AS-1 "Kennel".

BTW, a minor nitpick - correct spelling is MiG (which is shorthand for Mikhoyan i Gureevitch, two of the designers wgo started the bureau).

-DVK

A tremendously slimmed down Cypher... although these little guys probably won't lob grenades at you.. Wasn't there something like this in Perfect Dark?

Actually, the Mig 31 is heavier than the 25, so its max speed is only Mach 2.83
Well, i think you're right, but i got another information here, and there's the same information on all the links from that site.

Also i don't think Mig-25 is still in service in many many countries. Tumanski engines are very powerful, but they eat a lot of fuel and need to be replaced very often. Also its interceptor-only design makes in non versatile, which is also economically very bad. Somehow, Mig-25 is the contrary of Mig-21 (or Mig-29). Powerful, expensive and non-versatile.

If I recall correctly the History Channel show I saw on the Tu-144, there is no proof that its failure had any relationship to unstable design. To this day a number of engineers from around the world maintain to this day that its design (though stolen from the Anglo-French group) was improved upon to the point that it was superior to Concorde. The cause of the accident seems to be disputed, but it seems to be a tossup between pilot error (the pilot putting the plane in a position no commercial airliner would ever hold up to [the 144 made it further in than the rest would've]) or the interference of a mirage fighter put in the air by France. Tu-144s are still flown today, admittedly not widely (but neither are Concordes) in Russia, with a flawless safety record.

More info on the Tu-144 "Konkordsky":
The 144LL Initiative
More 144LL
Tu 144 specs
A guide to Russian Airplanes