Many years ago, late 70's-early 80's a very large main landing gear washed up on Panama City Beach after a big hurricane. I remember looking at it and no one could figure out what is came from. I now realise it must have been from the 2nd aircraft. Take the fairing off the main gear and that is what I saw on the beach 40+ years ago.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Amazing story, thanks!

I’d be willing to bet that another thing that helped to kill this plane was the R4360 itself. While considered an engineering marvel due to the fact that it was the largest and most powerful production aircraft piston engine, these guys weren’t exactly paragons of reliability. Engine failures were common. And operating costs were high. If there was ever a good selling point for more reliable jets, this was it. On the other hand, this plane was positively SCREAMING for turboprops. Just imagine this thing with four Allison T56-A-14’s from an Orion. With a boost to almost 5000HP per engine from 3000HP, this plane would have COOKED! Hell, the Orion could go 473MPH. And that’s a larger and less aerodynamic plane. On the XR12, you would probably see speeds similar to the Tupolev Bear.

@lucasokeefe7935

3 жыл бұрын

That really would have been something. With the appropriate redesign of the wings it would easily have reached 600mph, maybe even transonic. 20,000hp; a third the power of the Tu-95 but also smaller, more aerodynamic and a quarter the weight. Imagine what a low fly by at high speed would have sounded like

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Great point, thanks! (With apologies for this late reply.)

@alantoon5708

2 жыл бұрын

Post war budgets also played their part, as well as the jet engine. Remember that the XB-47 first flew not long afterwards...

@bjboss1119

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah but... why make this thing again, the german salamander can reach the same speeds

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

@@alantoon5708 Good point, and yes the B-47 first flew in December 1947 representing the future of aviation. Thanks for watching!

My dad John Bunge, worked at Rupublic, Fairchild, Hiller, etc for 47 years. He often said it was starting to become a steady job. I worked on the last 2 years of the A-10 build. They closed the doors and I went to work for Hughes Aircraft, Microelectronics Systems Division in CA. I didnt miss the nightshift at FH. It was nice to see the sun again. The Warthog is still kicking butt!

@soaringvulture

Жыл бұрын

I made parts for the Warthog in the 70's. I'm still proud of that. It was and is a righteous aircraft.

@bungeechord1

Жыл бұрын

I wonder if we ever met?

@soaringvulture

Жыл бұрын

@@bungeechord1 Probably not. I worked for company called Arwood in Tilton, New Hampshire. We made parts for everything that flew, even some that flew to the moon.

@bungeechord1

Жыл бұрын

Oh, ok. My dad and I worked on the shuttle rear stabilizing wing. I got a job with TUV in Nashua and moved to NH. Now retired in MA. Like you, I'm proud to have contributed to the A10 build.

Now there’s something I never expected. This aircraft has eluded my 67 years of aviation involvement. Thanks for the enlightenment.

@telsport

3 жыл бұрын

Dont feel bad..it just goes to show ya how sneaky the govt can be.

@karlswartz1308

3 жыл бұрын

@@telsport Hard to call them sneaky when he has pictures of it surrounded by crowds at an airshow, not to mention the press at the "second first" flight. It was all pretty open at the time.

I hate the fact that they’d blow up or shoot up or chop up these incredible flying machines...this one in particular was a beautiful design

@richardm3023

3 жыл бұрын

I bet you'd get a kick out of it if you were the one who got to shoot them down.

@3ducs

3 жыл бұрын

@@richardm3023 It wasn't a target drone, it was on the ground when blown up.

@imperialsecuritybureau6037

3 жыл бұрын

Of all the billions of DC aircraft and other mass-produced warplanes, they chose the most unique, sole surviving example of one of the fastest 4-engine propeller aircraft ever built. Whoever made that decision should’ve been discharged...

@richardanderson5109

3 жыл бұрын

@@imperialsecuritybureau6037 At least strung up by the balls !!!!!!! ♿ 🇺🇸

@jaex9617

3 жыл бұрын

Beautiful, indeed.

Kept me watching the whole video. A special event to my jaded eyes. A lot of information packed into under 19 minutes. Thanks Mike.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Martin - appreciate the comment!

@davidhollenshead4892

3 жыл бұрын

@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Martin is right to point out that you focused on information rather than infotainment. The one thing you left out in the military's preference for jet aircraft was the maintenance issue. The high-performance radial engines required too much care & feeding when compared to jets, due to having a more complete design & more moving parts...

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

@@davidhollenshead4892 Great point, thanks!

@pancudowny

3 жыл бұрын

@@davidhollenshead4892 The same reasoning applies to off-shore racing boats, and diesel railway locomotives.

I grew up less than 10 miles from this republic plant . It employed neighbors and extended family . It was about 10 miles from the Grumman Bethpage plant . In that section of long Island were a lot of jobs and sub contractors and making planes was what we were known for . Today it's gone and only a memory to those old enough and unknown to the millennial and younger age groups .

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment Richard, and I totally agree about that part of Long Island's proud aviation heritage and what's left of it today. Thanks for watching!

I was not aware of this airplane; it would have been an interesting flyer with turboprops. Great video, thanks for posting.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Jose - appreciate the comment!

@mastathrash5609

3 жыл бұрын

Nor was I, great video 👍

@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665

2 жыл бұрын

Theres some nice flying RC models of this available ... bigger the better in some ways...most run electric motors.

The detail and the effort that's put into these, with all the rare imagery and found trivia, really lends these aircrafts stories a more touching aspect. Subbed.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks, and great to have you aboard!

Interesting to note that 20 years separated the old car from the Rainbow, because 20 years after that the SR-71 was the new photo recon plane.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Great point, thanks!

@clivestainlesssteelwomble7665

2 жыл бұрын

Even more dramatic and as early was the XB70 Valkyrie.

Imagine changing 224 spark plugs on one of these types of planes. This is a beautiful craft, very obscure information, thanks.

My dad was a radar tech during the post WWII and Korean era. We lived at a trailer park beside the old McGee-tyson base outside Knoxville, Tn. I had been born with severe astigmatism, or I would have been a pilot ! I subscribed to this channel as soon as I found it, because of the professional, low key voice over and the amazing content. Will watch your "Extinct Species" video after this. Thanks for a very well done compilation. ...btw, I wound up in the Navy as a navigator out of Pearl Harbor...lol...that was pretty cool also, for the world travel 1968-1972...

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Great comment, thanks, and we were in the service at the same time (me in USAF). Glad to have you aboard as a subscriber!

@chrisnizer5702

10 ай бұрын

I too had aspirations of becoming a pilot. When I enlisted in the Marines I was told that the only way I would be coming onboard an aircraft was as a passenger due to my vision.

Great job showing a plane I've never seen. And as a kid in the 70s I researched every plane I could. Even had a autographed photo of Pappy Boyington. I'm impressed

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

what a beauty

I liked the picture of the Rainbow with the C-54/DC-4 in the background. It is a little known fact that Republic almost went bankrupt in the late 1940's and had to resort to converting C-54's for airline use to keep the doors open. Another wonderful program, Mike.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alan, and I consider that a most ironic photo!

I've been a military history and aviation enthusiast all my life, and even was an aircraft owner and pilot myself, and I'd never heard of the Rainbow. I knew about literally every other plane mentioned in this video, except the XR-12. I can't believe I wasn't familiar with it. But, that was a time between the end of WWII and the early 60s when hundreds of prototypes and concepts were being thrown out there and the zone was flooded with new plane designs and they quickly got rid of many of them after only a few years, even if they went into production and saw service. Thanks for bringing the story of this great plane to light. Excellent video.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Great comment, thanks!

Thank you for giving me an experience that I thought was long past: love at first sight. How could such a beautiful aircraft be so forgotten? And your comparison graphics with other aircraft are well done and informative.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and appreciate the comment!

A most enjoyable history lesson. Another trip down memory lane. The development of the jet engine made the post war large piston engine aircraft obsolete. As you mention all those WW2 aircraft were available for a very low price to airlines who used them until the jet became the standard engine for commercial air travel.

@caribman10

3 жыл бұрын

Chance Vought was still building Corsairs, which were used in Korea and Vietnam, as were P-61's, F-82's, B-29's, A-1's and a whole host of other recip powered aircraft. So much for obsolescence.....

@garfieldsmith332

3 жыл бұрын

@@caribman10 Obsolete in technology but they were stilled used. Like anything manufactured it becomes obsolete but can be used for decades. Obsolete equipent os still used today, but they do not manufacture a lot of it.

@PhantomP63

3 жыл бұрын

An interesting sidenote- several Douglas Invaders were converted to business transports and called the On-Mark Marksman. It was a similar concept to today's business jets.

Fantastic! I never knew this aircraft existed

This was a comprehensive guide to a virtually unknown military Recon Aircraft. I found out last year about the Rainbow. It was a phenomenal step in air reconnaissance. A footstep leading to the SR72 and U2 RB 33 etc... It had a high ceiling for a piston driven aircraft. Great video...thank you

@Farweasel

3 жыл бұрын

Yep. But...... By way of context, by spring 1949 the Brits had the Canberra Bomber / Recce aircraft flying with no traumas at 580 mph (500 kn) with service ceiling of 48,000 feet.

@gravelydon7072

2 жыл бұрын

@@Farweasel And what became the US equivalent, the RB-57. NASA still has 3 and two will be in Hawaii when the first sub-orbital launch of a SpaceX Starship happens. The cameras will be pointing up instead of down.

Great presentation! Thanks for the briefing. The right airplane at the wrong time says it all. So many airplanes fit that description.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed! (With apologies for this late reply.)

Well done Mike - you didn't just think of, you actually did, cover everything! Well done again.

I understand that you’d do an entire video on this aircraft. What a beauty. A real “what if” machine.

This is the best treatment I've seen of the beautiful Republic Rainbow. Many images not seen before and development details. Well done.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and appreciate the comment!

Well spoken story. As an old C-54 pilot, its hard to imagine cookin' along with four 4360's at 400 and 40k!

The XP-72 wasn’t turbosupercharged. That dark area on both sides of the fuselage, just aft of the engine is an array of open exhaust stacks. Seven outlets on each side, using the siamesed header arrangement. Plans were to add a two stage mechanical supercharger with the first stage located aft of the cockpit, using a driveshaft. But that’s trivial; this is an excellent history of the XF-12. The photographs are amazing.

@jimfinlaw4537

Жыл бұрын

Yes, the XP-72 was one of the fastest planes developed during WWII. It was estimated to have a top speed of 504 mph although the second prototype only ever flew a top speed of 490 mph because the test pilot didn't want to push the experimental engine to it's maximum for fear it would catch fire. As it turned out, on another separate flight at 25,000 feet, the second XP-72's engine did catch on fire and the test pilot put the plane into a dive, which extinguished the fire. Flying the plane dead stick with monster contra rotating propellers spinning up front, he made a spectacular belly landing at a Army Air Force base in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The second XP-72 was never repaired and it was later donated to the Boy Scouts of America as a static trainer for the Air Scouts. The first prototype was scrapped shortly afterwards. On the P-72 Superbolt production models, General Electric was developing a new two stage centrifugal blower supercharger unit that measured nearly 5 feet in diameter for the P-72 Superbolt. This unit was to be fitted in the tail section behind the cockpit with a long driveshaft that ran underneath the cockpit, connected by two fluid couplings, thus hooking up the engine to the blower supercharger unit together. With this configuration, the P-72 was estimated to have a top speed of 540 mph making it the fastest piston powered fighter plane of WWII, but as it turned out, Lockheed's P-80 Shooting Star overshadowed its performance and the P-72 was cancelled.

@88SC

Ай бұрын

@@jimfinlaw4537 oops, it’s been a year, but one other comment about the XP-72 is how close it is to the R-4360 powered Sea Furies that we’re modified for the Reno Air Races. Dreadnought and Furias. Close match in size and power, although maybe the Furies have been lightened. But with the same engines and nearly-identical exhaust systems, I think they’d be a close match in sound. Except at speed, the underbelly scoop on the XP made who knows what kind of sound. Just a fun thought for those who enjoy warbird music.

I discovered a bunch of old 8x10's B&W photos of this plane in his things I inherited. I thought it was a cool airplane! Thanks for the detailed historical explanation!

Mike, thanks for the history on the Rainbow. I knew little about this aircraft and your summary was great.

I had never heard of this aircraft; thank you for bringing it to our attention.

Just finished Lowery L. Brabham article on flying the Rainbow in a old Air Classic magzine Nov.1975 and thought dose Celebrating Aviation have a video on the XR-12. You do great!!. 😊Thank you

My god that's a gorgeous bird. Imagine that thing with a big modern turbo-p with counter rotating props.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed!

@CockatooDude

Ай бұрын

You'd probably have to change the airfoils on the wings and reinforce the fuselage. But it would be sick.

The British DeHavilland DH-98 Mosquito (made from plywood) first flew in November 1940 and went into service at end of 1941. The PR version did 425mph at 30,000 ft on two much smaller engines. It's successor the DH 103 Hornet did 475 mph at 21,000 ft as a fully armed fighter. A PR version would have cracked 500mph. Just like the XR-12 it never got the chance to shine because jet power was taking over.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Great comment, thanks!

@roberthardy3090

2 жыл бұрын

Well, the EE Canberra was under development, much faster much higher flying and still doing photo reconnaissance at the end of the 20th century.

@stephenallen4635

Жыл бұрын

@@roberthardy3090 and still doing almost the same job today

What an amazing achievement, wish at least one had been a museum piece!

@richardanderson5109

3 жыл бұрын

DONALD STANFIELD There was one,but the bastards blew it up !!!!! ♿ 🇺🇸

Fascinating & well-presented video! Special thanks for NOT cluttering the sound track with pointless & distracting cheap-ass mood muzak.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

I am a Part 107 certified UAS pilot doing aerial photo work. This was fascinating. Thank you.

I saw a picture of this plane when I was a young boy. Never knew what it was. Thanks for the video

Mike we love and appreciate your vast wealth of knowledge and infectious enthusiasm. Another superb presentation. Among the highest quality content on the internet. Happy New Year everyone!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks Barbara - you're the best!

Thank you. I enjoyed the narration, photos and editing. I just really liked this.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

The end of Ship 1's life is just tragic! Pity it couldn't be preserved.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Agree 100%!

@K-Effect

3 жыл бұрын

It would've made a perfect turbo prop

I'm impressed. Have never heard of this aircraft. Quite amazing speed and the design is remarkable.

Thank you for this post. I really knew nothing about this aircraft, except that she was lovely, of course. I really enjoy your posts, and this one covered all new territory for me. I didn't know about the Hughes aircraft either... Excellent work, as always!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Steve!

Excellant and very informative video...new a/c type to me...another hidden gem..... perfect voiceover and no silly music... well done...10 /10

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

Another great video really enjoyed this video very informative and interesting. A Great looking airplane.

Good info, Mike! Compared to your other videos, it looks like this one has gone viral! Well done!

Excellent review of an obscure airplane. I knew about the Rainbow but had no knowledge of the depth of its history. Well done! Subscribed!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and 'glad to have you onboard!

Good video, thank you. I've never found this much information on this particular airplane. Also you're right, it is one of the most beautiful, aesthetically pleasing aircraft ever built.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks! (With apologies for this late reply.)

Well done. Another Long Island produced aircraft. The hangar with the original control tower was Beechcraft East. Worked there in the early 80’s

That fact, towards the end, was the most shocking: that they'd choose the single remaining aircraft of its type as a ground target for gunnery practice. Why? How many other old types from large production runs were available? I suppose no one wanted the cost of keeping the thing around - this was before the preservation groups really got going. Still, hard to fathom... Rather like clubbing the world's last dodo. Anyway, very interesting and informative video. Also well made, very watchable. Thanks.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks and appreciate the great comment!

@jacobsparry8525

3 жыл бұрын

Oh come on, I am just at 15 and I know it why they do that. They haved ined the contracts that ifed they are not created or moved into manufactering then they wrecked them for several of reasons. One is so no one cand take the old equipment piece and used it for competing withed any other companys and too so it cand not be photographed ined detail so others governments as Russians cand not reversed engineering of it. Too all so when the armys do contracting for a new plane they do owned it and for samed reason they do wrecked it ifed it is not manufactured. However too ined this case they were obsolete before ever they got to a place to be maked ined numbers be cause the JET age was just getting going and they cand get jets for that job and cheaper to keept up and run. Many times this way of doing stuff did hurted them more thened help them but they did this all over and massively to ALL types of equipment. They did bull dozed hundreds and hundreds of Jeep’s into pits with HUGED tool kits and others stuff as generators and fire trucks and even some of guns. Then would sprays corroding powders all over them and the put on 4 or 5 feet of dirt covering. Ined less thened a year they were. All useless stuff. They said they did wrecked the Jeep’s be cause did Jeep’s makers haved a no competing contract so they did haved to be wrecked so they cand sell new Jeep’s to civilians. They did that withed thousands of cars and trucks and halfed tracks and air planes. My grand father said it he watched them to taked every tools kit and any thing of metal or wood and they bull dozed a huge trench alonged a air army forces field and then pushed all they new stuff right into the ground and bury it. Every thing whiched could be used by others as tools and Jeep’s. Especially they did it any where at where the Russians would be moving ined to there.

@jacobsparry8525

3 жыл бұрын

I forgot it too, all so a lot of stuff did came backed to the USA too. My grand father buyed 4 ex-armys halfed tracks and they did used them for mining. And too after my father keept setting the tall grass and wild wheats on to fire ined our orchards as did he tryd to blow uped grounds squirrels dens be cause did they wrecked and killed many of ours almonds trees and walnuts trees by eated the roots. So he put ined to their huge ground holes gas and 1/2 sticks of dynamites and a longed fuse. When did they blow uped it did to killed all the squirrels but too steed the tall dry grasses on fire and the fire department sended them big bills so my grand father brought home a brush fires truck and a halfed track fromed his army surplus yard. He told my father you boys do start them so now on you put them out too’ And yes all ready do i know it i do writed diffrenter. I haved a very bad of fosters father at when was i at 11 and he turned to be a vile evil pedophile. When did I say I will tell cops on him , him and his firend tryd for beated me for deathed. They did to cracked my head and i geted a TBI and barked my radials orbits and ribs an stuff. I haved to haved brains opiration to lived and now do i haved Aphasias damagings ined my brains and i amed muted and i haved troubles to writed normals. Sorry ifed you cand not readed it goodly.

@johnkelinske1449

3 жыл бұрын

@@jacobsparry8525 In some cases it is required by the way the original contract was written. The Vought XF5U is a prime example.

@jacobsparry8525

3 жыл бұрын

@@johnkelinske1449 Did you read the second of line of my postings? “ They haved ined the contracts that ifed they are not created or moved into manufactering then they wrecked them for several of reasons. “. Very waste full of our government.

Stumbled across your channel Mike. As a fellow (amateur) aviation artist I have always enjoyed and admired your work. As a (professional) pilot Im really glad I came across your channel. Never knew this aircraft existed. You can see where the republic plant used to be on the north side of the Farming dale/Republic airport on Long island. It's a shopping mall now. Great video!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

Really enjoyed this clip. Thanks

A very well done documentary. Thank you!

Thanks for an excellent production!

Excellent video. I knew of this magnificent aircraft but never in such detail and with wonderful photos. Great work!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

Truly one of the most beautiful designs to date. I just cant wrap my head around how they disposed of these machined like a bag of trash. Absolutely unacceptable how these aircraft were treated.

@markdoldon8852

3 жыл бұрын

Hundreds of failed prototypes have been destroyed over the decades. Nobody has the money to simply store, preserve, and display these things away so that someone 80 yrs later can look at them. It's just not practical. Even actual commissioned aircraft can't justify the expense of maintaining them for many years, let alone what were effectively experiments that were superceded by more effective aircraft.

This is just a real nice production - good info presented in a really compelling way. Thanks for putting it together.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

A great presentation, Mike. I love your artwork !! And thanks for the very lucid narration.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

Well done. The plane rivals the 'Connie' in the looks department with the performance and capabilities that would really helped 4 years earlier...

@richardm3023

3 жыл бұрын

That's the key isn't it. It was four years too late, and obsolete when it flew it's first test flight.

Great presentation Mike. Looking forward to your next one.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks George!

You make a very professional and informative video Mike Great job First video of yours that I have watched - not the last!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

Thanks for this great video reportage. This is amazing since I have loads of Janes books about aviation and I never read about those two discussed here. Great designs indeed.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks! (With apologies for this late reply.)

Thanks, Mike. What a cool aircraft! The design is kind of reminiscent of the old Bugatti aircraft but on a much larger scale. Having an onboard dark room was pretty forward thinking for the time. I remember the Hughes design, but did not know about this contract competitor. Super video!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Adam!

Interesting story very well presented and without distracting music. Well done. Subscribed.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and great to have you aboard!

Mike, very nice video. I just stumbled across your channel, and I'm glad I did. I have your book on this subject, and it is outstanding. It is a fascinating look at a little known, but incredible airplane. Keep up the good work! Cheers.

Great video! Thanks! That was really informative.

Well done, Michael! Well done.

I'd never heard of The Rainbow.....now I have, thanks a lot. Greetings from N.E England...

Thank you Mike Machat. Your videos are informative, and your artwork is superlative.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

What a beautiful, unknown plane ♥️ Thank you for the excellent video 👍

I know it sounds awkward but I always loved propeller aircraft, especially piston powered ones.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment, and there are many of us who love the classic propliners! (With apologies for this late reply.)

A beautiful aircraft, and you made a point that the car pictured behind it showed how far we advanced in such a short time...You then showed the B-47 which flew a year after the Rainbow. The B-47 still looks like perfection and in it was every conceivable advancement in aircraft technology and a little bit more added by Boeing. I think that aircraft was truly one of the greatest and sort of an overlooked aircraft these days. Look at it! Those wings were ground-breaking 😸(Thanks again German scientists). This was a great video. Subscribed.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the comment, and great to have you aboard as a subscriber!

@WolfeSaber9933

8 ай бұрын

The B-47 had six engines. The image you saw had four. Unless you were talking about the image at the end.

Great presentation. Far better than some other sites that don't do a good job on research.

@johnosbourn4312

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, even better than Dark Skies!

Good video with some images I've never seen before

The pinnacle of props.

@bodan1196

3 жыл бұрын

You left the door open for me to dare to mention the TU-95... :-) Sleek and fast, but rather noisy I've been told. But of course, not a 'piston' prop. ;-)

@atilllathehun1212

3 жыл бұрын

@@bodan1196 And AN22!!

Fascinating stuff, well researched. The Rainbow was indeed a stunning looking aircraft.

Thanks for the great photos and narrative

It looks like it shares many features of the Japanese recon version of the Mitsubishi KI-46, also considered one of the most beautiful airframes ever to fly. Scaled up to 4 engines, of course, but the overall impression is that the KI-46 was the older sister of the XR-12.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

Great video. Well narrated, filled with facts and with excellent visuals.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

The XR-12, like the Connie, is just beautiful and awesome from any angle. Great video!

@gravelydon7072

2 жыл бұрын

And the Stratocruiser was just an ugly Duckling. Interesting to see them in size comparisons and sad is the fact that I have flown in all of them except the XR-12. Too bad it didn't include the DC-3 in the size drawings. And maybe the D-H Comet as it has a lot of the same shape to it. Yeah, I'm dating myself as I've flown in those too.

A well researched video. Thanks for making this!

That was a great video. Learned a lot, enjoyed every moment. Good job!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

2 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the nice comment, thanks! (With apologies for this late reply.)

Thank You!

Mike is not just a great aviation artist but his knowledge and presentation are top drawer.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

@amdg2023

3 жыл бұрын

@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 You are welcome, you dont remember me but I was in az when you and Keith Ferris were forming the Aviation Artists of America I think? We had a show and I actually painted Claire Chenault on a Beech 18 door at that show we all were doing. I've worked for Flight Magazine, Private Pilot, Flying, and many defense contractors as an aviation artist. Now I paint and make stained glass for the Catholic Church but still do some aviation art. There is actually an Me 163 comet pilot still living in the town I live in named Carl Grosch, I have a large painting of the comet that hes going to sign, hes 96. All the best. stevevoita.com

Nice presentation. Thanks, Mike.

Nice video. I've been in aviation since 1979. Thought I knew it all. Never heard of this aicraft. Thank you for investigating this aircraft.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks!

Hey, I was in the 5FIS when they disbanded us! Didnt think anyone had ever heard of that squadron.

@1955nomad

3 жыл бұрын

I was in 5th FIS from 1967 to 1970 crew chief on balls 6 . Best squadron in the Air Defense Comand .

Very well done! Thank you.

Very interesting history. Thank you.

I’m begging for some injection molding kit company to please produce one of these in at least 1/144 or 1/72 scale. I know there are resin versions, but I’d rather do polystyrene. Great informative video Mike, many never seen photos! Obviously the jets made the Rainbow obsolete, but I could see one advantage of the Rainbow over jets...it’s relatively high cruise speed and range, but with much lower landing speeds... enabling it to land at most all airports, thus giving it great flexibility, as compared to the early runway-eating jets.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and I'd love to see a good 1/72-scale plastic kit also! Had a resin one years ago (Griffin, I believe?), but cracks started at the wing root after only a few months.

@hertzair1186

3 жыл бұрын

@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 and I believe Anigrand makes a resin version as well. I’m hoping perhaps Roden, MikroMir or Amodel from the Ukraine will produce one, as they seem to embrace molding rare aircraft.

@williamgrimberg2510

3 жыл бұрын

Worked in a custom molding company in the seventies and one client we molded for was Revell . We molded many of their planes , ships, and cars . The Revell molds even for that time were pretty spendy and probably even more so today. There might be a company out of the country that maybe would produce these, but since this aircraft never was in full production, only a few older people may remember this aircraft and the market would probably be extremely small therefore not profitable to produce . Maybe a company that produces the specialized models out of wood like the ones you would see on a executive desk .

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

@@williamgrimberg2510 Great comment, thanks Bill!

Nice video. Very informative and nostalgic for me since I grew up not far from Republic.

what an awesome presentation! Well chosen subject presented with detail, in context and focussed on the technicalities - devoid of politics. i might have mentioned the onboard dark-room earlierin the video, to emphasize the advantage over the F-15. Well done - what a creation, by the same company that brought us the "Jug".

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Appreciate the comment - many thanks!

This is the first video of yours I have seen, Mike and I enjoyed it very much. Great presentation on a fabulous aircraft!

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

Ай бұрын

Appreciate the comment, thanks Martin!

Good job Mike, what a story

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks, and appreciate the comment!

Well done, Mike.

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Many thanks. ( I used to like to think that I knew a little bit of aviation history but now, in recent years, I know that I knew 0.005% of bugger all ! )

Well done presentation about an a/c I never knew existed. I'll look for more of Mr. Machat's videos with interest.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

Thankyou... that was an amazing story.

She's beautiful, I've never seen her before. I've been to Republic Airport museum many times but I didn't know they had done that kind of research there.

@mthury4532

3 жыл бұрын

If you go over to the terminal on the other side of the field, there’s pictures of the Rainbow. Cradle of Aviation has model of it.

Just found this channel. Great job. I really dig your style.

@celebratingaviationwithmik9782

3 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

Flew over Aberdeen on the early 70s, they were blowing up f-84s. My heart broke!

That swept wing jet mock up looked pretty good.