A Republic XF-12 prototype in a commercial airliner configuration.

4 February 1946. First flight of the Republic XF-12 Rainbow s/n 44-91002. American all-metal prototype reconnaissance aircraft. Powered by four Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engines.

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Republic XF-12 Rainbow

Republic XF-12 Rainbow

Republic : XF-12 : Rainbow by SDASM Archives Via Flickr: Catalog #: 00015390 Manufacturer: Republic Designation: XF-12 Official Nickname: Rainbow Notes: Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive

Republic XF-12 Rainbow, P-47 Thunderbolt and RC-3 Seabee

World's Fastest Four-engine Piston-powered Aircraft: Story of the Republic XR-12 Rainbow: Includes the Hughes XF-11 Competitor :: Mike Machat

World’s Fastest Four-engine Piston-powered Aircraft: Story of the Republic XR-12 Rainbow: Includes the Hughes XF-11 Competitor :: Mike Machat

World’s Fastest Four-engine Piston-powered Aircraft: Story of the Republic XR-12 Rainbow: Includes the Hughes XF-11 Competitor :: Mike Machat soon to be presented for sale on the first-class BookLovers of Bath web site! North Branch: Specialty Press, 2011, Hardback in dust wrapper. Includes: Colour photographs; Colour drawings; Diagrams; Illustrated endpapers and blanks; Cutaways;…

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Lo X'F-11 è destinato a soddisfare lo stesso compito operativo del quadrimotore ricognitore Republic XF-12 “Rainbow” : Specifiche per veivolo da alta quota , da ricognizione fotografica veloce,con autonomia a lungo raggio . Una versione notevolmente modificata del precedente  Hughes D-2 , in configurazione operativa somiglia allo  Lockheed P-38 Lightning , ma risulta molto più grande e  pesante.Presenta un treno d’atterraggio  triciclo ; bimotore; struttura bitrave con piano di coda unico (twin-boom) interamente in metallo; monoplano con un abitacolo pressurizzato con tettuccio a goccia , in una gondola centrale , molto più lunga e più alta rispetto all'ala del P-38.

La XF-11 utilizza 2 radiali, a 28 cilindri, tipo Pratt & Whitney R-4360 -31. 

Ogni motore aziona un paio di eliche controrotanti a quattro pale, a passo variabile, che aumentano le prestazioni e la stabilità, al costo di una maggiore complessità meccanica. 

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First flight of the Republic XF-12 Rainbow, an American four-engine, all-metal prototype reconnaissance aircraft.

The XP-67 “Moonbat” -  a design ahead of its time.  I love seeing aircraft designs like this – the kind of designs that look like they’ve come straight out of a comic book ...much like the Republic XF-12 Rainbow or the Fairey Delta 2.  The McDonnell XP-67 "Bat" or "Moonbat" was a prototype twin-engine, long-range, single-seat interceptor aircraft for the USAF.  Only one aircraft was built and unfortunately it never reached its anticipated levels of performance.  On 6 September 1944, the starboard engine of the XP-67 caught fire during a test flight, and test pilot Edward E. Elliot executed an emergency landing at Lambert Field in St. Louis, Missouri. He attempted to park the craft pointing into the wind to blow the flames away from the airframe, but the starboard main landing gear brakes failed, pivoting the XP-67 so the flames blew directly towards the aft fuselage. Elliot escaped safely, but the blaze gutted the fuselage, engine, nacelle, and starboard wing; the aircraft was a total loss and the project was cancelled. 🌎 www.iloveahangar.com #aircraft #airforce #airshow #avgeek #aviation #aviationdaily #aviationgeek #aviationhistory #aviationlovers #aviationphotos #avnerd #ww2aviation #instaaviation #militaryaviation #militaryaviationphotography #oldairplanes #pilot #planepics #usaaf #testpilot #warbird #warbirds #raf #ww2aircraft #ww2airplanes https://www.instagram.com/p/CKAXqLqhNtB/?igshid=5lb9f0mwmbb

Frist flown on Feb 4th, 1946 the XF-12 Rainbow was a four engine, all metal reconnaissance aircraft manufactured by Republic Aviation. It was referred to an aircraft was "flying on all fours" meaning: four engines, 400 mph cruise, 4,000 mile range, at 40,000 feet. 🛩 Two prototypes were built with the second crashing on November 7th 1948. Whilst returning to Eglin Air Force Base from a test flight the number 2 (port inner) engine exploded. The pilot was unable to maintain control due to violent buffeting, and he ordered the crew to bail out. Five of the seven crew escaped safely, including the pilot. The aircraft impacted two miles south of the base in the Choctawhatchee Bay. In June 1952, the remaining prototype was retired, stricken from the USAF inventory and ended up as a target on the Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 😔. Republic had also intended to build an airline version of the aircraft to be known as the RC-2 (last pic). This would have been one sleek looking airline for its time! 🌎 www.iloveahangar.com 📦 Free shipping on shoes! #aircraft #airforce #airplane #airshow #avgeek #aviation #aviationdaily #aviationgeek #aviationhistory #aviationlovers #aviationphotography #aviationphotos #avnerd #testpilot #fighterpilot #flight #flying #flyinglegends #instaaviation #military #militaryaviation #militaryaviationphotography #bomberpilot #oldairplanes #pilot #plane #planepics #usaaf #usaf #usairforce https://www.instagram.com/p/CHPBx8vBPXF/?igshid=46eqp2zdz80m