Seversky P-35
Introduction
The Seversky P-35 was the first American fighter with a retractable landing gear, the first of all-metal construction, and the first with an enclosed cockpit. However, it was produced at a time in which fighter designs were evolving quite rapidly, and rapidly became obsolete. It is best noted for its role as an advanced trainer for fighter pilots but it did serve in the Far East from 1940 through to 1942 as part of the rapid American build-up in that part of the world.
Early Development
In 1935, the Seversky company produced a privately-financed experimental fighter known as SEV-2, powered by an 850 hp Wright R-1820 radial air-cooled engine driving a three-bladed propeller. The design used a low-mounted elliptical wing. The two cremembers sat in tandem under a transparent cockpit hood, and the rear crewmember was provided with a flexible gun mount for protection against attacks from the rear. The SEV-2 had a fixed undercarriage enclosed by large wheel pants. Seversky decided to enter a modified version of the aircraft in the USAAC's May 1935 competition for a single-seat monoplane to replace the Boeing P-26 currently in service. Major de Seversky quickly learned that his two competitors, the Curtiss Model 75 and the Northrop 3A, both had retractable undercarriages. On June 18, 1935, the SEV-2 was "badly damaged" in an accident while on its way by road to Wright Field for entry into the competition, and the airplane was taken back to the Farmingdale factory for repairs.
The Seversky company stalled the USAAC competition while they hastily modified the SEV-2. The two-seater became a single-seater, and a retractable undercarriage was fitted. A new 850 hp Wright R-1820-G5 Cyclone air-cooled radial engine was fitted. The company redesignated the aircraft as SEV-1. Armament was two 0.30-cal machine guns mounted in the upper fuselage, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. The SEV-1 finally arrived at Wright Field on August 15, 1935. During early test flights at Wright Field, the SEV-1XP was able to attain only 289 mph at 10,000 feet, rather than the 300 mph actually promised. The engine was replaced by an 850 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-9 Twin Wasp. However, the Twin Wasp engine was found to yield only 738 hp, and the top speed of the new fighter dropped still further, down to 277 mph.
After some further modifications, the designation was changed to AP-1. Although the Seversky fighter never lived up to its promised maximum speed of 300 mph, it was judged by the USAAC as the best of the entries, and on June 16, 1936, Seversky was awarded a contract for 77 examples under the designation P-35. Serial numbers were 36-354/430.
Variants
Seversky P-35
The P-35 was similar to the SEV-7, with a cantilever, low-mounted wing. The wing was entirely of metal with the exception of the control surfaces, which were fabric covered. The 850 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-9 radial engine was enclosed by a tight cowling. Armament was the American standard of the day, one 0.50-inch and one 0.30-inch machine gun in the upper fuselage deck, synchronized to fire through the propeller arc. The first production P-35 had no wing dihedral and large bulging fairings that completely enclosed the wheels. Testing at Wright Field revealed that the aircraft was extremely unstable and had some rather dangerous flying characteristics. Stability was improved by adding several degrees of dihedral to the wing and replacing the full wheel fairings by partial fairings.
The first delivery of a P-35 to the USAAC was in July 1937. Deliveries of the P-35 to the USAAC were exceedingly slow because of the Seversky company's inexperience with mass production, and it was not until the spring of 1938 that the 17th, 27th, and 94th Squadrons of the First Pursuit Group at Selfridge Field, Michigan actually received their first P-35s. The last P-35 of the original order was delivered in August 1938. After flying for a few months with the 1st Pursuit Group, the P-35s were redistributed among squadrons of the 31st, 49th, 50th, 53rd, and 58th Groups, pending the arrival of P-36 fighters into service.
By 1940, it was clear that the rapid advances in military aviation were quickly making the P-35 fighter obsolete. The P-35 was too slow, too lightly-armed, and was lacking in such protections as armor for the pilot or self-sealing fuel tanks. The shotgun engine starter often jammed, the engine tended to leak oil, and the gear retraction mechanism was often found to be faulty. Consequently, the service life of the P-35 with the USAAC was rather brief. As P-35s were removed from service with front-line combat units, they were transferred to training units or were used at ground schools for the training of mechanics.
Specifications of Seversky P-35
Maximum speed of the P-35 at 10,000 feet was 282 mph. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 6.9 minutes. Service ceiling was 30,600 feet. Empty and loaded weights were 4315 lb and 5599 lb respectively. Maximum range was 1150 miles. Armament was one 0.3 inch an one 0.5 inch machine guns.
Seversky P-35A
With the Halifax-Butler Coup of 1940, the U.S. started a major mobilization process. This involved placing large orders for aircraft using whatever designs happened to be available. The standard supplier of fighter aircraft to the USAAC was Curtiss who were already at maximum capacity, building P-40 aircraft. Reluctantly, the USAAC turned to Seversky hoping to order that company’s P-43 or P-44 fighters, both of which were under Air Force test. However, neither was ready for production so the AAC placed an order for 120 P-35A aircraft. The P-35A was quite similar to the P-35 but was fitted with the more-powerful 1050 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-45 radial and had two nose-mounted 0.50-in guns and two 0.30-in guns in the wings. The aircraft were assigned to the Philippines On December 8, 1941, where they formed an important part of the first line of defense of these islands. They were, of course, completely inadequate for the task. By late 1940 standards, the P-35A was hopelessly obsolescent. It was too lightly armed and lacked either armor around the cockpit or self-sealing fuel tanks. However, it was believed that Japanese aircraft were equally deficient and the fact of large numbers of American fighters arriving in the Philippines would be a valuable deterrent. This indeed proved to be the case. By 1942, the P-35As had been replaced by more modern fighters and they returned to the States for use as advanced trainers.
Specifications of Seversky P-35A
The P-35A had a maximum speed of 310 mph at 14,300 feet. Initial climb rate was 1920 ft/min. Service ceiling was 31,400 feet. Maximum range was 950 miles. Weights were 4575 lbs empty and 6118 lbs normal loaded. Armament was two 0.5 inch and two 0.3 inch machine guns. Two 100 pound bombs could be carried under the wings
USA Fighters
USA Fighters
Last edited by Calder on Wed Mar 15, 2023 9:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Curtiss P-36 Hawk
Introduction
The Curtiss P-36 was the first of the new generation of monoplane fighters to enter service with the USAAC. It was a contemporary of the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hawker Hurricane, and the Messerschmitt Bf 109, all of which were introduced within a few months of each other in the mid 1930s. Even though the P-36 owed very little to previous Curtiss biplane pursuits, the name Hawk was still generally applied to the aircraft.
Early Development
The P-36 pursuit had its origin in the Model 75 project which was originally developed as the Curtiss entry in the US Army pursuit aircraft competition scheduled for May 1935. The Model 75 owed relatively little to previous Curtiss designs. It was an all-metal low-wing monoplane, with the metal-frame moveable control surfaces being fabric covered. The cockpit was enclosed by a sliding canopy, with the canopy being faired into a high rear turtledeck. Both the main undercarriage units and the tailwheel retracted, the main legs rotating backward 90 degrees and turning 90 degrees on their axes simultaneously to lay the wheels flat in the thin rear portion of the wing. Initial armament was the standard US fighter armament of the time—one 0.30-in and one 0.50-in machine guns under the forward fuselage deck, firing through openings in the top of the cowling. No armor protection or self-sealing fuel tanks were fitted.
Prototype construction began in November 1934. Initially, the aircraft was powered by the unfortunate 900 hp Wright XR-1670-5 (SCR-1670-G5) twin-row air-cooled radial. The first flight of the Model 75 took place in May of 1935. During early tests, the prototype had demonstrated a maximum speed of 281 mph at 10,000 feet, a service ceiling of 30,000 feet, and a range of 537 miles. Weights were 3760 lbs empty, 4843 lbs gross. Length was 28 feet 3 1/2 inches, wingspan was 37 feet 0 inches, and wing area was 237 square feet.
During the early flight tests, the XR-1670-5 engine which powered the Model 75 had proven itself to be totally unsatisfactory. Don Berlin took the opportunity afforded by the delay to replace this engine by a 700 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1535. Since this engine model had passed its peak of development, a nine-cylinder single-row Wright XR-1820-39 (G5) Cyclone radial was quickly substituted. This engine was rated at 950 hp for takeoff and at 850 hp normal maximum output. The new Cyclone radial of the Model 75B proved to be almost as unsatisfactory as its R-1670 predecessor, and failed to deliver its full rated power. On June 16, 1936, Curtiss got a consolation order from the Material Division for three examples of the Model 75B under the designation Y1P-36, perhaps because the USAAC was getting nervous about the inability of Seversky to meet its delivery schedules and was therefore hedging its bets. At Army direction, they were to be powered with the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp radial, virtually the same type of engine that was used by the P-35. The Twin Wasp was rated at 900 hp at 2550 rpm at 12,000 feet, having been de-rated from 1050 to 950 hp for takeoff. The engine drove a hydraulically-operated, constant-speed three-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller. Armament was the Army standard of the day, one 0.30-inch and one 0.50-inch machine gun under the cowling and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.
The first Y1P-36 was delivered to the Army in March of 1937, and was tested at Wright Field in June of that year. The Wright Field test pilots were uniformly enthusiastic about the new Curtiss plane, commenting favorably about its maneuverability. The effectiveness and operation of all controls throughout the speed range of the fighter were excellent, and stability and ground handling were quite favorably rated. However, there was some criticism of the location of the undercarriage and flap controls, some complaints about the cabin ventilation, and some unfavorable comments about the curvature of the windshield which resulted in some distortion of vision during landing. With the R-1830 engine, the Y1P-36 did so well that it won a 1937 Army competition, and on July 7, 1937, the Army ordered 210 P-36As, the largest single US military aircraft order since the First World War. Curtiss's private venture had finally paid off.
Variants
Curtiss P-36A Hawk
The principal difference between the P-36A and the Y1P-36 was the addition of engine cowl flaps and the addition of bulging "frog's eye" covers over the machine gun ports in the engine cowling. The first production P-36A was delivered to Wright Field in April of 1938. The 20th Pursuit Group at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, comprising the 55th, 77th, and 79th Pursuit Squadrons, had been designated as the first recipients of the new Curtiss fighter, and they had relinquished their Boeing P-26s in anticipation of the deliveries of the new fighter. However, the new Curtiss fighters began to encounter an extensive series of teething troubles almost as soon as they reached the field. Severe skin buckling in the vicinity of the landing gear wells had appeared, dictating increased skin thicknesses and reinforcing webs. Engine exhaust difficulties and some weaknesses in the fuselage structure were also encountered. Despite both production line and field fixes, the P-36As were grounded again and again. At one time, the 20th Pursuit Group was down to six serviceable P-36As, and even these planes had to be flown under severe limitations on their speed, aerobatics, and combat maneuvers.
By early 1940, the P-36 was already recognized as being obsolescent, and had been largely supplanted in first-line Army Air Force by the Bell P-39 Airacobra and the Curtiss P-40. At home, the P-36s were largely relegated to training units. Other P-36s were transferred overseas. P-36s served with the 24th, 29th, and 43rd Squadrons of the 16th Pursuit Group and with the 51st, 52nd and 53rd Squadrons of the 32nd Pursuit Group, both groups being based at Albrook Field in the Canal Zone, where they flew alongside the now totally-obsolete Boeing P-26. During February of 1941, 20 crated P-36s were delivered to Alaska, and these planes served with the 23rd Squadron at Elmendorf Field in Alaska. At about the same time, 31 P-36s arrived in Hawaii and entered service with the 78th Squadron of the 18th Pursuit Group and with the 46th and 47th Squadrons of the 15th Pursuit Groups, all being based at Wheeler Field, Hawaii.
Specifications of the P-36A
The P-36A had a fully-rated 1050 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp engine driving a Curtiss Electric constant speed propeller. Empty and normal loaded weights were 4567 lb and 5470 lbs. Maximum speed was 300 mph at 10,000 feet. Normal range was 825 miles. Initial climb rate was 3400 feet/minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be attained in 4.8 minutes, and service ceiling was 33,000 feet. The aircraft was armed with one 0.5 inch and one 0.3 inch machine gun.
Curtiss P-36C Hawk
The P-36B was an experimental variant equipped with an R-1830-25 engine offering 1100 hp for takeoff. It was not pursued. The P-36C was a response to complaints that the P-36A had always been underarmed in comparison with contemporary foreign fighters (e. g. the Spitfire and Hurricane), and supplemented the fuselage guns with a 0.30-in machine gun in each outer wing panel. The P-36C also featured an R-1830-17 (S1C3-G) engine rated at 1200 hp for takeoff. Further experiments saw the wing gun being doubled to two 0.3 inch machine guns in each wing for the XP-36D and then doubled again to four 0.3 inch machine guns per wing in the XP-36E. The latter model had the nose guns deleted. Neither version saw production. Nor did the XP-36F that had a 23mm Madsen cannon in an underwing gondola.
Specifications of the P-36C
Despite the extra drag produced by the wing guns and the increased weight, the increased power of the engine raised the maximum speed of the P-36C to 311 mph, although the range was lowered to 600 miles. Service ceiling was 33,700 feet. Weights were 4620 lbs empty, 5734 lbs loaded. Wing span was 37 feet 4 inches, length was 28 feet 6 inches, and wing area was 236 square feet.
Curtiss P-36G Hawk
In February 1938, two months before the first P-36A had rolled off the Buffalo assembly lines for the USAAC, the French government entered into negotiations with the Curtiss company for the supply of 300 fighters of the Hawk 75A type which Curtiss had offered to the Armee de l'Air. The Hawk 75A was an export version of the P-36A, and was being offered for sale with either the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp or the Wright Cyclone engine. On May 17, 1938 the Minister for Air announced that the French would acquire the Curtiss Hawk, and that a French purchasing commission was instructed to order 100 Hawk airframes and 173 Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines. The contract stipulated that the first Hawk should be flown at Buffalo by November 25, 1938 and that the 100th plane should be delivered by April 10, 1939.
A further 100 aircraft were ordered on March 8, 1939. These aircraft differed from the A-1 in having an additional 7.5 mm machine gun in each wing, some structural reinforcement of the rear fuselage, and the minor modifications necessary to permit interchangeability between the R-1830-SC-G and the more powerful R-1830-SC2-G, the latter affording 1050 hp for takeoff. A further 135 aircraft were ordered on October 9, 1939, with improved 1200 hp R-1830-S1C3G engines and six 7.5-mm machine guns. The last French order before the Armistice was for 395 aircraft. These were to be fitted with 1200 hp Wright R-1820-G205A Cyclone engines.
With the collapse of both Britain and France on June 19 and 23rd respectively, the USAAF suddenly found itself with no less than 470 P-36 aircraft with two different engines sitting in factories or on airfields without any owners. One problem could be rectified quickly, the 60 undelivered aircraft in the third batch were ordered equipped with the 1200 hp Wright R-1820-G205A engine bringing all 470 to the same standard. The immediate problem was what to do with them. The first solution was bureaucratic, the aircraft were designated the P-36G.
At this point, fortune crept in. The Commonwealth nations saw themselves as the inheritors of the U.K.s assets that, in their view, had been forfeited by the Halifax-Butler Coup. They put in a bid for the long lines of surplus P-36Gs. 72 were sent to South Africa and 169 to Canada. The remaining 229 were sent to India, arriving in October 1940. Of these, 24 were passed to Thailand as replacements for the P-64 aircraft ordered by Thailand but embargoed by the United States government.
In January 1941, a series of border incidents with the French in Indo-China exploded into full-scale war. Thailand invaded the areas of Cambodia and Laos that had been stolen by the French in 1908 and quickly brought about an almost complete collapse of the French Indo-China Army. With French Government in Indo-China collapsing and the Royal Thai Army heading for the Mekong, the Japanese attempted to “mediate” an armistice that served only Japanese interests. These efforts were rejected and when the Japanese attempted to harrass the advancing Thai columns, their Ki-27 fighters were badly mauled by the P-36Gs. For all its obsolescence, the P-36G had played a decisive role in the Far East that would have major political importance.
Specifications of the P-36G
Maximum speed was 323 mph at 15,100 feet. Initial climb rate was 2820 feet per minute, service ceiling was 32,700 feet, and range was 670 miles. Weights were 4541 lbs empty, 5750 lbs gross. Wingspan was 27 feet 3 1/2 inches and length was 28 feet 10 inches. Armament was six 0.3 inch machine guns.
Curtiss P-36H Hawk
The relative success of the P-36G was reinforced by another factor. Fighter engines were in short supply with the Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled and the R-2600 and R-2800 radials being particularly limited. However, the engines used by the P-36 were in relative abundance and this meant P-36s could be built without affecting the availability of better aircraft. Accordingly, Curtiss received an order for 500 P-36H aircraft on the explicit statement that their construction would not delay deliveries of P-40s. The P-36H was essentially identical to the P-36G and could be equipped with R-1830 or R-1820 engines as determined by availability. It was armed with two .50 caliber machine guns in teh nose and four .30 caliber machine guns in the wings. P-36H aircraft were sent to the Philippines where they equipped the Philippine Air Force and to the Dutch East Indies. Although obsolete by 1942, they were enough to provide at least a pretense of significant local air power. The last P-36Hs were delivered to the Philippines in 1944 and the type remained in service until 1953.
Curtiss Mohawk IV
The Hawk 75s ordered by France and taken over by the Commonwealth were named Mohawk with the various sub-types being designated Mohawk I (Hawk 75A-1), Mohawk II (Hawk 75 A-2) and Mohawk III (Hawk 75A-3). However, the majority of the aircraft taken over were the the last and most capable of the U.S. built Hawk 75s, the Hawk 75A-4 or P-36G. These were designated Mohawk IVs. Mohawk IVs continued to be built in India under license with over a hundred being completed before production shifted to the Mohawk V.
Curtiss Mohawk V
Curtiss had provided a license for the construction of the Hawk 75 to the Chinese Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) but Japanese advances in China forced the termination of this venture. CAMCO relocated to Bombay in India where it became the core of the state-owned Hindustan Aircraft company. Hindustan Aircraft retained the license to build the Hawk 75. Initially, they started assembling kits supplied by Curtiss but the Indian-built content of the aircraft rose quickly and by the end of 1941, all but the engines were being produced in India. In early 1942, production shifted to the Mohawk V that used the R-1830-94 rated at 1,450 horsepower. The added engine power increased speed by a small amount but the limited gains showed that the upper limit of what could be expected from the Hawk 75 airframe had been reached. Nevertheless, Mohawk V aircraft continued in production until 1944 with 180 aircraft being produced.
Introduction
The Curtiss P-36 was the first of the new generation of monoplane fighters to enter service with the USAAC. It was a contemporary of the Supermarine Spitfire, the Hawker Hurricane, and the Messerschmitt Bf 109, all of which were introduced within a few months of each other in the mid 1930s. Even though the P-36 owed very little to previous Curtiss biplane pursuits, the name Hawk was still generally applied to the aircraft.
Early Development
The P-36 pursuit had its origin in the Model 75 project which was originally developed as the Curtiss entry in the US Army pursuit aircraft competition scheduled for May 1935. The Model 75 owed relatively little to previous Curtiss designs. It was an all-metal low-wing monoplane, with the metal-frame moveable control surfaces being fabric covered. The cockpit was enclosed by a sliding canopy, with the canopy being faired into a high rear turtledeck. Both the main undercarriage units and the tailwheel retracted, the main legs rotating backward 90 degrees and turning 90 degrees on their axes simultaneously to lay the wheels flat in the thin rear portion of the wing. Initial armament was the standard US fighter armament of the time—one 0.30-in and one 0.50-in machine guns under the forward fuselage deck, firing through openings in the top of the cowling. No armor protection or self-sealing fuel tanks were fitted.
Prototype construction began in November 1934. Initially, the aircraft was powered by the unfortunate 900 hp Wright XR-1670-5 (SCR-1670-G5) twin-row air-cooled radial. The first flight of the Model 75 took place in May of 1935. During early tests, the prototype had demonstrated a maximum speed of 281 mph at 10,000 feet, a service ceiling of 30,000 feet, and a range of 537 miles. Weights were 3760 lbs empty, 4843 lbs gross. Length was 28 feet 3 1/2 inches, wingspan was 37 feet 0 inches, and wing area was 237 square feet.
During the early flight tests, the XR-1670-5 engine which powered the Model 75 had proven itself to be totally unsatisfactory. Don Berlin took the opportunity afforded by the delay to replace this engine by a 700 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1535. Since this engine model had passed its peak of development, a nine-cylinder single-row Wright XR-1820-39 (G5) Cyclone radial was quickly substituted. This engine was rated at 950 hp for takeoff and at 850 hp normal maximum output. The new Cyclone radial of the Model 75B proved to be almost as unsatisfactory as its R-1670 predecessor, and failed to deliver its full rated power. On June 16, 1936, Curtiss got a consolation order from the Material Division for three examples of the Model 75B under the designation Y1P-36, perhaps because the USAAC was getting nervous about the inability of Seversky to meet its delivery schedules and was therefore hedging its bets. At Army direction, they were to be powered with the Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp radial, virtually the same type of engine that was used by the P-35. The Twin Wasp was rated at 900 hp at 2550 rpm at 12,000 feet, having been de-rated from 1050 to 950 hp for takeoff. The engine drove a hydraulically-operated, constant-speed three-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller. Armament was the Army standard of the day, one 0.30-inch and one 0.50-inch machine gun under the cowling and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc.
The first Y1P-36 was delivered to the Army in March of 1937, and was tested at Wright Field in June of that year. The Wright Field test pilots were uniformly enthusiastic about the new Curtiss plane, commenting favorably about its maneuverability. The effectiveness and operation of all controls throughout the speed range of the fighter were excellent, and stability and ground handling were quite favorably rated. However, there was some criticism of the location of the undercarriage and flap controls, some complaints about the cabin ventilation, and some unfavorable comments about the curvature of the windshield which resulted in some distortion of vision during landing. With the R-1830 engine, the Y1P-36 did so well that it won a 1937 Army competition, and on July 7, 1937, the Army ordered 210 P-36As, the largest single US military aircraft order since the First World War. Curtiss's private venture had finally paid off.
Variants
Curtiss P-36A Hawk
The principal difference between the P-36A and the Y1P-36 was the addition of engine cowl flaps and the addition of bulging "frog's eye" covers over the machine gun ports in the engine cowling. The first production P-36A was delivered to Wright Field in April of 1938. The 20th Pursuit Group at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, comprising the 55th, 77th, and 79th Pursuit Squadrons, had been designated as the first recipients of the new Curtiss fighter, and they had relinquished their Boeing P-26s in anticipation of the deliveries of the new fighter. However, the new Curtiss fighters began to encounter an extensive series of teething troubles almost as soon as they reached the field. Severe skin buckling in the vicinity of the landing gear wells had appeared, dictating increased skin thicknesses and reinforcing webs. Engine exhaust difficulties and some weaknesses in the fuselage structure were also encountered. Despite both production line and field fixes, the P-36As were grounded again and again. At one time, the 20th Pursuit Group was down to six serviceable P-36As, and even these planes had to be flown under severe limitations on their speed, aerobatics, and combat maneuvers.
By early 1940, the P-36 was already recognized as being obsolescent, and had been largely supplanted in first-line Army Air Force by the Bell P-39 Airacobra and the Curtiss P-40. At home, the P-36s were largely relegated to training units. Other P-36s were transferred overseas. P-36s served with the 24th, 29th, and 43rd Squadrons of the 16th Pursuit Group and with the 51st, 52nd and 53rd Squadrons of the 32nd Pursuit Group, both groups being based at Albrook Field in the Canal Zone, where they flew alongside the now totally-obsolete Boeing P-26. During February of 1941, 20 crated P-36s were delivered to Alaska, and these planes served with the 23rd Squadron at Elmendorf Field in Alaska. At about the same time, 31 P-36s arrived in Hawaii and entered service with the 78th Squadron of the 18th Pursuit Group and with the 46th and 47th Squadrons of the 15th Pursuit Groups, all being based at Wheeler Field, Hawaii.
Specifications of the P-36A
The P-36A had a fully-rated 1050 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1830-13 Twin Wasp engine driving a Curtiss Electric constant speed propeller. Empty and normal loaded weights were 4567 lb and 5470 lbs. Maximum speed was 300 mph at 10,000 feet. Normal range was 825 miles. Initial climb rate was 3400 feet/minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be attained in 4.8 minutes, and service ceiling was 33,000 feet. The aircraft was armed with one 0.5 inch and one 0.3 inch machine gun.
Curtiss P-36C Hawk
The P-36B was an experimental variant equipped with an R-1830-25 engine offering 1100 hp for takeoff. It was not pursued. The P-36C was a response to complaints that the P-36A had always been underarmed in comparison with contemporary foreign fighters (e. g. the Spitfire and Hurricane), and supplemented the fuselage guns with a 0.30-in machine gun in each outer wing panel. The P-36C also featured an R-1830-17 (S1C3-G) engine rated at 1200 hp for takeoff. Further experiments saw the wing gun being doubled to two 0.3 inch machine guns in each wing for the XP-36D and then doubled again to four 0.3 inch machine guns per wing in the XP-36E. The latter model had the nose guns deleted. Neither version saw production. Nor did the XP-36F that had a 23mm Madsen cannon in an underwing gondola.
Specifications of the P-36C
Despite the extra drag produced by the wing guns and the increased weight, the increased power of the engine raised the maximum speed of the P-36C to 311 mph, although the range was lowered to 600 miles. Service ceiling was 33,700 feet. Weights were 4620 lbs empty, 5734 lbs loaded. Wing span was 37 feet 4 inches, length was 28 feet 6 inches, and wing area was 236 square feet.
Curtiss P-36G Hawk
In February 1938, two months before the first P-36A had rolled off the Buffalo assembly lines for the USAAC, the French government entered into negotiations with the Curtiss company for the supply of 300 fighters of the Hawk 75A type which Curtiss had offered to the Armee de l'Air. The Hawk 75A was an export version of the P-36A, and was being offered for sale with either the Pratt & Whitney Twin Wasp or the Wright Cyclone engine. On May 17, 1938 the Minister for Air announced that the French would acquire the Curtiss Hawk, and that a French purchasing commission was instructed to order 100 Hawk airframes and 173 Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engines. The contract stipulated that the first Hawk should be flown at Buffalo by November 25, 1938 and that the 100th plane should be delivered by April 10, 1939.
A further 100 aircraft were ordered on March 8, 1939. These aircraft differed from the A-1 in having an additional 7.5 mm machine gun in each wing, some structural reinforcement of the rear fuselage, and the minor modifications necessary to permit interchangeability between the R-1830-SC-G and the more powerful R-1830-SC2-G, the latter affording 1050 hp for takeoff. A further 135 aircraft were ordered on October 9, 1939, with improved 1200 hp R-1830-S1C3G engines and six 7.5-mm machine guns. The last French order before the Armistice was for 395 aircraft. These were to be fitted with 1200 hp Wright R-1820-G205A Cyclone engines.
With the collapse of both Britain and France on June 19 and 23rd respectively, the USAAF suddenly found itself with no less than 470 P-36 aircraft with two different engines sitting in factories or on airfields without any owners. One problem could be rectified quickly, the 60 undelivered aircraft in the third batch were ordered equipped with the 1200 hp Wright R-1820-G205A engine bringing all 470 to the same standard. The immediate problem was what to do with them. The first solution was bureaucratic, the aircraft were designated the P-36G.
At this point, fortune crept in. The Commonwealth nations saw themselves as the inheritors of the U.K.s assets that, in their view, had been forfeited by the Halifax-Butler Coup. They put in a bid for the long lines of surplus P-36Gs. 72 were sent to South Africa and 169 to Canada. The remaining 229 were sent to India, arriving in October 1940. Of these, 24 were passed to Thailand as replacements for the P-64 aircraft ordered by Thailand but embargoed by the United States government.
In January 1941, a series of border incidents with the French in Indo-China exploded into full-scale war. Thailand invaded the areas of Cambodia and Laos that had been stolen by the French in 1908 and quickly brought about an almost complete collapse of the French Indo-China Army. With French Government in Indo-China collapsing and the Royal Thai Army heading for the Mekong, the Japanese attempted to “mediate” an armistice that served only Japanese interests. These efforts were rejected and when the Japanese attempted to harrass the advancing Thai columns, their Ki-27 fighters were badly mauled by the P-36Gs. For all its obsolescence, the P-36G had played a decisive role in the Far East that would have major political importance.
Specifications of the P-36G
Maximum speed was 323 mph at 15,100 feet. Initial climb rate was 2820 feet per minute, service ceiling was 32,700 feet, and range was 670 miles. Weights were 4541 lbs empty, 5750 lbs gross. Wingspan was 27 feet 3 1/2 inches and length was 28 feet 10 inches. Armament was six 0.3 inch machine guns.
Curtiss P-36H Hawk
The relative success of the P-36G was reinforced by another factor. Fighter engines were in short supply with the Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled and the R-2600 and R-2800 radials being particularly limited. However, the engines used by the P-36 were in relative abundance and this meant P-36s could be built without affecting the availability of better aircraft. Accordingly, Curtiss received an order for 500 P-36H aircraft on the explicit statement that their construction would not delay deliveries of P-40s. The P-36H was essentially identical to the P-36G and could be equipped with R-1830 or R-1820 engines as determined by availability. It was armed with two .50 caliber machine guns in teh nose and four .30 caliber machine guns in the wings. P-36H aircraft were sent to the Philippines where they equipped the Philippine Air Force and to the Dutch East Indies. Although obsolete by 1942, they were enough to provide at least a pretense of significant local air power. The last P-36Hs were delivered to the Philippines in 1944 and the type remained in service until 1953.
Curtiss Mohawk IV
The Hawk 75s ordered by France and taken over by the Commonwealth were named Mohawk with the various sub-types being designated Mohawk I (Hawk 75A-1), Mohawk II (Hawk 75 A-2) and Mohawk III (Hawk 75A-3). However, the majority of the aircraft taken over were the the last and most capable of the U.S. built Hawk 75s, the Hawk 75A-4 or P-36G. These were designated Mohawk IVs. Mohawk IVs continued to be built in India under license with over a hundred being completed before production shifted to the Mohawk V.
Curtiss Mohawk V
Curtiss had provided a license for the construction of the Hawk 75 to the Chinese Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO) but Japanese advances in China forced the termination of this venture. CAMCO relocated to Bombay in India where it became the core of the state-owned Hindustan Aircraft company. Hindustan Aircraft retained the license to build the Hawk 75. Initially, they started assembling kits supplied by Curtiss but the Indian-built content of the aircraft rose quickly and by the end of 1941, all but the engines were being produced in India. In early 1942, production shifted to the Mohawk V that used the R-1830-94 rated at 1,450 horsepower. The added engine power increased speed by a small amount but the limited gains showed that the upper limit of what could be expected from the Hawk 75 airframe had been reached. Nevertheless, Mohawk V aircraft continued in production until 1944 with 180 aircraft being produced.
Last edited by Calder on Wed Mar 15, 2023 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Introduction
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning racked up an impressive series of "firsts"—it was the first Lockheed-designed military aircraft to go into series production, it was the first twin-engined interceptor to serve with the USAAC, it was the first production fighter powered by the Allison V-1710 in-line engine, it was the first modern fighter equipped with a tricycle landing gear, it was the first American plane to use butt-jointed flush riveted external surfaces, it was the first to make extensive use of stainless steel, it was the first fighter to use a bubble canopy right from the start and it was the first fighter with speeds over 400 mph. A total of 3,899 Lockheed Lightnings, mostly P-38Gs, were built.
Early Development
Lockheed was invited along with Boeing, Consolidated, Curtiss, Douglas, and Vultee to take part in a USAAC design competition X-608 for a twin-engined high-altitude interceptor. The specification called for a maximum speed of at least 360 mph at 20,000 feet and 290 mph at sea level, an endurance at full throttle of one hour at 20,000 feet, and the ability to take off and land over a 50-foot obstacle within 2200 feet.
The Lockheed design staff settled on a twin-boom design with each boom extending aft of the engine and the pilot sitting in an enclosed cockpit in a central nacelle. Each boom was to house one of the new 1150 hp Allison V-1710C twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with an exhaust-driven turbosupercharger. The central nacelle contained a forward-firing armament of one cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. Tail surfaces consisted of a fin and rudder at the end of each boom and a horizontal tailplane and elevator between the booms. At 14,800 pounds, the XP-38 weighed more than a bombed-up Bristol Blenheim I, at that time the standard British medium bomber. Fowler flaps were fitted between the ailerons and the booms and between the booms beneath the trailing edge of the wing center section.
Although the USAAC was somewhat skeptical about so radical a design, Lockheed was awarded a contract for one XP-38 prototype. Construction began in July 1938. Construction proceeded rather rapidly despite the radical features that it embodied. The XP-38 aircraft was completed in December of 1938. The early test flights turned up some problems with the wheel brakes and with vibrations of the flaps, requiring that some modifications be made to the prototype. Maximum speed was 413 mph at 20,000 feet, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 6.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 38,000 feet. Empty weight was 11,507 lbs, gross weight was 13,964 lbs, and maximum takeoff weight was 15,416 lbs.
On April 27, 1939 a Limited Procurement Order for thirteen YP-38 service test aircraft was issued. The YP-38 was redesigned for production and had a pair of 1150 hp Allison V-1710-27 and -29 engines equipped with B-2 turbosuperchargers. Armament was revised to substitute two 0.30-in machine guns for two of the four 0.50-in machine guns, and a 37-mm Browning M9 cannon with 15 rounds was substituted for the 20-mm weapon. The 0.50 inch guns carried 200 rounds per gun and the 0.30 inch guns carried 500 rounds per gun.
Variants
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Twenty-nine of these were delivered as P-38-LO. The P-38 had the same powerplants as the YP-38, but armament was changed to one 37-mm cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. Armor plate and bulletproof glass was added for pilot protection, and fluorescent instrument lighting was provided for night flying.
Lockheed P-38D Lightning
The A, B and C versions of the Lightning were all consolidated into the D version so no aircraft bearing those designations were built. The P-38D differed from the P-38 in having self-sealing fuel tanks, a retractable landing light, and provision for flares. A change in tailplane incidence, together with a redistribution of elevator mass balances, increased the mechanical advantage of the elevator control, resulting in the elimination of buffeting and facilitating dive recovery. The P-38D featured a new low-pressure oxygen system, which supplanted the old high-pressure oxygen system of earlier versions. This system became standard on all subsequent production models. Normal fuel capacity remained 210 gallons, but maximum internal fuel was reduced from 390 to 340 gallons.
Lockheed P-38E Lightning
The first major production version for the USAAF was the P-38E. It differed from the D-version in having the 37-mm cannon with the 15-round magazine replaced by a 20-mm cannon with 150 rounds. The P-38E had improved instrumentation and revised hydraulic and electrical systems. It had a revised nose section with double the ammunition capacity of earlier versions. An SCR-274N radio was installed. In the middle of 1941, the Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propellers with hollow steel blades were replaced on the production line by Curtiss Electric propellers with dural blades. Early in its life the P-38 earned a reputation as a pilot killer. A terminal velocity dive in a P-38 was believed by many pilots to be a fatal maneuver. It was possible in a high- speed dive to overstress the plane while trying to pull out, and a number of P-38s lost empennages while doing such maneuvers and crashed, usually with fatal results. It was later determined that these problems were the result of the effects of compressibility. Although it was later found that ALL aircraft had problems when they operated in these speed ranges, the P-38 was a pioneer in high-speed flight and thus got a bad reputation. A total of 210 P-38Es were built.
Specifications of the P-38E Lightning
The P-38E was powered by Allison V-1710-27/29 turbosupercharged engines. Maximum speed was 395 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 8 minutes, and service ceiling was 39,000 feet. Weights were 11,880 lbs empty, 14,424 lbs gross, and 15,482 lbs maximum takeoff. Armament was one 20mm cannon and four 0.50 inch machine guns.
Lockheed P-38F Lightning
The P-38F version of late 1942 was the first Lightning version that was considered fully combat-ready. It included 377 US-ordered aircraft, plus 150 planes that had originally been ordered under British and French contracts. The P-38F was powered by 1325 hp turbosupercharged Allison V-1710-49/53 engines and had the same armament as did the E-version—one 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. There were five separate production batches of the P-38F, differing from each other mainly in internal equipment.
The initial F-version was the P-38F-LO. 128 of these were built. The next F-version was the P-38F-1-LO, which differed from the P-38F-LO in being modified after delivery to carry a pair of drop tanks or a pair of 1000-lb bombs under the wing center sections. Each rack could also carry a Smoke Curtain Installation or a 22-inch torpedo. This version had SCR-525 and SCR-522 radio. 149 of the P-38F-1-LO version were built. The P-38F-5-LO version, of which 100 were built, was built from the onset with provision for drop tanks. It also had revised landing lights, desert equipment, identification lights, and various other minor improvements. The twenty-nine P-38F-13-LOs and the 212 P-38F-15-LOs had modified instruments and introduced combat flaps which could be rapidly extended to 8 degrees during maneuvers to tighten the turning radius. Finally Twenty P-38F-1-LO airframes with 1325 hp V-1710-49/53 engines were completed as F-4A-1-LO unarmed photo-reconnaissance aircraft with four K-17 cameras in a modified nose.
Specifications of the P-38F
The P-38F was powered by 1325 hp turbosupercharged Allison V-1710-49/53 engines and had the same armament as did the E-version—one 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. The P-38F had an empty weight was 12,264 lbs, gross weight was 15,900 lbs, and maximum takeoff weight was 18,000 pounds. Maximum speed was 395 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 8.8 minutes.
Lockheed P-38G Lightning
The P-38G began to roll off the production lines in June of 1942. It was basically similar to the P-38F apart from a change to the Allison V-1710-51/55 (F10) engine with increased boost ratings and offering 1325 hp for takeoff. However, the engine was limited to 1150 hp at 27,000 feet due to inadequate cooling. In addition, the P-38G carried a SCR-274N radio and A-9 oxygen equipment. The P-38G had a loaded weight some 200 pounds less than that of the P-38F, and was the most widely-built version of the early Lightnings. 3082 P-38Gs had been delivered by March 1944. 181 of these had been completed as F-5A photo reconnaissance aircraft and another 200 had been completed as F-5Bs with camera installations similar to that of the F-5A-10-LO. One F-5A-10-LO was modified as an experimental two-seat reconnaissance aircraft under the designation XF-5D-LO.
Specification of P-38G-1-LO
Maximum speed: 345 mph at 5000 feet, 360 mph at 10,000 feet, 400 mph at 25,000 feet. 850 miles range on internal fuel at cruising speed of 219 mph at 10,000 feet. 1750 miles range at 211 mph at 10,000 feet with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Climb to 10,000 feet in 3.7 minutes, climb to 20,000 feet in 8.5 minutes. Service ceiling of 39,000 feet. Weights were 12,200 lbs empty, 15,800 lbs normal loaded, 19,800 lbs maximum loaded. Dimensions were wingspan 52 feet 0 inches, length 37 feet 10 inches, height 9 feet 10 inches, wing area 327.5 square feet. Armed with one 20-mm Hispano M1 cannon with 150 rounds and four 0.50-in Colt-Browning MG 53-2 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. Could carry two 325, 500, or 1000-lb bombs.
Lockheed XP-38H Lightning
The groups of P-38G fighters sent to Russia had proved the type was effective but was limited by an inadequate and unreliable engine installation. In addition, there was some concern that all American aircraft flying in Russia were dependent on the same general type of engine. This would be remedied to some extent when the P-47 Thunderbolt arrived in quantity but that only went to show the superiority of air-cooled radials over liquid-cooled engines. Accordingly, Lockheed were asked to investigate the modification of the Lightning to use a radial engine. Originally Lockheed envisaged using a R-2600 but this proved unsuitable for turbocharging so Lockheed made “the big jump” the using the R-2800. This required such a major redesign that the XP-38H was redesignated the XP-49.
Introduction
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning racked up an impressive series of "firsts"—it was the first Lockheed-designed military aircraft to go into series production, it was the first twin-engined interceptor to serve with the USAAC, it was the first production fighter powered by the Allison V-1710 in-line engine, it was the first modern fighter equipped with a tricycle landing gear, it was the first American plane to use butt-jointed flush riveted external surfaces, it was the first to make extensive use of stainless steel, it was the first fighter to use a bubble canopy right from the start and it was the first fighter with speeds over 400 mph. A total of 3,899 Lockheed Lightnings, mostly P-38Gs, were built.
Early Development
Lockheed was invited along with Boeing, Consolidated, Curtiss, Douglas, and Vultee to take part in a USAAC design competition X-608 for a twin-engined high-altitude interceptor. The specification called for a maximum speed of at least 360 mph at 20,000 feet and 290 mph at sea level, an endurance at full throttle of one hour at 20,000 feet, and the ability to take off and land over a 50-foot obstacle within 2200 feet.
The Lockheed design staff settled on a twin-boom design with each boom extending aft of the engine and the pilot sitting in an enclosed cockpit in a central nacelle. Each boom was to house one of the new 1150 hp Allison V-1710C twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled engine with an exhaust-driven turbosupercharger. The central nacelle contained a forward-firing armament of one cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. Tail surfaces consisted of a fin and rudder at the end of each boom and a horizontal tailplane and elevator between the booms. At 14,800 pounds, the XP-38 weighed more than a bombed-up Bristol Blenheim I, at that time the standard British medium bomber. Fowler flaps were fitted between the ailerons and the booms and between the booms beneath the trailing edge of the wing center section.
Although the USAAC was somewhat skeptical about so radical a design, Lockheed was awarded a contract for one XP-38 prototype. Construction began in July 1938. Construction proceeded rather rapidly despite the radical features that it embodied. The XP-38 aircraft was completed in December of 1938. The early test flights turned up some problems with the wheel brakes and with vibrations of the flaps, requiring that some modifications be made to the prototype. Maximum speed was 413 mph at 20,000 feet, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 6.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 38,000 feet. Empty weight was 11,507 lbs, gross weight was 13,964 lbs, and maximum takeoff weight was 15,416 lbs.
On April 27, 1939 a Limited Procurement Order for thirteen YP-38 service test aircraft was issued. The YP-38 was redesigned for production and had a pair of 1150 hp Allison V-1710-27 and -29 engines equipped with B-2 turbosuperchargers. Armament was revised to substitute two 0.30-in machine guns for two of the four 0.50-in machine guns, and a 37-mm Browning M9 cannon with 15 rounds was substituted for the 20-mm weapon. The 0.50 inch guns carried 200 rounds per gun and the 0.30 inch guns carried 500 rounds per gun.
Variants
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
Twenty-nine of these were delivered as P-38-LO. The P-38 had the same powerplants as the YP-38, but armament was changed to one 37-mm cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. Armor plate and bulletproof glass was added for pilot protection, and fluorescent instrument lighting was provided for night flying.
Lockheed P-38D Lightning
The A, B and C versions of the Lightning were all consolidated into the D version so no aircraft bearing those designations were built. The P-38D differed from the P-38 in having self-sealing fuel tanks, a retractable landing light, and provision for flares. A change in tailplane incidence, together with a redistribution of elevator mass balances, increased the mechanical advantage of the elevator control, resulting in the elimination of buffeting and facilitating dive recovery. The P-38D featured a new low-pressure oxygen system, which supplanted the old high-pressure oxygen system of earlier versions. This system became standard on all subsequent production models. Normal fuel capacity remained 210 gallons, but maximum internal fuel was reduced from 390 to 340 gallons.
Lockheed P-38E Lightning
The first major production version for the USAAF was the P-38E. It differed from the D-version in having the 37-mm cannon with the 15-round magazine replaced by a 20-mm cannon with 150 rounds. The P-38E had improved instrumentation and revised hydraulic and electrical systems. It had a revised nose section with double the ammunition capacity of earlier versions. An SCR-274N radio was installed. In the middle of 1941, the Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propellers with hollow steel blades were replaced on the production line by Curtiss Electric propellers with dural blades. Early in its life the P-38 earned a reputation as a pilot killer. A terminal velocity dive in a P-38 was believed by many pilots to be a fatal maneuver. It was possible in a high- speed dive to overstress the plane while trying to pull out, and a number of P-38s lost empennages while doing such maneuvers and crashed, usually with fatal results. It was later determined that these problems were the result of the effects of compressibility. Although it was later found that ALL aircraft had problems when they operated in these speed ranges, the P-38 was a pioneer in high-speed flight and thus got a bad reputation. A total of 210 P-38Es were built.
Specifications of the P-38E Lightning
The P-38E was powered by Allison V-1710-27/29 turbosupercharged engines. Maximum speed was 395 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 8 minutes, and service ceiling was 39,000 feet. Weights were 11,880 lbs empty, 14,424 lbs gross, and 15,482 lbs maximum takeoff. Armament was one 20mm cannon and four 0.50 inch machine guns.
Lockheed P-38F Lightning
The P-38F version of late 1942 was the first Lightning version that was considered fully combat-ready. It included 377 US-ordered aircraft, plus 150 planes that had originally been ordered under British and French contracts. The P-38F was powered by 1325 hp turbosupercharged Allison V-1710-49/53 engines and had the same armament as did the E-version—one 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. There were five separate production batches of the P-38F, differing from each other mainly in internal equipment.
The initial F-version was the P-38F-LO. 128 of these were built. The next F-version was the P-38F-1-LO, which differed from the P-38F-LO in being modified after delivery to carry a pair of drop tanks or a pair of 1000-lb bombs under the wing center sections. Each rack could also carry a Smoke Curtain Installation or a 22-inch torpedo. This version had SCR-525 and SCR-522 radio. 149 of the P-38F-1-LO version were built. The P-38F-5-LO version, of which 100 were built, was built from the onset with provision for drop tanks. It also had revised landing lights, desert equipment, identification lights, and various other minor improvements. The twenty-nine P-38F-13-LOs and the 212 P-38F-15-LOs had modified instruments and introduced combat flaps which could be rapidly extended to 8 degrees during maneuvers to tighten the turning radius. Finally Twenty P-38F-1-LO airframes with 1325 hp V-1710-49/53 engines were completed as F-4A-1-LO unarmed photo-reconnaissance aircraft with four K-17 cameras in a modified nose.
Specifications of the P-38F
The P-38F was powered by 1325 hp turbosupercharged Allison V-1710-49/53 engines and had the same armament as did the E-version—one 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-in machine guns. The P-38F had an empty weight was 12,264 lbs, gross weight was 15,900 lbs, and maximum takeoff weight was 18,000 pounds. Maximum speed was 395 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 8.8 minutes.
Lockheed P-38G Lightning
The P-38G began to roll off the production lines in June of 1942. It was basically similar to the P-38F apart from a change to the Allison V-1710-51/55 (F10) engine with increased boost ratings and offering 1325 hp for takeoff. However, the engine was limited to 1150 hp at 27,000 feet due to inadequate cooling. In addition, the P-38G carried a SCR-274N radio and A-9 oxygen equipment. The P-38G had a loaded weight some 200 pounds less than that of the P-38F, and was the most widely-built version of the early Lightnings. 3082 P-38Gs had been delivered by March 1944. 181 of these had been completed as F-5A photo reconnaissance aircraft and another 200 had been completed as F-5Bs with camera installations similar to that of the F-5A-10-LO. One F-5A-10-LO was modified as an experimental two-seat reconnaissance aircraft under the designation XF-5D-LO.
Specification of P-38G-1-LO
Maximum speed: 345 mph at 5000 feet, 360 mph at 10,000 feet, 400 mph at 25,000 feet. 850 miles range on internal fuel at cruising speed of 219 mph at 10,000 feet. 1750 miles range at 211 mph at 10,000 feet with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Climb to 10,000 feet in 3.7 minutes, climb to 20,000 feet in 8.5 minutes. Service ceiling of 39,000 feet. Weights were 12,200 lbs empty, 15,800 lbs normal loaded, 19,800 lbs maximum loaded. Dimensions were wingspan 52 feet 0 inches, length 37 feet 10 inches, height 9 feet 10 inches, wing area 327.5 square feet. Armed with one 20-mm Hispano M1 cannon with 150 rounds and four 0.50-in Colt-Browning MG 53-2 machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. Could carry two 325, 500, or 1000-lb bombs.
Lockheed XP-38H Lightning
The groups of P-38G fighters sent to Russia had proved the type was effective but was limited by an inadequate and unreliable engine installation. In addition, there was some concern that all American aircraft flying in Russia were dependent on the same general type of engine. This would be remedied to some extent when the P-47 Thunderbolt arrived in quantity but that only went to show the superiority of air-cooled radials over liquid-cooled engines. Accordingly, Lockheed were asked to investigate the modification of the Lightning to use a radial engine. Originally Lockheed envisaged using a R-2600 but this proved unsuitable for turbocharging so Lockheed made “the big jump” the using the R-2800. This required such a major redesign that the XP-38H was redesignated the XP-49.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Bell P-39 Airacobra
Introduction
The P-39 Airacobra was not exactly one of the best aircraft of the Second World War. It was criticized for its low service ceiling, its slow rate of climb, and its generally poor high-altitude performance vis-a-vis the German Me-109 fighter. However, along with the Curtiss P-40, the P-39 was the only fighter available in quantity to fight against the Germans on the Russian Front during the first six months of the war of the U.S. commitment to Russia. Nevertheless, the Airacobra did give a fairly good account of itself. It was a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage and still returning to base.
Early Development
Work on the Bell P-39 Airacobra started in June 1936 when the Bell Aircraft Corporation responded to an Army Air Corps request for a new single-seat fighter design that would be equal to the new European fighters just then beginning to undergo flight test. The Bell design was based around mounting the engine in mid-fuselage, driving the propeller via a ten-foot extension shaft. Among the potential advantages offered by such an arrangement was the possibility of superior maneuverability, since the weight of the plane would be more nearly concentrated at the center of gravity. In addition, it would facilitate the installation of a heavy nose armament, since the armament could be mounted near the centerline, minimizing the effects of recoil forces. It would also offer good visibility for the pilot, and would permit the installation of a tricycle undercarriage. This design was used as the basis of a formal submission to the USAAC on May 18, 1937. The Bell submission promised a top speed of 400 mph at 20,000 feet and a gross weight of only 5500 pounds.
The USAAC ordered one prototype on October 7, 1937 under the designation XP-39. The powerplant of the XP-39 was the 1150 hp Allison V-1710-17 (E2) l2-cylinder liquid-cooled Vee which was fitted with a B-5 two-stage turbosupercharger on the portside of the central fuselage. A somewhat smaller radiator/oil cooler scoop was fitted on the other side of the fuselage. Provision was made for two 0.50-inch machine guns in the forward fuselage and one 37-mm T9 cannon designed by the American Armament Corporation. The cockpit canopy had six transparent panels, and offered exceptional all- round visibility. An unusual feature of the Airacobra was the automobile-type door on each side of the cockpit, which allowed easy access by the pilot to the cockpit from either side. The doors even had roll-down windows! The cockpit was fairly easy to enter and exit, but the doors had a tendency to fly open in midair at high speed if improperly secured.
The engine behind the pilot's seat drove the propeller by means of a driveshaft mounted under the pilot's seat. Early Airacobra pilots feared what might happen if the driveshaft were to break loose or were to start whipping around inside its mount. However, in practice there were no more problems encountered with this driveshaft than with more conventional arrangements. The fuel was carried in tanks totaling 60 gallons in capacity in the wing outer panels. There was a reserve tank of 30 gallons in the left wing.
The XP-39 was completed at Bell's Buffalo plant and shipped by truck to Wright Field in Ohio. It was reassembled there and flown for the first time on April 6, 1939, Bell test pilot James Taylor being at the controls. The performance was excellent, the prototype reaching a speed of 390 mph at 20,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 5 minutes, quite impressive climbing performance for the time. Service ceiling was 32,000 feet. Weights were 3995 pounds empty, 5550 pounds gross, and 6304 pounds maximum takeoff. The USAAC was quite impressed with the performance, perhaps ignoring the fact that the XP-39 carried no military equipment or armament and was thus much lighter that that which could be anticipated for production models.
The initial XP-39 tests went quite well, and the only problem that was encountered being some engine overheating difficulties. At first, it was thought that the overheating problems might be due to bad ventilation, and the left-hand supercharger and the right-hand radiator intakes and exhausts were both enlarged. However, this did not cure the problem, and it was found later that the problem was easily cured by a simple change in the structure of the oil system. With this change, the XP-39 was accepted for production with an initial order for twelve service-test YP-39s (Bell Model 12) and one YP-39A in April 1939. The YP-39A (40-039) was to have been powered by a high-altitude V-1710-31 engine of 1150 hp.
In the meantime, the XP-39 underwent a series of full-scale wind-tunnel tests in NACA's wind tunnel at Langley Field, Virginia. After the tests, the XP-39 was returned to Buffalo for revisions. The rebuilt XP-39 emerged as the XP-39B. Most of the changes were improvements in the streamlining of the airframe. The cockpit canopy was changed to a longer and lower shape. Changes were made to the wheel doors. The oil cooler and radiator intakes were moved from the fuselage right side to the wing roots. The wing span was decreased from 35 feet 10 inches to 34 feet, and length was increased from 28 feet 8 inches to 29 feet 9 inches.
The most serious change, however, was the elimination of the turbosupercharger, and its replacement by a single-stage geared supercharger. This change was a result of a shift in philosophy on the part of the USAAC. The USAAC believed that the widths of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans made the USA virtually immune from high-altitude attack by enemy bombers. Therefore, the development of high-altitude interceptors was curtailed in favor of strike fighters optimized for low-level close support. The 1150 hp V-1710-17 (E2) of the XP-39 was replaced by a V-1710-37 (E5) engine rated at an altitude of 13,300 feet. The carburetor air intake was mounted in a dorsal position just behind the cockpit, where it was to remain throughout the Airacobra production run.
The XP-39B resumed flight trials on November 25, 1939. Empty weight had grown from from 3995 lbs to 4530 lbs, and normal gross weight was up to 5834 pounds from 5550 pounds, and the aircraft STILL didn't have any armament. The removal of the turbosupercharger was to have fateful consequences for the future of the Airacobra. Although the Allison engine was more reliable and more easily service when the turbosupercharger was eliminated, the engine only performed well at low and medium altitudes and lost power quite rapidly at altitudes over 15,000 feet. Even in spite of the improved streamlining, the XP-39B suffered a severe degradation in high-altitude performance. Maximum speed fell from 390 mph at 20,000 feet to 375 mph at 15,000 feet, and it now took 7.5 minutes to reach 20,000 feet rather than five minutes. However, there was an increase in low-altitude maneuverability because of the reduced wing span, and the decrease in low-altitude performance was only marginal.
The first YP-39 (40-027) was flown on September 13, 1940 with the 1090 hp V-1710-37 (E5) engine driving a Curtiss Electric propeller. It differed externally from the XP-39B primarily in having a wider-chord vertical tail. The first few YP-39s were initially flown without armament, but subsequent machines were fitted with a 37 mm cannon with 15 rounds, a pair of 0.5-inch machine guns with 200 rounds per gun, and two 0.30-inch machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. All of these guns were mounted in the nose. Some armor protection was provided for the pilot. Empty and normal loaded weights rose to 5042 pounds and 7000 pounds, respectively. In comparison, the XP-39 prototype had a normal loaded weight of only 5550 pounds. Consequently, the performance of the YP-39 dropped to a maximum speed of 368 mph at 15,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 7.3 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,300 feet.
Variants
Bell P-39C Airacobra
The first production version of the Airacobra was the P-39C, reflecting the number of changes that had been introduced since the prototype first flew. The first P-39C flew in January of 1941. The P-39C was almost identical to the YP-39, with the exception of the engine, which was a 1150 hp Allison V-1710-35 (E4). The production of the P-39C began in 1940. The Army discovered almost immediately that the P-39C was not combat ready, since it lacked armor and self-sealing tanks. In the event, only twenty Airacobras were actually completed to C-standards. On September 14, 1940 the initial order for 80 P-39Cs was amended to provide for self-sealing fuel tanks. The remaining 60 planes of the order were completed to this standard and were redesignated as P-39Ds.
Specification of Bell P-39C Airacobra
The P-39C was powered by a 1150 hp Allison V-1710-35 engine. Weights were 5070 pounds empty, 7075 pounds gross (combat weight), and 7300 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 379 mph at 13,000 feet. An altitude of 12,000 feet could be reached in 3.9 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,200 feet. Armament was one 37-mm cannon, two 0.50-inch and two 0.30-inch machine guns, all in the nose.
Bell P-39D Airacobra
On September 13, 1940, 394 P-39Ds were ordered. The P-39D differed from the P-39C primarily in having four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns with 1000 rpg, two fuselage-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns with 200 rounds per gun, plus the 37-mm cannon (with increased ammunition capacity of 30 rounds). Bulletproof windshield panels were added, and some armor protection for the pilot was provided. Self-sealing fuel tanks were introduced, which reduced internal fuel capacity from 141.5 Imp. gall. to 100 Imp. gall. This internal fuel could be supplemented by a 72.4 Imp. gall drop tank carried on a strongpoint fitted underneath the fuselage. In place of the drop tank, a 300 lb or 600 pound bomb could be carried. The bulletproof windshield and armor protection added 245 pounds to the weight of the aircraft, causing the climb and altitude performance to suffer. The maximum speed at 15,000 feet dropped to 360 mph.
The first P-39D Airacobras entered service with the USAAC in February 1941 with the 31st Pursuit Group based at Selfridge Field, Michigan. The P-39D was the first to see combat on the Russian Front while in US service. There were a great many weaknesses in the Airacobra, apart from the general problem of poor high-altitude performance. Among these were the lack of gun heaters which caused the guns to freeze up and jam at altitudes over 25,000 feet, the lack of hydraulic chargers which made it difficult to charge the guns in the air, and the forward gear box just behind the propeller which had a tendency to throw oil.
Specification of Bell P-39D Airacobra
Engine: One 1150 hp Allison V-1710-35 twelve-cylinder liquid cooled engine. Performance: Maximum speed 309 mph at sea level, 335 mph at 5000 feet, 355 mph at 10,000 feet, 368 mph at 12,000 feet, and 360 mph at 15,000 feet. An altitude of 5000 feet could be reached in 1.9 minutes. It took 5.7 minutes to reach an altitude of 15,000 feet and 9.1 minutes to reach 20,000 feet. Service ceiling was 32,100 feet. Maximum range (clean) was 600 miles at 10,000 feet at 231 mph. Range with one 145.7 Imp gal drop tank was 1100 miles at 196 mph. Weights: 5462 pounds empty, 7500 pounds gross, and 8200 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions: Wingspan 34 feet 0 inches, length 30 feet 2 inches, height 11 feet 10 inches, and wing area 213 square feet. Armament: One 37-mm cannon in the nose with 30 rounds. Four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns with 1000 rpg, two fuselage-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns with 200 rounds per gun. One 250 lb, 325-lb, or 500-lb bomb could be carried underneath the fuselage.
Bell P-39E Airacobra
The P-39E was an effort to correct the faults of the P-39D, effectively by going back to the XP-39 prototype and working from there. This aircraft became the P-45 Airacobra.
Bell P-39F Airacobra
The first Airacobra model to be produced in really large numbers was the P-39F, 2095 examples being built. All P-39Fs were powered by the V-1710-85 (E19) engine rated at 1200 hp for takeoff and 1115 hp at 15,500 feet. After completion of the first 166 P-39Ns, the USAAF requested that four fuel cells be removed in order to reduce the internal fuel capacity from 120 to 87 US gallons, and so to reduce the maximum permissible gross weight from 9100 lbs to 8750 lbs. This kept weight down, but unfortunately it also restricted range. Therefore, kits were provided that allowed the four fuel cells to be refitted in the field. The 500 P-39Fs were followed by 900 P-39F-1s. These differed only in some minor internal changes which altered the location of the center of gravity. The last Fs were the 695 P-39F-5s. They differed from earlier Fs in having the total weight of armor reduced from 231 to 193 pounds. A curved armor head plate supplanted the bulletproof glass behind the pilot.
Bell P-39G Airacobra
The P-39G was the last version of the Airacobra to roll off the production lines at Bell. It was also the version which was built in the largest numbers, 4905 P-39Gs being built before production finally ended. The principal difference between the P-39G and earlier version was in the fighter's armament—the four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns were replaced by a single 0.50-inch machine gun mounted in a fairing underneath each wing. The ammunition capacity of the underwing guns was 300 rounds per gun. The two fuselage-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns with 200 rpg, plus the hub-mounted 37-mm cannon with 30 rounds, were retained. The Russians usually had the underwing gun pods removed.
A few P-39Gs were modified into two seaters with dual controls for use as advanced trainers under the designation RP-39G (redesignated TP-39G after 1944). All armament was removed. The second cockpit was placed in front of the original cockpit, and the pilot in this extra cockpit sat under a hinged canopy. The extra cockpit was fitted with only rudimentary controls. The original cockpit retained the same controls and instruments as the standard P-39G. Production of the P-39G finally terminated in August of 1944. Most of the P-39Gs were delivered to Russia. Only a few ended up serving with American units. One of these was the 332nd Fighter Group which took on 75 P-39Gs in Russia during February 1944. After only two months, these Airacobras were replaced by P-47s, finally retiring the type from US service.
Specifications of the P-39G
One Allison V-1710-85 engine rated at 1200 hp at sea level and 1125 hp at 15,500 feet. Maximum speed 330 mph at 5000 feet, 357 mph at 10,000 feet, 376 mph at 15,000 feet. Climb to 5000 feet in 2.0 minutes. Climb to 20,000 feet in 8.5 minutes. Maximum range (clean) was 525 miles at 20,000 feet at 250 mph. With one 145.7 Imp gal drop tank, range was 1075 miles at 196 mph. Service ceiling was 35,000 feet. Weights were 5645 pounds empty, 7600 pounds normal loaded, 8300 pounds maximum loaded. Dimensions: Wingspan 34 feet 0 inches, length 30 feet 2 inches, height 12 feet 5 inches, wing area 213 square feet.
Bell P-400 Airacobra
The P-400 was originally intended for the Royal Air Force that ordered no less than 675 of them. The original P-400 had the slower-firing 37-mm cannon replaced with the faster-firing and more reliable Hispano 20-mm cannon with 60 rounds. Two 0.50-inch machine guns were mounted in the fuselage, and four 0.30-inch machine guns were mounted in the wings. The engine of the Model 14 was the 1150 hp Allison V-1710-E4 (-35). Following the Halifax-Butler coup, this orderw as cancelled and the aircraft reordered as P-45s. However, 170 had been completed and these lacked an owner. Unlike the Curtiss Hawk 75s and Hawk 81s, there was no real demand for these aircraft. Eventually, they were disarmed and used by the USAAF as advanced trainers.
P-39 Combat Career
Satirists have suggested that the P-39 was fortunate in that it fought over the Russian Steppes that were flat so it didn’t have to climb anywhere. In fact, there is some truth to that; the P-39 was at its best at low altitude which suited the conditions of the Russian Front down to the ground. Few there flew much above 10,000 feet, 15,000 was considered high altitude. At those altitudes, the P-39 was at its best. Russian and American pilots considered their P-39Fs and Gs to be equal to the Me-109F and superior to the Me-109E.
The Russians modified their P-39s by removing the wing guns completely, believing this significantly improved the agility of the aircraft. Many American pilots followed this example. The armament of the P-39 was controversial; Russian pilots regarded the combination of two 0.5 inch machine guns and a 37mm cannon as being very effective while Americans regarded it as being almost useless due to the difference in trajectory of the two weapons. The reason for this difference of opinion was interesting; Russian-built fighters had very poor gunsights so their pilots got in very close, often within a few tens of yards, before firing. Then, they would fire a burst from the .50s to get on target followed by one or two rounds from the 37mm. American pilots were used to the high-quality gunsights on their fighters and fired from longer ranges where all 30 of their 37mm rounds would be expended to get a single hit. Of course, the big shell of the 37mm meant that the one hit was decisive. Once American pilots got into the habit of firing from extremely close range, their kill rate – and their opinion of the P-39s armament - soared.
Contrary to many statements in reference sources, the P-39 was never used by either the Russians or the Americans as a primary ground attack aircraft. It always served as a fighter, covering other ground attack aircraft. One P-39G, flown by Lieutenant Paul Lazaruski achieved the notable feat of shooting down an Me-262 in air combat.
Introduction
The P-39 Airacobra was not exactly one of the best aircraft of the Second World War. It was criticized for its low service ceiling, its slow rate of climb, and its generally poor high-altitude performance vis-a-vis the German Me-109 fighter. However, along with the Curtiss P-40, the P-39 was the only fighter available in quantity to fight against the Germans on the Russian Front during the first six months of the war of the U.S. commitment to Russia. Nevertheless, the Airacobra did give a fairly good account of itself. It was a well-built and reliable aircraft capable of absorbing quite a bit of battle damage and still returning to base.
Early Development
Work on the Bell P-39 Airacobra started in June 1936 when the Bell Aircraft Corporation responded to an Army Air Corps request for a new single-seat fighter design that would be equal to the new European fighters just then beginning to undergo flight test. The Bell design was based around mounting the engine in mid-fuselage, driving the propeller via a ten-foot extension shaft. Among the potential advantages offered by such an arrangement was the possibility of superior maneuverability, since the weight of the plane would be more nearly concentrated at the center of gravity. In addition, it would facilitate the installation of a heavy nose armament, since the armament could be mounted near the centerline, minimizing the effects of recoil forces. It would also offer good visibility for the pilot, and would permit the installation of a tricycle undercarriage. This design was used as the basis of a formal submission to the USAAC on May 18, 1937. The Bell submission promised a top speed of 400 mph at 20,000 feet and a gross weight of only 5500 pounds.
The USAAC ordered one prototype on October 7, 1937 under the designation XP-39. The powerplant of the XP-39 was the 1150 hp Allison V-1710-17 (E2) l2-cylinder liquid-cooled Vee which was fitted with a B-5 two-stage turbosupercharger on the portside of the central fuselage. A somewhat smaller radiator/oil cooler scoop was fitted on the other side of the fuselage. Provision was made for two 0.50-inch machine guns in the forward fuselage and one 37-mm T9 cannon designed by the American Armament Corporation. The cockpit canopy had six transparent panels, and offered exceptional all- round visibility. An unusual feature of the Airacobra was the automobile-type door on each side of the cockpit, which allowed easy access by the pilot to the cockpit from either side. The doors even had roll-down windows! The cockpit was fairly easy to enter and exit, but the doors had a tendency to fly open in midair at high speed if improperly secured.
The engine behind the pilot's seat drove the propeller by means of a driveshaft mounted under the pilot's seat. Early Airacobra pilots feared what might happen if the driveshaft were to break loose or were to start whipping around inside its mount. However, in practice there were no more problems encountered with this driveshaft than with more conventional arrangements. The fuel was carried in tanks totaling 60 gallons in capacity in the wing outer panels. There was a reserve tank of 30 gallons in the left wing.
The XP-39 was completed at Bell's Buffalo plant and shipped by truck to Wright Field in Ohio. It was reassembled there and flown for the first time on April 6, 1939, Bell test pilot James Taylor being at the controls. The performance was excellent, the prototype reaching a speed of 390 mph at 20,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 5 minutes, quite impressive climbing performance for the time. Service ceiling was 32,000 feet. Weights were 3995 pounds empty, 5550 pounds gross, and 6304 pounds maximum takeoff. The USAAC was quite impressed with the performance, perhaps ignoring the fact that the XP-39 carried no military equipment or armament and was thus much lighter that that which could be anticipated for production models.
The initial XP-39 tests went quite well, and the only problem that was encountered being some engine overheating difficulties. At first, it was thought that the overheating problems might be due to bad ventilation, and the left-hand supercharger and the right-hand radiator intakes and exhausts were both enlarged. However, this did not cure the problem, and it was found later that the problem was easily cured by a simple change in the structure of the oil system. With this change, the XP-39 was accepted for production with an initial order for twelve service-test YP-39s (Bell Model 12) and one YP-39A in April 1939. The YP-39A (40-039) was to have been powered by a high-altitude V-1710-31 engine of 1150 hp.
In the meantime, the XP-39 underwent a series of full-scale wind-tunnel tests in NACA's wind tunnel at Langley Field, Virginia. After the tests, the XP-39 was returned to Buffalo for revisions. The rebuilt XP-39 emerged as the XP-39B. Most of the changes were improvements in the streamlining of the airframe. The cockpit canopy was changed to a longer and lower shape. Changes were made to the wheel doors. The oil cooler and radiator intakes were moved from the fuselage right side to the wing roots. The wing span was decreased from 35 feet 10 inches to 34 feet, and length was increased from 28 feet 8 inches to 29 feet 9 inches.
The most serious change, however, was the elimination of the turbosupercharger, and its replacement by a single-stage geared supercharger. This change was a result of a shift in philosophy on the part of the USAAC. The USAAC believed that the widths of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans made the USA virtually immune from high-altitude attack by enemy bombers. Therefore, the development of high-altitude interceptors was curtailed in favor of strike fighters optimized for low-level close support. The 1150 hp V-1710-17 (E2) of the XP-39 was replaced by a V-1710-37 (E5) engine rated at an altitude of 13,300 feet. The carburetor air intake was mounted in a dorsal position just behind the cockpit, where it was to remain throughout the Airacobra production run.
The XP-39B resumed flight trials on November 25, 1939. Empty weight had grown from from 3995 lbs to 4530 lbs, and normal gross weight was up to 5834 pounds from 5550 pounds, and the aircraft STILL didn't have any armament. The removal of the turbosupercharger was to have fateful consequences for the future of the Airacobra. Although the Allison engine was more reliable and more easily service when the turbosupercharger was eliminated, the engine only performed well at low and medium altitudes and lost power quite rapidly at altitudes over 15,000 feet. Even in spite of the improved streamlining, the XP-39B suffered a severe degradation in high-altitude performance. Maximum speed fell from 390 mph at 20,000 feet to 375 mph at 15,000 feet, and it now took 7.5 minutes to reach 20,000 feet rather than five minutes. However, there was an increase in low-altitude maneuverability because of the reduced wing span, and the decrease in low-altitude performance was only marginal.
The first YP-39 (40-027) was flown on September 13, 1940 with the 1090 hp V-1710-37 (E5) engine driving a Curtiss Electric propeller. It differed externally from the XP-39B primarily in having a wider-chord vertical tail. The first few YP-39s were initially flown without armament, but subsequent machines were fitted with a 37 mm cannon with 15 rounds, a pair of 0.5-inch machine guns with 200 rounds per gun, and two 0.30-inch machine guns with 500 rounds per gun. All of these guns were mounted in the nose. Some armor protection was provided for the pilot. Empty and normal loaded weights rose to 5042 pounds and 7000 pounds, respectively. In comparison, the XP-39 prototype had a normal loaded weight of only 5550 pounds. Consequently, the performance of the YP-39 dropped to a maximum speed of 368 mph at 15,000 feet. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 7.3 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,300 feet.
Variants
Bell P-39C Airacobra
The first production version of the Airacobra was the P-39C, reflecting the number of changes that had been introduced since the prototype first flew. The first P-39C flew in January of 1941. The P-39C was almost identical to the YP-39, with the exception of the engine, which was a 1150 hp Allison V-1710-35 (E4). The production of the P-39C began in 1940. The Army discovered almost immediately that the P-39C was not combat ready, since it lacked armor and self-sealing tanks. In the event, only twenty Airacobras were actually completed to C-standards. On September 14, 1940 the initial order for 80 P-39Cs was amended to provide for self-sealing fuel tanks. The remaining 60 planes of the order were completed to this standard and were redesignated as P-39Ds.
Specification of Bell P-39C Airacobra
The P-39C was powered by a 1150 hp Allison V-1710-35 engine. Weights were 5070 pounds empty, 7075 pounds gross (combat weight), and 7300 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 379 mph at 13,000 feet. An altitude of 12,000 feet could be reached in 3.9 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,200 feet. Armament was one 37-mm cannon, two 0.50-inch and two 0.30-inch machine guns, all in the nose.
Bell P-39D Airacobra
On September 13, 1940, 394 P-39Ds were ordered. The P-39D differed from the P-39C primarily in having four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns with 1000 rpg, two fuselage-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns with 200 rounds per gun, plus the 37-mm cannon (with increased ammunition capacity of 30 rounds). Bulletproof windshield panels were added, and some armor protection for the pilot was provided. Self-sealing fuel tanks were introduced, which reduced internal fuel capacity from 141.5 Imp. gall. to 100 Imp. gall. This internal fuel could be supplemented by a 72.4 Imp. gall drop tank carried on a strongpoint fitted underneath the fuselage. In place of the drop tank, a 300 lb or 600 pound bomb could be carried. The bulletproof windshield and armor protection added 245 pounds to the weight of the aircraft, causing the climb and altitude performance to suffer. The maximum speed at 15,000 feet dropped to 360 mph.
The first P-39D Airacobras entered service with the USAAC in February 1941 with the 31st Pursuit Group based at Selfridge Field, Michigan. The P-39D was the first to see combat on the Russian Front while in US service. There were a great many weaknesses in the Airacobra, apart from the general problem of poor high-altitude performance. Among these were the lack of gun heaters which caused the guns to freeze up and jam at altitudes over 25,000 feet, the lack of hydraulic chargers which made it difficult to charge the guns in the air, and the forward gear box just behind the propeller which had a tendency to throw oil.
Specification of Bell P-39D Airacobra
Engine: One 1150 hp Allison V-1710-35 twelve-cylinder liquid cooled engine. Performance: Maximum speed 309 mph at sea level, 335 mph at 5000 feet, 355 mph at 10,000 feet, 368 mph at 12,000 feet, and 360 mph at 15,000 feet. An altitude of 5000 feet could be reached in 1.9 minutes. It took 5.7 minutes to reach an altitude of 15,000 feet and 9.1 minutes to reach 20,000 feet. Service ceiling was 32,100 feet. Maximum range (clean) was 600 miles at 10,000 feet at 231 mph. Range with one 145.7 Imp gal drop tank was 1100 miles at 196 mph. Weights: 5462 pounds empty, 7500 pounds gross, and 8200 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions: Wingspan 34 feet 0 inches, length 30 feet 2 inches, height 11 feet 10 inches, and wing area 213 square feet. Armament: One 37-mm cannon in the nose with 30 rounds. Four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns with 1000 rpg, two fuselage-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns with 200 rounds per gun. One 250 lb, 325-lb, or 500-lb bomb could be carried underneath the fuselage.
Bell P-39E Airacobra
The P-39E was an effort to correct the faults of the P-39D, effectively by going back to the XP-39 prototype and working from there. This aircraft became the P-45 Airacobra.
Bell P-39F Airacobra
The first Airacobra model to be produced in really large numbers was the P-39F, 2095 examples being built. All P-39Fs were powered by the V-1710-85 (E19) engine rated at 1200 hp for takeoff and 1115 hp at 15,500 feet. After completion of the first 166 P-39Ns, the USAAF requested that four fuel cells be removed in order to reduce the internal fuel capacity from 120 to 87 US gallons, and so to reduce the maximum permissible gross weight from 9100 lbs to 8750 lbs. This kept weight down, but unfortunately it also restricted range. Therefore, kits were provided that allowed the four fuel cells to be refitted in the field. The 500 P-39Fs were followed by 900 P-39F-1s. These differed only in some minor internal changes which altered the location of the center of gravity. The last Fs were the 695 P-39F-5s. They differed from earlier Fs in having the total weight of armor reduced from 231 to 193 pounds. A curved armor head plate supplanted the bulletproof glass behind the pilot.
Bell P-39G Airacobra
The P-39G was the last version of the Airacobra to roll off the production lines at Bell. It was also the version which was built in the largest numbers, 4905 P-39Gs being built before production finally ended. The principal difference between the P-39G and earlier version was in the fighter's armament—the four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns were replaced by a single 0.50-inch machine gun mounted in a fairing underneath each wing. The ammunition capacity of the underwing guns was 300 rounds per gun. The two fuselage-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns with 200 rpg, plus the hub-mounted 37-mm cannon with 30 rounds, were retained. The Russians usually had the underwing gun pods removed.
A few P-39Gs were modified into two seaters with dual controls for use as advanced trainers under the designation RP-39G (redesignated TP-39G after 1944). All armament was removed. The second cockpit was placed in front of the original cockpit, and the pilot in this extra cockpit sat under a hinged canopy. The extra cockpit was fitted with only rudimentary controls. The original cockpit retained the same controls and instruments as the standard P-39G. Production of the P-39G finally terminated in August of 1944. Most of the P-39Gs were delivered to Russia. Only a few ended up serving with American units. One of these was the 332nd Fighter Group which took on 75 P-39Gs in Russia during February 1944. After only two months, these Airacobras were replaced by P-47s, finally retiring the type from US service.
Specifications of the P-39G
One Allison V-1710-85 engine rated at 1200 hp at sea level and 1125 hp at 15,500 feet. Maximum speed 330 mph at 5000 feet, 357 mph at 10,000 feet, 376 mph at 15,000 feet. Climb to 5000 feet in 2.0 minutes. Climb to 20,000 feet in 8.5 minutes. Maximum range (clean) was 525 miles at 20,000 feet at 250 mph. With one 145.7 Imp gal drop tank, range was 1075 miles at 196 mph. Service ceiling was 35,000 feet. Weights were 5645 pounds empty, 7600 pounds normal loaded, 8300 pounds maximum loaded. Dimensions: Wingspan 34 feet 0 inches, length 30 feet 2 inches, height 12 feet 5 inches, wing area 213 square feet.
Bell P-400 Airacobra
The P-400 was originally intended for the Royal Air Force that ordered no less than 675 of them. The original P-400 had the slower-firing 37-mm cannon replaced with the faster-firing and more reliable Hispano 20-mm cannon with 60 rounds. Two 0.50-inch machine guns were mounted in the fuselage, and four 0.30-inch machine guns were mounted in the wings. The engine of the Model 14 was the 1150 hp Allison V-1710-E4 (-35). Following the Halifax-Butler coup, this orderw as cancelled and the aircraft reordered as P-45s. However, 170 had been completed and these lacked an owner. Unlike the Curtiss Hawk 75s and Hawk 81s, there was no real demand for these aircraft. Eventually, they were disarmed and used by the USAAF as advanced trainers.
P-39 Combat Career
Satirists have suggested that the P-39 was fortunate in that it fought over the Russian Steppes that were flat so it didn’t have to climb anywhere. In fact, there is some truth to that; the P-39 was at its best at low altitude which suited the conditions of the Russian Front down to the ground. Few there flew much above 10,000 feet, 15,000 was considered high altitude. At those altitudes, the P-39 was at its best. Russian and American pilots considered their P-39Fs and Gs to be equal to the Me-109F and superior to the Me-109E.
The Russians modified their P-39s by removing the wing guns completely, believing this significantly improved the agility of the aircraft. Many American pilots followed this example. The armament of the P-39 was controversial; Russian pilots regarded the combination of two 0.5 inch machine guns and a 37mm cannon as being very effective while Americans regarded it as being almost useless due to the difference in trajectory of the two weapons. The reason for this difference of opinion was interesting; Russian-built fighters had very poor gunsights so their pilots got in very close, often within a few tens of yards, before firing. Then, they would fire a burst from the .50s to get on target followed by one or two rounds from the 37mm. American pilots were used to the high-quality gunsights on their fighters and fired from longer ranges where all 30 of their 37mm rounds would be expended to get a single hit. Of course, the big shell of the 37mm meant that the one hit was decisive. Once American pilots got into the habit of firing from extremely close range, their kill rate – and their opinion of the P-39s armament - soared.
Contrary to many statements in reference sources, the P-39 was never used by either the Russians or the Americans as a primary ground attack aircraft. It always served as a fighter, covering other ground attack aircraft. One P-39G, flown by Lieutenant Paul Lazaruski achieved the notable feat of shooting down an Me-262 in air combat.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
Introduction
The P-40 was the best known Curtiss-Wright airplane of World War II. It was criticized as being too slow, lacking in maneuverability, having too low a climbing rate, and was largely obsolescent by contemporary world standards even before it was placed in production . The other side of the coin is that the P-40 served its country well during the first year of the war on the Russian Front when very little else was available. When mobilization in the US started after the Halifax-Butler Coup, the P-39 Airacobra and the P-40 Warhawk were the most advanced American fighters availablefor production in quantity. Deployed to Russia in the winter of 1942, they helped stem the speed of the German advance until more modern types could be made available in quantity. The P-40 had no serious vices and was a pleasant aircraft to fly, and, when flown by an experienced pilot who was fully aware of its strengths and weaknesses, was able to give a good account of itself in aerial combat. For these reasons, the P-40 continued in production long after later and more modern types were readily available.
Early Development
The origin of the P-40 can be traced back to the Curtiss P-36 fighter, which was powered by a radial, air-cooled engine. The first step was the XP-37, in which the P-36 design was reworked to incorporate the Allison V-1710 liquid cooled V-type engine. The XP-37 was equipped with a General Electrc turbosupercharger, and featured a cockpit pushed very far to the rear. Thirteen YP-37 service-test aircraft were built, but problems with the turbosupercharger caused the development of the P-37 to be abandoned in favor of a less complex and more straightforward conversion of the P-36 for the Allison V-1710 engine. This project was given the new fighter designation of XP-40. There had to be a considerable amount of replumbing to adapt the P-36 airframe to the liquid-cooled Allison. The carburetor intake for the single-stage supercharger was installed in the upper nose, between the two nose guns. An oil cooler was mounted underneath the nose, and the radiator was located in a ventral position just aft of the wing. Unlike in the XP-37, the cockpit remained in the same location as in the P-36.
The XP-40 flew for the first time on October 14, 1938. Armament was two 0.50-inch machine guns located in the upper fuselage deck and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, standard armament for US pursuit aircraft at the time. Wing racks could be fitted for six 20-pound bombs.
Early flight trials were disappointing, the aircraft top speed being barely 300 mph. Initially, the coolant radiator was placed under the fuselage aft of the wing, but it was gradually moved forward until it finally ended up located underneath the extreme nose. The radiator intake was redesigned to include an oil cooler as well as two coolers for the ethylene/glycol engine coolant. The initial XP-40 had a single exhaust port on each side of the fuselage, but in its final form it had six separate exhaust ports on each side. The initial XP-40 had inherited from the P-36 a set of mainwheel fairing plates which covered the mainwheels when they retracted into their wing wells, but these were eventually deleted and replaced by two small doors which closed over the wheel struts upon retraction.
Variants
p40b.jpg
Curtiss P-40A Tomahawk
The P-40 was similar to the final XP-40 except for the use of 1040 hp V-1710-33 (C15) engines. The armament was the standard USAAF configuration of two 0.50-inch machine guns, mounted in the upper nose and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc plus one 0.30-inch machine gun in each wing. Flush riveting was used to reduce drag. Armor, bulletproof windshields, and leakproof fuel tanks were not initially fitted, were later added to the aircraft while it was in service. The P-40 was a relatively clean design, and was unusual for the time in having a fully retractable tailwheel.
Only 200 of the initial P-40 order were actually completed as P-40s. In April 1940, the remaining 324 aircraft of the initial order had their delivery deferred to enable Curtiss to expedite the delivery of the 140 French-ordered H-81As. The first export aircraft had actually been completed in French markings before the June 1940 Armistice cancelled deliveries. The P-40A lacked such things as armor for the pilot, self-sealing fuel tanks, and a bulletproof windshield, so it was not considered as being suitable for combat. Of the 140 aircraft ordered, 110 were completed as Hawk 81As and were shipped to China where they were issued to the Flying Tigers. The balance of 30 aircraft were completed as P-40Bs and delivered to the South African Air Force .
Specifications of the P-40A
Maximum speed was 357 mph at 15,000 feet, service ceiling was 32,750 feet, and initial climb rate was 3,080 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 5.2 minutes. Cruising speed was 272 mph, landing speed was 80 mph, and the range at 250 mph was 950 miles. Wingspan was 37 feet 4 inches, wing area was 236 square feet, length was 31 feet 1 inch, and height was 12 feet 4 inches. The wingspan and wing area were to remain the same throughout the entire history of the P-40 production run. Weights were 5376 pounds empty, 6787 pounds gross, and 7215 pounds maximum.
Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk
The deferred deliveries of the P-40 to the USAAAC were picked up again with the P-40B. In September 1940, 131 P-40Bs were procured by the Army to replace the deferred P-40s. In addition, 40 were ordered by the RAF as Tomahawk Is. The P-40B differed from the P-40 in having an extra 0.30-inch machine gun in each wing, bringing the total to four 0.30-inch guns in the wings. The two 0.50-inch guns in the fuselage were retained. The engine was still the V-1710-33. The P-40B retained the same dimensions of the P-40, but weight was increased to 5590 pounds empty, 7326 pounds gross, and 7600 pounds maximum loaded. Because of the additional weight, the P-40B had an inferior performance to the P-40, maximum speed being 352 mph, service ceiling being 32,400 feet, and initial climb rate being 2860 feet per minute. Normal range was 730 miles, but a maximum range of 1230 miles could be attained at the minimum cruise settings. The forty aircraft ordered by the RAF plus 30 French-ordered aircraft were actually delivered to the South African Air Force where they equipped two fighter squadrons serving in Kenya.
Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk
The P-40C evolved as another export version of the Hawk 81. The P-40C retained the 1150 hp Allison V-1710-33 engine, but was fitted with a new fuel system with 134 gallons in new tanks with improved self sealing. In addition, provisions were made for a 52-gallon drop tank carried below the fuselage. The P-40C had a SCR-247N radio instead of the SCR-283. 110 Hawk 81Cs were ordered by by the RAF as Tomahawk IIs but were eventually delivered to the Middle East where they equipped two RAF squadrons, one RAAF squadron and one RIAF squadron. A further order for 240 Hawk 81Cs was placed by the RAF in May 1940 with the intention that the aircraft be deployed to the Middle East. These aircraft were subsequently divided between India and Australia with 120 going to each country. Sixty of the Indian Tomahawk IIs were then supplied to Thailand following the Franco-Thai War. The other 60 Indian Tomahawk IIs were flown by the American Volunteer Group.
Specifications P-40C Tomahawk
The weights for the P-40C were 5812 pounds empty, 7459 pounds gross, and 8058 pounds maximum loaded. Maximum speed was 345 mph at 15,000 feet. Normal and maximum ranges were 730 and 945 miles respectively. Service ceiling was 29,500 feet, and initial climb rate was 2650 feet per minute. Dimensions were wingspan 27 feet 3 1/2 inches, length 31 feet 8 1/2 inches, height 10 feet 7 inches, wing area 236 square feet. Armament was two 0.5 inch and four 0.3 inch machine guns.
Curtiss P-40D Kittyhawk
The P-40D introduced 175 pounds of armor. The fuselage guns were deleted, and two 0.50-inch machine guns with new hydraulic chargers were installed in each wing. Shackles were added under the belly to accommodate a 51-gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-pound bomb. Wing rack attachment points were provided for six 20-pound bombs. Gross weight of the D model was increased to 8670 pounds. The climb rate and ceiling consequently were poor and the P-40D was unpopular compared with the lighter, faster and more agile P-40B/C Tomahawks.
Even before the first P-40D had been built, the United Kingdom ordered 560 examples for the RAF in May 1940. These aircraft were supplied to the "Desert Rats" (British forces in the Middle East operating independently in defense of the Suez Canal), Australia, Canada and South Africa. Some were allocated to the Indian Air Force but were assigned to Indian forces in Iraq. The USAAF did not actually order the P-40D into production until September 1940, nearly 5 months after the RAF had ordered the equivalent Kittyhawk I. As it happened, only twenty-two P-40Ds were produced for the USAAF.
Curtiss P-40E Warhawk
The P-40E intriduced a new engine, the Allison V-1710-39 of 1150 hp. This engine had originally been proposed for the experimental XP-46 fighter, but the USAAF had decided not to interrupt the P-40 production lines for a new type and decided instead to adapt the new engine to the existing P-40. Substitution of the modified P-40 for the experimental P-46 was proposed on June 10, 1940, and Curtiss agreed to adapt the basic P-40 to the new engine. The P-40E featured a new shorter nose design that was retained by all subsequent P-40s. The 1150 hp V-1710-39 engine had spur gear reduction that raised the thrust line by six inches, giving a completely different nose geometry. The overall length was reduced by six inches, the cross section of the fuselage was reduced, and the undercarriage was shortened. The radiator was increased in size and moved forward. An order dated February 18, 1941 increased the armament of the P-40 to six 0.5 inch machine guns in the wings, and subsequent aircraft equipped with this armament were designated P-40E. More than 1,500 aircraft of this type were produced and they equipped the first US fighter groups to be sent to Russia in the winter of 1942.
Specification of the P-40E
Maximum speed was 335 mph at 5000 feet, 345 mph at 10,000 feet, and 362 mph at 15,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 2100 feet per minute. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 11.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 29,000 feet. Maximum range was 650 miles (clean), 850 miles (with one 43 Imp gal drop tank), 1400 miles (with one 141.5 Imp gal drop tank). Weights were 6350 pounds empty, 8280 pounds normal loaded, and 9200 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 27 feet 4inches, length 31 feet 2 inches, height 10 feet 7 inches, and wing area 236 square feet. Armament was six 0.5 inch machine guns and up to 500 pounds of bombs.
Curtiss P-40F Warhawk
The P-40F series marked the introduction of the more powerful Allison V-1710-73 (F4R) engine rated at 1325 hp for takeoff and 1150 hp at 11,800 feet. This engine had an automatic boost control. On October 28, 1941, 600 P-40Fs were ordered for Lend-Lease supply to Russia. It was envisaged that this would be the last P-40 model to be built in quantity, the P-60 replacing the P-40 on the Curtiss production lines thereafter. However, delays in the P-60 program caused the order for P-40Fs to be increased to a total of 1,300 aircraft on June 15, 1942. All P-40Fs were supplied to Russia, the second batch being winterized in anticipation of the rigors to be faced on the Russian Front.
Curtiss P-40G Warhawk
By the summer of 1943, experience on the Russian Front showed that the P-40 Warhawk left much to be desired in comparison with the Me-109F and FW-190A. The P-40G was introduced to improve the capabilities of the basic design and thus avoid interrupting Curtiss production lines by having the company introduce an entirely new type. A new lightweight structure was introduced, two of the six wing-mounted guns were removed, smaller and lighter undercarriage wheels were installed, head armor was introduced, and aluminum radiators and oil coolers were installed. The resulting reduction in the weight, along with the use of the V-1710-81 engine made the P-40G the fastest of the P-40 series, reaching a speed of 378 mph at 10,500 feet. Even though by 1943 standards the Warhawk was rapidly becoming obsolescent, the P-40G became the version that was most widely built—5,220 examples rolling off the Curtiss lines before production finally ceased in 1944.
Specification of the P-40G
Maximum speed 208 mph at 5000 feet, 345 mph at 10,000 feet, 378 mph at 15,000 feet. Maximum climb rate was 2120 feet per minute at 5000 feet, 2230 feet per minute at 10,000 feet. An altitude of 10,00 feet could be attained in 4.7 minutes, 20,000 feet in 8.8 minutes. Service ceiling was 31,000 feet. Range was 750 miles at 10,000 feet (clean). With one 62.4 Imp gal drop tank, range was 1080 miles. Weights were 6200 pounds empty, 8350 pounds loaded, 11,400 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 37 feet 4 inches, length 33 feet 4 inches, height 10 feet 7 inches, wing area 236 square feet. Armament was four 0.5 inch machine guns and 500 pounds of bombs
Introduction
The P-40 was the best known Curtiss-Wright airplane of World War II. It was criticized as being too slow, lacking in maneuverability, having too low a climbing rate, and was largely obsolescent by contemporary world standards even before it was placed in production . The other side of the coin is that the P-40 served its country well during the first year of the war on the Russian Front when very little else was available. When mobilization in the US started after the Halifax-Butler Coup, the P-39 Airacobra and the P-40 Warhawk were the most advanced American fighters availablefor production in quantity. Deployed to Russia in the winter of 1942, they helped stem the speed of the German advance until more modern types could be made available in quantity. The P-40 had no serious vices and was a pleasant aircraft to fly, and, when flown by an experienced pilot who was fully aware of its strengths and weaknesses, was able to give a good account of itself in aerial combat. For these reasons, the P-40 continued in production long after later and more modern types were readily available.
Early Development
The origin of the P-40 can be traced back to the Curtiss P-36 fighter, which was powered by a radial, air-cooled engine. The first step was the XP-37, in which the P-36 design was reworked to incorporate the Allison V-1710 liquid cooled V-type engine. The XP-37 was equipped with a General Electrc turbosupercharger, and featured a cockpit pushed very far to the rear. Thirteen YP-37 service-test aircraft were built, but problems with the turbosupercharger caused the development of the P-37 to be abandoned in favor of a less complex and more straightforward conversion of the P-36 for the Allison V-1710 engine. This project was given the new fighter designation of XP-40. There had to be a considerable amount of replumbing to adapt the P-36 airframe to the liquid-cooled Allison. The carburetor intake for the single-stage supercharger was installed in the upper nose, between the two nose guns. An oil cooler was mounted underneath the nose, and the radiator was located in a ventral position just aft of the wing. Unlike in the XP-37, the cockpit remained in the same location as in the P-36.
The XP-40 flew for the first time on October 14, 1938. Armament was two 0.50-inch machine guns located in the upper fuselage deck and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, standard armament for US pursuit aircraft at the time. Wing racks could be fitted for six 20-pound bombs.
Early flight trials were disappointing, the aircraft top speed being barely 300 mph. Initially, the coolant radiator was placed under the fuselage aft of the wing, but it was gradually moved forward until it finally ended up located underneath the extreme nose. The radiator intake was redesigned to include an oil cooler as well as two coolers for the ethylene/glycol engine coolant. The initial XP-40 had a single exhaust port on each side of the fuselage, but in its final form it had six separate exhaust ports on each side. The initial XP-40 had inherited from the P-36 a set of mainwheel fairing plates which covered the mainwheels when they retracted into their wing wells, but these were eventually deleted and replaced by two small doors which closed over the wheel struts upon retraction.
Variants
p40b.jpg
Curtiss P-40A Tomahawk
The P-40 was similar to the final XP-40 except for the use of 1040 hp V-1710-33 (C15) engines. The armament was the standard USAAF configuration of two 0.50-inch machine guns, mounted in the upper nose and synchronized to fire through the propeller arc plus one 0.30-inch machine gun in each wing. Flush riveting was used to reduce drag. Armor, bulletproof windshields, and leakproof fuel tanks were not initially fitted, were later added to the aircraft while it was in service. The P-40 was a relatively clean design, and was unusual for the time in having a fully retractable tailwheel.
Only 200 of the initial P-40 order were actually completed as P-40s. In April 1940, the remaining 324 aircraft of the initial order had their delivery deferred to enable Curtiss to expedite the delivery of the 140 French-ordered H-81As. The first export aircraft had actually been completed in French markings before the June 1940 Armistice cancelled deliveries. The P-40A lacked such things as armor for the pilot, self-sealing fuel tanks, and a bulletproof windshield, so it was not considered as being suitable for combat. Of the 140 aircraft ordered, 110 were completed as Hawk 81As and were shipped to China where they were issued to the Flying Tigers. The balance of 30 aircraft were completed as P-40Bs and delivered to the South African Air Force .
Specifications of the P-40A
Maximum speed was 357 mph at 15,000 feet, service ceiling was 32,750 feet, and initial climb rate was 3,080 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 5.2 minutes. Cruising speed was 272 mph, landing speed was 80 mph, and the range at 250 mph was 950 miles. Wingspan was 37 feet 4 inches, wing area was 236 square feet, length was 31 feet 1 inch, and height was 12 feet 4 inches. The wingspan and wing area were to remain the same throughout the entire history of the P-40 production run. Weights were 5376 pounds empty, 6787 pounds gross, and 7215 pounds maximum.
Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk
The deferred deliveries of the P-40 to the USAAAC were picked up again with the P-40B. In September 1940, 131 P-40Bs were procured by the Army to replace the deferred P-40s. In addition, 40 were ordered by the RAF as Tomahawk Is. The P-40B differed from the P-40 in having an extra 0.30-inch machine gun in each wing, bringing the total to four 0.30-inch guns in the wings. The two 0.50-inch guns in the fuselage were retained. The engine was still the V-1710-33. The P-40B retained the same dimensions of the P-40, but weight was increased to 5590 pounds empty, 7326 pounds gross, and 7600 pounds maximum loaded. Because of the additional weight, the P-40B had an inferior performance to the P-40, maximum speed being 352 mph, service ceiling being 32,400 feet, and initial climb rate being 2860 feet per minute. Normal range was 730 miles, but a maximum range of 1230 miles could be attained at the minimum cruise settings. The forty aircraft ordered by the RAF plus 30 French-ordered aircraft were actually delivered to the South African Air Force where they equipped two fighter squadrons serving in Kenya.
Curtiss P-40C Tomahawk
The P-40C evolved as another export version of the Hawk 81. The P-40C retained the 1150 hp Allison V-1710-33 engine, but was fitted with a new fuel system with 134 gallons in new tanks with improved self sealing. In addition, provisions were made for a 52-gallon drop tank carried below the fuselage. The P-40C had a SCR-247N radio instead of the SCR-283. 110 Hawk 81Cs were ordered by by the RAF as Tomahawk IIs but were eventually delivered to the Middle East where they equipped two RAF squadrons, one RAAF squadron and one RIAF squadron. A further order for 240 Hawk 81Cs was placed by the RAF in May 1940 with the intention that the aircraft be deployed to the Middle East. These aircraft were subsequently divided between India and Australia with 120 going to each country. Sixty of the Indian Tomahawk IIs were then supplied to Thailand following the Franco-Thai War. The other 60 Indian Tomahawk IIs were flown by the American Volunteer Group.
Specifications P-40C Tomahawk
The weights for the P-40C were 5812 pounds empty, 7459 pounds gross, and 8058 pounds maximum loaded. Maximum speed was 345 mph at 15,000 feet. Normal and maximum ranges were 730 and 945 miles respectively. Service ceiling was 29,500 feet, and initial climb rate was 2650 feet per minute. Dimensions were wingspan 27 feet 3 1/2 inches, length 31 feet 8 1/2 inches, height 10 feet 7 inches, wing area 236 square feet. Armament was two 0.5 inch and four 0.3 inch machine guns.
Curtiss P-40D Kittyhawk
The P-40D introduced 175 pounds of armor. The fuselage guns were deleted, and two 0.50-inch machine guns with new hydraulic chargers were installed in each wing. Shackles were added under the belly to accommodate a 51-gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-pound bomb. Wing rack attachment points were provided for six 20-pound bombs. Gross weight of the D model was increased to 8670 pounds. The climb rate and ceiling consequently were poor and the P-40D was unpopular compared with the lighter, faster and more agile P-40B/C Tomahawks.
Even before the first P-40D had been built, the United Kingdom ordered 560 examples for the RAF in May 1940. These aircraft were supplied to the "Desert Rats" (British forces in the Middle East operating independently in defense of the Suez Canal), Australia, Canada and South Africa. Some were allocated to the Indian Air Force but were assigned to Indian forces in Iraq. The USAAF did not actually order the P-40D into production until September 1940, nearly 5 months after the RAF had ordered the equivalent Kittyhawk I. As it happened, only twenty-two P-40Ds were produced for the USAAF.
Curtiss P-40E Warhawk
The P-40E intriduced a new engine, the Allison V-1710-39 of 1150 hp. This engine had originally been proposed for the experimental XP-46 fighter, but the USAAF had decided not to interrupt the P-40 production lines for a new type and decided instead to adapt the new engine to the existing P-40. Substitution of the modified P-40 for the experimental P-46 was proposed on June 10, 1940, and Curtiss agreed to adapt the basic P-40 to the new engine. The P-40E featured a new shorter nose design that was retained by all subsequent P-40s. The 1150 hp V-1710-39 engine had spur gear reduction that raised the thrust line by six inches, giving a completely different nose geometry. The overall length was reduced by six inches, the cross section of the fuselage was reduced, and the undercarriage was shortened. The radiator was increased in size and moved forward. An order dated February 18, 1941 increased the armament of the P-40 to six 0.5 inch machine guns in the wings, and subsequent aircraft equipped with this armament were designated P-40E. More than 1,500 aircraft of this type were produced and they equipped the first US fighter groups to be sent to Russia in the winter of 1942.
Specification of the P-40E
Maximum speed was 335 mph at 5000 feet, 345 mph at 10,000 feet, and 362 mph at 15,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 2100 feet per minute. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 11.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 29,000 feet. Maximum range was 650 miles (clean), 850 miles (with one 43 Imp gal drop tank), 1400 miles (with one 141.5 Imp gal drop tank). Weights were 6350 pounds empty, 8280 pounds normal loaded, and 9200 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 27 feet 4inches, length 31 feet 2 inches, height 10 feet 7 inches, and wing area 236 square feet. Armament was six 0.5 inch machine guns and up to 500 pounds of bombs.
Curtiss P-40F Warhawk
The P-40F series marked the introduction of the more powerful Allison V-1710-73 (F4R) engine rated at 1325 hp for takeoff and 1150 hp at 11,800 feet. This engine had an automatic boost control. On October 28, 1941, 600 P-40Fs were ordered for Lend-Lease supply to Russia. It was envisaged that this would be the last P-40 model to be built in quantity, the P-60 replacing the P-40 on the Curtiss production lines thereafter. However, delays in the P-60 program caused the order for P-40Fs to be increased to a total of 1,300 aircraft on June 15, 1942. All P-40Fs were supplied to Russia, the second batch being winterized in anticipation of the rigors to be faced on the Russian Front.
Curtiss P-40G Warhawk
By the summer of 1943, experience on the Russian Front showed that the P-40 Warhawk left much to be desired in comparison with the Me-109F and FW-190A. The P-40G was introduced to improve the capabilities of the basic design and thus avoid interrupting Curtiss production lines by having the company introduce an entirely new type. A new lightweight structure was introduced, two of the six wing-mounted guns were removed, smaller and lighter undercarriage wheels were installed, head armor was introduced, and aluminum radiators and oil coolers were installed. The resulting reduction in the weight, along with the use of the V-1710-81 engine made the P-40G the fastest of the P-40 series, reaching a speed of 378 mph at 10,500 feet. Even though by 1943 standards the Warhawk was rapidly becoming obsolescent, the P-40G became the version that was most widely built—5,220 examples rolling off the Curtiss lines before production finally ceased in 1944.
Specification of the P-40G
Maximum speed 208 mph at 5000 feet, 345 mph at 10,000 feet, 378 mph at 15,000 feet. Maximum climb rate was 2120 feet per minute at 5000 feet, 2230 feet per minute at 10,000 feet. An altitude of 10,00 feet could be attained in 4.7 minutes, 20,000 feet in 8.8 minutes. Service ceiling was 31,000 feet. Range was 750 miles at 10,000 feet (clean). With one 62.4 Imp gal drop tank, range was 1080 miles. Weights were 6200 pounds empty, 8350 pounds loaded, 11,400 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 37 feet 4 inches, length 33 feet 4 inches, height 10 feet 7 inches, wing area 236 square feet. Armament was four 0.5 inch machine guns and 500 pounds of bombs
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Bell P-45 Kobrushka
Introduction
While the P-39 Airacobra had established a record as a competent if unspectacular low-altitude fighter, the same could be said of most Russia-produced fighters. The P-39 was a welcome reinforcement but it brought nothing new to the table. What the Russians really needed was a fighter capable of higher-altitude operations. This would allow them to take the battle to the Luftwaffe whose fighter had a major performance edge above the 12,000 to 16,000 foot band where existing Russian aircraft peaked out. Addressing this requirement led to the development of the P-45. Cynics have pointed to the P-45 Kobrushka as a unique example of a bureaucracy admitting it was wrong. This has an element of truth to it but no more than that. Although the P-45 was essentially a development of the original P-39 prototype with its turbocharged engine, its development was the outcome of tactical considerations and early war experience. The usual statement that the P-45 Kobrushka formed an intermediate stage between the P-39 and the much more formidable P-63 Kingcobra is also only partly true and the two should be regarded as parallel developments.
Early Development
Experience from the Russian front showed that the limited operational ceiling of the P-39 was a serious problem and that, when flying at its upper altitude limits, the Airacobra was extremely vulnerable to any enemy fighter with decent high altitude performance. In April, 1943, three P-39Ds were ordered modified with a 1,325 hp Allison V-1710-47 engine equipped with a turbocharger and driving an Aeroproducts propeller. This aircraft was designated the XP-39E and carried the same armament as the P-39D but featured a new wing with square-cut tips. This wing was redesigned internally to provide for the carriage of a .50 caliber machine gun within the wing rather than under it as with the P-39. Wing span and gross area were increased to 35 feet 10 inches and 236 square feet. The most noticeable feature was the provision of air intakes on the side of the fuselage for the turbocharger. These were designed so they contributed a small amount of thrust to the aircraft's propulsion. Each of the three examples tested different vertical tail surfaces—the first being conical, the second being cut-off square and rather short, and the third being similar to the second but larger. The carburetor air intake was relocated and the wing-root radiator intakes were enlarged. The fuselage was lengthened by 1.75 feet to accommodate the longer -47 engine. These changes were so extensive that the aircraft was redesignated the P-45. Since it was primarily intended for supply to the Russian Air Force under lend lease, it was officially dubbed the Kobrushka
During tests, a maximum speed of 386 mph at 21,680 feet was attained, which was much better high-altitude performance than other Airacobra variants. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 6.3 minutes. The P-45 had a much better high-altitude performance than other Airacobra variants and no less than 4000 were ordered by the USAAF, mostly for supply to the Russians.
Variants
Bell P-45A Kobrushka
The P-45A was virtually identical to the XP-45 except that the 37mm cannon was replaced by an M2 20mm cannon with 100 rounds of ammunition. Experiments had shown that the tall, squared off tail fin offered the best characteristics and this was adopted for the production version. The first P-45As entered USAAF service in December 1943 and were enthusiastically received by their pilots who considered the type equal to the Me-109G and FW-190A. This experience led to a decision to issue the P-45A to selected USAAF units.
Large numbers of P-45As were supplied to Russia and equipped the Guard (ie. elite) Fighter Regiments 16 GIAP, 19 GIAP, 21 GIAP, 72 GIAP, 100 GIAP, 213 GIAP (previously 508 IAP) and Fighter Regiments 196 IAP, 255 IAP, 508 IAP (later 213 GIAP). In Russian use, P-45s were often given to pilots who had proved their ability with the P-39. Several Russian Kobrushka aces are known. Lieutenant Colonel of the Guards Alexander I. Pokryshin, a Soviet ace with 59 kills to his credit, scored 48 of these in a P-45. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by President Roosevelt. There are eight other P-39 and P-45 pilots with at least 20 kills. Among top Airacobra aces were Grigorii A Rechkalov (44 kills) , Nikolai D Gulayev (36 kills), Ivan I Babak, Aleksandr F Klubov, Andrei I Trud, and the brothers Boris B Glinka and Dmitrii B Glinka
Specifications of the P-45A
One Allison V-1710-47 engine rated at 1375 hp at sea level and 1,325 hp at 15,500 feet. Maximum speed 330 mph at 5000 feet, 367 mph at 10,000 feet, 386 mph at 21,000 feet. Climb to 5000 feet in 1.5 minutes. Climb to 20,000 feet in 6.5 minutes. Maximum range (clean) was 425 miles at 20,000 feet at 270 mph. With one 145.7 Imp gal drop tank, range was 1025 miles at 196 mph. Service ceiling was 37,500 feet. Weights were 5847 pounds empty, 7900 pounds normal loaded, 8500 pounds maximum loaded. Dimensions: Wingspan 34 feet 0 inches, length 32 feet 7 inches, height 12 feet 5 inches, wing area 223 square feet. Armament, 1 20mm M2 cannon and four .50 machine guns
Bell P-45B Kobrushka
The Russian pilots preferred their 20-mm Shvak cannon over the 37mm of other P-39 Airacobra variants because of its greater reliability. In addition, the trajectory of the shells from the 20-mm cannon more closely matched that of the 0.50-inch guns, making for a greater concentration of fire. In the P-39G, the Soviets usually removed the wing guns or had them removed at the factory, preferring a better performance over the enhanced firepower. These considerations lead to the development of the P-45B that was built with a 20mm Shvak cannon replacing the M2 20mm gun. The P-45B retained the two nose-mounted .50 caliber machine guns. Two more .50s were mounted, one in each wing. Originally the P-45B was intended purely for Russian use but American pilots tried the aircraft and approved mightily of the new armament. Accordingly, production was increased and American units started to receive the P-45B. 20mm Shvak cannon were supplied for these aircraft by the Russians, the guns being flown back as cargo for return trips on the Air Bridge.
Performance of the P-45B was identical to that of the A model.
Bell P-45C Kobrushka
The use of the 20mm Shvak cannon eased maintenance of Kobrushkas in Russian units so it was natural to consider a wholly-Russian-armed version of the aircraft. Accordingly, the P-45C was designed, equipped with a single 20-mm B-20 cannon and two or four 12.7mm Berezin UBS machine guns. The B-20 and UBS were virtually the same gun, simply being chambered for different rounds. This eventually led to a rationalization of the armament with the definitive P-45C carrying three 20mm B-20 cannon in the nose. Although all P-45Cs produced were shipped to Russian fighter units, late production P-45Bs in U.S. service had the B-20 gun in place of the heavier ShvaK. Many USAF P-45Bs were re-armed with three B-20 cannon in the nose and two .50 machine guns in the wings.
Bell P-45D Kobrushka
Produced for both the Russian and American air forces, the P-45D standardized on an armament of three 20mm B-20 guns in the nose. U.S. aircraft carried an additional two M2 or UBS .50 machine guns in the wings. The most obvious visual change was the replacement of the original cockpit with its characteristic side doors by a sliding bubble canopy.
Introduction
While the P-39 Airacobra had established a record as a competent if unspectacular low-altitude fighter, the same could be said of most Russia-produced fighters. The P-39 was a welcome reinforcement but it brought nothing new to the table. What the Russians really needed was a fighter capable of higher-altitude operations. This would allow them to take the battle to the Luftwaffe whose fighter had a major performance edge above the 12,000 to 16,000 foot band where existing Russian aircraft peaked out. Addressing this requirement led to the development of the P-45. Cynics have pointed to the P-45 Kobrushka as a unique example of a bureaucracy admitting it was wrong. This has an element of truth to it but no more than that. Although the P-45 was essentially a development of the original P-39 prototype with its turbocharged engine, its development was the outcome of tactical considerations and early war experience. The usual statement that the P-45 Kobrushka formed an intermediate stage between the P-39 and the much more formidable P-63 Kingcobra is also only partly true and the two should be regarded as parallel developments.
Early Development
Experience from the Russian front showed that the limited operational ceiling of the P-39 was a serious problem and that, when flying at its upper altitude limits, the Airacobra was extremely vulnerable to any enemy fighter with decent high altitude performance. In April, 1943, three P-39Ds were ordered modified with a 1,325 hp Allison V-1710-47 engine equipped with a turbocharger and driving an Aeroproducts propeller. This aircraft was designated the XP-39E and carried the same armament as the P-39D but featured a new wing with square-cut tips. This wing was redesigned internally to provide for the carriage of a .50 caliber machine gun within the wing rather than under it as with the P-39. Wing span and gross area were increased to 35 feet 10 inches and 236 square feet. The most noticeable feature was the provision of air intakes on the side of the fuselage for the turbocharger. These were designed so they contributed a small amount of thrust to the aircraft's propulsion. Each of the three examples tested different vertical tail surfaces—the first being conical, the second being cut-off square and rather short, and the third being similar to the second but larger. The carburetor air intake was relocated and the wing-root radiator intakes were enlarged. The fuselage was lengthened by 1.75 feet to accommodate the longer -47 engine. These changes were so extensive that the aircraft was redesignated the P-45. Since it was primarily intended for supply to the Russian Air Force under lend lease, it was officially dubbed the Kobrushka
During tests, a maximum speed of 386 mph at 21,680 feet was attained, which was much better high-altitude performance than other Airacobra variants. An altitude of 20,000 feet could be reached in 6.3 minutes. The P-45 had a much better high-altitude performance than other Airacobra variants and no less than 4000 were ordered by the USAAF, mostly for supply to the Russians.
Variants
Bell P-45A Kobrushka
The P-45A was virtually identical to the XP-45 except that the 37mm cannon was replaced by an M2 20mm cannon with 100 rounds of ammunition. Experiments had shown that the tall, squared off tail fin offered the best characteristics and this was adopted for the production version. The first P-45As entered USAAF service in December 1943 and were enthusiastically received by their pilots who considered the type equal to the Me-109G and FW-190A. This experience led to a decision to issue the P-45A to selected USAAF units.
Large numbers of P-45As were supplied to Russia and equipped the Guard (ie. elite) Fighter Regiments 16 GIAP, 19 GIAP, 21 GIAP, 72 GIAP, 100 GIAP, 213 GIAP (previously 508 IAP) and Fighter Regiments 196 IAP, 255 IAP, 508 IAP (later 213 GIAP). In Russian use, P-45s were often given to pilots who had proved their ability with the P-39. Several Russian Kobrushka aces are known. Lieutenant Colonel of the Guards Alexander I. Pokryshin, a Soviet ace with 59 kills to his credit, scored 48 of these in a P-45. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by President Roosevelt. There are eight other P-39 and P-45 pilots with at least 20 kills. Among top Airacobra aces were Grigorii A Rechkalov (44 kills) , Nikolai D Gulayev (36 kills), Ivan I Babak, Aleksandr F Klubov, Andrei I Trud, and the brothers Boris B Glinka and Dmitrii B Glinka
Specifications of the P-45A
One Allison V-1710-47 engine rated at 1375 hp at sea level and 1,325 hp at 15,500 feet. Maximum speed 330 mph at 5000 feet, 367 mph at 10,000 feet, 386 mph at 21,000 feet. Climb to 5000 feet in 1.5 minutes. Climb to 20,000 feet in 6.5 minutes. Maximum range (clean) was 425 miles at 20,000 feet at 270 mph. With one 145.7 Imp gal drop tank, range was 1025 miles at 196 mph. Service ceiling was 37,500 feet. Weights were 5847 pounds empty, 7900 pounds normal loaded, 8500 pounds maximum loaded. Dimensions: Wingspan 34 feet 0 inches, length 32 feet 7 inches, height 12 feet 5 inches, wing area 223 square feet. Armament, 1 20mm M2 cannon and four .50 machine guns
Bell P-45B Kobrushka
The Russian pilots preferred their 20-mm Shvak cannon over the 37mm of other P-39 Airacobra variants because of its greater reliability. In addition, the trajectory of the shells from the 20-mm cannon more closely matched that of the 0.50-inch guns, making for a greater concentration of fire. In the P-39G, the Soviets usually removed the wing guns or had them removed at the factory, preferring a better performance over the enhanced firepower. These considerations lead to the development of the P-45B that was built with a 20mm Shvak cannon replacing the M2 20mm gun. The P-45B retained the two nose-mounted .50 caliber machine guns. Two more .50s were mounted, one in each wing. Originally the P-45B was intended purely for Russian use but American pilots tried the aircraft and approved mightily of the new armament. Accordingly, production was increased and American units started to receive the P-45B. 20mm Shvak cannon were supplied for these aircraft by the Russians, the guns being flown back as cargo for return trips on the Air Bridge.
Performance of the P-45B was identical to that of the A model.
Bell P-45C Kobrushka
The use of the 20mm Shvak cannon eased maintenance of Kobrushkas in Russian units so it was natural to consider a wholly-Russian-armed version of the aircraft. Accordingly, the P-45C was designed, equipped with a single 20-mm B-20 cannon and two or four 12.7mm Berezin UBS machine guns. The B-20 and UBS were virtually the same gun, simply being chambered for different rounds. This eventually led to a rationalization of the armament with the definitive P-45C carrying three 20mm B-20 cannon in the nose. Although all P-45Cs produced were shipped to Russian fighter units, late production P-45Bs in U.S. service had the B-20 gun in place of the heavier ShvaK. Many USAF P-45Bs were re-armed with three B-20 cannon in the nose and two .50 machine guns in the wings.
Bell P-45D Kobrushka
Produced for both the Russian and American air forces, the P-45D standardized on an armament of three 20mm B-20 guns in the nose. U.S. aircraft carried an additional two M2 or UBS .50 machine guns in the wings. The most obvious visual change was the replacement of the original cockpit with its characteristic side doors by a sliding bubble canopy.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt
Introduction
The P-47 was built in larger numbers than any other American fighter, 15,683 examples rolling off the assembly line before production finally ended in June 1945. These Thunderbolts flew over half a million combat missions, destroying over 12,000 enemy aircraft both in the air and on the ground, as against a total of 5222 Thunderbolts lost. Losses of Thunderbolts on operational missions were 0.7 percent of those dispatched, an exceptionally low figure. Thunderbolts dropped 132,482 tons of bombs, fired 59,567 rockets, and expended 135 million belts of machine gun ammunition. On the Russian Front, Thunderbolts destroyed 86,000 railway cars, 9000 locomotives, 6000 armored vehicles and tanks, and 68,000 trucks. By the end of the war, Thunderbolts had destroyed 2752 enemy aircraft in the air and 3315 on the ground. The P-47K version played a large part in blunting the threat mounted by the arrival of the first German jet fighters.
Early Development
In 1939, Republic proposed a lightweight high-altitude interceptor to the USAAC under the company designation of AP-10. It was to be powered by a 1150 hp Allison V-1710-39 liquid-cooled in-line engine. Gross weight was to be 4900 pounds and estimated maximum speed was 415 mph. Armament was to be a pair of 0.50-in machine guns mounted in the engine housing. The USAAC looked over the proposal and was favorably impressed. However, they deemed that additional armament would be required, even if it adversely affected performance. Kartveli increased the size of his AP-10 design somewhat, and added four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns. Gross weight rose to 6570 pounds. In this guise, in November 1939 the USAAC ordered one prototype of the AP-10 design under the designation XP-47.
Early combat reports coming in from Europe stressed the need for more firepower, more armament, more armor protection, and self-sealing fuel tanks. The XP-47 had insufficient engine power to accommodate the additional weight required by these features, and the USAAC came to the conclusion that these designs were likely to fall far short of future air combat requirements. The Army considered the XP-47 to be insufficiently armed, and thought that it had too high a wing loading and was too slow in comparison with the Curtiss XP-46. Anticipating that the Army would ultimately reject his XP-47 design, Republic went back to the drawing board.
In order to accommodate the heavy firepower, armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks and still provide a performance capable of meeting enemy aircraft on equal terms, a lot of engine horsepower would be needed. Kartveli decided to produce a design based around a turbosupercharged Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Twin Wasp eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, one of the most powerful aircraft engines available at the time. The XP-47B fuselage was designed around the large turbosupercharger from the start, rather than to add it onto the aircraft later as sort of an afterthought. In order to preserve a streamlined fuselage with a small cross-section, the large turbosupercharger was placed in the rear fuselage. It was fed by an air duct located beneath the large R-2800 engine. Engine exhaust gases were directed back to the rear fuselage in separate pipes to the turbine and were expelled through an exhaust under the rear tail. Ducted air was fed to a centrifugal impeller and was returned to the engine under pressure via an intercooler. Armament was to be a set of eight 0.50-in machine guns in the wings making the Republic proposal among the heaviest-armed fighters yet considered by the USAAC up to that time. Total weight was to be a massive 11,500 pounds, unprecedented for a USAAC single-seat fighter. A maximum speed of 400 mph at 25,000 feet and 340 mph at 5000 feet was envisaged. It was anticipated that an altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in five minutes.
On June 12, 1940, Kartveli submitted his ideas to the USAAC. The USAAC was sufficiently impressed with the proposal that on September 6, 1940 ordered a prototype under the designation XP-47B. All work on the XP-47 and a lightweight derivative, the XP-47A, was cancelled. One week later, on September 13, 1940, 773 production examples of the new fighter were ordered by the USAAC, 171 to be delivered as P-47Bs and 602 as P-47Cs. The XP-47B prototype flew for the first time on May 6, 1941, only eight months after the order had been placed. The XP-47B was the largest single-engine fighter built up to that time. Its eighteen-cylinder XR-2800-21 radial engine offered 1960 hp at 25,800 feet, and gave it a maximum speed of 412 mph, 12 mph faster than Kartveli had projected. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be attained in five minutes. Empty and normal gross weights were 9189 pounds and 12,086 pounds respectively.
Variants
Republic P-47B Thunderbolt
The first four P-47Bs from production (41-5896/5899) were delivered in mid-March of 1942, only eight months after the XP-47B prototype had first flown. Numerous problems soon presented themselves as the test program advanced. 41-5899 crashed on Salisbury golf course on Long Island on March 26, 1942, part of the tail assembly having broken off in flight. This accident resulted in restrictions being placed on P-47B flying while the cause of the structural failure was under investigation. At altitudes above 30,000 feet, the ailerons tended to snatch and freeze, the cockpit canopy could not be opened, and control forces became excessive. The fabric covering for the elevators was often found to be ruptured after high speed flights, the aerodynamic pressures having caused it to balloon out and burst. These problems caused further P-47 acceptances to be delayed until May of 1942.
The 56th Fighter Group found the process of working up to its new mounts rather difficult—13 pilots and 41 aircraft were lost in accidents. By the end of June, the 56th FG had damaged or wrecked half of its aircraft. Many of the crashes were the result of pilot inexperience, but a significant number were caused by loss of control during high-speed dives. After a rudder was ripped from a P-47B in flight, an order was issued on August 1, 1942, restricting the speeds to 300 mph or lest, forbidding violent maneuvers, and stipulating that fuel be carried in the rear tank. The P-47B was strictly used for test and training, and was never sent into combat.
Republic P-47C Thunderbolt
The P-47C was the first real next production version of the Thunderbolt. It began to leave the production lines in September of 1942. It was externally similar to the P-47B, but had a strengthened and revised fin with a metal-covered rudder to eliminate a tail flutter problem which had resulted in several crashes of P-47Bs during high-speed dives. The revised rudder resulting in an increase in overall length of about an inch. Even though the P-47C incorporated strengthened tail surfaces, the P-47C still had problems in recovering from high-speed dives. Beyond 500 mph, recovery from power dives was extremely hazardous, with the elevators being unable to respond because of compressibility forces. On November 13, 1942, Lts. Harold Comstock and Roger Dyar managed to reach indicated airspeeds of 725 mph during high-speed dives in their P-47Cs. This was beyond the speed of sound, which, if accurate, would have made them the first pilots to break the sound barrier. However, it is likely that the airspeed readings were wildly inaccurate, since the terminal velocity of the P-47 is about 600 mph, and that the true speeds reached were probably in the 500 mph range.
Perhaps the most important change introduced by this production block was the provision for shackles and a release mechanism for a bomb or a fuel tank on the underside of the belly. When carrying a 200-gallon fuel tank underneath the belly, the range was extended to 1250 miles at an altitude of 10,000 feet and a cruising speed of 231 mph. The P-47C-5-RE introduced revised radio, instruments, and antenna. Cockpit heating was introduced. The P-47C-10-RE had some changes in the turbosupercharger exhaust system which incorporated an adjustable duct and redesigned vents for the engine accessory section. Additional cowl flaps were fitted to prove engine cooling airflow. More extensive armor protection was provided for the pilot.
Water injection capability was added to this engine beginning with the C-15-RA and C-20-RE production blocks. Provision was made for the mounting of 15-gallon tank carrying a water-alcohol mixture to the bulkhead just aft of the engine. A line from this tank was plumbed directly into the fuel intake. When injected into the combustion chamber, the water checked a dangerous rise in cylinder head temperature while manifold pressure was boosted. For brief instants, a 15-percent increase in engine power could be obtained, giving a maximum war emergency power of 2300 hp. In the early production blocks, the pilot manually controlled the water flow of the injector, but the injection procedure was automatically- controlled on later blocks. This happened when the throttle was pushed forward into its last half-inch of travel.
Underwing pylons were introduced on the C-15-RA and C-20-RE production blocks. These enabled a drop tank or a bomb to be carried underneath each wing in addition to the stores carried on the belly shackles. Fuel changes had to be made to incorporate plumbing for the underwing tanks. Bomb selection increased to two 1000-pound or 3 500-pound bombs, with maximum bombload being 2500 pounds. The underwing pylons had a detrimental affect on performance, and their air resistance cut 45 mph off the maximum speed. However, a redesigned, more streamlined pylon cut the loss to about 15 mph.
Specification of the P-47C
One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21 supercharged radial air cooled engine rated at 2000 hp. Curtiss Electric C542S propeller, 12 ft 2 in diameter. Maximum speed was 433 mph at 30,000 feet, and 353 mph at 5000 feet. Initial climb rate was 2780 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be attained in 7.2 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Range at maximum cruise power was 640 miles at 335 mph at 10,000 feet. Range with a 166.5 Imp. gall. drop tank was 1250 miles at 10,000 feet at 231 mph. Weights were 9900 pounds empty, 13,500 pounds normal loaded, 14,925 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 9 5/16 inches, length was 36 feet 1 3/16 inches, height was 14 feet 3 5/16 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet. Armament was eight .50 caliber machine guns and up to 2,500 pounds of bombs, drop tanks or a mixture thereof.
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Combat experience indicated that the the rear fuselage decking on these Thunderbolts provided a serious blind spot aft which was a real hindrance in air-to-air battles. In search of a lasting solution the USAAF fitted a standard P-47D-5-RE airframe with a bubble canopy. In order to accommodate the bubble canopy, the Republic design team had to cut down the rear fuselage. This conversion was tested in July 1943. This modification was immediately proven to be feasible, and was promptly introduced on the production lines. The D model also had the R-2800-59 or -63 engines, a paddle-bladed propeller, and a "universal" wing with shackles capable of carrying a 91.6 Imp. gall. drop tank. This tank, together with the 170.6 Imp. gall. main fuselage tank, an 83-gallon auxiliary fuel tank and two 125-gallon underwing tanks, made it possible to carry a total fuel load of 595 Imp. gall, providing a maximum range of 1800 miles at 195 mph at 10,000 feet.
Specifications of the P-47D-25-RE:
One Pratt and Whitney R-2800-59 Double Wasp eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, war emergency power of 2535 hp. Maximum speed was 429 mph at 30,000 feet, 406 mph at 20,000 feet, 375 mph at 10,000 feet, 350 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate was 2780 feet per minute. Climb rate at 30,000 feet was 1575 feet per minute. Service ceiling was 40,000 feet, and range was 950 miles at 10,000 feet. Range with maximum external fuel was 1800 miles at 10,000 feet at 195 mph. Weights were 10,700 pounds empty, 14,600 pounds normal loaded, and 17,500 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 36 feet 1 3/4 inches, height 14 feet 7 inches, and wing area 300 square feet. Armament included eight 0.5 inch machine guns plus up to 3,000 pounds of bombs, drop tanks and unguided rockets
Republic XP-47J Thunderbolt
The XP-47E, XP-47F and XP-47G were experimental versions of the basic P-47 that were of no consequence. However, the XP-47J was something quite different, a lighter-weight version of the Thunderbolt designed to explore the outer limits of the design's basic performance envelope. The XP-47J was fitted with a 2800 hp Pratt and Whitney R-2800-57(C) housed inside a close-fitting cowling and cooled by a fan. The ventral intake for the CH-5 turbosupercharger was separated from the engine cowling and moved aft. The four-bladed propeller was fitted with a large conical-shaped spinner. The wing structure was lightened and the armament was reduced from eight to six 0.50-inch machine guns. The contract was approved on June 18, 1943 and the aircraft first flew in November, 1943. On August 4, 1944, it attained a speed of 504 mph in level fight, becoming the first propeller-driven fighter to exceed 500 mph. Originally it was assumed that the J model would remain a technology demonstrator but the advent of the Me-262 caused it to be introduced onto the production line. Although the even more advanced XP-72 Thunderstorm would be available in the not too distant future, the critical shortage of R-4360 engines caused by the B-36 program meant that the production version of the XP-47J still had an important part to play.
Specification of the XP-47J
Maximum speed of the XP-47J was 507 mph at 34,300 feet, range was 765 miles at 400 mph, 1070 miles at economical cruising speed. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 4.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,000 feet. Weights were 9663 pounds empty, 12,400 pounds normal loaded, 16,780 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 11 inches, length was 33 feet 3 inches, height was 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet.
Republic P-47K Thunderbolt
The P-47K was effectively the production version of the XP-47J, differing only in being fully-armed and having the bubble cockpit introduced with the P-47D. Air brakes were fitted underneath the wings to aid in deceleration during dives. Underwing racks were not fitted, as the P-47K was meant to be operated strictly as a fighter. The first P-47Ks entered service on the Russian Front in October 1944.
Specification of the P-47K
Maximum speed of the P-47K was 507 mph at 34,300 feet, Initial climb rate was 3500 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2650 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 4.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,000 feet. Range (clean) was 560 miles at 10,000 feet. Weights were 9663 pounds empty, 12,400 pounds normal loaded, 16,780 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 11 inches, length was 33 feet 3 inches, height was 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet. Armament was eight .50 caliber machine guns.
Republic P-47M Thunderbolt
The problem with the P-47K was that, while its performance was an adequate interim counter to the Me-262, the short range of the aircraft prevented it from taking on the bomber escort role. Therefore, the P-47M was designed, taking most of the detail improvements of the P-47K and applying them to the basic P-47D airframe while also retaining the ability to carry belly and wing droptanks. Provision for air-to-surface weaponry was pointedly not included. Internal fuel capacity was increased from 305 to 370 gallons The first P-47M was delivered in December 1944, and they were rushed to the 56th Fighter Group on the Russian Front.
Specification of the P-47M
Maximum speed of the P-47M was 470 mph at 28,000 feet, Initial climb rate was 3300 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2450 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. An altitude of 17,500 feet could be reached in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Range (clean) was 790 miles at 10,000 feet. Weights were 9800 pounds empty, 11,400 pounds normal loaded, 15,680 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 11 inches, length was 33 feet 3 inches, height was 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet. Armament was eight .50 caliber machine guns.
Republic P-47N Thunderbolt
While the P-47K and P-47M addressed the air superiority roles of the Thunderbolt, the ground attack function was left to the P-47Ds. Accordingly, a version of the P-47 was designed for the ground attack role. The P-47N was fitted with a new "wet" wing of slightly larger span and area. For the first time in the Thunderbolt series fuel was carried in the wings, a 93 US gallon tank being fitted in each wing. When maximum external tankage was carried, this brought the total fuel load of the P-47N up to an impressive 1266 US gallons. This fuel load make it possible for a range of 2350 miles to be achieved although this was rarely used in practice with the weight being used to lift additional ordnance. The new wing also incorporated larger ailerons and squared-off wingtips. These innovations enhanced the roll-rate of the Thunderbolt and improved the maneuverability. The dorsal fin behind the bubble canopy was somewhat larger than that on the P-47D. Finally, more than 200 pounds of additional armor was worked into the aircraft to protect the pilot and engine. However, the increased armor and fuel load increased the gross weight of the aircraft. In order to cope with the increased gross weight, the undercarriage of the P-47N had to be strengthened, which increased the weight still further. The maximum weight rose to over 20,000 pounds. Zero-length rocket launchers added and the total ordnance load was increased to 5,000 pounds. Ironically, the P-47N actually predated the K and M versions into service as a result of production scheduling issues and the first P-47Ns were delivered to the 404th Fighter Group in September 1944. The P-47N also outlived the K and M versions, remaining in the Air National Guard fighter-bomber units until they were disbanded in the early 1950s.
Specification of the P-47N-5-RE
Maximum speed of 397 mph at 10,000 feet, 448 mph at at 25,000 feet, and 460 mph at 30,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 2770 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2550 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. Range (clean) was 800 miles at 10,000 feet. Armament included eight 0.50-inch machine guns with 500 rpg and five 500-lb bombs or three 1,000-lb bombs and ten 5-inch rockets. After October 1944, 165 gallon napalm tanks usually replaced 1,000 pound bombs. Weights were 11,000 pounds empty, 16,300 pounds normal loaded, and 20,700 pounds maximum. Dimension were wingspan 42 feet 7 inches, length 36 feet 4 inches, height 14 feet 7 inches, and wing area 322 square feet.
Introduction
The P-47 was built in larger numbers than any other American fighter, 15,683 examples rolling off the assembly line before production finally ended in June 1945. These Thunderbolts flew over half a million combat missions, destroying over 12,000 enemy aircraft both in the air and on the ground, as against a total of 5222 Thunderbolts lost. Losses of Thunderbolts on operational missions were 0.7 percent of those dispatched, an exceptionally low figure. Thunderbolts dropped 132,482 tons of bombs, fired 59,567 rockets, and expended 135 million belts of machine gun ammunition. On the Russian Front, Thunderbolts destroyed 86,000 railway cars, 9000 locomotives, 6000 armored vehicles and tanks, and 68,000 trucks. By the end of the war, Thunderbolts had destroyed 2752 enemy aircraft in the air and 3315 on the ground. The P-47K version played a large part in blunting the threat mounted by the arrival of the first German jet fighters.
Early Development
In 1939, Republic proposed a lightweight high-altitude interceptor to the USAAC under the company designation of AP-10. It was to be powered by a 1150 hp Allison V-1710-39 liquid-cooled in-line engine. Gross weight was to be 4900 pounds and estimated maximum speed was 415 mph. Armament was to be a pair of 0.50-in machine guns mounted in the engine housing. The USAAC looked over the proposal and was favorably impressed. However, they deemed that additional armament would be required, even if it adversely affected performance. Kartveli increased the size of his AP-10 design somewhat, and added four wing-mounted 0.30-inch machine guns. Gross weight rose to 6570 pounds. In this guise, in November 1939 the USAAC ordered one prototype of the AP-10 design under the designation XP-47.
Early combat reports coming in from Europe stressed the need for more firepower, more armament, more armor protection, and self-sealing fuel tanks. The XP-47 had insufficient engine power to accommodate the additional weight required by these features, and the USAAC came to the conclusion that these designs were likely to fall far short of future air combat requirements. The Army considered the XP-47 to be insufficiently armed, and thought that it had too high a wing loading and was too slow in comparison with the Curtiss XP-46. Anticipating that the Army would ultimately reject his XP-47 design, Republic went back to the drawing board.
In order to accommodate the heavy firepower, armor, and self-sealing fuel tanks and still provide a performance capable of meeting enemy aircraft on equal terms, a lot of engine horsepower would be needed. Kartveli decided to produce a design based around a turbosupercharged Pratt and Whitney R-2800 Twin Wasp eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, one of the most powerful aircraft engines available at the time. The XP-47B fuselage was designed around the large turbosupercharger from the start, rather than to add it onto the aircraft later as sort of an afterthought. In order to preserve a streamlined fuselage with a small cross-section, the large turbosupercharger was placed in the rear fuselage. It was fed by an air duct located beneath the large R-2800 engine. Engine exhaust gases were directed back to the rear fuselage in separate pipes to the turbine and were expelled through an exhaust under the rear tail. Ducted air was fed to a centrifugal impeller and was returned to the engine under pressure via an intercooler. Armament was to be a set of eight 0.50-in machine guns in the wings making the Republic proposal among the heaviest-armed fighters yet considered by the USAAC up to that time. Total weight was to be a massive 11,500 pounds, unprecedented for a USAAC single-seat fighter. A maximum speed of 400 mph at 25,000 feet and 340 mph at 5000 feet was envisaged. It was anticipated that an altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in five minutes.
On June 12, 1940, Kartveli submitted his ideas to the USAAC. The USAAC was sufficiently impressed with the proposal that on September 6, 1940 ordered a prototype under the designation XP-47B. All work on the XP-47 and a lightweight derivative, the XP-47A, was cancelled. One week later, on September 13, 1940, 773 production examples of the new fighter were ordered by the USAAC, 171 to be delivered as P-47Bs and 602 as P-47Cs. The XP-47B prototype flew for the first time on May 6, 1941, only eight months after the order had been placed. The XP-47B was the largest single-engine fighter built up to that time. Its eighteen-cylinder XR-2800-21 radial engine offered 1960 hp at 25,800 feet, and gave it a maximum speed of 412 mph, 12 mph faster than Kartveli had projected. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be attained in five minutes. Empty and normal gross weights were 9189 pounds and 12,086 pounds respectively.
Variants
Republic P-47B Thunderbolt
The first four P-47Bs from production (41-5896/5899) were delivered in mid-March of 1942, only eight months after the XP-47B prototype had first flown. Numerous problems soon presented themselves as the test program advanced. 41-5899 crashed on Salisbury golf course on Long Island on March 26, 1942, part of the tail assembly having broken off in flight. This accident resulted in restrictions being placed on P-47B flying while the cause of the structural failure was under investigation. At altitudes above 30,000 feet, the ailerons tended to snatch and freeze, the cockpit canopy could not be opened, and control forces became excessive. The fabric covering for the elevators was often found to be ruptured after high speed flights, the aerodynamic pressures having caused it to balloon out and burst. These problems caused further P-47 acceptances to be delayed until May of 1942.
The 56th Fighter Group found the process of working up to its new mounts rather difficult—13 pilots and 41 aircraft were lost in accidents. By the end of June, the 56th FG had damaged or wrecked half of its aircraft. Many of the crashes were the result of pilot inexperience, but a significant number were caused by loss of control during high-speed dives. After a rudder was ripped from a P-47B in flight, an order was issued on August 1, 1942, restricting the speeds to 300 mph or lest, forbidding violent maneuvers, and stipulating that fuel be carried in the rear tank. The P-47B was strictly used for test and training, and was never sent into combat.
Republic P-47C Thunderbolt
The P-47C was the first real next production version of the Thunderbolt. It began to leave the production lines in September of 1942. It was externally similar to the P-47B, but had a strengthened and revised fin with a metal-covered rudder to eliminate a tail flutter problem which had resulted in several crashes of P-47Bs during high-speed dives. The revised rudder resulting in an increase in overall length of about an inch. Even though the P-47C incorporated strengthened tail surfaces, the P-47C still had problems in recovering from high-speed dives. Beyond 500 mph, recovery from power dives was extremely hazardous, with the elevators being unable to respond because of compressibility forces. On November 13, 1942, Lts. Harold Comstock and Roger Dyar managed to reach indicated airspeeds of 725 mph during high-speed dives in their P-47Cs. This was beyond the speed of sound, which, if accurate, would have made them the first pilots to break the sound barrier. However, it is likely that the airspeed readings were wildly inaccurate, since the terminal velocity of the P-47 is about 600 mph, and that the true speeds reached were probably in the 500 mph range.
Perhaps the most important change introduced by this production block was the provision for shackles and a release mechanism for a bomb or a fuel tank on the underside of the belly. When carrying a 200-gallon fuel tank underneath the belly, the range was extended to 1250 miles at an altitude of 10,000 feet and a cruising speed of 231 mph. The P-47C-5-RE introduced revised radio, instruments, and antenna. Cockpit heating was introduced. The P-47C-10-RE had some changes in the turbosupercharger exhaust system which incorporated an adjustable duct and redesigned vents for the engine accessory section. Additional cowl flaps were fitted to prove engine cooling airflow. More extensive armor protection was provided for the pilot.
Water injection capability was added to this engine beginning with the C-15-RA and C-20-RE production blocks. Provision was made for the mounting of 15-gallon tank carrying a water-alcohol mixture to the bulkhead just aft of the engine. A line from this tank was plumbed directly into the fuel intake. When injected into the combustion chamber, the water checked a dangerous rise in cylinder head temperature while manifold pressure was boosted. For brief instants, a 15-percent increase in engine power could be obtained, giving a maximum war emergency power of 2300 hp. In the early production blocks, the pilot manually controlled the water flow of the injector, but the injection procedure was automatically- controlled on later blocks. This happened when the throttle was pushed forward into its last half-inch of travel.
Underwing pylons were introduced on the C-15-RA and C-20-RE production blocks. These enabled a drop tank or a bomb to be carried underneath each wing in addition to the stores carried on the belly shackles. Fuel changes had to be made to incorporate plumbing for the underwing tanks. Bomb selection increased to two 1000-pound or 3 500-pound bombs, with maximum bombload being 2500 pounds. The underwing pylons had a detrimental affect on performance, and their air resistance cut 45 mph off the maximum speed. However, a redesigned, more streamlined pylon cut the loss to about 15 mph.
Specification of the P-47C
One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-21 supercharged radial air cooled engine rated at 2000 hp. Curtiss Electric C542S propeller, 12 ft 2 in diameter. Maximum speed was 433 mph at 30,000 feet, and 353 mph at 5000 feet. Initial climb rate was 2780 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be attained in 7.2 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Range at maximum cruise power was 640 miles at 335 mph at 10,000 feet. Range with a 166.5 Imp. gall. drop tank was 1250 miles at 10,000 feet at 231 mph. Weights were 9900 pounds empty, 13,500 pounds normal loaded, 14,925 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 9 5/16 inches, length was 36 feet 1 3/16 inches, height was 14 feet 3 5/16 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet. Armament was eight .50 caliber machine guns and up to 2,500 pounds of bombs, drop tanks or a mixture thereof.
Republic P-47D Thunderbolt
Combat experience indicated that the the rear fuselage decking on these Thunderbolts provided a serious blind spot aft which was a real hindrance in air-to-air battles. In search of a lasting solution the USAAF fitted a standard P-47D-5-RE airframe with a bubble canopy. In order to accommodate the bubble canopy, the Republic design team had to cut down the rear fuselage. This conversion was tested in July 1943. This modification was immediately proven to be feasible, and was promptly introduced on the production lines. The D model also had the R-2800-59 or -63 engines, a paddle-bladed propeller, and a "universal" wing with shackles capable of carrying a 91.6 Imp. gall. drop tank. This tank, together with the 170.6 Imp. gall. main fuselage tank, an 83-gallon auxiliary fuel tank and two 125-gallon underwing tanks, made it possible to carry a total fuel load of 595 Imp. gall, providing a maximum range of 1800 miles at 195 mph at 10,000 feet.
Specifications of the P-47D-25-RE:
One Pratt and Whitney R-2800-59 Double Wasp eighteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, war emergency power of 2535 hp. Maximum speed was 429 mph at 30,000 feet, 406 mph at 20,000 feet, 375 mph at 10,000 feet, 350 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate was 2780 feet per minute. Climb rate at 30,000 feet was 1575 feet per minute. Service ceiling was 40,000 feet, and range was 950 miles at 10,000 feet. Range with maximum external fuel was 1800 miles at 10,000 feet at 195 mph. Weights were 10,700 pounds empty, 14,600 pounds normal loaded, and 17,500 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 9 3/8 inches, length 36 feet 1 3/4 inches, height 14 feet 7 inches, and wing area 300 square feet. Armament included eight 0.5 inch machine guns plus up to 3,000 pounds of bombs, drop tanks and unguided rockets
Republic XP-47J Thunderbolt
The XP-47E, XP-47F and XP-47G were experimental versions of the basic P-47 that were of no consequence. However, the XP-47J was something quite different, a lighter-weight version of the Thunderbolt designed to explore the outer limits of the design's basic performance envelope. The XP-47J was fitted with a 2800 hp Pratt and Whitney R-2800-57(C) housed inside a close-fitting cowling and cooled by a fan. The ventral intake for the CH-5 turbosupercharger was separated from the engine cowling and moved aft. The four-bladed propeller was fitted with a large conical-shaped spinner. The wing structure was lightened and the armament was reduced from eight to six 0.50-inch machine guns. The contract was approved on June 18, 1943 and the aircraft first flew in November, 1943. On August 4, 1944, it attained a speed of 504 mph in level fight, becoming the first propeller-driven fighter to exceed 500 mph. Originally it was assumed that the J model would remain a technology demonstrator but the advent of the Me-262 caused it to be introduced onto the production line. Although the even more advanced XP-72 Thunderstorm would be available in the not too distant future, the critical shortage of R-4360 engines caused by the B-36 program meant that the production version of the XP-47J still had an important part to play.
Specification of the XP-47J
Maximum speed of the XP-47J was 507 mph at 34,300 feet, range was 765 miles at 400 mph, 1070 miles at economical cruising speed. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 4.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,000 feet. Weights were 9663 pounds empty, 12,400 pounds normal loaded, 16,780 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 11 inches, length was 33 feet 3 inches, height was 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet.
Republic P-47K Thunderbolt
The P-47K was effectively the production version of the XP-47J, differing only in being fully-armed and having the bubble cockpit introduced with the P-47D. Air brakes were fitted underneath the wings to aid in deceleration during dives. Underwing racks were not fitted, as the P-47K was meant to be operated strictly as a fighter. The first P-47Ks entered service on the Russian Front in October 1944.
Specification of the P-47K
Maximum speed of the P-47K was 507 mph at 34,300 feet, Initial climb rate was 3500 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2650 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 4.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,000 feet. Range (clean) was 560 miles at 10,000 feet. Weights were 9663 pounds empty, 12,400 pounds normal loaded, 16,780 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 11 inches, length was 33 feet 3 inches, height was 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet. Armament was eight .50 caliber machine guns.
Republic P-47M Thunderbolt
The problem with the P-47K was that, while its performance was an adequate interim counter to the Me-262, the short range of the aircraft prevented it from taking on the bomber escort role. Therefore, the P-47M was designed, taking most of the detail improvements of the P-47K and applying them to the basic P-47D airframe while also retaining the ability to carry belly and wing droptanks. Provision for air-to-surface weaponry was pointedly not included. Internal fuel capacity was increased from 305 to 370 gallons The first P-47M was delivered in December 1944, and they were rushed to the 56th Fighter Group on the Russian Front.
Specification of the P-47M
Maximum speed of the P-47M was 470 mph at 28,000 feet, Initial climb rate was 3300 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2450 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. An altitude of 17,500 feet could be reached in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Range (clean) was 790 miles at 10,000 feet. Weights were 9800 pounds empty, 11,400 pounds normal loaded, 15,680 pounds maximum. Wingspan was 40 feet 11 inches, length was 33 feet 3 inches, height was 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area was 300 square feet. Armament was eight .50 caliber machine guns.
Republic P-47N Thunderbolt
While the P-47K and P-47M addressed the air superiority roles of the Thunderbolt, the ground attack function was left to the P-47Ds. Accordingly, a version of the P-47 was designed for the ground attack role. The P-47N was fitted with a new "wet" wing of slightly larger span and area. For the first time in the Thunderbolt series fuel was carried in the wings, a 93 US gallon tank being fitted in each wing. When maximum external tankage was carried, this brought the total fuel load of the P-47N up to an impressive 1266 US gallons. This fuel load make it possible for a range of 2350 miles to be achieved although this was rarely used in practice with the weight being used to lift additional ordnance. The new wing also incorporated larger ailerons and squared-off wingtips. These innovations enhanced the roll-rate of the Thunderbolt and improved the maneuverability. The dorsal fin behind the bubble canopy was somewhat larger than that on the P-47D. Finally, more than 200 pounds of additional armor was worked into the aircraft to protect the pilot and engine. However, the increased armor and fuel load increased the gross weight of the aircraft. In order to cope with the increased gross weight, the undercarriage of the P-47N had to be strengthened, which increased the weight still further. The maximum weight rose to over 20,000 pounds. Zero-length rocket launchers added and the total ordnance load was increased to 5,000 pounds. Ironically, the P-47N actually predated the K and M versions into service as a result of production scheduling issues and the first P-47Ns were delivered to the 404th Fighter Group in September 1944. The P-47N also outlived the K and M versions, remaining in the Air National Guard fighter-bomber units until they were disbanded in the early 1950s.
Specification of the P-47N-5-RE
Maximum speed of 397 mph at 10,000 feet, 448 mph at at 25,000 feet, and 460 mph at 30,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 2770 feet per minute at 5000 feet and 2550 feet per minute at 20,000 feet. Range (clean) was 800 miles at 10,000 feet. Armament included eight 0.50-inch machine guns with 500 rpg and five 500-lb bombs or three 1,000-lb bombs and ten 5-inch rockets. After October 1944, 165 gallon napalm tanks usually replaced 1,000 pound bombs. Weights were 11,000 pounds empty, 16,300 pounds normal loaded, and 20,700 pounds maximum. Dimension were wingspan 42 feet 7 inches, length 36 feet 4 inches, height 14 feet 7 inches, and wing area 322 square feet.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Lockheed P-49 Lightning
Introduction
The Lockheed P-49 was a progressive development of the P-38 Lightning, powered by two radial engines. Since the end of the Second World War, supporters of the liquid-cooled engine P-38 and the radial P-49 have been locked in mortal combat over which of the two aircraft was superior. The issue had not been resolved, mostly because the two aircraft served different roles. The P-38 was a long-range high-altitude escort fighter, the P-49 a short-range medium-low altitude interceptor. Over the Russian Front, the P-38 made its name escorting bomber formations deep into enemy territory and mounting patrols along the Volga to prevent German incursions across the river. The P-49 was assigned to intercepting intruding formations, a task where its heavy firepower and startling rate of climb served it well. The P-49 gained most public attention when the aircraft formed the primary defense of East Coast cities against the sporadic but damaging doodlebug attacks of late 1944 through to mid-1947
Early Development.
On March 11, 1939, the USAAC Materiel Division called for a new type of twin-engined, high-performance interceptor fighter. The successful entry was, however, to derive as many design features as possible from already existing aircraft. The Lockheed entry was a progressive development of the P-38 Lightning, and was given the company designation of Model 222. The Model 222 had the same general arrangement as the P-38, but featured a pressure cabin and was powered by a pair of turbosupercharged twenty-four cylinder Pratt & Whitney X-1800-SA2-G (military designation XH-2600) liquid-cooled engines which were supposed to develop somewhere between 2000 and 2200 horsepower. Lockheed proposed to replace these engines by a pair of 2300 hp Wright R-2160 Tornado turbosupercharged radials in production aircraft. Armament was to be a pair of 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-inch machine guns. Total fuel capacity was to be 300 US gallons, as compared to 230 US gallons for the early production P-38. The Model 222 was rather optimistically estimated to have a top speed of 473 mph at 20,000 feet when powered by the Pratt & Whitney XH-2600s, and a speed of no less than 500 mph at the same altitude when powered by the Wright Tornadoes.
A contract for a single XP-49 prototype was officially issued on January 8, 1940. Because the Lockheed company was preoccupied with the P-38 Lightning, work on the XP-49 proceeded quite slowly during the early months of 1940. Both the USAAC and Lockheed soon came to realize that with either the Pratt & Whitney XH-2600 or the Wright R-2160 engines, the XP-49 would be seriously overpowered.
On January 1, 1943, the XP-49 was damaged during an emergency landing at Muroc AAB after a simultaneous inflight failure of both the hydraulic and the electrical systems.. By that time, the Army had lost all interest in the XP-49, since the performance was actually inferior to that of the standard P-38G which was already in service. In addition, the questionable future of the troublesome Continental engine caused the Army to abandon any further consideration of quantity production of the XP-49.
However, things changed quickly at that point. As combat experience with the P-38 in Russia grew, calls were mounting for the troublesome liquid-cooled engine installation to be replaced by a radial engine. This would ease operations from the crude Russian airfields as well as reducing maintenance. Initially, Lockheed examined installing a pair of Wright R-2600-12 Cyclones rated at 1,700 horsepower but those engines proved to be unsuited to turbocharging. The alternative was to use a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800-9 Double Wasp engines rated at 2,000 horsepower. This was the option selected.
The problem was that, while the depth of the R-2800 was compatible with the existing boom structure, the engine’s width was 20 inches greater and that could not be easily accommodated. At that point, somebody remembered the XP-49 sitting out on an airfield somewhere. The booms there had been designed to accommodate much larger engines and could be modified to include the R-2800.
The result was the XP-49A, an aircraft that was effectively a hybrid of the proposed XP-38H and the XP-49. The weight of the XP-49 was reduced by deletion of the pressurized cockpit and the elaborate cooling system used for the liquid-cooled engines. The XP-49A proved to have sparkling flying capabilities, exhibiting a clear improvement over the P-38, able to "fly rings around the Lightning" in the words of one pilot. The only problem was an outbreak of minor but troublesome fuel leakage problems that were eventually solved. At that point the XP-49A was ordered into production.
Variants
Lockheed P-49B Lightning
The P-49B was virtually identical to the P-49A except for the installation of a low-pressure oxygen system. Production deliveries started to US-based units in October 1943 with the type reaching the Russian Front in January 1944.
Specifications of the P-49B Lightning
Maximum speed of 446 mph at 15,000 feet, 424 mph at 10,000 feet, and 410 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate was 5,300 feet per minute, and the P-49B could climb to 20,000 feet in 5.7 minutes. Normal range was 479 miles, and maximum range was 1200 miles. Service ceiling was 37,500 feet. Weights were 15,410 pounds empty and 18,750 pounds loaded. Wingspan was 52 feet 0 inches, length was 40 feet 1 inch, height was 9 feet 9 1/2 inches and wing area was 327.5 square feet. Armament was 2 20-mm cannon with 170 rpg and four 0.50-inch machine guns with 300 rpg
Lockheed P-49C Lightning
The P-49C was fitted with automatic oil radiator. An M-2C cannon took the place of the M-1, and two underwing racks capable of carrying 1,600 pounds each were installed. The first of 226 P-49C-5-Los went into service in May 1944. They were followed 375 P-49C-15-LOs were fitted with B-33 instead of B-13 turbosuperchargers which gave improved high-altitude performance.
Lockheed P-49D Lightning
When earlier Lightnings went into a high speed dive, their controls would suddenly lock up when a certain speed was reached and the nose would begin to tuck under, making recovery from the dive very difficult. The problem would begin at Mach 0.65 to 0.68, accompanied by vigorous buffeting and a strong nose-down pitch. As speed increased, it became progressively more and more difficult to recover from the dive, larger and larger stick forces being required for a pullout. At Mach 0.72, dive recovery became for all practical purposes impossible, and runaway dives that got this far out of hand usually had fatal results. The onset of severe buffeting would, of course, usually provide adequate warning for a pilot in a diving Lightning that he was about to encounter a problem, but it is easy to get distracted while in the stress of combat. This dive recovery problem was so severe that the Lightnings found it very difficult to follow German fighters in a dive, allowing many Luftwaffe fighters to escape unscathed.
The problem was eventually traced to a shock wave that formed over the wings as the Lightning entered the transonic regime, the shock wave preventing the elevators from operating. In order to counteract this problem, the P-49D was equipped with a small electrically-operated dive flap underneath each wing outboard of the engine nacelles and hinged to the main spar. These dive flaps would change the characteristics of the airflow over the wing, offsetting the formation of the shock wave and permitting the elevators to operate properly. This innovation largely solved the problems encountered by diving P-49s.
Lockheed P-49E Lightning
The P-49E introduced power-boosted ailerons. These consisted of ailerons that were operated by a hydraulically-actuated bell-crank and push-pull rod, making it easier for the pilot to maneuver the airplane at high airspeeds. This boosting system was one of the first applications of powered controls to any fighter, and required only 17 percent of the previous stick forces. The hydraulic aileron booster system vastly improved the roll rate and thereby increased the effectiveness of the P-49 in combat. P-49Es with power-boosted ailerons proved to have the highest roll-rates of any fighter. P-49Es were the first fighters assigned to protect East Coast cities from doodlebug attacks, scoring their first doodlebug kill on Christmas Day, 1944
Lockheed P-49F Lightning
The P-49F model was developed as a doodlebug interceptor with the R-2800-59 engine rated at 2,300 horsepower (2,850 with water injection) that brought about a major boost in performance. The aircraft also had submerged fuel pumps and, after the unsatisfactory testing fourteen five-inch HVAR on zero-length launchers beneath the wing outer panel, underwing rocket "trees" for ten five-inch rockets were mounted. The racks underneath the wing center sections were strengthened to enable either 2000-lb bombs or 300-US gallon drop tanks to be carried. It entered service in June 1945.
Specifications of the P-49F Lightning
Maximum speed of 468 mph at 15,000 feet, 445 mph at 10,000 feet, and 430 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate was 5,700 feet per minute, and the P-49F could climb to 20,000 feet in 4.3 minutes. Normal range was 479 miles, and maximum range was 1,800 miles. Service ceiling was 39,500 feet. Weights were 15,410 pounds empty and 18,750 pounds loaded. Wingspan was 52 feet 0 inches, length was 40 feet 1 inch, height was 10 feet 5 1/4 inches, and wing area was 327.5 square feet. Armament was 2 20-mm cannon with 170 rpg and four 0.50-inch machine guns with 300 rpg
Lockheed P-49G Lightning
Early in 1944, at least two unidentified P-49Bs were modified in the field by the Fifth Air Force as single-seat night fighters by fitting an SCR540 radar with yagi antennae on the nose on both sides of the central nacelle, and above and below the wings. In order to make room for the radar, two of the 0.50-inch machine guns and their ammunition boxes had to be removed forward. Three P-49Cs were also modified in the field as experimental night fighters. However, these modifications were all single seaters, and it was found that the flying of the plane and the operation of the radar was too much of a job for just one person.
The results were interesting enough to induce Lockheed to adapt the P-49F as a two-seat night fighter. In 1945, Lockheed converted a P-49F with the radar operator sitting aft of the pilot under a raised section of the canopy. The aircraft was fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar in an external radome underneath the nose, relocated radio equipment and anti-flash gun muzzles. This modification was successful, and provided the USAF with a night fighter having a top speed of 456 mph at 15,000 feet as compared to only 369 mph at 20,000 feet for the Northrop P-61A Black Widow. The P-49G went into production in September 1945 in time to counter the shift of doodlebug tactics to night-time attack.
Consequently, the Air Force issued a contract change calling for the Lockheed Modification Center in Dallas to convert 280 additional P-49Fs into P-49G twin-seat night fighters. They were painted glossy black overall and entered service on the Russian Front in 1946, seeing much operational service in over the Russian Front. It was an effective night fighter with very little performance penalty over the standard single-seat Lightning. Experiments were conducted with the object of shielding the turbosupercharger exhaust, but the entire exhaust system was so hot that it glowed at night, making the small reduction of visibility possible with the shielding of the actual efflux relatively pointless. Consequently, no modifications of the exhaust system were undertaken on "production" P-49Gs. Initial climb rate was 3075 feet per minute, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 8.7 minutes.
Lockheed XP-49H Lightning.
An experimental high-altitude version of the P-49, the EP-49H would have had lengthened wings and a high-altitude optimized turbocharged for its R-2800s. The idea was not proceeded with, being dropped in favor of a modified version of the P-58 Chain Lightning
Introduction
The Lockheed P-49 was a progressive development of the P-38 Lightning, powered by two radial engines. Since the end of the Second World War, supporters of the liquid-cooled engine P-38 and the radial P-49 have been locked in mortal combat over which of the two aircraft was superior. The issue had not been resolved, mostly because the two aircraft served different roles. The P-38 was a long-range high-altitude escort fighter, the P-49 a short-range medium-low altitude interceptor. Over the Russian Front, the P-38 made its name escorting bomber formations deep into enemy territory and mounting patrols along the Volga to prevent German incursions across the river. The P-49 was assigned to intercepting intruding formations, a task where its heavy firepower and startling rate of climb served it well. The P-49 gained most public attention when the aircraft formed the primary defense of East Coast cities against the sporadic but damaging doodlebug attacks of late 1944 through to mid-1947
Early Development.
On March 11, 1939, the USAAC Materiel Division called for a new type of twin-engined, high-performance interceptor fighter. The successful entry was, however, to derive as many design features as possible from already existing aircraft. The Lockheed entry was a progressive development of the P-38 Lightning, and was given the company designation of Model 222. The Model 222 had the same general arrangement as the P-38, but featured a pressure cabin and was powered by a pair of turbosupercharged twenty-four cylinder Pratt & Whitney X-1800-SA2-G (military designation XH-2600) liquid-cooled engines which were supposed to develop somewhere between 2000 and 2200 horsepower. Lockheed proposed to replace these engines by a pair of 2300 hp Wright R-2160 Tornado turbosupercharged radials in production aircraft. Armament was to be a pair of 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-inch machine guns. Total fuel capacity was to be 300 US gallons, as compared to 230 US gallons for the early production P-38. The Model 222 was rather optimistically estimated to have a top speed of 473 mph at 20,000 feet when powered by the Pratt & Whitney XH-2600s, and a speed of no less than 500 mph at the same altitude when powered by the Wright Tornadoes.
A contract for a single XP-49 prototype was officially issued on January 8, 1940. Because the Lockheed company was preoccupied with the P-38 Lightning, work on the XP-49 proceeded quite slowly during the early months of 1940. Both the USAAC and Lockheed soon came to realize that with either the Pratt & Whitney XH-2600 or the Wright R-2160 engines, the XP-49 would be seriously overpowered.
On January 1, 1943, the XP-49 was damaged during an emergency landing at Muroc AAB after a simultaneous inflight failure of both the hydraulic and the electrical systems.. By that time, the Army had lost all interest in the XP-49, since the performance was actually inferior to that of the standard P-38G which was already in service. In addition, the questionable future of the troublesome Continental engine caused the Army to abandon any further consideration of quantity production of the XP-49.
However, things changed quickly at that point. As combat experience with the P-38 in Russia grew, calls were mounting for the troublesome liquid-cooled engine installation to be replaced by a radial engine. This would ease operations from the crude Russian airfields as well as reducing maintenance. Initially, Lockheed examined installing a pair of Wright R-2600-12 Cyclones rated at 1,700 horsepower but those engines proved to be unsuited to turbocharging. The alternative was to use a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800-9 Double Wasp engines rated at 2,000 horsepower. This was the option selected.
The problem was that, while the depth of the R-2800 was compatible with the existing boom structure, the engine’s width was 20 inches greater and that could not be easily accommodated. At that point, somebody remembered the XP-49 sitting out on an airfield somewhere. The booms there had been designed to accommodate much larger engines and could be modified to include the R-2800.
The result was the XP-49A, an aircraft that was effectively a hybrid of the proposed XP-38H and the XP-49. The weight of the XP-49 was reduced by deletion of the pressurized cockpit and the elaborate cooling system used for the liquid-cooled engines. The XP-49A proved to have sparkling flying capabilities, exhibiting a clear improvement over the P-38, able to "fly rings around the Lightning" in the words of one pilot. The only problem was an outbreak of minor but troublesome fuel leakage problems that were eventually solved. At that point the XP-49A was ordered into production.
Variants
Lockheed P-49B Lightning
The P-49B was virtually identical to the P-49A except for the installation of a low-pressure oxygen system. Production deliveries started to US-based units in October 1943 with the type reaching the Russian Front in January 1944.
Specifications of the P-49B Lightning
Maximum speed of 446 mph at 15,000 feet, 424 mph at 10,000 feet, and 410 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate was 5,300 feet per minute, and the P-49B could climb to 20,000 feet in 5.7 minutes. Normal range was 479 miles, and maximum range was 1200 miles. Service ceiling was 37,500 feet. Weights were 15,410 pounds empty and 18,750 pounds loaded. Wingspan was 52 feet 0 inches, length was 40 feet 1 inch, height was 9 feet 9 1/2 inches and wing area was 327.5 square feet. Armament was 2 20-mm cannon with 170 rpg and four 0.50-inch machine guns with 300 rpg
Lockheed P-49C Lightning
The P-49C was fitted with automatic oil radiator. An M-2C cannon took the place of the M-1, and two underwing racks capable of carrying 1,600 pounds each were installed. The first of 226 P-49C-5-Los went into service in May 1944. They were followed 375 P-49C-15-LOs were fitted with B-33 instead of B-13 turbosuperchargers which gave improved high-altitude performance.
Lockheed P-49D Lightning
When earlier Lightnings went into a high speed dive, their controls would suddenly lock up when a certain speed was reached and the nose would begin to tuck under, making recovery from the dive very difficult. The problem would begin at Mach 0.65 to 0.68, accompanied by vigorous buffeting and a strong nose-down pitch. As speed increased, it became progressively more and more difficult to recover from the dive, larger and larger stick forces being required for a pullout. At Mach 0.72, dive recovery became for all practical purposes impossible, and runaway dives that got this far out of hand usually had fatal results. The onset of severe buffeting would, of course, usually provide adequate warning for a pilot in a diving Lightning that he was about to encounter a problem, but it is easy to get distracted while in the stress of combat. This dive recovery problem was so severe that the Lightnings found it very difficult to follow German fighters in a dive, allowing many Luftwaffe fighters to escape unscathed.
The problem was eventually traced to a shock wave that formed over the wings as the Lightning entered the transonic regime, the shock wave preventing the elevators from operating. In order to counteract this problem, the P-49D was equipped with a small electrically-operated dive flap underneath each wing outboard of the engine nacelles and hinged to the main spar. These dive flaps would change the characteristics of the airflow over the wing, offsetting the formation of the shock wave and permitting the elevators to operate properly. This innovation largely solved the problems encountered by diving P-49s.
Lockheed P-49E Lightning
The P-49E introduced power-boosted ailerons. These consisted of ailerons that were operated by a hydraulically-actuated bell-crank and push-pull rod, making it easier for the pilot to maneuver the airplane at high airspeeds. This boosting system was one of the first applications of powered controls to any fighter, and required only 17 percent of the previous stick forces. The hydraulic aileron booster system vastly improved the roll rate and thereby increased the effectiveness of the P-49 in combat. P-49Es with power-boosted ailerons proved to have the highest roll-rates of any fighter. P-49Es were the first fighters assigned to protect East Coast cities from doodlebug attacks, scoring their first doodlebug kill on Christmas Day, 1944
Lockheed P-49F Lightning
The P-49F model was developed as a doodlebug interceptor with the R-2800-59 engine rated at 2,300 horsepower (2,850 with water injection) that brought about a major boost in performance. The aircraft also had submerged fuel pumps and, after the unsatisfactory testing fourteen five-inch HVAR on zero-length launchers beneath the wing outer panel, underwing rocket "trees" for ten five-inch rockets were mounted. The racks underneath the wing center sections were strengthened to enable either 2000-lb bombs or 300-US gallon drop tanks to be carried. It entered service in June 1945.
Specifications of the P-49F Lightning
Maximum speed of 468 mph at 15,000 feet, 445 mph at 10,000 feet, and 430 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate was 5,700 feet per minute, and the P-49F could climb to 20,000 feet in 4.3 minutes. Normal range was 479 miles, and maximum range was 1,800 miles. Service ceiling was 39,500 feet. Weights were 15,410 pounds empty and 18,750 pounds loaded. Wingspan was 52 feet 0 inches, length was 40 feet 1 inch, height was 10 feet 5 1/4 inches, and wing area was 327.5 square feet. Armament was 2 20-mm cannon with 170 rpg and four 0.50-inch machine guns with 300 rpg
Lockheed P-49G Lightning
Early in 1944, at least two unidentified P-49Bs were modified in the field by the Fifth Air Force as single-seat night fighters by fitting an SCR540 radar with yagi antennae on the nose on both sides of the central nacelle, and above and below the wings. In order to make room for the radar, two of the 0.50-inch machine guns and their ammunition boxes had to be removed forward. Three P-49Cs were also modified in the field as experimental night fighters. However, these modifications were all single seaters, and it was found that the flying of the plane and the operation of the radar was too much of a job for just one person.
The results were interesting enough to induce Lockheed to adapt the P-49F as a two-seat night fighter. In 1945, Lockheed converted a P-49F with the radar operator sitting aft of the pilot under a raised section of the canopy. The aircraft was fitted with an AN/APS-6 radar in an external radome underneath the nose, relocated radio equipment and anti-flash gun muzzles. This modification was successful, and provided the USAF with a night fighter having a top speed of 456 mph at 15,000 feet as compared to only 369 mph at 20,000 feet for the Northrop P-61A Black Widow. The P-49G went into production in September 1945 in time to counter the shift of doodlebug tactics to night-time attack.
Consequently, the Air Force issued a contract change calling for the Lockheed Modification Center in Dallas to convert 280 additional P-49Fs into P-49G twin-seat night fighters. They were painted glossy black overall and entered service on the Russian Front in 1946, seeing much operational service in over the Russian Front. It was an effective night fighter with very little performance penalty over the standard single-seat Lightning. Experiments were conducted with the object of shielding the turbosupercharger exhaust, but the entire exhaust system was so hot that it glowed at night, making the small reduction of visibility possible with the shielding of the actual efflux relatively pointless. Consequently, no modifications of the exhaust system were undertaken on "production" P-49Gs. Initial climb rate was 3075 feet per minute, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 8.7 minutes.
Lockheed XP-49H Lightning.
An experimental high-altitude version of the P-49, the EP-49H would have had lengthened wings and a high-altitude optimized turbocharged for its R-2800s. The idea was not proceeded with, being dropped in favor of a modified version of the P-58 Chain Lightning
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Lockheed P-58 Chain Lightning
Introduction
The Lockheed P-58 Chain Lightning is almost a textbook example of what changing requirements, military mismanagement, and vacillating officialdom can do to a promising military aircraft project. The XP-58 started life as a fairly straightforward development of the P-38 Lightning fighter, evolved in stages into an escort fighter, then into an attack plane, then into a bomber, then into a tank buster, and then finally into a bomber destroyer. It went from a single-seater to a two-seater and then back to a single seat aircraft again. These incessant changes in requirements, combined with several changes in power plants, resulted in the XP-58, which started life in 1940, being delayed until nearly the end of the war.
Early Development
The USAAC granted authorization to export the unturbosupercharged Lightning to Britain and France, but only under the condition that Lockheed agree to develop and produce at no cost to the U.S. government a prototype of an advanced version of the Lightning. The formal agreement was signed on April 12, 1940. This advanced Lightning was given the company designation of L-121.
The L-121 was to be powered by a pair of turbosupercharged Continental IV-1430 liquid-cooled engines. It was to be offered in two versions, a single- seater and a two-seater. The single-seat version was to retain the standard P-38 armament of one 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-inch machine guns. The two-seat version was to have an additional armament of a single 0.50-inch machine gun mounted in a remotely-controlled barbette situated at the end of each tail boom. During a meeting at Wright Field in May 1940, it was decided to drop the single-seater and proceed with the two-seat version, which was assigned the designation XP-58. In July 1940, it was concluded that the XP-58 would be underpowered with the Continental engines, and the decision was made to switch to a pair of 1800 hp Pratt & Whitney XH-2600-9/11 liquid-cooled engines. The re-engined XP-58 was given the company designation of Model 20-14, and revised specifications were issued by Lockheed on September 10, 1940. A second 20-mm cannon was added to the forward-firing armament. The tail boom guns were deemed to be highly impractical, and were replaced by a single remotely-controlled dorsal turret containing a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns. Estimated gross weight had crawled upward to 24,000 pounds, and estimated top speed had fallen to 402 mph. Range on internal fuel was anticipated to be 1600 miles.
However, scarcely a month after these revised specifications had been issued, Pratt & Whitney suspended development of the XH-2600 engine. The XP-58 was now without an engine. Attention focused on the XH-2470, the Continental XH-2860, and on the Pratt & Whitney R-2800, as possible choices for the XP-58 powerplants. Lockheed preferred the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine, and estimated that with these powerplants the XP-58 would have a a loaded weight of 26,000 pounds and a maximum speed of 418 mph at 25,000 feet. However, the USAAC considered this performance to be inadequate, and suggested that Lockheed turn to the experimental Wright XR-2160 Tornado forty-two cylinder, six-row engine offering a power output of 2350 hp. One advantage of this engine was that it had an extremely small frontal area. However, the Tornado engine was highly complex, and its development was fraught with problems from the start. Nevertheless, in March of 1941 the USAAC announced that it was going to go with the Tornado for the XP-58. Two months later, the USAAC issued an change order for the installation of cabin pressurization for the pilot and the aft-facing gunner, and for the addition of a remotely-controlled ventral turret to supplement the dorsal turret. The XP-58 was scheduled for delivery to the USAAF in August of 1942, and to meet this deadline the project team grew to a peak of 187 people by October of 1941.
In March 1942, Lockheed suggested that the USAAF order a second XP-58 prototype using Government funds. Since the Tornado engines were already experiencing serious delays and were now not expected to be delivered until the spring of 1943, Lockheed felt that there was sufficient time to redesign the second XP-58 machine in order to provide it with enough fuel capacity to increase the range to 3000 miles. The USAAF agreed to this request and indeed placed the order in May of 1942.
However, shortly thereafter, the USAAF began to go through a protracted series of flip-flops in their thinking about the ultimate mission for the XP-58. First, the USAAF suggested that the nose-mounted forward-firing armament should be changed to a 75-mm cannon with a 20-round automatic feeder plus a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns. This was an odd choice of armament for an escort fighter, so the USAAF began to think seriously of the XP-58 as a ground attack aircraft, the XP-58A. This in turn led to considerations of several different alternative configurations, including a two-seat attack aircraft with six forward-firing 20-mm cannon and a three-seat bomber with a bombardier in the nose, an enlarged central nacelle containing an internal bomb bay, and with or without the 75-mm nose cannon. In both the attack and bomber versions, the dorsal and ventral turrets were to be deleted, and unsupercharged engines were to be used.
It was soon realized that the last thing the USAAF need was another attack bomber. The Douglas A-26 Invader and the Beech A-38 Grizzly weres already in production, and it more than adequately filled all USAAF attack bomber requirements. Consequently, the USAAF decided that there was little point in trying to make the XP-58 into a low-level attack plane. The XP-58 program was then re-oriented back to its original role as a high-altitude aircraft designated the XP-58B However, this time it was to be bomber destroyer rather than an escort fighter. The turbosuperchargers and the dorsal and ventral turrets were put back on. The first prototype was to have four forward-firing 37-mm cannon, whereas the second was to have a 75-mm cannon and two 0.50-inch machine guns. Gross weight was now up to an astronomical 38,275 pounds, and top speed was down to 414 mph at 25,000 feet. Range was only 1150 miles.
By early 1943, the XP-58 program was in utter chaos because of the constantly changing Army requirements. In desperation, Lockheed recommended in January 1943 that only one prototype actually be built, and that it have interchangeable noses that would permit the fitting of either type of forward-firing armament. To make things even worse, the trouble-ridden Tornado engine program finally collapsed in February 1943, leaving the XP-58 without engines once again. Lockheed and the USAAF both agreed to switch to a pair of turbosupercharged Allison V-3420-11/13 twenty-four cylinder liquid-cooled engines, rated at 2600 hp for takeoff and 3000 hp at 28,000 feet.
With these Allison engines, the XP-58B was finally completed in June 1944, more than four years after its design had begun. When the XP-58B rolled out of the factory it was really only half-finished—no cabin pressurization equipment was provided, no forward-firing armament was installed, and dummy dorsal and ventral turrets were fitted in place of the real things. The flight tests were disappointing and the aircraft seemed destined for abandonment. By 1945, it was sitting neglected in the corner of an airfield and was more or less abandoned.
What happened next was amazing. Hughes Aircraft had designed a new reconnaissance aircraft designated the XF-11. This was a sleek, twin-engined aircraft that bore a startling resemblance to the Lightning series of fighters. It was fast, high-flying and almost impossible to maintain. This wasn’t helped by the eccentric behavior of Howard Hughes. In January 1945, the USAF confiscated all of the design and production data on the XF-11 along with both prototypes then under construction. Lockheed were called in (due to their experience with twin-boom aircraft) and given the job of producing a fighter version of the XF-11.
Lockheed went to work with a will, using the experience so painfully gained with the XP-58 to produce a new fighter that combined the best features of the XP-58 and the XF-11. The resulting aircraft looked very much like the XF-11 externally but was completely redesigned internally to ease production and maintenance. This aircraft was designated the XP-58C. It was powered by two R-3350 engines driving contra-rotating propellers. The XP-58C first flew in July 1946 and proved a much better aircraft than any of its predecessors. It was followed by the XP-58E that was essentially a service trials version of the design, armed with four B-20 20mm cannon closely grouped in its nose. The YP-58F followed and was essentially a modified XP-58E. Following service trials, the aircraft went into production as the F-58A Chain Lightning. Why the designation system reverted to an A suffix remains a mystery
Variants
Lockheed F-58A Chain Lightning
Following service trials, the aircraft went into production as the F-58A Chain Lightning. Why the designation system reverted to an A suffix remains a mystery. The F-58A was essentially identical to the XP-58F and production was just getting under way when The Big One ended World War Two. Only 73 F-58As had been built when production was paused dependant upon an assessment of post-war requirements.
Specifications of the F-58A
Performance: Maximum speed: 466 mph at 25,000 feet, cruising speed: 274 mph at 25,000 feet, initial climb rate: 3660 feet per minute, service ceiling: 44,400 feet, normal range: 2,250 miles, maximum range: 3,650 miles. Weights: 21,624 pounds empty, 39,192 pounds normal loaded, 43,000 pounds maximum. Dimensions: wingspan 70 feet 0 inches, length 49 feet 4 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, wing area, 600 square feet. Armament was four 20mm B-20 cannon with 250 rpg.
Lockheed F-58B Chain Lightning
The Red Sun trials had shown that existing interceptors were incapable of engaging the B-36. Lockheed proposed a new version of the F-58A, drastically lightened and equipped with turbocharged R-4360 engines and had extended wings to improve high-altitude performance. They were given a contract to build 30 of these fighters, primarily for test and evaluation at Red Sun. They appeared in the 1950 Red Sun exercises and proved capable of intercepting the B-36 although they lacked the performance at those altitudes to form an effective defense. Nevertheless, the F-58B was considered a success and was ordered into limited production.
Specifications of the F-58B
Performance: Maximum speed: 456 mph at 35,000 feet, cruising speed: 254 mph at 25,000 feet, initial climb rate: 3360 feet per minute, service ceiling: 52,400 feet, normal range: 2,250 miles, maximum range: 3,050 miles. Weights: 19,624 pounds empty, 37,192 pounds normal loaded, 43,000 pounds maximum. Dimensions: wingspan 101 feet 0 inches, length 49 feet 4 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, wing area, 983 square feet. Armament was four 20mm B-20 cannon with 250 rpg.
Lockheed F-58C Chain Lightning
The Lockheed F-58C essentially took the night-fighting equipment out of a P-49G and transferred it into a F-58B. Although the fighters available by 1951 had a very marginal capacity to intercept the B-36, they could only do so in clear weather. The F-58C was an attempt to produce an all-weather fighter that could fill the yawning defense gap. It, like its day-fighting sibling, was only marginally capable of intercepting a B-36 and by the time it entered service, the B-60 was already under test. Nevertheless, the F-58C was a viable stop-gap solution and entered production, gaining the distinction of being the last piston-engined fighter to be built for the USAF. The last F-58Cs were only withdrawn from service in 1958.
Introduction
The Lockheed P-58 Chain Lightning is almost a textbook example of what changing requirements, military mismanagement, and vacillating officialdom can do to a promising military aircraft project. The XP-58 started life as a fairly straightforward development of the P-38 Lightning fighter, evolved in stages into an escort fighter, then into an attack plane, then into a bomber, then into a tank buster, and then finally into a bomber destroyer. It went from a single-seater to a two-seater and then back to a single seat aircraft again. These incessant changes in requirements, combined with several changes in power plants, resulted in the XP-58, which started life in 1940, being delayed until nearly the end of the war.
Early Development
The USAAC granted authorization to export the unturbosupercharged Lightning to Britain and France, but only under the condition that Lockheed agree to develop and produce at no cost to the U.S. government a prototype of an advanced version of the Lightning. The formal agreement was signed on April 12, 1940. This advanced Lightning was given the company designation of L-121.
The L-121 was to be powered by a pair of turbosupercharged Continental IV-1430 liquid-cooled engines. It was to be offered in two versions, a single- seater and a two-seater. The single-seat version was to retain the standard P-38 armament of one 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-inch machine guns. The two-seat version was to have an additional armament of a single 0.50-inch machine gun mounted in a remotely-controlled barbette situated at the end of each tail boom. During a meeting at Wright Field in May 1940, it was decided to drop the single-seater and proceed with the two-seat version, which was assigned the designation XP-58. In July 1940, it was concluded that the XP-58 would be underpowered with the Continental engines, and the decision was made to switch to a pair of 1800 hp Pratt & Whitney XH-2600-9/11 liquid-cooled engines. The re-engined XP-58 was given the company designation of Model 20-14, and revised specifications were issued by Lockheed on September 10, 1940. A second 20-mm cannon was added to the forward-firing armament. The tail boom guns were deemed to be highly impractical, and were replaced by a single remotely-controlled dorsal turret containing a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns. Estimated gross weight had crawled upward to 24,000 pounds, and estimated top speed had fallen to 402 mph. Range on internal fuel was anticipated to be 1600 miles.
However, scarcely a month after these revised specifications had been issued, Pratt & Whitney suspended development of the XH-2600 engine. The XP-58 was now without an engine. Attention focused on the XH-2470, the Continental XH-2860, and on the Pratt & Whitney R-2800, as possible choices for the XP-58 powerplants. Lockheed preferred the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine, and estimated that with these powerplants the XP-58 would have a a loaded weight of 26,000 pounds and a maximum speed of 418 mph at 25,000 feet. However, the USAAC considered this performance to be inadequate, and suggested that Lockheed turn to the experimental Wright XR-2160 Tornado forty-two cylinder, six-row engine offering a power output of 2350 hp. One advantage of this engine was that it had an extremely small frontal area. However, the Tornado engine was highly complex, and its development was fraught with problems from the start. Nevertheless, in March of 1941 the USAAC announced that it was going to go with the Tornado for the XP-58. Two months later, the USAAC issued an change order for the installation of cabin pressurization for the pilot and the aft-facing gunner, and for the addition of a remotely-controlled ventral turret to supplement the dorsal turret. The XP-58 was scheduled for delivery to the USAAF in August of 1942, and to meet this deadline the project team grew to a peak of 187 people by October of 1941.
In March 1942, Lockheed suggested that the USAAF order a second XP-58 prototype using Government funds. Since the Tornado engines were already experiencing serious delays and were now not expected to be delivered until the spring of 1943, Lockheed felt that there was sufficient time to redesign the second XP-58 machine in order to provide it with enough fuel capacity to increase the range to 3000 miles. The USAAF agreed to this request and indeed placed the order in May of 1942.
However, shortly thereafter, the USAAF began to go through a protracted series of flip-flops in their thinking about the ultimate mission for the XP-58. First, the USAAF suggested that the nose-mounted forward-firing armament should be changed to a 75-mm cannon with a 20-round automatic feeder plus a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns. This was an odd choice of armament for an escort fighter, so the USAAF began to think seriously of the XP-58 as a ground attack aircraft, the XP-58A. This in turn led to considerations of several different alternative configurations, including a two-seat attack aircraft with six forward-firing 20-mm cannon and a three-seat bomber with a bombardier in the nose, an enlarged central nacelle containing an internal bomb bay, and with or without the 75-mm nose cannon. In both the attack and bomber versions, the dorsal and ventral turrets were to be deleted, and unsupercharged engines were to be used.
It was soon realized that the last thing the USAAF need was another attack bomber. The Douglas A-26 Invader and the Beech A-38 Grizzly weres already in production, and it more than adequately filled all USAAF attack bomber requirements. Consequently, the USAAF decided that there was little point in trying to make the XP-58 into a low-level attack plane. The XP-58 program was then re-oriented back to its original role as a high-altitude aircraft designated the XP-58B However, this time it was to be bomber destroyer rather than an escort fighter. The turbosuperchargers and the dorsal and ventral turrets were put back on. The first prototype was to have four forward-firing 37-mm cannon, whereas the second was to have a 75-mm cannon and two 0.50-inch machine guns. Gross weight was now up to an astronomical 38,275 pounds, and top speed was down to 414 mph at 25,000 feet. Range was only 1150 miles.
By early 1943, the XP-58 program was in utter chaos because of the constantly changing Army requirements. In desperation, Lockheed recommended in January 1943 that only one prototype actually be built, and that it have interchangeable noses that would permit the fitting of either type of forward-firing armament. To make things even worse, the trouble-ridden Tornado engine program finally collapsed in February 1943, leaving the XP-58 without engines once again. Lockheed and the USAAF both agreed to switch to a pair of turbosupercharged Allison V-3420-11/13 twenty-four cylinder liquid-cooled engines, rated at 2600 hp for takeoff and 3000 hp at 28,000 feet.
With these Allison engines, the XP-58B was finally completed in June 1944, more than four years after its design had begun. When the XP-58B rolled out of the factory it was really only half-finished—no cabin pressurization equipment was provided, no forward-firing armament was installed, and dummy dorsal and ventral turrets were fitted in place of the real things. The flight tests were disappointing and the aircraft seemed destined for abandonment. By 1945, it was sitting neglected in the corner of an airfield and was more or less abandoned.
What happened next was amazing. Hughes Aircraft had designed a new reconnaissance aircraft designated the XF-11. This was a sleek, twin-engined aircraft that bore a startling resemblance to the Lightning series of fighters. It was fast, high-flying and almost impossible to maintain. This wasn’t helped by the eccentric behavior of Howard Hughes. In January 1945, the USAF confiscated all of the design and production data on the XF-11 along with both prototypes then under construction. Lockheed were called in (due to their experience with twin-boom aircraft) and given the job of producing a fighter version of the XF-11.
Lockheed went to work with a will, using the experience so painfully gained with the XP-58 to produce a new fighter that combined the best features of the XP-58 and the XF-11. The resulting aircraft looked very much like the XF-11 externally but was completely redesigned internally to ease production and maintenance. This aircraft was designated the XP-58C. It was powered by two R-3350 engines driving contra-rotating propellers. The XP-58C first flew in July 1946 and proved a much better aircraft than any of its predecessors. It was followed by the XP-58E that was essentially a service trials version of the design, armed with four B-20 20mm cannon closely grouped in its nose. The YP-58F followed and was essentially a modified XP-58E. Following service trials, the aircraft went into production as the F-58A Chain Lightning. Why the designation system reverted to an A suffix remains a mystery
Variants
Lockheed F-58A Chain Lightning
Following service trials, the aircraft went into production as the F-58A Chain Lightning. Why the designation system reverted to an A suffix remains a mystery. The F-58A was essentially identical to the XP-58F and production was just getting under way when The Big One ended World War Two. Only 73 F-58As had been built when production was paused dependant upon an assessment of post-war requirements.
Specifications of the F-58A
Performance: Maximum speed: 466 mph at 25,000 feet, cruising speed: 274 mph at 25,000 feet, initial climb rate: 3660 feet per minute, service ceiling: 44,400 feet, normal range: 2,250 miles, maximum range: 3,650 miles. Weights: 21,624 pounds empty, 39,192 pounds normal loaded, 43,000 pounds maximum. Dimensions: wingspan 70 feet 0 inches, length 49 feet 4 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, wing area, 600 square feet. Armament was four 20mm B-20 cannon with 250 rpg.
Lockheed F-58B Chain Lightning
The Red Sun trials had shown that existing interceptors were incapable of engaging the B-36. Lockheed proposed a new version of the F-58A, drastically lightened and equipped with turbocharged R-4360 engines and had extended wings to improve high-altitude performance. They were given a contract to build 30 of these fighters, primarily for test and evaluation at Red Sun. They appeared in the 1950 Red Sun exercises and proved capable of intercepting the B-36 although they lacked the performance at those altitudes to form an effective defense. Nevertheless, the F-58B was considered a success and was ordered into limited production.
Specifications of the F-58B
Performance: Maximum speed: 456 mph at 35,000 feet, cruising speed: 254 mph at 25,000 feet, initial climb rate: 3360 feet per minute, service ceiling: 52,400 feet, normal range: 2,250 miles, maximum range: 3,050 miles. Weights: 19,624 pounds empty, 37,192 pounds normal loaded, 43,000 pounds maximum. Dimensions: wingspan 101 feet 0 inches, length 49 feet 4 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, wing area, 983 square feet. Armament was four 20mm B-20 cannon with 250 rpg.
Lockheed F-58C Chain Lightning
The Lockheed F-58C essentially took the night-fighting equipment out of a P-49G and transferred it into a F-58B. Although the fighters available by 1951 had a very marginal capacity to intercept the B-36, they could only do so in clear weather. The F-58C was an attempt to produce an all-weather fighter that could fill the yawning defense gap. It, like its day-fighting sibling, was only marginally capable of intercepting a B-36 and by the time it entered service, the B-60 was already under test. Nevertheless, the F-58C was a viable stop-gap solution and entered production, gaining the distinction of being the last piston-engined fighter to be built for the USAF. The last F-58Cs were only withdrawn from service in 1958.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Northrop P-61 Black Widow
Introduction
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the largest and heaviest fighter aircraft to enter service with the USAAF during the Second World War. It was also the first American aircraft specifically designed from the outset for the night fighting role. It made its operational debut on the Russian Front in the summer of 1944 and was the standard USAAF night fighter until it was replaced by the Grumman P-65 in mid-1945. However, as it was replaced in the night-fighter role, it found its true calling as a night intruder and ground attack aircraft. As a result, the Black Widow did not chalk up a particularly impressive number of aircraft kills but became responsible for a long litany of destroyed trains, shot-up vehicle parks and savaged airfields.
Early Development
The saga of the Northrop P-61 Black Widow began when, following the Halifax-Butler Coup, a steady stream of British scientists and engineers started quietly leaving the U.K. Amongst these were British scientists and engineers who had been working on the early versions of AI (Airborne Interception) radar sets which could be carried aboard airplanes, enabling them to detect and intercept other airplanes in flight without having to rely on ground installations. As a result of these meetings, a preliminary specification was drawn up and passed on to Air Technical Service Command at Wright Field in late 1940. Because of the heavy weight of the early AI radar and because of the high loiter time required, a twin-engined aircraft was envisaged.
Northrop's proposal was a twin-engined monoplane powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp air-cooled radial engines mounted in low-slung nacelles underneath the wings. The nacelles tapered back into twin tail booms which were connected to each other by a large horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The long fuselage housed a crew of three. The crew consisted of a pilot, a gunner for the nose turret, and a radar operator/rear turret gunner. Each turret housed four 0.50-inch machine guns. A tricycle landing gear was fitted. Estimated weights were 16,245 pounds empty, 22,654 pounds gross. Height was 13 feet 2 inches, length was 45 feet 6 inches, and wingspan was 66 feet. These dimensions and weights were more typical of a bomber than a fighter. Following evaluation, Northrop then presented a revised design to the USAAC. An additional gunner's station was fitted. Nose and tail turrets of the original version were replaced by twin 0.50-in machine guns in the belly, and four 0.50-in machine guns in a dorsal turret. The crew was now up to four—a pilot, a radar operator, and two gunners. The airborne intercept radar was moved to the nose.
The design was revised still further with the belly turret was deleted, and the crew was changed back to three—pilot, gunner, and radar operator. The pilot sat up front, and the gunner sat immediately behind and above the pilot. The gunner was to operate the turret via remote control, using a special sight attached to a swiveling chair. A "stepped-up" canopy was used to provide a clear field of view for the gunner. The rear fuselage with its clear tail cone provided the radar operator with an excellent rearward view which enabled him to act as a tail gunner if the plane happened to be attacked from astern. Optionally, the dorsal turret guns could be "locked" into the forward-pointing position, so that they could be fired by the pilot. The belly guns were deleted, and four 20-mm cannon were to be fitted in the wings.
The Army was generally pleased with the design, but they suggested some changes. The mockup was ready for inspection in April of 1941. At that time, it was decided to move the four 20-mm cannon from the outboard portion of the wings to the belly. This was done to improve the ease of maintenance and to make the airflow over the wing smoother. The internal fuel capacity was increased from 540 gallons in two tanks to 646 gallons in four self-sealed tanks built into the wings. A letter of intent was initiated on December 24, 1941, which called for 100 P-61 production aircraft and spares. Fifty more were ordered on January 17, 1942. The order was increased to 410 aircraft on February 12, 1942.
The XP-61 flew at Northrop Field for the first time on May 26, 1942, powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 radials of 2000 hp each. In keeping with its nocturnal role, it was finished in black overall, befitting its popular name that was taken from the poisonous North American spider. Wingspan was 66 feet, length was 48 feet 10 inches, and height was 14 feet 2 inches. Weights were 19,245 pounds empty, 25,150 pounds gross, and 28,870 pounds maximum. The aircraft was equipped with only a mockup of the top turret, as General Electric had not yet been able to deliver the real thing because of the higher priority of other projects.
The XP-61 had a maximum speed of 370 mph at 29,900 feet, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 9 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,100 feet, and maximum range was 1450 miles.
Thirteen YP-61s were delivered during August and September of 1943. In order to reduce vibrations from firing the 0.50-inch turret machine guns, some YP-61s were fitted with only two turret guns. The assignments of the YP-61s were varied. Some stayed at Northrop for flight testing and factory training of maintenance personnel. Some went to Wright Field in Ohio for service testing. Others went to Florida where they underwent operational suitability testing. The YP-61s initially did not have any airborne interception radar fitted, but the SCR-520, a preproduction version of the SCR-720 which was to go into the production P-61A, was installed.
Variants
Northrop P-61A Black Widow
The P-61A was the first production version of the Black Widow. The first P-61A-1-NO rolled off the production line in October 1943. It differed from the experimental and service-test aircraft in having a stronger framework structure for the pilot's, radar observer's and gunner's canopies. Tests with the YP-61 had uncovered the fact that the greenhouse and tail cone were so weak that they could actually implode under the pressure built up during high-speed dives. This strengthening eliminated the smooth flow of the greenhouse and created a sharper and more abrupt change in angle in that area. The welded magnesium alloy booms of the prototypes were replaced by more conventional aluminum alloy booms, since they were less expensive and easier to manufacture.
Only the first thirty-seven of the 45 P-61A-1s were actually equipped with the dorsal turrets. In fact, more than half of all P-61As built actually had this turret deleted. The primary reason was the occurrence of severe aerodynamic buffeting when the turret was being either elevated or rotated in azimuth during flight. Many flight-test hours were spent in trying to solve this problem, but it was never completely eliminated. In fact, this problem was often so severe that many P-61As in the field had the four 0.50-inch machine guns in the top turret permanently locked into the forward-firing position, being fired only by the pilot, with the gunner having no control at all. In many cases, the top turret was completely removed from the aircraft, and the cavity left behind by the deletion of the gun turret was filled up by an extra fuel tank and was faired over.
Most of the P-61A-1-NOs went to the USAAF night fighter squadrons over the Russian Front. The 6th Night Fighter Squadron was the first to receive the new fighter. The P-61 was quite docile despite its size. Full control of the aircraft could be maintained with one engine out, even when fully loaded. The plane could be slow-rolled into a dead engine, a maneuver which would ordinarily have been suicidal.
Specifications of the P-61A Black Widow
The P-61A-5-NO was powered by a pair of 2250 hp R-2800-65 engines. Maximum speed was 322 mph at sea level, 355 mph at 10,000 feet, and 369 mph at 20,000 feet. Range (clean) was 415 miles at 319 mph at 20,000 feet and 1010 miles at 224 mph at 10,000 feet. Range with maximum external fuel was 1900 miles at 221 mph at 10,000 feet. An altitude of 5000 feet could be reached in 2.2 minutes, and 15,000 feet in 7.6 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,100 feet. Weights were 20,965 pounds empty, 27,600 pounds normal loaded, and 32,400 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 66 feet 0 inches, length 48 feet 11 inches, height 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area 664 square feet. Armament was 4 20mm cannon in the belly and four 0.5 inch machine guns in the dorsal turret. After the first 100 aircraft, a pylon on the outer wing was installed to carry either a pair of 265 gallon fuel tanks (later 310 gallon tanks were fitted) or a pair of 1600-pound bombs.
Northrop P-61B Black Widow
The P-61B was the next production version of the Black Widow. It was basically similar to the P-61A version, but introduced numerous improvements and refinements that were suggested by operational experience in the field. The P-61B version of the Black Widow introduced the improved SCR-720C A/I radar. The P-61B also had an eight-inch longer crew nacelle. The A-model's hydraulically-operated main landing-gear doors which had experienced reliability problems in the field were replaced by mechanically-operated doors. The P-61B introduced split main landing gear doors. The split main-gear doors allowed the aft three-quarters of the doors to close back down again after the gear had been extended, preventing mud, rocks and other debris from being thrown up into the wheel wells during takeoffs or landings. A main landing gear down-lock emergency release was introduced, which allowed the pilot to release the locks in an emergency even if the entire hydraulic system malfunctioned. A safety latch was added to the main gear hydraulic valve handle to eliminate the possibility of the pilot inadvertently retracting the gear while the plane was on the ground. The B-model had a bigger and better heater system for the crew, and it had automatically- operated lower engine cowl flops, oil-cooler air exit flaps, and intercooler flaps. The oil tanks were mounted inside the engine nacelles instead of inside the outer wings. A taxi lamp was added to the landing gear strut. The aileron trim tabs were deleted, and a built-in fire extinguisher system was added.
The turret buffeting problems having been solved, all P-61Bs carried the full eight-gun armament.
Northrop P-61C Black Widow
The next version of the Black Widow to enter service was the P-61C, which was a high-performance variant designed to rectify some of the combat deficiencies encountered with the A and B variants. The Black Widow was just not fast enough to make it a really great night fighter. In addition, operational ceiling could stand for some improvement. By mid-1943, even before the combat debut of the Black Widow, both the USAAF and Northrop had come to the same conclusion, and on November 11, 1943, Northrop was given the go-ahead to proceed with an improved Black Widow, the XP-61C. This was essentially the same Black Widow airframe but powered by turbosupercharged R-2800-73 radials offering a war emergency power of 2800 hp.
The XP-61C program lead to a scandal and the first substantive break between Northrop and the USAF. Jack Northrop was obsessed with flying wing aircraft and, in particular, with promoting his XB-35 flying wing bomber as a replacement for the B-36. He was responsible for diverting much effort away from the XP-61C into the XB-35 program, seriously delaying the former. This eventually resulted in an explosive meeting during which Northrop was instructed to cease all work on the XB-35 and concentrate on the XP-61C. Northrop responded by threatening to “go public” on the XB-35 vs B-36 debate, alleging that the selection of the B-36 was the result of a corrupt conspiracy against his company. This would, of course, have compromised the secrecy that surrounded B-36 development. USAF action was swift and decisive. Northrop was told to continue with the XB-35 (the Air Force being determined that it would never proceed beyond a single prototype but the XP-61C program was taken away from Northrop and assigned to Goodyear, which had been a subcontractor for production of Black Widow components. In addition, a minimally-modified version of the Navy’s F7F Tigercat fighter was adopted as the USAF standard night fighter being designated the P-65A.
It was not until early 1945 that the first production P-61C-1-NO rolled off the production lines. The performance was substantially improved in spite of a two-thousand pound increase in empty weight. Maximum speed was 430 mph at 30,000 feet, service ceiling was 41,000 feet, and an altitude of 30,000 feet could be attained in 14.6 minutes. For added fuel capacity, the P-61C was equipped with four underwing pylons (two inboard of the nacelles, two outboard) which could carry four 310-gallon drop tanks. Most pilots who flew the P-61C felt that the increase in weight made the aircraft a lot less maneuverable than the A or B versions. The service life of the P-61C was quite brief, since it was already being replaced by the higher-performance P-65.
Northrop P-61D Black Widow
Although technically listed as a Northrop aircraft, the P-61D was in fact entirely a Goodyear development. With the night fighter role being taken over by the P-65, the Black Widow was being increasingly used for night intruder operations, for which its heavy load carrying ability and docile handling made it eminently suitable. The P-61D was optimized for the low-level night intruder role, reverting to the unturbocharged 2250 hp R-2800-65 Double Wasps of the P-61B. Goodyear had come to the conclusion that the Black Widow was seriously over-engineered and that the design could be simplified with consequent reductions in weight and production time. The four 20mm guns in the belly were replaced by Russian V-YA 23mm cannon, resulting in significant improvement in reliability and a great improvement in armor piercing capability. Underwing weapons stowage was increased by the addition of launch stubs for 12 5 inch rockets in addition to a maximum bomb load of 6,400 pounds. P-61Ds entered service in the fall of 1945 with the last being delivered in mid-1946. Production was terminated so that Goodyear could concentrate on F2G Super-Corsair production, the night intruder groups receiving P-65s in place of the Black Widows.
DP-61A/B
With most of the early P-61As and Bs being replaced by P-65s or P-61Cs, the aircraft became available for other roles. Many were brought back to the US, stripped of their armament and used as air-sea rescue planes. In this role, the proved of great value in the final hours of The Big One, meeting damaged or lost B-36s over the Atlantic and escorting them home.
Introduction
The Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the largest and heaviest fighter aircraft to enter service with the USAAF during the Second World War. It was also the first American aircraft specifically designed from the outset for the night fighting role. It made its operational debut on the Russian Front in the summer of 1944 and was the standard USAAF night fighter until it was replaced by the Grumman P-65 in mid-1945. However, as it was replaced in the night-fighter role, it found its true calling as a night intruder and ground attack aircraft. As a result, the Black Widow did not chalk up a particularly impressive number of aircraft kills but became responsible for a long litany of destroyed trains, shot-up vehicle parks and savaged airfields.
Early Development
The saga of the Northrop P-61 Black Widow began when, following the Halifax-Butler Coup, a steady stream of British scientists and engineers started quietly leaving the U.K. Amongst these were British scientists and engineers who had been working on the early versions of AI (Airborne Interception) radar sets which could be carried aboard airplanes, enabling them to detect and intercept other airplanes in flight without having to rely on ground installations. As a result of these meetings, a preliminary specification was drawn up and passed on to Air Technical Service Command at Wright Field in late 1940. Because of the heavy weight of the early AI radar and because of the high loiter time required, a twin-engined aircraft was envisaged.
Northrop's proposal was a twin-engined monoplane powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp air-cooled radial engines mounted in low-slung nacelles underneath the wings. The nacelles tapered back into twin tail booms which were connected to each other by a large horizontal stabilizer and elevator. The long fuselage housed a crew of three. The crew consisted of a pilot, a gunner for the nose turret, and a radar operator/rear turret gunner. Each turret housed four 0.50-inch machine guns. A tricycle landing gear was fitted. Estimated weights were 16,245 pounds empty, 22,654 pounds gross. Height was 13 feet 2 inches, length was 45 feet 6 inches, and wingspan was 66 feet. These dimensions and weights were more typical of a bomber than a fighter. Following evaluation, Northrop then presented a revised design to the USAAC. An additional gunner's station was fitted. Nose and tail turrets of the original version were replaced by twin 0.50-in machine guns in the belly, and four 0.50-in machine guns in a dorsal turret. The crew was now up to four—a pilot, a radar operator, and two gunners. The airborne intercept radar was moved to the nose.
The design was revised still further with the belly turret was deleted, and the crew was changed back to three—pilot, gunner, and radar operator. The pilot sat up front, and the gunner sat immediately behind and above the pilot. The gunner was to operate the turret via remote control, using a special sight attached to a swiveling chair. A "stepped-up" canopy was used to provide a clear field of view for the gunner. The rear fuselage with its clear tail cone provided the radar operator with an excellent rearward view which enabled him to act as a tail gunner if the plane happened to be attacked from astern. Optionally, the dorsal turret guns could be "locked" into the forward-pointing position, so that they could be fired by the pilot. The belly guns were deleted, and four 20-mm cannon were to be fitted in the wings.
The Army was generally pleased with the design, but they suggested some changes. The mockup was ready for inspection in April of 1941. At that time, it was decided to move the four 20-mm cannon from the outboard portion of the wings to the belly. This was done to improve the ease of maintenance and to make the airflow over the wing smoother. The internal fuel capacity was increased from 540 gallons in two tanks to 646 gallons in four self-sealed tanks built into the wings. A letter of intent was initiated on December 24, 1941, which called for 100 P-61 production aircraft and spares. Fifty more were ordered on January 17, 1942. The order was increased to 410 aircraft on February 12, 1942.
The XP-61 flew at Northrop Field for the first time on May 26, 1942, powered by a pair of Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 radials of 2000 hp each. In keeping with its nocturnal role, it was finished in black overall, befitting its popular name that was taken from the poisonous North American spider. Wingspan was 66 feet, length was 48 feet 10 inches, and height was 14 feet 2 inches. Weights were 19,245 pounds empty, 25,150 pounds gross, and 28,870 pounds maximum. The aircraft was equipped with only a mockup of the top turret, as General Electric had not yet been able to deliver the real thing because of the higher priority of other projects.
The XP-61 had a maximum speed of 370 mph at 29,900 feet, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 9 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,100 feet, and maximum range was 1450 miles.
Thirteen YP-61s were delivered during August and September of 1943. In order to reduce vibrations from firing the 0.50-inch turret machine guns, some YP-61s were fitted with only two turret guns. The assignments of the YP-61s were varied. Some stayed at Northrop for flight testing and factory training of maintenance personnel. Some went to Wright Field in Ohio for service testing. Others went to Florida where they underwent operational suitability testing. The YP-61s initially did not have any airborne interception radar fitted, but the SCR-520, a preproduction version of the SCR-720 which was to go into the production P-61A, was installed.
Variants
Northrop P-61A Black Widow
The P-61A was the first production version of the Black Widow. The first P-61A-1-NO rolled off the production line in October 1943. It differed from the experimental and service-test aircraft in having a stronger framework structure for the pilot's, radar observer's and gunner's canopies. Tests with the YP-61 had uncovered the fact that the greenhouse and tail cone were so weak that they could actually implode under the pressure built up during high-speed dives. This strengthening eliminated the smooth flow of the greenhouse and created a sharper and more abrupt change in angle in that area. The welded magnesium alloy booms of the prototypes were replaced by more conventional aluminum alloy booms, since they were less expensive and easier to manufacture.
Only the first thirty-seven of the 45 P-61A-1s were actually equipped with the dorsal turrets. In fact, more than half of all P-61As built actually had this turret deleted. The primary reason was the occurrence of severe aerodynamic buffeting when the turret was being either elevated or rotated in azimuth during flight. Many flight-test hours were spent in trying to solve this problem, but it was never completely eliminated. In fact, this problem was often so severe that many P-61As in the field had the four 0.50-inch machine guns in the top turret permanently locked into the forward-firing position, being fired only by the pilot, with the gunner having no control at all. In many cases, the top turret was completely removed from the aircraft, and the cavity left behind by the deletion of the gun turret was filled up by an extra fuel tank and was faired over.
Most of the P-61A-1-NOs went to the USAAF night fighter squadrons over the Russian Front. The 6th Night Fighter Squadron was the first to receive the new fighter. The P-61 was quite docile despite its size. Full control of the aircraft could be maintained with one engine out, even when fully loaded. The plane could be slow-rolled into a dead engine, a maneuver which would ordinarily have been suicidal.
Specifications of the P-61A Black Widow
The P-61A-5-NO was powered by a pair of 2250 hp R-2800-65 engines. Maximum speed was 322 mph at sea level, 355 mph at 10,000 feet, and 369 mph at 20,000 feet. Range (clean) was 415 miles at 319 mph at 20,000 feet and 1010 miles at 224 mph at 10,000 feet. Range with maximum external fuel was 1900 miles at 221 mph at 10,000 feet. An altitude of 5000 feet could be reached in 2.2 minutes, and 15,000 feet in 7.6 minutes. Service ceiling was 33,100 feet. Weights were 20,965 pounds empty, 27,600 pounds normal loaded, and 32,400 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 66 feet 0 inches, length 48 feet 11 inches, height 14 feet 2 inches, and wing area 664 square feet. Armament was 4 20mm cannon in the belly and four 0.5 inch machine guns in the dorsal turret. After the first 100 aircraft, a pylon on the outer wing was installed to carry either a pair of 265 gallon fuel tanks (later 310 gallon tanks were fitted) or a pair of 1600-pound bombs.
Northrop P-61B Black Widow
The P-61B was the next production version of the Black Widow. It was basically similar to the P-61A version, but introduced numerous improvements and refinements that were suggested by operational experience in the field. The P-61B version of the Black Widow introduced the improved SCR-720C A/I radar. The P-61B also had an eight-inch longer crew nacelle. The A-model's hydraulically-operated main landing-gear doors which had experienced reliability problems in the field were replaced by mechanically-operated doors. The P-61B introduced split main landing gear doors. The split main-gear doors allowed the aft three-quarters of the doors to close back down again after the gear had been extended, preventing mud, rocks and other debris from being thrown up into the wheel wells during takeoffs or landings. A main landing gear down-lock emergency release was introduced, which allowed the pilot to release the locks in an emergency even if the entire hydraulic system malfunctioned. A safety latch was added to the main gear hydraulic valve handle to eliminate the possibility of the pilot inadvertently retracting the gear while the plane was on the ground. The B-model had a bigger and better heater system for the crew, and it had automatically- operated lower engine cowl flops, oil-cooler air exit flaps, and intercooler flaps. The oil tanks were mounted inside the engine nacelles instead of inside the outer wings. A taxi lamp was added to the landing gear strut. The aileron trim tabs were deleted, and a built-in fire extinguisher system was added.
The turret buffeting problems having been solved, all P-61Bs carried the full eight-gun armament.
Northrop P-61C Black Widow
The next version of the Black Widow to enter service was the P-61C, which was a high-performance variant designed to rectify some of the combat deficiencies encountered with the A and B variants. The Black Widow was just not fast enough to make it a really great night fighter. In addition, operational ceiling could stand for some improvement. By mid-1943, even before the combat debut of the Black Widow, both the USAAF and Northrop had come to the same conclusion, and on November 11, 1943, Northrop was given the go-ahead to proceed with an improved Black Widow, the XP-61C. This was essentially the same Black Widow airframe but powered by turbosupercharged R-2800-73 radials offering a war emergency power of 2800 hp.
The XP-61C program lead to a scandal and the first substantive break between Northrop and the USAF. Jack Northrop was obsessed with flying wing aircraft and, in particular, with promoting his XB-35 flying wing bomber as a replacement for the B-36. He was responsible for diverting much effort away from the XP-61C into the XB-35 program, seriously delaying the former. This eventually resulted in an explosive meeting during which Northrop was instructed to cease all work on the XB-35 and concentrate on the XP-61C. Northrop responded by threatening to “go public” on the XB-35 vs B-36 debate, alleging that the selection of the B-36 was the result of a corrupt conspiracy against his company. This would, of course, have compromised the secrecy that surrounded B-36 development. USAF action was swift and decisive. Northrop was told to continue with the XB-35 (the Air Force being determined that it would never proceed beyond a single prototype but the XP-61C program was taken away from Northrop and assigned to Goodyear, which had been a subcontractor for production of Black Widow components. In addition, a minimally-modified version of the Navy’s F7F Tigercat fighter was adopted as the USAF standard night fighter being designated the P-65A.
It was not until early 1945 that the first production P-61C-1-NO rolled off the production lines. The performance was substantially improved in spite of a two-thousand pound increase in empty weight. Maximum speed was 430 mph at 30,000 feet, service ceiling was 41,000 feet, and an altitude of 30,000 feet could be attained in 14.6 minutes. For added fuel capacity, the P-61C was equipped with four underwing pylons (two inboard of the nacelles, two outboard) which could carry four 310-gallon drop tanks. Most pilots who flew the P-61C felt that the increase in weight made the aircraft a lot less maneuverable than the A or B versions. The service life of the P-61C was quite brief, since it was already being replaced by the higher-performance P-65.
Northrop P-61D Black Widow
Although technically listed as a Northrop aircraft, the P-61D was in fact entirely a Goodyear development. With the night fighter role being taken over by the P-65, the Black Widow was being increasingly used for night intruder operations, for which its heavy load carrying ability and docile handling made it eminently suitable. The P-61D was optimized for the low-level night intruder role, reverting to the unturbocharged 2250 hp R-2800-65 Double Wasps of the P-61B. Goodyear had come to the conclusion that the Black Widow was seriously over-engineered and that the design could be simplified with consequent reductions in weight and production time. The four 20mm guns in the belly were replaced by Russian V-YA 23mm cannon, resulting in significant improvement in reliability and a great improvement in armor piercing capability. Underwing weapons stowage was increased by the addition of launch stubs for 12 5 inch rockets in addition to a maximum bomb load of 6,400 pounds. P-61Ds entered service in the fall of 1945 with the last being delivered in mid-1946. Production was terminated so that Goodyear could concentrate on F2G Super-Corsair production, the night intruder groups receiving P-65s in place of the Black Widows.
DP-61A/B
With most of the early P-61As and Bs being replaced by P-65s or P-61Cs, the aircraft became available for other roles. Many were brought back to the US, stripped of their armament and used as air-sea rescue planes. In this role, the proved of great value in the final hours of The Big One, meeting damaged or lost B-36s over the Atlantic and escorting them home.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Bell P-63 Kingcobra
Introduction
The P-63 Kingcobra was the result of an attempt on the part of the Bell Aircraft Corporation to correct some of the deficiencies of the earlier P-39 Airacobra. Although the Kingcobra had a superficial resemblance to the P-39 which preceded, it was, in fact, a completely new design and no parts of the two aircraft were interchangeable. The P-63 eventually became the primary interceptor/air superiority fighter used by the U.S.A.F over the Russian Front and was considered superior to all other piston engined opponents with the possible exception of the Ta-152C.
Early History
Even before the USA entered World War 2, the USAAC had come to the conclusion that the Airacobra had too poor a high-altitude performance to make it an effective interceptor. The deficiencies of the Airacobra were not due to any intrinsic flaw in the basic design, but were caused primarily by low engine power at high altitudes due to the unfortunate initial decision to omit the two-stage turbosupercharger. This decision had been partially reversed with the development of the P-45 and the USAAF had enough faith in the product to place an order for two prototypes of an enlarged version powered by the same Allison V-1710-47 engine. The new aircraft was designated the XP-63 Kingcobra
The XP-63 was larger in all dimensions than the Airacobra. The wings were of a NACA laminar flow design that reduced drag by a significant amount and increased the overall span by 4 feet 4 inches to 38 feet 4 inches. In pursuit of a better high-altitude performance, the Allison V-1710-47 engine was fitted with a second hydraulic turbosupercharger supplementing the normal single-stage supercharger, effectively adding 10,000 feet to the service ceiling. A four-bladed propeller was standardized. The XP-63 flew for the first time on December 7, 1943. The XP-63 was fitted with a 37-mm hub cannon and two nose 0.50-inch machine guns (the underwing guns were not fitted). Weights were 6054 pounds empty, 7525 pounds gross, and 10,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 4 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 11 feet 5 inches, and wing area 248 square feet. As anticipated, the XP-63 exhibited a performance that was much better than that of the P-39. A speed of 407 mph was attained at sea level during early testing.
Variants
Bell P-63A Kingcobra
On September 29, 1943, the US Army ordered full-scale production of the Kingcobra. The first production version of the Kingcobra was the P-63A deliveries of which began in April 1944. It was virtually identical to the XP-63 production prototype. It was fitted with 87.7 pounds of pilot armor and had an internal fuel capacity of 100 gallons. It was armed with a type M-4 37-mm cannon fed by a 30-round magazine. There were two synchronized 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose with 270 rpg, and two underwing 0.50-inch guns with 250 rpg. A centerline underfuselage rack could carry a 75-US gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-lb bomb.
Specification of P-63A
Engine: One Allison V-1710-93 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid cooled engine with a single-stage supercharger and auxiliary hydraulic turbosupercharger, rated at 1325 hp at sea level and 1150 hp at 22,400 feet. Performance: Maximum speed was 361 mph at 5000 feet, 392 mph at 15,000 feet, and 410 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 25,000 feet could be reached in 7.3 minutes. Service ceiling was 43,000 feet. Ferry range was 2575 miles. Weights were 6375 pounds empty, 8800 pounds loaded, and 10,500 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions: Wingspan 38 feet 4 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 12 feet 7 inches, and wing area 248 square feet. Armament One 37-mm M10 cannon with 58 rounds firing through the propeller hub, two 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose with 200 rpg, and one 0.50-inch machine gun in each of two underwing gondolas with 900 rpg. A centerline underfuselage rack could carry a 75-US gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-lb bomb.
Bell P-63B Kingcobra
The next production version of the Kingcobra was the P-63B. This differed from the P-63A by being powered by the uprated Allison V-1710-117 engine with a war emergency rating of 1500 hp at sea level and 1800 hp with water injection. The wingspan was reduced by ten inches to 38 feet 4 inches. Apart from the more powerful engine, the P-63B was basically similar to the P-63A. The most noticeable change introduced by the P-63B was the addition of a ventral fin underneath the aft fuselage, intended to improve the directional stability. Total weight of armor rose to 201 pounds. Some of the earlier P-63As were retrofitted with the ventral fin, but may not have been fitted to all aircraft. Internally, the armament was changed to include an M-10 37mm cannon with the ammunition allowance increased from 30 to 58 rounds. Despite the more powerful engine, the P-63B had the same performance as the P-63A.
Bell P-63C Kingcobra
The P-63C was the next progressive development of the Kingcobra series. It featured an Allison V-1710-109 (E22) engine rated at 1425 hp for take off. The wing had a ten-inch increase in span to 39 feet 2 inches, gross area being increased to 255 square feet. The P-63C also differed from the late production blocks of the P-63B in not having the rear ventral fin extension. However, the most noticeable new feature of the P-63C was the use of a rearward-sliding bubble canopy in place of the familiar framed canopy with the two car-like side doors. The air scoop was revised and moved aft. The basic armament of the P-63C was essentially the same as that of the P-63B. The first P-63C flew early in 1945. The P-63C was the "hottest" Cobra yet to appear, with a maximum speed of 437 mph at 30,000 feet.
Specification of Bell P-63C Kingcobra:
Powerplant: One Allison V-1710-109 (E22) water-cooled engine rated at 1425 hp for take off. Performance: Maximum speed was 437 mph at 30,000 feet, service ceiling was 39,000 feet, and an altitude of 28,000 feet could be reached in 11.2 minutes. Normal range was 950 miles, and maximum ferry range was 2000 miles. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 2 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 11 feet 2 inches, and wing area 255 square feet. Weights: 7076 pounds empty, 8740 pounds gross, and 11,100 pounds maximum loaded. Armament: One 37-mm M10 cannon in the propeller hub with 48 rounds, a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns in the forward fuselage synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, plus a single 0.50-inch machine gun in each of two underwing gondolas
Bell RP-63D Kingcobra
A tactical reconnaissance version of the P-63C in which the nose guns were deleted and replaced by a series of cameras. Approximately 300 were obtained by conversion of P-63Cs as these were replaced by the F-63E
Bell F-63E Kingcobra
The next production version of the Kingcobra was the F-63E. This was a radical development of the P-63C, that restored the ventral fin extension and had an additional 28 US-gallons of internal fuel capacity. The aircraft also had a revised instrument panel, a redesigned cowling, larger wing fillets, a new vertical fin and a revised ventral fin. Internally, the aircraft was armed with the new M-9 37mm cannon This was a very different gun from the low-velocity M4/M-10 that had armed earlier Bell fighters. It had a much higher velocity that gave it a trajectory matching the .50 caliber machine gun and fired a thicker-walled shell that had much better armor penetrating capability. Finally, the aircraft was powered by a new Allison engine that gave it a standard 1,825 horsepower (2,250 with water injection) allowing the F-63E to reach speeds of 475 mph at 30,000 feet. The engine cooling radiator was moved to an underbelly duct that was designed to provide an element of thrust to the engine output.
The F-63E appeared over the Russian Front in July 1945 and quickly dominated the air battlefield. It outperformed all of its piston-engined opponents and could hold its own against the early jets.
Specification of Bell F-63E Kingcobra:
Powerplant: One Allison V-1710-155 (E22) air cooled-engine rated at 1825 hp for take off. Performance: Maximum speed was 475 mph at 25,000 feet, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be reached in 5.6 minutes. Normal range was 725 miles, and maximum ferry range was 2150 miles. Weights: 7300 pounds empty, and normal and maximum loaded weights were 9400 pounds and 11,200 pounds respectively. Dimensions were wingspan 39 feet 2 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 12 feet 9 inches, and wing area 255 square feet. Armament: An M-9 37-mm cannon with 58 rounds, two 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose cowling and two 0.50-inch machine guns in underwing pods.
Bell F-63F Kingcobra
The Bell F-63F was a Russian armed version of the F-63E, differing only in that it was armed with three B-20 20mm cannon grouped in the nose. Deliveries of the F-63F were only to the Russian Air Force who converted many of these fighters to tactical reconnaissance aircraft under the designation RF-63F
Bell F-63G Kingcobra
The last main production version of the Kingcobra, the F-63G was essentially similar to the F-63E but had an extended vertical tail for better control in addition to the ventral fin extension. The wing structure was stiffened, several F-63Es having broken up in high-speed dives. Many F-63Gs were converted to tactical reconnaissance aircraft as RF-63Gs,
Bell XF-63H Kingcobra
Four F-63G aircraft were fitted with extended-span wings and nitrous oxide engine boost as an attempt to provide an interceptor capable of attacking the B-36. Although the XF-63H had better high altitude capabilities than the Ta-152H, this was still nowhere near good enough to provide a counter to the high-flying B-36 and the development was abandoned.
Introduction
The P-63 Kingcobra was the result of an attempt on the part of the Bell Aircraft Corporation to correct some of the deficiencies of the earlier P-39 Airacobra. Although the Kingcobra had a superficial resemblance to the P-39 which preceded, it was, in fact, a completely new design and no parts of the two aircraft were interchangeable. The P-63 eventually became the primary interceptor/air superiority fighter used by the U.S.A.F over the Russian Front and was considered superior to all other piston engined opponents with the possible exception of the Ta-152C.
Early History
Even before the USA entered World War 2, the USAAC had come to the conclusion that the Airacobra had too poor a high-altitude performance to make it an effective interceptor. The deficiencies of the Airacobra were not due to any intrinsic flaw in the basic design, but were caused primarily by low engine power at high altitudes due to the unfortunate initial decision to omit the two-stage turbosupercharger. This decision had been partially reversed with the development of the P-45 and the USAAF had enough faith in the product to place an order for two prototypes of an enlarged version powered by the same Allison V-1710-47 engine. The new aircraft was designated the XP-63 Kingcobra
The XP-63 was larger in all dimensions than the Airacobra. The wings were of a NACA laminar flow design that reduced drag by a significant amount and increased the overall span by 4 feet 4 inches to 38 feet 4 inches. In pursuit of a better high-altitude performance, the Allison V-1710-47 engine was fitted with a second hydraulic turbosupercharger supplementing the normal single-stage supercharger, effectively adding 10,000 feet to the service ceiling. A four-bladed propeller was standardized. The XP-63 flew for the first time on December 7, 1943. The XP-63 was fitted with a 37-mm hub cannon and two nose 0.50-inch machine guns (the underwing guns were not fitted). Weights were 6054 pounds empty, 7525 pounds gross, and 10,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 4 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 11 feet 5 inches, and wing area 248 square feet. As anticipated, the XP-63 exhibited a performance that was much better than that of the P-39. A speed of 407 mph was attained at sea level during early testing.
Variants
Bell P-63A Kingcobra
On September 29, 1943, the US Army ordered full-scale production of the Kingcobra. The first production version of the Kingcobra was the P-63A deliveries of which began in April 1944. It was virtually identical to the XP-63 production prototype. It was fitted with 87.7 pounds of pilot armor and had an internal fuel capacity of 100 gallons. It was armed with a type M-4 37-mm cannon fed by a 30-round magazine. There were two synchronized 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose with 270 rpg, and two underwing 0.50-inch guns with 250 rpg. A centerline underfuselage rack could carry a 75-US gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-lb bomb.
Specification of P-63A
Engine: One Allison V-1710-93 twelve-cylinder Vee liquid cooled engine with a single-stage supercharger and auxiliary hydraulic turbosupercharger, rated at 1325 hp at sea level and 1150 hp at 22,400 feet. Performance: Maximum speed was 361 mph at 5000 feet, 392 mph at 15,000 feet, and 410 mph at 25,000 feet. An altitude of 25,000 feet could be reached in 7.3 minutes. Service ceiling was 43,000 feet. Ferry range was 2575 miles. Weights were 6375 pounds empty, 8800 pounds loaded, and 10,500 pounds maximum takeoff. Dimensions: Wingspan 38 feet 4 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 12 feet 7 inches, and wing area 248 square feet. Armament One 37-mm M10 cannon with 58 rounds firing through the propeller hub, two 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose with 200 rpg, and one 0.50-inch machine gun in each of two underwing gondolas with 900 rpg. A centerline underfuselage rack could carry a 75-US gallon auxiliary fuel tank or a 500-lb bomb.
Bell P-63B Kingcobra
The next production version of the Kingcobra was the P-63B. This differed from the P-63A by being powered by the uprated Allison V-1710-117 engine with a war emergency rating of 1500 hp at sea level and 1800 hp with water injection. The wingspan was reduced by ten inches to 38 feet 4 inches. Apart from the more powerful engine, the P-63B was basically similar to the P-63A. The most noticeable change introduced by the P-63B was the addition of a ventral fin underneath the aft fuselage, intended to improve the directional stability. Total weight of armor rose to 201 pounds. Some of the earlier P-63As were retrofitted with the ventral fin, but may not have been fitted to all aircraft. Internally, the armament was changed to include an M-10 37mm cannon with the ammunition allowance increased from 30 to 58 rounds. Despite the more powerful engine, the P-63B had the same performance as the P-63A.
Bell P-63C Kingcobra
The P-63C was the next progressive development of the Kingcobra series. It featured an Allison V-1710-109 (E22) engine rated at 1425 hp for take off. The wing had a ten-inch increase in span to 39 feet 2 inches, gross area being increased to 255 square feet. The P-63C also differed from the late production blocks of the P-63B in not having the rear ventral fin extension. However, the most noticeable new feature of the P-63C was the use of a rearward-sliding bubble canopy in place of the familiar framed canopy with the two car-like side doors. The air scoop was revised and moved aft. The basic armament of the P-63C was essentially the same as that of the P-63B. The first P-63C flew early in 1945. The P-63C was the "hottest" Cobra yet to appear, with a maximum speed of 437 mph at 30,000 feet.
Specification of Bell P-63C Kingcobra:
Powerplant: One Allison V-1710-109 (E22) water-cooled engine rated at 1425 hp for take off. Performance: Maximum speed was 437 mph at 30,000 feet, service ceiling was 39,000 feet, and an altitude of 28,000 feet could be reached in 11.2 minutes. Normal range was 950 miles, and maximum ferry range was 2000 miles. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 2 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 11 feet 2 inches, and wing area 255 square feet. Weights: 7076 pounds empty, 8740 pounds gross, and 11,100 pounds maximum loaded. Armament: One 37-mm M10 cannon in the propeller hub with 48 rounds, a pair of 0.50-inch machine guns in the forward fuselage synchronized to fire through the propeller arc, plus a single 0.50-inch machine gun in each of two underwing gondolas
Bell RP-63D Kingcobra
A tactical reconnaissance version of the P-63C in which the nose guns were deleted and replaced by a series of cameras. Approximately 300 were obtained by conversion of P-63Cs as these were replaced by the F-63E
Bell F-63E Kingcobra
The next production version of the Kingcobra was the F-63E. This was a radical development of the P-63C, that restored the ventral fin extension and had an additional 28 US-gallons of internal fuel capacity. The aircraft also had a revised instrument panel, a redesigned cowling, larger wing fillets, a new vertical fin and a revised ventral fin. Internally, the aircraft was armed with the new M-9 37mm cannon This was a very different gun from the low-velocity M4/M-10 that had armed earlier Bell fighters. It had a much higher velocity that gave it a trajectory matching the .50 caliber machine gun and fired a thicker-walled shell that had much better armor penetrating capability. Finally, the aircraft was powered by a new Allison engine that gave it a standard 1,825 horsepower (2,250 with water injection) allowing the F-63E to reach speeds of 475 mph at 30,000 feet. The engine cooling radiator was moved to an underbelly duct that was designed to provide an element of thrust to the engine output.
The F-63E appeared over the Russian Front in July 1945 and quickly dominated the air battlefield. It outperformed all of its piston-engined opponents and could hold its own against the early jets.
Specification of Bell F-63E Kingcobra:
Powerplant: One Allison V-1710-155 (E22) air cooled-engine rated at 1825 hp for take off. Performance: Maximum speed was 475 mph at 25,000 feet, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be reached in 5.6 minutes. Normal range was 725 miles, and maximum ferry range was 2150 miles. Weights: 7300 pounds empty, and normal and maximum loaded weights were 9400 pounds and 11,200 pounds respectively. Dimensions were wingspan 39 feet 2 inches, length 32 feet 8 inches, height 12 feet 9 inches, and wing area 255 square feet. Armament: An M-9 37-mm cannon with 58 rounds, two 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose cowling and two 0.50-inch machine guns in underwing pods.
Bell F-63F Kingcobra
The Bell F-63F was a Russian armed version of the F-63E, differing only in that it was armed with three B-20 20mm cannon grouped in the nose. Deliveries of the F-63F were only to the Russian Air Force who converted many of these fighters to tactical reconnaissance aircraft under the designation RF-63F
Bell F-63G Kingcobra
The last main production version of the Kingcobra, the F-63G was essentially similar to the F-63E but had an extended vertical tail for better control in addition to the ventral fin extension. The wing structure was stiffened, several F-63Es having broken up in high-speed dives. Many F-63Gs were converted to tactical reconnaissance aircraft as RF-63Gs,
Bell XF-63H Kingcobra
Four F-63G aircraft were fitted with extended-span wings and nitrous oxide engine boost as an attempt to provide an interceptor capable of attacking the B-36. Although the XF-63H had better high altitude capabilities than the Ta-152H, this was still nowhere near good enough to provide a counter to the high-flying B-36 and the development was abandoned.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Republic P-72 Thunderstorm
Introduction
The Republic XP-72 was Alexander Kartveli's proposal for a replacement for his fabulously successful P-47 Thunderbolt. In the 18 months it saw operational service over the Russian Front, it proved itself to be a worthy successor to the P-47. Its armament of 4 37mm M-9 cannon and 4,000 pound bombload made it a formidable ground attack aircraft while its speed and agility made it feared in air combat, capable of taking on early jets such as the Me-262 and He-162 on equal terms. A popular fighter, the F-72 remained in US service until 1956 and it was widely exported after WW2. Examples of the type remained in foreign service into the late 1970s with the last aircraft of this type being phased out of Chilean Air Force service in 1981.
Early Development
The XP-72 was a more-or-less straightforward progressive development of the P-47 Thunderbolt. The XP-72 was the first fighter to be designed around the huge 28-cylinger Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, the most powerful piston engine produced during World War 2. The engine was close-cowled and was fan-cooled. It drove a pair of three-bladed Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers. The wing and tail of the P-47D were to be retained, but the airframe was enlarged and strengthened. The turbosupercharger was still located aft of the cockpit as it was in the P-47, but the turbosupercharger intake was moved to a position just underneath the cockpit rather than in the extreme nose. The lower fuselage was modified to allow for the larger air intake for the turbosupercharger. The XP-72 was fitted with a bubble-type canopy, similar to that used by the late production blocks of the P-47D. Compressibility recovery flaps were fitted. Armament consisted of six wing-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns, and two 1000-pound bombs were to be carried on underwing shackles.
The XP-72 flew for the first time on February 2, 1944. Power was provided by a 3450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Since delivery of the planned Aeroproducts contrarotating six-bladed propeller had been delayed, the first XP-72 was equipped with a single four-bladed propeller as a temporary stop-gap measure. Nevertheless, the performance was excellent, a maximum speed of 490 mph being reached in flight tests. The second XP-72 (43-36599) flew for the first time on June 26, 1944. It was fitted with the Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers, which had finally been delivered. Unfortunately, the second XP-72 was written off in a takeoff crash early in its test flight program. In spite of the loss of the second prototype, the USAAF was so impressed with the performance of the XP-72 that they ordered one hundred P-72 production variants.
Variants
Republic F-72A Thunderstorm
By the time the first production aircraft were delivered in September 1945, the USAF had changed its designation system so that Fighters were labeled in the F-series rather than P-series. Thus, the F-72A was identical to the XP-72 except it had the R-4360-19 engine delivering 3,500 horsepower. The new engine combined with the contra-rotating props gave the F-72A a maximum speed of 516 mph at 30,000 feet, putting it into the same league as the much-vaunted German Me-262. It was much more agile than the twin-engined German fighter and its machine guns were better suited to high-speed dogfights where firing opportunities were fleeting and the slow-firing 30mm German cannon had only limited value. The F-72A quickly became known as the “Jetslayer”, one subtle advantage being that it looked very similar to the older P-47.
Specification of Republic F-72A:
Powerplant: One 3500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-19 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Performance: Maximum speed was 516 mph at 25,000 feet. Normal range was 1200 miles at 300 mph and maximum range was 2520 miles at 315 mph with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Initial climb rate was 5280 feet per minute, and climb rate at 25,000 feet was 3550 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 3.5 minutes, 20,000 feet in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Weights were 11,476 pounds empty, 14,433 pounds normal loaded, 17,490 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 11 inches, length 36 feet 7 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, and wing area 300 square feet. Armament was six 0.5 inch machine guns and up to 2,000 pounds of bombs or rockets
Republic F-72B Thunderstorm
The F-72B was the first fighter-bomber version of the F-72 and was provided with an optional choice of four 37-mm M-9 cannon as an alternative for the six 0.50-in M-3 machine guns. Bombload was increased to a maximum of 4,000 pounds. The aircraft retained the 3500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-19 engine. Performance was identical to that of the F-72A. Production of the F-72B was strictly limited by the availability of the R-4360 engine, most supplies having been absorbed by the B-36 program.
Republic F-72C Thunderstorm
A further development of the F-72B, the C-model standardized on the armament of four 37mm M-9 cannon but had the 3,800 hp R-4360-41 engine. Weight was reduced by deleting some armor. These modifications boosted the speed of the aircraft to 525 miles per hour, making the F-72C one of the fastest piston-engined fighters ever to see service. The first C-models were delivered to units just in time to see combat over the Russian Front.
Specification of Republic F-72C:
Powerplant: One 3800 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-19 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Performance: Maximum speed was 525 mph at 25,000 feet. Normal range was 1200 miles at 300 mph and maximum range was 2520 miles at 315 mph with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Initial climb rate was 5480 feet per minute, and climb rate at 25,000 feet was 3650 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 3.5 minutes, 20,000 feet in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 44,000 feet. Weights were 11,476 pounds empty, 14,433 pounds normal loaded, 17,490 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 11 inches, length 36 feet 7 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, and wing area 300 square feet. Armament was six 0.5 inch machine guns and up to 4,000 pounds of bombs or rockets
Republic F-72D Thunderstorm
A postwar development of the F-72C, the F-72D had the 4,150 hp R-4360-54 engine. The aircraft was armed with 4 20mm cannon in the wings, these being regarded as a good compromise between the air-to-air capability of the .50 caliber machine gun and the ground attack virtues of the 37mm M-9. Production was eased by the reduction in demand for the R-4360 engine following the end of the war and the consequent slowdown in B-36 production. Consequently, F-72Ds re-equipped most Fighter groups that were scheduled to remain equipped with piston-engined fighters. Consequently the F-47 and F-63 were quickly replaced by the F-72D. With the major reductions in tactical air forces in the early 1950s, most of those squadrons became part of the Air National Guard and flew their F-72s until F-94 Starfires became available. Oddly, the increased engine power of the F-72D did not confer any apparent performance benefits, a strong indicator that piston-engined fighters had reached their peak.
Republic XF-72E Thunderstorm
A high-altitude fighter version of the F-72 intended to defend against B-36 class bombers. It had extended wings, a pressurized cockpit and a turbocharger optimized for high altitude. All armor was stripped out and armament was reduced to two 0.5 inch M-3 machine guns. This version proved to have a service ceiling of approximately 51,000 feet and was thus able to threaten a B-36. However, it proved unable to intercept the big bombers and the concept was not further developed.
Introduction
The Republic XP-72 was Alexander Kartveli's proposal for a replacement for his fabulously successful P-47 Thunderbolt. In the 18 months it saw operational service over the Russian Front, it proved itself to be a worthy successor to the P-47. Its armament of 4 37mm M-9 cannon and 4,000 pound bombload made it a formidable ground attack aircraft while its speed and agility made it feared in air combat, capable of taking on early jets such as the Me-262 and He-162 on equal terms. A popular fighter, the F-72 remained in US service until 1956 and it was widely exported after WW2. Examples of the type remained in foreign service into the late 1970s with the last aircraft of this type being phased out of Chilean Air Force service in 1981.
Early Development
The XP-72 was a more-or-less straightforward progressive development of the P-47 Thunderbolt. The XP-72 was the first fighter to be designed around the huge 28-cylinger Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, the most powerful piston engine produced during World War 2. The engine was close-cowled and was fan-cooled. It drove a pair of three-bladed Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers. The wing and tail of the P-47D were to be retained, but the airframe was enlarged and strengthened. The turbosupercharger was still located aft of the cockpit as it was in the P-47, but the turbosupercharger intake was moved to a position just underneath the cockpit rather than in the extreme nose. The lower fuselage was modified to allow for the larger air intake for the turbosupercharger. The XP-72 was fitted with a bubble-type canopy, similar to that used by the late production blocks of the P-47D. Compressibility recovery flaps were fitted. Armament consisted of six wing-mounted 0.50-inch machine guns, and two 1000-pound bombs were to be carried on underwing shackles.
The XP-72 flew for the first time on February 2, 1944. Power was provided by a 3450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Since delivery of the planned Aeroproducts contrarotating six-bladed propeller had been delayed, the first XP-72 was equipped with a single four-bladed propeller as a temporary stop-gap measure. Nevertheless, the performance was excellent, a maximum speed of 490 mph being reached in flight tests. The second XP-72 (43-36599) flew for the first time on June 26, 1944. It was fitted with the Aeroproducts contrarotating propellers, which had finally been delivered. Unfortunately, the second XP-72 was written off in a takeoff crash early in its test flight program. In spite of the loss of the second prototype, the USAAF was so impressed with the performance of the XP-72 that they ordered one hundred P-72 production variants.
Variants
Republic F-72A Thunderstorm
By the time the first production aircraft were delivered in September 1945, the USAF had changed its designation system so that Fighters were labeled in the F-series rather than P-series. Thus, the F-72A was identical to the XP-72 except it had the R-4360-19 engine delivering 3,500 horsepower. The new engine combined with the contra-rotating props gave the F-72A a maximum speed of 516 mph at 30,000 feet, putting it into the same league as the much-vaunted German Me-262. It was much more agile than the twin-engined German fighter and its machine guns were better suited to high-speed dogfights where firing opportunities were fleeting and the slow-firing 30mm German cannon had only limited value. The F-72A quickly became known as the “Jetslayer”, one subtle advantage being that it looked very similar to the older P-47.
Specification of Republic F-72A:
Powerplant: One 3500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-19 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Performance: Maximum speed was 516 mph at 25,000 feet. Normal range was 1200 miles at 300 mph and maximum range was 2520 miles at 315 mph with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Initial climb rate was 5280 feet per minute, and climb rate at 25,000 feet was 3550 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 3.5 minutes, 20,000 feet in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 42,000 feet. Weights were 11,476 pounds empty, 14,433 pounds normal loaded, 17,490 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 11 inches, length 36 feet 7 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, and wing area 300 square feet. Armament was six 0.5 inch machine guns and up to 2,000 pounds of bombs or rockets
Republic F-72B Thunderstorm
The F-72B was the first fighter-bomber version of the F-72 and was provided with an optional choice of four 37-mm M-9 cannon as an alternative for the six 0.50-in M-3 machine guns. Bombload was increased to a maximum of 4,000 pounds. The aircraft retained the 3500 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-19 engine. Performance was identical to that of the F-72A. Production of the F-72B was strictly limited by the availability of the R-4360 engine, most supplies having been absorbed by the B-36 program.
Republic F-72C Thunderstorm
A further development of the F-72B, the C-model standardized on the armament of four 37mm M-9 cannon but had the 3,800 hp R-4360-41 engine. Weight was reduced by deleting some armor. These modifications boosted the speed of the aircraft to 525 miles per hour, making the F-72C one of the fastest piston-engined fighters ever to see service. The first C-models were delivered to units just in time to see combat over the Russian Front.
Specification of Republic F-72C:
Powerplant: One 3800 hp Pratt & Whitney R-4360-19 Wasp Major air-cooled radial engine. Performance: Maximum speed was 525 mph at 25,000 feet. Normal range was 1200 miles at 300 mph and maximum range was 2520 miles at 315 mph with two 125 Imp. gall. drop tanks. Initial climb rate was 5480 feet per minute, and climb rate at 25,000 feet was 3650 feet per minute. An altitude of 15,000 feet could be reached in 3.5 minutes, 20,000 feet in 5 minutes. Service ceiling was 44,000 feet. Weights were 11,476 pounds empty, 14,433 pounds normal loaded, 17,490 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 40 feet 11 inches, length 36 feet 7 inches, height 16 feet 0 inches, and wing area 300 square feet. Armament was six 0.5 inch machine guns and up to 4,000 pounds of bombs or rockets
Republic F-72D Thunderstorm
A postwar development of the F-72C, the F-72D had the 4,150 hp R-4360-54 engine. The aircraft was armed with 4 20mm cannon in the wings, these being regarded as a good compromise between the air-to-air capability of the .50 caliber machine gun and the ground attack virtues of the 37mm M-9. Production was eased by the reduction in demand for the R-4360 engine following the end of the war and the consequent slowdown in B-36 production. Consequently, F-72Ds re-equipped most Fighter groups that were scheduled to remain equipped with piston-engined fighters. Consequently the F-47 and F-63 were quickly replaced by the F-72D. With the major reductions in tactical air forces in the early 1950s, most of those squadrons became part of the Air National Guard and flew their F-72s until F-94 Starfires became available. Oddly, the increased engine power of the F-72D did not confer any apparent performance benefits, a strong indicator that piston-engined fighters had reached their peak.
Republic XF-72E Thunderstorm
A high-altitude fighter version of the F-72 intended to defend against B-36 class bombers. It had extended wings, a pressurized cockpit and a turbocharger optimized for high altitude. All armor was stripped out and armament was reduced to two 0.5 inch M-3 machine guns. This version proved to have a service ceiling of approximately 51,000 feet and was thus able to threaten a B-36. However, it proved unable to intercept the big bombers and the concept was not further developed.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star
Introduction
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first American combat-ready jet fighter, and was the first American production combat aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight. It was the first American jet-powered aircraft to score a victory in air-to-air combat, and was the victor in the world's first jet-versus-jet combat. Various versions of the P-80 and F-80 provided the backbone of both the U.S.A.F and U.S.N fighter squadrons until the early 1950s.
Early Development
As far back as 1939, Lockheed engineers Clarence R. "Kelly" Johnson and Hall L. Hibbard had been interested in jet propulsion for aircraft, and had actually engaged in various paper projects. In particular, Lockheed had done some preliminary work on a company-financed project designated L-133 which had progressed to several different versions on the drawing board, culminating in the Model L-133-02-01, which was a canard design powered by a pair of Lockheed-designed L-1000 turbojet engines. The USAAF was not particularly interested in any of these projects and declined to finance any of them, so none of them ever progressed past the preliminary concept stage.
This situation changed in early 1940 when the Tizard Commission visited the United States and revealed the extent of U.K. jet engine development and, more alarmingly, intelligence reports of German and Italian advances in the area of jet propulsion. When the Halifax-Butler Coup in the U.K. took that country out of the war with Germany, there was an almost immediate exodus of British designers and engineers to Canada and the US. These brought with them blueprints of their new jet engines where they were distributed to a number of aircraft engine producers who started the work of translating them into production realities.
In view of Lockeed's earlier studies in jet propulsion, in late 1941, the USAAF assigned the company full responsibility for designing a jet fighter to be powered by the Halford H.1B (Goblin) turbojet that was to built under license in the USA by Allis-Chalmers as the J36. Assigned the designation L-140 by the company, the design was approved in January 1943. By this time, news of the development of German jet aircraft increased the priority of the new fighter and the first XP-80 was to be completed within 180 days of the award of the Letter Contract.
The XP-80 was a clean aircraft with a low aspect ratio, laminar-flow wing. Conventional tail surfaces and a retractable nosewheel undercarriage were adopted. The Halford H.1B engine was to be fed by air intakes positioned in the lower fuselage forward of the wing leading edge and exhausted through a straight tailpipe. The pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit underneath a rearward-sliding bubble canopy. The aft fuselage with engine and tail surfaces was detachable as a single unit for ready access to the powerplant. The armament was to consist of six 0.50-inch machine guns, all mounted in the nose.
Since the project had the highest priority, construction went so rapidly that the XP-80 was soon ahead of schedule. The pressurized cockpit was considered unnecessary for the first prototype, so it was decided that an unpressurized cockpit would be fitted in order to save time. However, the J-36 program ran into difficulties and ultimately failed to produce anything useful. In June 1943, Lockheed proposed as an alternative a larger and heavier L-141 version, to be powered by a General Electric I-40 (later produced by both General Electric and Allison as the J33). The USAAF was sufficiently impressed that they issued a contract for two XP-80As.
The first flight of the XP-80 took place in June, 1943. Subsequent test flights reached a top speed of 502 mph at 20,480 feet, the XP-80 becoming the first USAAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight. However, the flight tests also disclosed a number of problems including bad stall and spin characteristics, an excessively-high stick force, unsatisfactory fuel management systems, and poor engine reliability and performance. At low speeds, it had a tendency to stall and roll sharply to the right with little or no warning. The XP-80 weighted 6,287 pounds empty and 8,196 pounds loaded. Dimensions were wingspan 37 feet 0 inches, length 32 feet 10 inches, height 10 feet 3 inches, and wing area 240 square feet. During tests, the XP-80 reached a top speed of 502 mph at 20,480 feet, becoming the first USAAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight. Service ceiling was 41,000 feet, and initial climb rate was 3,000 feet per minute. The aircraft was armed with six 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine guns with 200 rounds per gun.
However, the XP-80 was already passé. In August 1943, the XP-80A was first flown, This had a J-33 engine with a thrust of 4000 pounds, and was fed by intakes relocated a bit further aft to a position just below the cockpit windshield. The XP-80A was significantly larger and about 25 percent heavier than the XP-80 prototype in order to accommodate the larger engine. The wingspan was 39 feet 0 inches, two feet greater than that of the XP-80, but wing area was reduced to 237.6 square feet by using a narrower chord. Length was increased from 32 feet 10 inches to 34 feet 6 inches. Height increased to 11 feet 4 inches. Weights were considerably greater than those of the XP-80, being 7,225 pounds empty, 9,600 pounds gross, and 13,780 pounds maximum takeoff. The increased weight required a stronger undercarriage. Ammunition capacity increased from 200 to 300 rounds per gun, and internal fuel capacity increased from 285 to 485 US gallons. In contrast to the XP-80, the XP-80A was fitted with a pressurized cockpit.
The second XP-80A became the first in the Shooting Star series to carry a 165 US-gallon drop tank underneath each wingtip. When carried, these tanks actually lowered rather than increased the drag. They could be brought home empty with no penalty in aerodynamic drag. The tanks also improved aileron effectiveness and wing loading. These tanks became standard on the thirteen YP-80A service test aircraft that were delivered by March, 1944. They were generally identical to the XP-80A and were powered by the General Electric J33-GE-9 or -11.
By the time these aircraft started their flight test program, the first Me-262 jet fighters had appeared over the Russian Front and had demonstrated a major tactical advantage over the P-47s and P-63s that formed the backbone of the U.S. fighter groups. The whole P-80 program thus picked up even greater priority and was now second only to the B-36 in aircraft production priority ratings. Thus, the initial production version of the Shooting Star, the P-80A, was ordered on April 4, 1944, when a Letter Contract for two batches of 500 aircraft was issued. In June 1944, 2,500 additional P-80As were ordered, these including the first FV-1 fighters for the U.S. Navy.
Variants
Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star
The P-80A was much the same as the YP-80A which preceded it, differing only in minor details. The P-80A introduced under-fuselage dive brakes which opened forward at the wing join, and had a landing light installed behind a transparent fairing in the upper nose. The intake lip was moved slightly further aft, and the tailplane incidence was raised by 1.5 degrees. The first aircraft were powered by the 3,850 lb.s.t. General Electric J33-GE-11 turbojet, but after the 218th production airframe, the aircraft was equipped with the more powerful 4,000 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-17. The -5 also introduced a boundary layer control splitter plate inside the air intake. The P-80A was rushed to Russia with the first aircraft entering combat in October 1944.
Specification of the P-80A:
Engine: One General Electric J33-GE-11 or Allison J33-A-9 turbojet, rated at 3,850 lb.s.t. Later production blocks powered by 4000 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-17. Dimensions: wingspan 38 feet 10 1/2 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 6 inches, height 11 feet 4 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet Weights were 7920 pounds empty, 11,700 pounds gross, and 14,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 885 US gallons maximum. Performance: Maximum speed was 558 mph at sea level and 492 mph at 40,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 4,580 feet/minute, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 5.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,000 feet. Normal range was 780 miles, and maximum range was 1,440 miles. Armament: Six 0.50-inch machine guns.
Lockheed P-80B Shooting Star
The P-80A made an immediate impact on the air war over the Russian Front. The six month ascendancy of the Me-262 was abruptly ended and battles between the P-80A and the Me-262 showed the aircraft to be more or less equal. The difference was, of course, that the P-80A was pouring off the production lines by the hundred. Nevertheless, requests for improvements in the P-80 quickly made their way back to Lockheed and resulted in the P-80B. A 4,000 lb.st. Allison J33-A-17 turbojet engine equipped with water/methanol injection was fitted. In order to provide space for the water-alcohol tanks, the internal fuel capacity was reduced from 470 to 425 US gallons. A Lockheed-designed ejector seat was fitted, making the P-80B the first operational American warplane to be equipped with an ejector seat. Outstanding production orders were shifted to the new variant and the first examples of the type arrived in Russia in February 1945. 1,500 P-80Bs were ordered by contract change to the existing P-80A orders,
Specifications of the P-80B:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-17 turbojet, rated at 4,000 lb.s.t (5,200 with water-methanol injection). Dimensions were wingspan 39 feet 0 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 6 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet Weights were 8176 pounds empty, 12,200 pounds gross, and 16,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Performance: Maximum speed was 558 mph at sea level and 577 mph at 6,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 6,475 feet/minute, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 5.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,500 feet. Normal range was 790 miles, and maximum range was 1210 miles. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose. Ten five-inch rockets could be carried underwing.
Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star
With the initial threat of the Me-262 countered by the first surge of F-80A and B aircraft, Lockheed took the time to develop a new variant of the fighter that drew on combat experience to date. This was the P-80C, which first flew in July, 1945. The P-80C was initially powered by the 4,600 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-23 jet engine but after the 561st aircraft, the engine changed to the 5,400 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-35 engine. The aircraft also used the improved M3 machine guns first introduced on the later production blocks of the P-80B. By the time the aircraft entered service in May 1946, the designation letter for fighters had been changed from P to F and the aircraft was always known as the F-80C.
The F-80C showed a substantial superiority to the Me-262 and He-162 across the board. It was faster, it could climb quicker and it could completely outmaneuver the twin-engined German aircraft. Critically, American jet engine technology had swept ahead of German and the single J-33 on the F-80C was pushing out 12.5 percent more power than the two engines on the 262 combined and had an service life an order of magnitude greater. Now, it was the Me-262 that was outclassed and was easy prey for the new F-80Cs.
Specifications of the F-80C:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-25 turbojet, rated at 5,400 lb.s.t. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 8,420 pounds empty, 12,200 pounds gross, and 16,856 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 594 mph at sea level and 543 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 6,870 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 7 minutes. Service ceiling was 46,800 feet. Normal range was 825 miles, and maximum range was 1380 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 2000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80D Shooting Star
The F-80D was a further progressive development of the F-80C powered by an 5,650 pound thrust Allison J33-A-29 turbojet and had improved instrumentation and a more efficient cockpit arrangement. Some aircraft featured a revised armament of four 20mm cannon but the unreliability of these guns made them unpopular and the idea was not pursued further. Performance details of the F-80D were identical to those of the F-80C.
Lockheed F-80E Shooting Star
The F-80E marked a major redesign of the F-80 family. The new design retained the nose, center fuselage, and vertical tail of the F-80C but these were married to a new, thinner wing that used a heavier-gauge metal. The aircraft was powered by the new J-33-A-16 of some 6,900 lbs thrust. With this engine, the F-80E was capable of 606 miles per hour, making it the first in-service U.S. jet fighter to break the 600mph barrier. In the eyes of many pilots, the F-80E represented the peak of F-80 development. The aircraft entered operational service over the Russian Front in March 1947.
Specifications of the F-80E:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-16 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 8,450 pounds empty, 12,300 pounds gross, and 17,226 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 606 mph at sea level and 563 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 6,950 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 7 minutes. Service ceiling was 46,900 feet. Normal range was 805 miles, and maximum range was 1260 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 2000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80F Shooting Star
With F-80s pouring into Russia and replacing the older, piston-engined fighters, the type took on a growing proportion of the ground attack role. Initially, older F-80A and F-80B models were assigned these duties as they were replaced in the Fighter groups by the F-80C and later models. The F-80 proved to be a very useful ground attack aircraft, not least because its high speed reduced the risk from the heavy German tactical flak defenses. As a result, there was great pressure from the Fighter-Bomber Groups for a version of the F-80 designed specifically for the ground attack role.
The response was the F-80F. This took the basic airframe of the F-80D equipped with the Allison J33-A-16 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t. Over five hundred pounds of armor were installed protecting the cockpit, fuel tanks and engine while the wings were strengthened to allow for up to 4,000 pounds of weapons including 5 inch and 12.75 inch rockets, bombs, napalm and gun pods. The additions made the F-80F more sluggish to maneuver than the F-80D but the added protection and air-to-ground firepower more than compensated for the loss of agility.
Specifications of the F-80F:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-16 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 9,250 pounds empty, 15,300 pounds gross, and 19,275 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 606 mph at sea level and 523 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 4,950 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 11 minutes. Service ceiling was 36,200 feet. Normal range was 625 miles, and maximum range was 1060 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 4,000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80G Shooting Star
The last mass production version of the F-80, the F-80G was largely a post-war development and had the aft fuselage enlarged to house an afterburning Allison J33-A-27 turbojet. This pushed maximum speed up to 616mph but greatly increased rate of climb and service ceiling. F-80Gs re-equipped most F-80 units post-war and the type also provided some fighter cover for the U.S. in the immediate post-war years. However, Red Sun exercises showed that it only had marginal capability against B-36 style bombers and none at all against the RB-36. The last F-80Gs were operated by the Air National Guard who kept the type in service until 1956.
Specifications of the F-80G:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-27 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t, 9,300 lb.s,t with afterburner. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 8,750 pounds empty, 12,600 pounds gross, and 17,726 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 616 mph at sea level and 593 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 9,950 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 3 minutes. Service ceiling was 49,900 feet. Normal range was 805 miles, and maximum range was 1260 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 2000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80H Shooting Star
The F-80H was a modified, high-altitude version of the F-80G, produced as a result of experience during the 1948 Red Sun Exercise. The F-80H had extended wings and was stripped of all unnecessary weight. Armament was reduced to four M3 .50 caliber machine guns. In the 1949 Red Sun Exercises, the F-80H proved capable of reaching the operational altitudes of the B-36 but, to quote Colonel Chuck Larry, leader of the F-80H detachment, “once up there we weren’t flying a warplane”. The F-80H staggered around, barely able to maneuver and certainly unable to evade the radar-controlled 20mm cannon in the B-36s tail. Despite its shortcomings, a number of F-80Gs were converted to F-80Hs and used to equip NORAD fighter interceptor groups until the F-86D Sabredog became available
Specifications of the F-80H:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-27 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t, 9,300 lb.s,t with afterburner. Dimensions were wingspan 44 feet 6 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 7,550 pounds empty, 10,600 pounds gross, and 15,726 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 536 mph at sea level and 583 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 9,250 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 4 minutes. Service ceiling was 53,800 feet. Normal range was 605 miles, and maximum range was 960 miles. Fuel load: 325 US gallons normal, 655 US gallons max. Armament consisted of four 0.50-inch machine guns.
Lockheed F-80J Shooting Star
The F-80J was a modified version of the F-80F intended to deliver tactical nuclear weapons. F-80Fs retained in service after 1949 were all modified to F-80J configuration and remained in use until replaced by the F-100.
Lockheed F-80K Shooting Star
A proposed two-seat version of the F-80H (actually derived by way of the T-33 trainer) equipped with fire control radar and armed with air-to-air rockets. Design development turned the aircraft into an entirely new product and it was redesignated the F-94 Starfire.
Introduction
The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first American combat-ready jet fighter, and was the first American production combat aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight. It was the first American jet-powered aircraft to score a victory in air-to-air combat, and was the victor in the world's first jet-versus-jet combat. Various versions of the P-80 and F-80 provided the backbone of both the U.S.A.F and U.S.N fighter squadrons until the early 1950s.
Early Development
As far back as 1939, Lockheed engineers Clarence R. "Kelly" Johnson and Hall L. Hibbard had been interested in jet propulsion for aircraft, and had actually engaged in various paper projects. In particular, Lockheed had done some preliminary work on a company-financed project designated L-133 which had progressed to several different versions on the drawing board, culminating in the Model L-133-02-01, which was a canard design powered by a pair of Lockheed-designed L-1000 turbojet engines. The USAAF was not particularly interested in any of these projects and declined to finance any of them, so none of them ever progressed past the preliminary concept stage.
This situation changed in early 1940 when the Tizard Commission visited the United States and revealed the extent of U.K. jet engine development and, more alarmingly, intelligence reports of German and Italian advances in the area of jet propulsion. When the Halifax-Butler Coup in the U.K. took that country out of the war with Germany, there was an almost immediate exodus of British designers and engineers to Canada and the US. These brought with them blueprints of their new jet engines where they were distributed to a number of aircraft engine producers who started the work of translating them into production realities.
In view of Lockeed's earlier studies in jet propulsion, in late 1941, the USAAF assigned the company full responsibility for designing a jet fighter to be powered by the Halford H.1B (Goblin) turbojet that was to built under license in the USA by Allis-Chalmers as the J36. Assigned the designation L-140 by the company, the design was approved in January 1943. By this time, news of the development of German jet aircraft increased the priority of the new fighter and the first XP-80 was to be completed within 180 days of the award of the Letter Contract.
The XP-80 was a clean aircraft with a low aspect ratio, laminar-flow wing. Conventional tail surfaces and a retractable nosewheel undercarriage were adopted. The Halford H.1B engine was to be fed by air intakes positioned in the lower fuselage forward of the wing leading edge and exhausted through a straight tailpipe. The pilot sat in a pressurized cockpit underneath a rearward-sliding bubble canopy. The aft fuselage with engine and tail surfaces was detachable as a single unit for ready access to the powerplant. The armament was to consist of six 0.50-inch machine guns, all mounted in the nose.
Since the project had the highest priority, construction went so rapidly that the XP-80 was soon ahead of schedule. The pressurized cockpit was considered unnecessary for the first prototype, so it was decided that an unpressurized cockpit would be fitted in order to save time. However, the J-36 program ran into difficulties and ultimately failed to produce anything useful. In June 1943, Lockheed proposed as an alternative a larger and heavier L-141 version, to be powered by a General Electric I-40 (later produced by both General Electric and Allison as the J33). The USAAF was sufficiently impressed that they issued a contract for two XP-80As.
The first flight of the XP-80 took place in June, 1943. Subsequent test flights reached a top speed of 502 mph at 20,480 feet, the XP-80 becoming the first USAAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight. However, the flight tests also disclosed a number of problems including bad stall and spin characteristics, an excessively-high stick force, unsatisfactory fuel management systems, and poor engine reliability and performance. At low speeds, it had a tendency to stall and roll sharply to the right with little or no warning. The XP-80 weighted 6,287 pounds empty and 8,196 pounds loaded. Dimensions were wingspan 37 feet 0 inches, length 32 feet 10 inches, height 10 feet 3 inches, and wing area 240 square feet. During tests, the XP-80 reached a top speed of 502 mph at 20,480 feet, becoming the first USAAF aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight. Service ceiling was 41,000 feet, and initial climb rate was 3,000 feet per minute. The aircraft was armed with six 0.50-inch Browning M2 machine guns with 200 rounds per gun.
However, the XP-80 was already passé. In August 1943, the XP-80A was first flown, This had a J-33 engine with a thrust of 4000 pounds, and was fed by intakes relocated a bit further aft to a position just below the cockpit windshield. The XP-80A was significantly larger and about 25 percent heavier than the XP-80 prototype in order to accommodate the larger engine. The wingspan was 39 feet 0 inches, two feet greater than that of the XP-80, but wing area was reduced to 237.6 square feet by using a narrower chord. Length was increased from 32 feet 10 inches to 34 feet 6 inches. Height increased to 11 feet 4 inches. Weights were considerably greater than those of the XP-80, being 7,225 pounds empty, 9,600 pounds gross, and 13,780 pounds maximum takeoff. The increased weight required a stronger undercarriage. Ammunition capacity increased from 200 to 300 rounds per gun, and internal fuel capacity increased from 285 to 485 US gallons. In contrast to the XP-80, the XP-80A was fitted with a pressurized cockpit.
The second XP-80A became the first in the Shooting Star series to carry a 165 US-gallon drop tank underneath each wingtip. When carried, these tanks actually lowered rather than increased the drag. They could be brought home empty with no penalty in aerodynamic drag. The tanks also improved aileron effectiveness and wing loading. These tanks became standard on the thirteen YP-80A service test aircraft that were delivered by March, 1944. They were generally identical to the XP-80A and were powered by the General Electric J33-GE-9 or -11.
By the time these aircraft started their flight test program, the first Me-262 jet fighters had appeared over the Russian Front and had demonstrated a major tactical advantage over the P-47s and P-63s that formed the backbone of the U.S. fighter groups. The whole P-80 program thus picked up even greater priority and was now second only to the B-36 in aircraft production priority ratings. Thus, the initial production version of the Shooting Star, the P-80A, was ordered on April 4, 1944, when a Letter Contract for two batches of 500 aircraft was issued. In June 1944, 2,500 additional P-80As were ordered, these including the first FV-1 fighters for the U.S. Navy.
Variants
Lockheed P-80A Shooting Star
The P-80A was much the same as the YP-80A which preceded it, differing only in minor details. The P-80A introduced under-fuselage dive brakes which opened forward at the wing join, and had a landing light installed behind a transparent fairing in the upper nose. The intake lip was moved slightly further aft, and the tailplane incidence was raised by 1.5 degrees. The first aircraft were powered by the 3,850 lb.s.t. General Electric J33-GE-11 turbojet, but after the 218th production airframe, the aircraft was equipped with the more powerful 4,000 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-17. The -5 also introduced a boundary layer control splitter plate inside the air intake. The P-80A was rushed to Russia with the first aircraft entering combat in October 1944.
Specification of the P-80A:
Engine: One General Electric J33-GE-11 or Allison J33-A-9 turbojet, rated at 3,850 lb.s.t. Later production blocks powered by 4000 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-17. Dimensions: wingspan 38 feet 10 1/2 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 6 inches, height 11 feet 4 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet Weights were 7920 pounds empty, 11,700 pounds gross, and 14,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 885 US gallons maximum. Performance: Maximum speed was 558 mph at sea level and 492 mph at 40,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 4,580 feet/minute, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 5.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,000 feet. Normal range was 780 miles, and maximum range was 1,440 miles. Armament: Six 0.50-inch machine guns.
Lockheed P-80B Shooting Star
The P-80A made an immediate impact on the air war over the Russian Front. The six month ascendancy of the Me-262 was abruptly ended and battles between the P-80A and the Me-262 showed the aircraft to be more or less equal. The difference was, of course, that the P-80A was pouring off the production lines by the hundred. Nevertheless, requests for improvements in the P-80 quickly made their way back to Lockheed and resulted in the P-80B. A 4,000 lb.st. Allison J33-A-17 turbojet engine equipped with water/methanol injection was fitted. In order to provide space for the water-alcohol tanks, the internal fuel capacity was reduced from 470 to 425 US gallons. A Lockheed-designed ejector seat was fitted, making the P-80B the first operational American warplane to be equipped with an ejector seat. Outstanding production orders were shifted to the new variant and the first examples of the type arrived in Russia in February 1945. 1,500 P-80Bs were ordered by contract change to the existing P-80A orders,
Specifications of the P-80B:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-17 turbojet, rated at 4,000 lb.s.t (5,200 with water-methanol injection). Dimensions were wingspan 39 feet 0 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 6 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet Weights were 8176 pounds empty, 12,200 pounds gross, and 16,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Performance: Maximum speed was 558 mph at sea level and 577 mph at 6,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 6,475 feet/minute, and an altitude of 20,000 feet could be attained in 5.5 minutes. Service ceiling was 45,500 feet. Normal range was 790 miles, and maximum range was 1210 miles. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns in the nose. Ten five-inch rockets could be carried underwing.
Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star
With the initial threat of the Me-262 countered by the first surge of F-80A and B aircraft, Lockheed took the time to develop a new variant of the fighter that drew on combat experience to date. This was the P-80C, which first flew in July, 1945. The P-80C was initially powered by the 4,600 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-23 jet engine but after the 561st aircraft, the engine changed to the 5,400 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-35 engine. The aircraft also used the improved M3 machine guns first introduced on the later production blocks of the P-80B. By the time the aircraft entered service in May 1946, the designation letter for fighters had been changed from P to F and the aircraft was always known as the F-80C.
The F-80C showed a substantial superiority to the Me-262 and He-162 across the board. It was faster, it could climb quicker and it could completely outmaneuver the twin-engined German aircraft. Critically, American jet engine technology had swept ahead of German and the single J-33 on the F-80C was pushing out 12.5 percent more power than the two engines on the 262 combined and had an service life an order of magnitude greater. Now, it was the Me-262 that was outclassed and was easy prey for the new F-80Cs.
Specifications of the F-80C:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-25 turbojet, rated at 5,400 lb.s.t. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 8,420 pounds empty, 12,200 pounds gross, and 16,856 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 594 mph at sea level and 543 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 6,870 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 7 minutes. Service ceiling was 46,800 feet. Normal range was 825 miles, and maximum range was 1380 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 2000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80D Shooting Star
The F-80D was a further progressive development of the F-80C powered by an 5,650 pound thrust Allison J33-A-29 turbojet and had improved instrumentation and a more efficient cockpit arrangement. Some aircraft featured a revised armament of four 20mm cannon but the unreliability of these guns made them unpopular and the idea was not pursued further. Performance details of the F-80D were identical to those of the F-80C.
Lockheed F-80E Shooting Star
The F-80E marked a major redesign of the F-80 family. The new design retained the nose, center fuselage, and vertical tail of the F-80C but these were married to a new, thinner wing that used a heavier-gauge metal. The aircraft was powered by the new J-33-A-16 of some 6,900 lbs thrust. With this engine, the F-80E was capable of 606 miles per hour, making it the first in-service U.S. jet fighter to break the 600mph barrier. In the eyes of many pilots, the F-80E represented the peak of F-80 development. The aircraft entered operational service over the Russian Front in March 1947.
Specifications of the F-80E:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-16 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 8,450 pounds empty, 12,300 pounds gross, and 17,226 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 606 mph at sea level and 563 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 6,950 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 7 minutes. Service ceiling was 46,900 feet. Normal range was 805 miles, and maximum range was 1260 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 2000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80F Shooting Star
With F-80s pouring into Russia and replacing the older, piston-engined fighters, the type took on a growing proportion of the ground attack role. Initially, older F-80A and F-80B models were assigned these duties as they were replaced in the Fighter groups by the F-80C and later models. The F-80 proved to be a very useful ground attack aircraft, not least because its high speed reduced the risk from the heavy German tactical flak defenses. As a result, there was great pressure from the Fighter-Bomber Groups for a version of the F-80 designed specifically for the ground attack role.
The response was the F-80F. This took the basic airframe of the F-80D equipped with the Allison J33-A-16 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t. Over five hundred pounds of armor were installed protecting the cockpit, fuel tanks and engine while the wings were strengthened to allow for up to 4,000 pounds of weapons including 5 inch and 12.75 inch rockets, bombs, napalm and gun pods. The additions made the F-80F more sluggish to maneuver than the F-80D but the added protection and air-to-ground firepower more than compensated for the loss of agility.
Specifications of the F-80F:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-16 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 9,250 pounds empty, 15,300 pounds gross, and 19,275 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 606 mph at sea level and 523 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 4,950 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 11 minutes. Service ceiling was 36,200 feet. Normal range was 625 miles, and maximum range was 1060 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 4,000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80G Shooting Star
The last mass production version of the F-80, the F-80G was largely a post-war development and had the aft fuselage enlarged to house an afterburning Allison J33-A-27 turbojet. This pushed maximum speed up to 616mph but greatly increased rate of climb and service ceiling. F-80Gs re-equipped most F-80 units post-war and the type also provided some fighter cover for the U.S. in the immediate post-war years. However, Red Sun exercises showed that it only had marginal capability against B-36 style bombers and none at all against the RB-36. The last F-80Gs were operated by the Air National Guard who kept the type in service until 1956.
Specifications of the F-80G:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-27 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t, 9,300 lb.s,t with afterburner. Dimensions were wingspan 38 feet 9 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 8,750 pounds empty, 12,600 pounds gross, and 17,726 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 616 mph at sea level and 593 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 9,950 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 3 minutes. Service ceiling was 49,900 feet. Normal range was 805 miles, and maximum range was 1260 miles. Fuel load: 425 US gallons normal, 755 US gallons max. Armament consisted of six 0.50-inch machine guns. An underwing load of 2000 pounds of bombs, napalm or rockets could be carried.
Lockheed F-80H Shooting Star
The F-80H was a modified, high-altitude version of the F-80G, produced as a result of experience during the 1948 Red Sun Exercise. The F-80H had extended wings and was stripped of all unnecessary weight. Armament was reduced to four M3 .50 caliber machine guns. In the 1949 Red Sun Exercises, the F-80H proved capable of reaching the operational altitudes of the B-36 but, to quote Colonel Chuck Larry, leader of the F-80H detachment, “once up there we weren’t flying a warplane”. The F-80H staggered around, barely able to maneuver and certainly unable to evade the radar-controlled 20mm cannon in the B-36s tail. Despite its shortcomings, a number of F-80Gs were converted to F-80Hs and used to equip NORAD fighter interceptor groups until the F-86D Sabredog became available
Specifications of the F-80H:
Engine: One Allison J33-A-27 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t, 9,300 lb.s,t with afterburner. Dimensions were wingspan 44 feet 6 inches (without wingtip tanks), length 34 feet 5 inches, height 11 feet 3 inches, and wing area 237.6 square feet. Weights were 7,550 pounds empty, 10,600 pounds gross, and 15,726 pounds maximum takeoff. Maximum speed was 536 mph at sea level and 583 mph at 25,000 feet. Initial climb rate was 9,250 feet/minute, and an altitude of 25,000 feet could be attained in 4 minutes. Service ceiling was 53,800 feet. Normal range was 605 miles, and maximum range was 960 miles. Fuel load: 325 US gallons normal, 655 US gallons max. Armament consisted of four 0.50-inch machine guns.
Lockheed F-80J Shooting Star
The F-80J was a modified version of the F-80F intended to deliver tactical nuclear weapons. F-80Fs retained in service after 1949 were all modified to F-80J configuration and remained in use until replaced by the F-100.
Lockheed F-80K Shooting Star
A proposed two-seat version of the F-80H (actually derived by way of the T-33 trainer) equipped with fire control radar and armed with air-to-air rockets. Design development turned the aircraft into an entirely new product and it was redesignated the F-94 Starfire.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
McDonnell F-88 Voodoo
Introduction
While the B-36 had evaded enemy defenses during The Big One by overflying them, it was regarded as inevitable that the aircraft would become vulnerable as fighter and guided missile technology improved. Thus, the development of a fighter escort for the B-36 became a high priority. One approach to this was the development of the F-85 Goblin parasite fighter. Another was the development of long-range, jet-engined fighters. As it turned out, neither was a viable proposition and both turned out to be technology dead-ends. However, the F-88 turned out to be a useful aircraft in the mid-1950s and formed the basis for the F-101 long-range interceptor.
Early Development
In early 1946, spurred by the disastrous losses suffered by B-29 formations, the USAF informally requested proposals for a "penetration fighter" with a combat radius of at least 900 miles and a performance capable of meeting all opposing fighters on more than equal terms. In addition, the USAF wanted to keep the gross weight of the aircraft below 15,000 pounds. Spurred on by the USAF request, the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri initiated work on the Model 36 on April 1, 1946. The Model 36 project called for a large twin-jet aircraft powered by a pair of 3000 lb. st. Westinghouse J34 engines. Originally, McDonnell had considered installing the engines in the wing roots, but this proved infeasible and the engines were moved to a side-by-side location in the lower central fuselage where they could be more easily reached for maintenance. The engines were fed by straight-through air intakes mounted in the wing roots. The jet exhausts were underneath the rear fuselage. This configuration, it was hoped, would leave enough space in the fuselage for the fuel needed for the long-range penetration mission. A 35-degree sweptback wing was fitted, and a V-tail was to be used. The V-tail arrangement was selected because of the desire to reduce compressibility effects, which was thought would be helped by cutting the number of tail intersections from three to two. A set of perforated dive brakes was mounted on the rear fuselage, hinged at the rear. The pilot's cockpit was situated well forward of the wing. The armament was to be six 20-mm cannon. The name Voodoo was assigned, consistent with McDonnell's tradition of choosing the names of spirit-like apparitions for its aircraft.
Some minor problems were encountered during the test flight program. Some loss of thrust was encountered during takeoff due to choking in the S-shaped air ducts. This was solved by fitting spring-loaded blow-in doors in the wheel well section of the ducts. The rolling rate was found to be insufficient. It was improved to a certain extent by increasing the aileron chord by 26 percent, but the full cure for this problem required an increase in the torsional rigidity of the wing. Performance was disappointing, due primarily to the demanding range requirements and to the weight increases which had taken place since the initial design phase. Maximum speed at sea level was only 641 mph. It took approximately six minutes for the XF-88 to reach an altitude of 30,000 feet. It would appear that the XF-88 needed more power. McDonnell proposed to fit afterburners to the J34 engines that powered the second prototype, and the production F-88s were to be powered by 6000 lb.st. Westinghouse J46 afterburning turbojets. The USAF did not choose to fund the J46 installation, but they did approve the adaptation of the second prototype to the afterburning J34 engines.
The second prototype was designated the XF-88A, and was fitted with the afterburning XJ34-WE-15 engines. It was also fitted with bladder fuel cells in the wings to increase internal fuel capacity to 834 gallons. The XF-88A made its first flight on April 26, 1949. The performance improvement was apparent —- maximum speed at sea level was almost 700 mph, time to climb to 30,000 feet was cut to 4 minutes, and takeoff run was reduced by 20 percent. The XF-88A was faced with some stiff competition for the USAF penetration fighter order. The Lockheed XF-90 and the North American XF-93A had also been entered as contenders for the USAF penetration fighter order. The XF-90 was a twin-jet design which first flew in June of 1949. The XF-93A was a beefed-up derivative of the F-86D Sabredog, initially ordered under the designation of F-86E. The flyoff between the Lockheed XF-90, the McDonnell XF-88, and the North American YF-93A took place between June 30 and July 8 of 1950. On August 15, 1950, the Evaluation Board declared the McDonnell XF-88A to be the winner of the contest.
Variants
McDonnell F-88A Voodoo
The F-88A was a production version of the XF-88A and was similar to that aircraft in most respects. The only significant change was the provision for aerial refueling that substantially extended the aircraft’s range. A total of 50 F-88A aircraft were built, partially equipping one strategic fighter group (previously the 555th Tactical Fighter Wing that was converted to strategic status rather than being stood down like most tactical aviation units in the 1950s.)
Specification of the F-88A:
Two Westinghouse J34-WE-15 turbojets, 3600 lb.st. dry, 4825 lb.st with afterburning. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 8 inches, length 54 feet 1 1/2 inches, height 17 feet 3 inches, wing area 350 square feet. Weights: 12,140 pounds empty, 18,500 pounds loaded, 23,100 pounds maximum. Maximum speed: 641 mph at sea level. 706 mph at 20,000 feet. Initial climb rate 8000 feet per minute. climb to 35,000 feet in 14.5 minutes, service ceiling 39,400 feet, tactical radius 700 miles, max range 1737 miles. Armament consisted of six 20-mm cannon in the nose.
McDonnell F-88B Voodoo
The F-88B was a development of the F-88A that featured under-fuselage launch rails for two GAR-1 Falcon missiles. These were never actually carried by the F-88B and the non-availability of the GAR-1 restricted production of the F-88B to 25 aircraft that were issued to the 555th Strategic Fighter Group to bring it up to full strength.
McDonnell F-88C Voodoo
The Air Force had assumed that the high performance of the B-52 and B-60 bombers would make escort fighters unnecessary in any future conflict. For a while this had been true but the continuing Red Sun exercises showed that defensive technology had caught up with the B-36, was very close to doing so with the B-60 and threatened the B-52. However, the F-88 was too slow and short-ranged to provide an adequate escort for the jet-engined bombers. To fill this gap, McDonnell proposed a larger and more powerful version of its F-88B penetration fighter prototype. Although virtually a new aircraft, this was designated the F-88C. A Letter of Intent for the development of the McDonnell proposal was issued on January 3, 1952.
In December of 1951, the McDonnell team lead by Edward M. Flesh recommended that the F-88C be powered by a pair of afterburning Allison J71 turbojets. This nearly tripled the thrust of the pair of Westinghouse J34s that had powered the F-88B. However, the Air Force thought that even this additional power was still not enough, and was in favor of using a pair of even more powerful Pratt & Whitney J57 afterburning engines. Unfortunately, the use of the more powerful J57 engines required some major design changes. Although the engines were to be placed in the same location as they were in the F-88B, the air intakes in the wing roots had to be redesigned and considerably enlarged to accommodate the increased air flow requirements. Since considerably more fuel had to be carried, the fuselage had to be lengthened and widened, increasing the internal fuel capacity more than threefold (2341 versus 734 US gallons). Provisions were made for the fitting of a pair of 450-gallon external tanks. The F-88C was to be equipped with APS-54 radar and was to be armed with four 20-mm cannon as well as three Falcon air-to-air missiles and 12 unguided rockets.
The first F-88C was delivered in August of 1954. After completing some ground trials in St. Louis, it was shipped out to Edwards AFB. It took off on its maiden flight on September 29, 1954, McDonnell test pilot Robert C. Little being at the controls. He reached Mach 0.9 at 35,000 feet. Less than a month later, maximum speed had progressively been pushed to Mach 1.4. Despite the dramatically improved performance of the F-88C, SAC had begun to doubt the viability of the concept. They now concluded that the range of the F-88C, impressive as it was, was not nearly large enough to be able to escort SAC's bombers all the way to the target. There was a mismatch in aircraft speeds, without using afterburners, the F-88C could not keep up with the B-52; if it did use afterburners to keep up, the F-88Cs range was drastically reduced. Also, the F-88C was purely an air-to-air dogfighter and could not protect the B-52 fleet from surface-to-air missiles. Behind all of this, of course, was the growth of the “Strategic Reconnaissance” aircraft and the development of the RB-58 Hustler.
Nevertheless, it was decided that a strategic fighter force should be maintained. The new role was to protect bombers while they waited at their fail-safe point. At this time, SAC had a total of eight strategic fighter groups, four equipped with F-84F Thunderstreaks, one with F-88A/Bs and three composite groups with GB-36/F-85s. It was decided to equip the five groups with F-84s and F-88s with the new F-88C. Production was thus authorized and 400 F-88Cs were built.
Specification of the F-88C:
Engine: Two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-13 turbojets, 10,200 lb.s.t. dry and 15,000 lb.s.t. with afterburner. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 8 inches, length 67 feet 5 inches, height 18 feet 0 inches, wing area 368 square feet. Performance: Maximum speed 1009 mph at 35,000 feet. Initial climb rate 44,100 feet/min. Service ceiling 55,800 feet, combat ceiling 49,450 feet. Combat radius 1,200 miles, maximum range 2925 miles. Weights: 24,970 pounds empty, 48,120 pounds gross, 39,495 pounds combat weight, 50,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel load was 2341 US gallons. A total of three under-fuselage drop tanks could be carried, bringing maximum fuel load to 3467 US gallons. Armament: Four 20-mm Pontiac M-39 cannon in the nose with 200 rpg.
McDonnell XF-88D Voodoo
It had not gone unnoticed that the F-88C had the altitude and speed characteristics to form the basis of a good long-range interceptor, capable of handling B-52 type targets. Accordingly, McDonnell offered a two-seat interceptor version of the F-88C designated the F-88D. This was approved but because of the very different role of the aircraft, it was redesignated the F-101A Voodoo.
Introduction
While the B-36 had evaded enemy defenses during The Big One by overflying them, it was regarded as inevitable that the aircraft would become vulnerable as fighter and guided missile technology improved. Thus, the development of a fighter escort for the B-36 became a high priority. One approach to this was the development of the F-85 Goblin parasite fighter. Another was the development of long-range, jet-engined fighters. As it turned out, neither was a viable proposition and both turned out to be technology dead-ends. However, the F-88 turned out to be a useful aircraft in the mid-1950s and formed the basis for the F-101 long-range interceptor.
Early Development
In early 1946, spurred by the disastrous losses suffered by B-29 formations, the USAF informally requested proposals for a "penetration fighter" with a combat radius of at least 900 miles and a performance capable of meeting all opposing fighters on more than equal terms. In addition, the USAF wanted to keep the gross weight of the aircraft below 15,000 pounds. Spurred on by the USAF request, the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri initiated work on the Model 36 on April 1, 1946. The Model 36 project called for a large twin-jet aircraft powered by a pair of 3000 lb. st. Westinghouse J34 engines. Originally, McDonnell had considered installing the engines in the wing roots, but this proved infeasible and the engines were moved to a side-by-side location in the lower central fuselage where they could be more easily reached for maintenance. The engines were fed by straight-through air intakes mounted in the wing roots. The jet exhausts were underneath the rear fuselage. This configuration, it was hoped, would leave enough space in the fuselage for the fuel needed for the long-range penetration mission. A 35-degree sweptback wing was fitted, and a V-tail was to be used. The V-tail arrangement was selected because of the desire to reduce compressibility effects, which was thought would be helped by cutting the number of tail intersections from three to two. A set of perforated dive brakes was mounted on the rear fuselage, hinged at the rear. The pilot's cockpit was situated well forward of the wing. The armament was to be six 20-mm cannon. The name Voodoo was assigned, consistent with McDonnell's tradition of choosing the names of spirit-like apparitions for its aircraft.
Some minor problems were encountered during the test flight program. Some loss of thrust was encountered during takeoff due to choking in the S-shaped air ducts. This was solved by fitting spring-loaded blow-in doors in the wheel well section of the ducts. The rolling rate was found to be insufficient. It was improved to a certain extent by increasing the aileron chord by 26 percent, but the full cure for this problem required an increase in the torsional rigidity of the wing. Performance was disappointing, due primarily to the demanding range requirements and to the weight increases which had taken place since the initial design phase. Maximum speed at sea level was only 641 mph. It took approximately six minutes for the XF-88 to reach an altitude of 30,000 feet. It would appear that the XF-88 needed more power. McDonnell proposed to fit afterburners to the J34 engines that powered the second prototype, and the production F-88s were to be powered by 6000 lb.st. Westinghouse J46 afterburning turbojets. The USAF did not choose to fund the J46 installation, but they did approve the adaptation of the second prototype to the afterburning J34 engines.
The second prototype was designated the XF-88A, and was fitted with the afterburning XJ34-WE-15 engines. It was also fitted with bladder fuel cells in the wings to increase internal fuel capacity to 834 gallons. The XF-88A made its first flight on April 26, 1949. The performance improvement was apparent —- maximum speed at sea level was almost 700 mph, time to climb to 30,000 feet was cut to 4 minutes, and takeoff run was reduced by 20 percent. The XF-88A was faced with some stiff competition for the USAF penetration fighter order. The Lockheed XF-90 and the North American XF-93A had also been entered as contenders for the USAF penetration fighter order. The XF-90 was a twin-jet design which first flew in June of 1949. The XF-93A was a beefed-up derivative of the F-86D Sabredog, initially ordered under the designation of F-86E. The flyoff between the Lockheed XF-90, the McDonnell XF-88, and the North American YF-93A took place between June 30 and July 8 of 1950. On August 15, 1950, the Evaluation Board declared the McDonnell XF-88A to be the winner of the contest.
Variants
McDonnell F-88A Voodoo
The F-88A was a production version of the XF-88A and was similar to that aircraft in most respects. The only significant change was the provision for aerial refueling that substantially extended the aircraft’s range. A total of 50 F-88A aircraft were built, partially equipping one strategic fighter group (previously the 555th Tactical Fighter Wing that was converted to strategic status rather than being stood down like most tactical aviation units in the 1950s.)
Specification of the F-88A:
Two Westinghouse J34-WE-15 turbojets, 3600 lb.st. dry, 4825 lb.st with afterburning. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 8 inches, length 54 feet 1 1/2 inches, height 17 feet 3 inches, wing area 350 square feet. Weights: 12,140 pounds empty, 18,500 pounds loaded, 23,100 pounds maximum. Maximum speed: 641 mph at sea level. 706 mph at 20,000 feet. Initial climb rate 8000 feet per minute. climb to 35,000 feet in 14.5 minutes, service ceiling 39,400 feet, tactical radius 700 miles, max range 1737 miles. Armament consisted of six 20-mm cannon in the nose.
McDonnell F-88B Voodoo
The F-88B was a development of the F-88A that featured under-fuselage launch rails for two GAR-1 Falcon missiles. These were never actually carried by the F-88B and the non-availability of the GAR-1 restricted production of the F-88B to 25 aircraft that were issued to the 555th Strategic Fighter Group to bring it up to full strength.
McDonnell F-88C Voodoo
The Air Force had assumed that the high performance of the B-52 and B-60 bombers would make escort fighters unnecessary in any future conflict. For a while this had been true but the continuing Red Sun exercises showed that defensive technology had caught up with the B-36, was very close to doing so with the B-60 and threatened the B-52. However, the F-88 was too slow and short-ranged to provide an adequate escort for the jet-engined bombers. To fill this gap, McDonnell proposed a larger and more powerful version of its F-88B penetration fighter prototype. Although virtually a new aircraft, this was designated the F-88C. A Letter of Intent for the development of the McDonnell proposal was issued on January 3, 1952.
In December of 1951, the McDonnell team lead by Edward M. Flesh recommended that the F-88C be powered by a pair of afterburning Allison J71 turbojets. This nearly tripled the thrust of the pair of Westinghouse J34s that had powered the F-88B. However, the Air Force thought that even this additional power was still not enough, and was in favor of using a pair of even more powerful Pratt & Whitney J57 afterburning engines. Unfortunately, the use of the more powerful J57 engines required some major design changes. Although the engines were to be placed in the same location as they were in the F-88B, the air intakes in the wing roots had to be redesigned and considerably enlarged to accommodate the increased air flow requirements. Since considerably more fuel had to be carried, the fuselage had to be lengthened and widened, increasing the internal fuel capacity more than threefold (2341 versus 734 US gallons). Provisions were made for the fitting of a pair of 450-gallon external tanks. The F-88C was to be equipped with APS-54 radar and was to be armed with four 20-mm cannon as well as three Falcon air-to-air missiles and 12 unguided rockets.
The first F-88C was delivered in August of 1954. After completing some ground trials in St. Louis, it was shipped out to Edwards AFB. It took off on its maiden flight on September 29, 1954, McDonnell test pilot Robert C. Little being at the controls. He reached Mach 0.9 at 35,000 feet. Less than a month later, maximum speed had progressively been pushed to Mach 1.4. Despite the dramatically improved performance of the F-88C, SAC had begun to doubt the viability of the concept. They now concluded that the range of the F-88C, impressive as it was, was not nearly large enough to be able to escort SAC's bombers all the way to the target. There was a mismatch in aircraft speeds, without using afterburners, the F-88C could not keep up with the B-52; if it did use afterburners to keep up, the F-88Cs range was drastically reduced. Also, the F-88C was purely an air-to-air dogfighter and could not protect the B-52 fleet from surface-to-air missiles. Behind all of this, of course, was the growth of the “Strategic Reconnaissance” aircraft and the development of the RB-58 Hustler.
Nevertheless, it was decided that a strategic fighter force should be maintained. The new role was to protect bombers while they waited at their fail-safe point. At this time, SAC had a total of eight strategic fighter groups, four equipped with F-84F Thunderstreaks, one with F-88A/Bs and three composite groups with GB-36/F-85s. It was decided to equip the five groups with F-84s and F-88s with the new F-88C. Production was thus authorized and 400 F-88Cs were built.
Specification of the F-88C:
Engine: Two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-13 turbojets, 10,200 lb.s.t. dry and 15,000 lb.s.t. with afterburner. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 8 inches, length 67 feet 5 inches, height 18 feet 0 inches, wing area 368 square feet. Performance: Maximum speed 1009 mph at 35,000 feet. Initial climb rate 44,100 feet/min. Service ceiling 55,800 feet, combat ceiling 49,450 feet. Combat radius 1,200 miles, maximum range 2925 miles. Weights: 24,970 pounds empty, 48,120 pounds gross, 39,495 pounds combat weight, 50,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel load was 2341 US gallons. A total of three under-fuselage drop tanks could be carried, bringing maximum fuel load to 3467 US gallons. Armament: Four 20-mm Pontiac M-39 cannon in the nose with 200 rpg.
McDonnell XF-88D Voodoo
It had not gone unnoticed that the F-88C had the altitude and speed characteristics to form the basis of a good long-range interceptor, capable of handling B-52 type targets. Accordingly, McDonnell offered a two-seat interceptor version of the F-88C designated the F-88D. This was approved but because of the very different role of the aircraft, it was redesignated the F-101A Voodoo.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Lockheed F-94 Starfire
Introduction
The F-94 Starfire was the first effective air defense interceptor assigned to NORAD and was the first American interceptor to “shoot down” a B-36 at the Red Sun exercises. It was also the first NORAD jet interceptor to score a night-time “kill”.
Early Development
The immediate postwar years had left the USAF without any truly modern all-weather fighters to face the threat of high-flying bombers in the B-36 class. The early years at Red Sun clearly demonstrated that the existing piston-engined and jet-powered fighters were unable to cope with the threat profile presented by the B-36. To make matters worse, there was no guarantee that the attack would come in clear weather; The Big One had been timed so that the bombers would have clear weather over Germany for their attacks but it was by no means assured that this would be a consideration in future. Effective
Early attempts to develop jet-powered all-weather fighters ran into a series of snags and delays. The Curtiss XF-87 Blackhawk had been ordered in December, 1945, but it ran into developmental difficulties and only a limited number of aircraft were built, the last being delivered in October 1948. The Northrop F-89 Scorpion seemed to have greater promise, but it too ran into teething troubles and did not show promise of entering service until 1952 at the earliest. Due to the lack of any suitable jet-powered replacement, the wartime Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter was forced to soldier on for a few more years. Nobody was under any illusions about the incapacity of that aircraft to intercept a B-36.
In March 1948 the USAF approached Lockheed with the prospect of combining the F-80G single seat fighter with the T-33 two-seat trainer and equipping the product with a Hughes E-1 fire control system. The E-1 system incorporated an AN/APG-33 radar installation coupled with a Sperry A-1C computing gunsight. This system was developed from the AN/APG-3 radar used in the B-36's tail armament. The USAF was in a hurry, and wanted the first production aircraft to be available before the end of 1950.
Fortunately, the T-33 airframe had sufficient volume to house the fire-control system in a modified nose and enough room in the aft cockpit to house the radar operator's position and his associated equipment. Consequently, it appeared at first glance that the adaptation of trainer to night fighter would be relatively straightforward, and the concept was endorsed by the Secretary of Defense on October 14, 1948 which called for the development of the two-seat radar-equipped F-80G. The designation F-94 was assigned to the project.
An armament of six 0.50-in M-3 machine guns had originally been planned, but space restrictions in the forward fuselage forced the limitation of the armament to only four guns. The guns were mounted in the lower nose section, with their muzzles located just aft of the radome. The air intakes were redesigned and enlarged, the tail surfaces were increased in area, and the internal fuel capacity was reduced to 318 US gallons. However, two 165-gallon under-wing tip tanks could be carried, bring total fuel capacity to 648 US gallons.
Variants
Lockheed F-94A Starfire
The first production version was the F-94A. One hundred and nine examples had been ordered in January 1949. Despite reduction of the Air Force budget that occurred as a result of the FY 1949 budgetary crisis, the F-94 procurement quickly rose to 288. The Japanese initiation of an atomic bomb in August 1952 resulted in yet another increase in F-94 procurement to 368 aircraft.
However, the F-94As proved to be rather troublesome in service, being fraught with engine and electronics problems. The afterburning Allison J-33 engine suffered from frequent turbine blade failures and the fuel system was quite unreliable. The aircraft was unstable and hard to maneuver at high altitude. The pilot and radar operator found that the cockpit was too narrow for them to be able to get in and out of the aircraft quickly during alerts and scrambles. The clearance for the ejection seats was too small, resulting in several tragic accidents during emergency ejections. The fire control radar was quite quirky and unreliable, and the crew members could never be sure that if their system was working at the beginning of a flight that it would still be functional at the end.
With the Hughes E-1 fire control system, attacks and firing passes were actually made from the old "pursuit curve" type of attack which resembled a "tail chase" more than a 90-degree, lead collision type of firing pass. The radar gunsight was used to fire at the target aircraft once it was in range. Unfortunately, this exposed the attacking aircraft to the target aircraft's defensive firepower for a rather long period of time. Although F-94As were able to engage B-36s, the interceptors always fell victim to the tail guns on the bombers before they could score a kill.
Specifications of the F-94A
One Allison J33-A-27 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t, 9,300 lb.s,t with afterburner Wingspan 37 feet 6 inches (38 feet 11 inches with wingtip tanks), length 40 feet 1 inches, height 12 feet 8 inches, wing area 234.8 square feet. Weights: 10,064 pounds empty, 13,474 pounds loaded, 16,844 pound maximum. Maximum speed 606 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate 6850 feet per minute. Service ceiling 52,500 feet. Normal range 665 miles, maximum range 905 miles. Armed with four 0.50-inch M-3 machine guns in the nose.
Lockheed F-94B Starfire
The F-94B was outwardly virtually identical to the F-94A, differing primarily in having improved internal equipment and systems. These items included a Sperry Zero Reader which could be coupled to the ILS indicator to give the pilot an in-cockpit reading of his glide slope for bad-weather landings, an improved hydraulic system, and a high-pressure oxygen system. The pilot was provided with a more roomy cockpit. The Fletcher center-line wingtip tanks were adopted as standard.
The YF-94B flew for the first time on September 28, 1952. The first F-94B-1-LO was delivered to the USAF in January 1953. The first F-94B reached service in April 1953 with the 61st Fighter Interceptor Squadron based at Selfridge AFB in Michigan. A total of 356 F-94Bs were built, mostly being reordered F-94As. The F-94B cured most of the engine and electronics reliability problems experienced by the F-94A, and proved in service to be a thoroughly reliable aircraft with relatively few vices and shortcomings. It’s performance was identical to that of the F-94A.
For three years between 1952 and 1954, the F-94A/B played a vital role in the defense of the continental United States from attack by nuclear-armed Japanese Nakajima G10N Fugaku bombers. It was the only jet-powered all-weather interceptor available in quantity at that time, and filled in a vital gap until more advanced equipment could be provided. After wringing out some initial bugs, the F-94A/B interceptors proved to be quite reliable and relatively easy to maintain in the field. However, the F-94A/B lacked sufficient range and adequate climbing speed to make it a really good interceptor, and its armament did not pack sufficient punch to be considered really effective against bombers. These problems would be addressed with the F-94C
Lockheed F-94C Starfire
In July 1950, Lockheed issued a proposal to the USAF for a more advanced development of the F-94A concept. In order to achieve higher Mach numbers, this featured a completely new wing with reduced thickness and greater dihedral. The speed brakes were revised and the fuel capacity was increased. The aircraft was to be provided with a drag 'chute, being the first USAF fighter to be so equipped. Since more power was clearly needed, a Pratt & Whitney J48 afterburning turbojet offering 8750 pounds of thrust was fitted. The increased engine thrust required that the air intakes be revised and made larger. The rear fuselage had to be revised in order to accommodate this new engine. A more advanced Hughes E-5 fire control system with APG-40 radar was to be used. The machine gun armament of the F-94A was to be replaced by an all-rocket armament mounted in the fuselage nose.
Initial trials with the YF-94C turned up several problems which were corrected by progressive modifications. The wing root extension fillet was removed in order to improve stall characteristics during landing approach. The original horizontal stabilizer of the F-94 was replaced by power-boosted swept surfaces to eliminate an annoying high-frequency vibration that took place at high Mach numbers. Dampers were added to correct aileron buzzing. Spoilers were added to improve roll control. The vertical fin was made larger in order to increase directional stability at high speeds.
The all-rocket armament consisted of twenty-four 2.75-inch Folding-Fin Aircraft Rockets (FFAR) mounted in four groups surrounding the APG-40 radome in the nose. The rockets in each group were mounted inside a door which opened sideways on the ground for easy servicing and reloading. In front of each rocket group was a snap-action door which opened immediately before firing. The YF-94Cs were fitted with a revised fuel system accommodating 566 US gallons in wing and fuselage tanks, 500 gallons in center-mounted wingtip tanks, and 460 gallons in midwing drop tanks mounted on pylons at the wing center for a total fuel capacity of 1526 gallons. There were difficulties with the drag chute, with the automatic pilot, with the afterburner of the J48, and with aileron flutter. These problems were not fully resolved until after the first F-94C production aircraft had been delivered.
The first production F-94C was delivered in July 1953 when the aircraft entered service with the 437th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Otis AFB in Massachusetts. The production F-94C was powered by the Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 engine rated at 7,350 lb.s.t. dry and 9,750 lb.s.t. with afterburning. The F-94C was the second type of fighter serving with the Air Defense Command (ADC) to use rockets as its sole armament. However, the firing of the nose rockets violently shook the F-94C and blinded both crew members in exhaust smoke and fire. In addition, the jet engine tended to flame out when the nose rockets were fired. However, once these difficulties were cleared up, the F-94C became popular with its flight and maintenance crews.
However, the F-94C had already won NORAD’s heart when in the 1953 Red Sun exercise, an F-94C flown by Brigadier-General Joseph McConnell intercepted and “shot down” a B-36P bomber. Wild stories have been told of the parties that took place across NORAD bases the night following that achievement and the celebrations have entered the realms of Air Force legend. Nor was the first intercept a fluke, by the end of the exercises, six more B-36s had been “shot down” by James Jabara, Pete Fernandez, Gabby Gabreski, Joseph McConnell and John Glenn. For SAC, it was the end of an era when their bombers could go where they wanted and do what they wished. For America, it was a mixed message, their bombers were in danger again but the country could now defend its cities.
Specification of the F-94C:
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 turbojet engine rated at 7,350 lb.st. dry and 9,750 lb.st. with afterburning. Dimensions: Wingspan 42 feet 5 inches with wingtip tanks, length 44 feet 6 inches, height 14 feet 11 inches, wing area 232.8 square feet. Weights: 12,708 pounds empty, 18,300 pounds loaded, 24,184 pound maximum. Performance: Maximum speed: 640 mph at sea level, 585 mph at 22,000 feet, 578 mph at 40,000 fee. Initial climb rate 7,980 feet per minute. Service ceiling 53,800 feet. Normal range 805 miles, maximum range 1,275 miles. Armament: Armed with twenty-four 2.75-inch Mighty Mouse FFARs in nose, plus twelve FFARs in each of two wing leading-edge pods.
Introduction
The F-94 Starfire was the first effective air defense interceptor assigned to NORAD and was the first American interceptor to “shoot down” a B-36 at the Red Sun exercises. It was also the first NORAD jet interceptor to score a night-time “kill”.
Early Development
The immediate postwar years had left the USAF without any truly modern all-weather fighters to face the threat of high-flying bombers in the B-36 class. The early years at Red Sun clearly demonstrated that the existing piston-engined and jet-powered fighters were unable to cope with the threat profile presented by the B-36. To make matters worse, there was no guarantee that the attack would come in clear weather; The Big One had been timed so that the bombers would have clear weather over Germany for their attacks but it was by no means assured that this would be a consideration in future. Effective
Early attempts to develop jet-powered all-weather fighters ran into a series of snags and delays. The Curtiss XF-87 Blackhawk had been ordered in December, 1945, but it ran into developmental difficulties and only a limited number of aircraft were built, the last being delivered in October 1948. The Northrop F-89 Scorpion seemed to have greater promise, but it too ran into teething troubles and did not show promise of entering service until 1952 at the earliest. Due to the lack of any suitable jet-powered replacement, the wartime Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter was forced to soldier on for a few more years. Nobody was under any illusions about the incapacity of that aircraft to intercept a B-36.
In March 1948 the USAF approached Lockheed with the prospect of combining the F-80G single seat fighter with the T-33 two-seat trainer and equipping the product with a Hughes E-1 fire control system. The E-1 system incorporated an AN/APG-33 radar installation coupled with a Sperry A-1C computing gunsight. This system was developed from the AN/APG-3 radar used in the B-36's tail armament. The USAF was in a hurry, and wanted the first production aircraft to be available before the end of 1950.
Fortunately, the T-33 airframe had sufficient volume to house the fire-control system in a modified nose and enough room in the aft cockpit to house the radar operator's position and his associated equipment. Consequently, it appeared at first glance that the adaptation of trainer to night fighter would be relatively straightforward, and the concept was endorsed by the Secretary of Defense on October 14, 1948 which called for the development of the two-seat radar-equipped F-80G. The designation F-94 was assigned to the project.
An armament of six 0.50-in M-3 machine guns had originally been planned, but space restrictions in the forward fuselage forced the limitation of the armament to only four guns. The guns were mounted in the lower nose section, with their muzzles located just aft of the radome. The air intakes were redesigned and enlarged, the tail surfaces were increased in area, and the internal fuel capacity was reduced to 318 US gallons. However, two 165-gallon under-wing tip tanks could be carried, bring total fuel capacity to 648 US gallons.
Variants
Lockheed F-94A Starfire
The first production version was the F-94A. One hundred and nine examples had been ordered in January 1949. Despite reduction of the Air Force budget that occurred as a result of the FY 1949 budgetary crisis, the F-94 procurement quickly rose to 288. The Japanese initiation of an atomic bomb in August 1952 resulted in yet another increase in F-94 procurement to 368 aircraft.
However, the F-94As proved to be rather troublesome in service, being fraught with engine and electronics problems. The afterburning Allison J-33 engine suffered from frequent turbine blade failures and the fuel system was quite unreliable. The aircraft was unstable and hard to maneuver at high altitude. The pilot and radar operator found that the cockpit was too narrow for them to be able to get in and out of the aircraft quickly during alerts and scrambles. The clearance for the ejection seats was too small, resulting in several tragic accidents during emergency ejections. The fire control radar was quite quirky and unreliable, and the crew members could never be sure that if their system was working at the beginning of a flight that it would still be functional at the end.
With the Hughes E-1 fire control system, attacks and firing passes were actually made from the old "pursuit curve" type of attack which resembled a "tail chase" more than a 90-degree, lead collision type of firing pass. The radar gunsight was used to fire at the target aircraft once it was in range. Unfortunately, this exposed the attacking aircraft to the target aircraft's defensive firepower for a rather long period of time. Although F-94As were able to engage B-36s, the interceptors always fell victim to the tail guns on the bombers before they could score a kill.
Specifications of the F-94A
One Allison J33-A-27 turbojet, rated at 6,900 lb.s.t, 9,300 lb.s,t with afterburner Wingspan 37 feet 6 inches (38 feet 11 inches with wingtip tanks), length 40 feet 1 inches, height 12 feet 8 inches, wing area 234.8 square feet. Weights: 10,064 pounds empty, 13,474 pounds loaded, 16,844 pound maximum. Maximum speed 606 mph at sea level. Initial climb rate 6850 feet per minute. Service ceiling 52,500 feet. Normal range 665 miles, maximum range 905 miles. Armed with four 0.50-inch M-3 machine guns in the nose.
Lockheed F-94B Starfire
The F-94B was outwardly virtually identical to the F-94A, differing primarily in having improved internal equipment and systems. These items included a Sperry Zero Reader which could be coupled to the ILS indicator to give the pilot an in-cockpit reading of his glide slope for bad-weather landings, an improved hydraulic system, and a high-pressure oxygen system. The pilot was provided with a more roomy cockpit. The Fletcher center-line wingtip tanks were adopted as standard.
The YF-94B flew for the first time on September 28, 1952. The first F-94B-1-LO was delivered to the USAF in January 1953. The first F-94B reached service in April 1953 with the 61st Fighter Interceptor Squadron based at Selfridge AFB in Michigan. A total of 356 F-94Bs were built, mostly being reordered F-94As. The F-94B cured most of the engine and electronics reliability problems experienced by the F-94A, and proved in service to be a thoroughly reliable aircraft with relatively few vices and shortcomings. It’s performance was identical to that of the F-94A.
For three years between 1952 and 1954, the F-94A/B played a vital role in the defense of the continental United States from attack by nuclear-armed Japanese Nakajima G10N Fugaku bombers. It was the only jet-powered all-weather interceptor available in quantity at that time, and filled in a vital gap until more advanced equipment could be provided. After wringing out some initial bugs, the F-94A/B interceptors proved to be quite reliable and relatively easy to maintain in the field. However, the F-94A/B lacked sufficient range and adequate climbing speed to make it a really good interceptor, and its armament did not pack sufficient punch to be considered really effective against bombers. These problems would be addressed with the F-94C
Lockheed F-94C Starfire
In July 1950, Lockheed issued a proposal to the USAF for a more advanced development of the F-94A concept. In order to achieve higher Mach numbers, this featured a completely new wing with reduced thickness and greater dihedral. The speed brakes were revised and the fuel capacity was increased. The aircraft was to be provided with a drag 'chute, being the first USAF fighter to be so equipped. Since more power was clearly needed, a Pratt & Whitney J48 afterburning turbojet offering 8750 pounds of thrust was fitted. The increased engine thrust required that the air intakes be revised and made larger. The rear fuselage had to be revised in order to accommodate this new engine. A more advanced Hughes E-5 fire control system with APG-40 radar was to be used. The machine gun armament of the F-94A was to be replaced by an all-rocket armament mounted in the fuselage nose.
Initial trials with the YF-94C turned up several problems which were corrected by progressive modifications. The wing root extension fillet was removed in order to improve stall characteristics during landing approach. The original horizontal stabilizer of the F-94 was replaced by power-boosted swept surfaces to eliminate an annoying high-frequency vibration that took place at high Mach numbers. Dampers were added to correct aileron buzzing. Spoilers were added to improve roll control. The vertical fin was made larger in order to increase directional stability at high speeds.
The all-rocket armament consisted of twenty-four 2.75-inch Folding-Fin Aircraft Rockets (FFAR) mounted in four groups surrounding the APG-40 radome in the nose. The rockets in each group were mounted inside a door which opened sideways on the ground for easy servicing and reloading. In front of each rocket group was a snap-action door which opened immediately before firing. The YF-94Cs were fitted with a revised fuel system accommodating 566 US gallons in wing and fuselage tanks, 500 gallons in center-mounted wingtip tanks, and 460 gallons in midwing drop tanks mounted on pylons at the wing center for a total fuel capacity of 1526 gallons. There were difficulties with the drag chute, with the automatic pilot, with the afterburner of the J48, and with aileron flutter. These problems were not fully resolved until after the first F-94C production aircraft had been delivered.
The first production F-94C was delivered in July 1953 when the aircraft entered service with the 437th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Otis AFB in Massachusetts. The production F-94C was powered by the Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 engine rated at 7,350 lb.s.t. dry and 9,750 lb.s.t. with afterburning. The F-94C was the second type of fighter serving with the Air Defense Command (ADC) to use rockets as its sole armament. However, the firing of the nose rockets violently shook the F-94C and blinded both crew members in exhaust smoke and fire. In addition, the jet engine tended to flame out when the nose rockets were fired. However, once these difficulties were cleared up, the F-94C became popular with its flight and maintenance crews.
However, the F-94C had already won NORAD’s heart when in the 1953 Red Sun exercise, an F-94C flown by Brigadier-General Joseph McConnell intercepted and “shot down” a B-36P bomber. Wild stories have been told of the parties that took place across NORAD bases the night following that achievement and the celebrations have entered the realms of Air Force legend. Nor was the first intercept a fluke, by the end of the exercises, six more B-36s had been “shot down” by James Jabara, Pete Fernandez, Gabby Gabreski, Joseph McConnell and John Glenn. For SAC, it was the end of an era when their bombers could go where they wanted and do what they wished. For America, it was a mixed message, their bombers were in danger again but the country could now defend its cities.
Specification of the F-94C:
Engine: One Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 turbojet engine rated at 7,350 lb.st. dry and 9,750 lb.st. with afterburning. Dimensions: Wingspan 42 feet 5 inches with wingtip tanks, length 44 feet 6 inches, height 14 feet 11 inches, wing area 232.8 square feet. Weights: 12,708 pounds empty, 18,300 pounds loaded, 24,184 pound maximum. Performance: Maximum speed: 640 mph at sea level, 585 mph at 22,000 feet, 578 mph at 40,000 fee. Initial climb rate 7,980 feet per minute. Service ceiling 53,800 feet. Normal range 805 miles, maximum range 1,275 miles. Armament: Armed with twenty-four 2.75-inch Mighty Mouse FFARs in nose, plus twelve FFARs in each of two wing leading-edge pods.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
Introduction
The F-101A Voodoo was the first truly satisfactory long-range, all-weather interceptor to be operated by NORAD and its presence revolutionized the air defense of the United States. It seriously challenged the ascendancy of the bomber and for a period of five or six years provided serious opposition to the B-52 fleet at Red Sun. Eventually, it was eclipsed by the arrival of the RB-58 Hustler and the development of more advanced interceptors, notably the F-106 Delta Dart. Despite a high accident rate, the F-101 was popular with its crews and after the type was withdrawn from service, many were sold to private buyers and are popular “warbird” exhibits at airshows.
Early Development
It had not gone unnoticed that the F-88C had the altitude and speed characteristics to form the basis of a good long-range interceptor, capable of handling B-52 type targets. Accordingly, McDonnell offered a two-seat interceptor version of the F-88C designated the F-88D. This was approved but because of the very different role of the aircraft, it was redesignated the F-101A Voodoo. At that time, the subsonic Northrop F-89 Scorpion was the backbone of USAF long-range all-weather interceptor squadrons, with the supersonic Convair F-102A Delta Dagger just beginning to undergo flight testing. The F-102A had always been considered by the USAF as only an interim interceptor, filling in the void until the far more advanced F-102B could be made available. However, the F-102A was at that time experiencing teething problems on its own and it appeared that its introduction into service might be appreciably delayed. In addition, the initiation of a hydrogen bomb by Chipan in August 1956 made it imperative that the Air Force find something other than the F-102A that would help fill in the gap between the subsonic F-89 Scorpion and the Mach-2+ F-102B.
The F-101A retained the center and rear fuselage sections and the wing and tail surfaces of the F-88C. However, it had a revised forward fuselage housing the MG-13 fire control system with automatic search and track mode, a two-seat tandem cockpit with pilot in front and radar operator in the rear, a retractable flight refuelling probe in front of the pilot's cockpit, and an all-missile armament. The internal fuel capacity was reduced to 2053 gallons to provide more room for electronic equipment and armament. Since the F-101A was heavier than its single-seat predecessor, it employed larger tires with a beefed-up undercarriage. Bulges had to be installed in the lower gear doors and in the undersides of the fuselage in order to accommodate the larger tires. Armament consisted of four Hughes GAR-1 semi-active radar homing or GAR-2 infrared-homing Falcon missiles carried on and launched from a rotary armament door covering the fuselage bay beneath and behind the rear cockpit. Two missiles were attached to recessed slots on each side of the door. After the first pair of missiles were launched, the door was flipped over, exposing the other pair.
Variants
McDonnell F-101A Voodoo
In the next two years, about 50 F-101As were accepted and subjected to extensive tests before being released for operational service. The first F-101As were delivered to the 60th Interceptor Squadron at Otis AFB in Massachusetts on January 5, 1958. F-101As ended up equipping 18 air defense squadrons (the 2nd, 13th, 15th, 18th, 29th, 49th, 59th, 60th, 62nd, 75th, 83rd, 84th, 87th, 98th, 322nd, 437th, 444th, and 445th Fighter Interceptor Squadrons). F-101Bs also served with the 4570th Test Squadron and the 4756th CCTS (later designated the 2nd Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron), both based at Tyndall AFB in Florida. These units carried out operational suitability tests and training for NORAD.
Specification of the F-101A:
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 turbojets, 11,990 lb.s.t. dry and 16,900 lb.s.t. with afterburner. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 8 inches, length 67 feet 5 inches, height 18 feet 0 inches, wing area 368 square feet. Performance: Maximum speed 1134 mph at 35,000 feet (Mach 1.72). Initial climb rate 49,200 feet/min. Service ceiling 58,400 feet, combat ceiling 51,000 feet. Normal range 1520 miles, maximum range 1930 miles. Weights: 28,970 pounds empty, 45,664 pounds gross, 40,853 pounds combat weight, 52,400 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel load was 2053 US gallons, housed in five fuel cells in the upper fuselage and three in each wing.. A total of two 450 US gallon under-fuselage drop tanks could be carried, bringing maximum fuel load to 2953 US gallons. Armament: Armed with four Falcon AAMs (usually 2 GAR-1 (AIM-4) semiactive radar homers and 2 GAR-2 (AIM-4B) infrared homers) in an internal ventral weapons bay.
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo
The F-101B had a modified fire control systems and with provision for carrying a pair of Douglas MB-1 Genie unguided nuclear-armed rockets on the rotary weapons bay in place of the two Falcon missiles. The MG-13 fire control system was capable of hands-off Genie launches, including the automatic launch of the rocket, turning the aircraft into the escape maneuver, and detonating the nuclear warhead at the appropriate time. Since the Genies were bigger and created more drag, and also because they were more classified, they were normally carried internally until they were ready to be fired. Then the door would rotate and the rocket was fired. In addition, the F-101B was fitted with an infrared sensor in front of the pilot's cockpit in place of the retractable refuelling probe. Other modifications were made to the control system including a modified pitch control system for the automatic pilot in an attempt to address the "pitch-up" problem that had plagued the Voodoo throughout its service life. Included in the upgrades was an enhancement of the resistance of F-101B airframes to electromagnetic pulses, and an improved MG-13 fire control system was installed for use against low-flying targets. As an interim aircraft, the F-101 did not have a long service life and, by 1972, the type had been withdrawn from NORAD service.
Introduction
The F-101A Voodoo was the first truly satisfactory long-range, all-weather interceptor to be operated by NORAD and its presence revolutionized the air defense of the United States. It seriously challenged the ascendancy of the bomber and for a period of five or six years provided serious opposition to the B-52 fleet at Red Sun. Eventually, it was eclipsed by the arrival of the RB-58 Hustler and the development of more advanced interceptors, notably the F-106 Delta Dart. Despite a high accident rate, the F-101 was popular with its crews and after the type was withdrawn from service, many were sold to private buyers and are popular “warbird” exhibits at airshows.
Early Development
It had not gone unnoticed that the F-88C had the altitude and speed characteristics to form the basis of a good long-range interceptor, capable of handling B-52 type targets. Accordingly, McDonnell offered a two-seat interceptor version of the F-88C designated the F-88D. This was approved but because of the very different role of the aircraft, it was redesignated the F-101A Voodoo. At that time, the subsonic Northrop F-89 Scorpion was the backbone of USAF long-range all-weather interceptor squadrons, with the supersonic Convair F-102A Delta Dagger just beginning to undergo flight testing. The F-102A had always been considered by the USAF as only an interim interceptor, filling in the void until the far more advanced F-102B could be made available. However, the F-102A was at that time experiencing teething problems on its own and it appeared that its introduction into service might be appreciably delayed. In addition, the initiation of a hydrogen bomb by Chipan in August 1956 made it imperative that the Air Force find something other than the F-102A that would help fill in the gap between the subsonic F-89 Scorpion and the Mach-2+ F-102B.
The F-101A retained the center and rear fuselage sections and the wing and tail surfaces of the F-88C. However, it had a revised forward fuselage housing the MG-13 fire control system with automatic search and track mode, a two-seat tandem cockpit with pilot in front and radar operator in the rear, a retractable flight refuelling probe in front of the pilot's cockpit, and an all-missile armament. The internal fuel capacity was reduced to 2053 gallons to provide more room for electronic equipment and armament. Since the F-101A was heavier than its single-seat predecessor, it employed larger tires with a beefed-up undercarriage. Bulges had to be installed in the lower gear doors and in the undersides of the fuselage in order to accommodate the larger tires. Armament consisted of four Hughes GAR-1 semi-active radar homing or GAR-2 infrared-homing Falcon missiles carried on and launched from a rotary armament door covering the fuselage bay beneath and behind the rear cockpit. Two missiles were attached to recessed slots on each side of the door. After the first pair of missiles were launched, the door was flipped over, exposing the other pair.
Variants
McDonnell F-101A Voodoo
In the next two years, about 50 F-101As were accepted and subjected to extensive tests before being released for operational service. The first F-101As were delivered to the 60th Interceptor Squadron at Otis AFB in Massachusetts on January 5, 1958. F-101As ended up equipping 18 air defense squadrons (the 2nd, 13th, 15th, 18th, 29th, 49th, 59th, 60th, 62nd, 75th, 83rd, 84th, 87th, 98th, 322nd, 437th, 444th, and 445th Fighter Interceptor Squadrons). F-101Bs also served with the 4570th Test Squadron and the 4756th CCTS (later designated the 2nd Fighter Interceptor Training Squadron), both based at Tyndall AFB in Florida. These units carried out operational suitability tests and training for NORAD.
Specification of the F-101A:
Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney J57-P-55 turbojets, 11,990 lb.s.t. dry and 16,900 lb.s.t. with afterburner. Dimensions: wingspan 39 feet 8 inches, length 67 feet 5 inches, height 18 feet 0 inches, wing area 368 square feet. Performance: Maximum speed 1134 mph at 35,000 feet (Mach 1.72). Initial climb rate 49,200 feet/min. Service ceiling 58,400 feet, combat ceiling 51,000 feet. Normal range 1520 miles, maximum range 1930 miles. Weights: 28,970 pounds empty, 45,664 pounds gross, 40,853 pounds combat weight, 52,400 pounds maximum takeoff. Fuel: Maximum internal fuel load was 2053 US gallons, housed in five fuel cells in the upper fuselage and three in each wing.. A total of two 450 US gallon under-fuselage drop tanks could be carried, bringing maximum fuel load to 2953 US gallons. Armament: Armed with four Falcon AAMs (usually 2 GAR-1 (AIM-4) semiactive radar homers and 2 GAR-2 (AIM-4B) infrared homers) in an internal ventral weapons bay.
McDonnell F-101B Voodoo
The F-101B had a modified fire control systems and with provision for carrying a pair of Douglas MB-1 Genie unguided nuclear-armed rockets on the rotary weapons bay in place of the two Falcon missiles. The MG-13 fire control system was capable of hands-off Genie launches, including the automatic launch of the rocket, turning the aircraft into the escape maneuver, and detonating the nuclear warhead at the appropriate time. Since the Genies were bigger and created more drag, and also because they were more classified, they were normally carried internally until they were ready to be fired. Then the door would rotate and the rocket was fired. In addition, the F-101B was fitted with an infrared sensor in front of the pilot's cockpit in place of the retractable refuelling probe. Other modifications were made to the control system including a modified pitch control system for the automatic pilot in an attempt to address the "pitch-up" problem that had plagued the Voodoo throughout its service life. Included in the upgrades was an enhancement of the resistance of F-101B airframes to electromagnetic pulses, and an improved MG-13 fire control system was installed for use against low-flying targets. As an interim aircraft, the F-101 did not have a long service life and, by 1972, the type had been withdrawn from NORAD service.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
Lockheed F-112 Blackbird
Introduction
The Lockheed F-112B Mach 3 interceptor is the fighter version from a family of combat aircraft derived from the A-12 spyplane which had been designed by Lockheed at Central Intelligence Agency request as a successor to the U-2 spyplane. The other members of the family include the B-71 strategic light bomber, the RS-71 reconnaissance strike aircraft and the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The F-112 was undoubtedly the most successful of these and was produced in by far the largest numbers. Until very recently aircraft of this type formed the backbone of NORAD’s long range interceptor force.
Early Development
The CIA wanted an aircraft with a maximum cruising speed of over Mach 3 which could operate at altitudes exceeding 80,000 feet, which should render the aircraft immune from interception by any known threat. The Agency gave the project the code name Project Gusto. On August 29, 1959, Lockheed was officially declared the winner of the contest and was awarded a limited development contract for design, wind-tunnel testing, and the construction of a mockup. It quickly became apparent that the aircraft they were developing had much more potential than just a reconnaissance aircraft. On September 3, 1959, the CIA authorized Lockheed to proceed with antiradar studies, aerodynamic structural tests, and engineering designs, and on 30 January 1960 the Agency gave the green light to produce 12 aircraft under the designation A-12.
Lockheed thought that the Air Force might still be interested in an F-106 replacement and suggested to the Air Force that the A-12 design would make a good platform for a Mach 3+ interceptor. Sufficient interest was expressed by the Air Force that in October of 1960 they gave Lockheed permission to modify three A-12 Airframes (the 7th, 8th, and 9th) to interceptor configuration. The designation AF-12 was initially assigned to this project. In September, 1962, these three aircraft were assigned the designation YF-112A.
The YF-112A was quite similar in overall configuration to the A-12 from which it was derived. It differed from the A-12 primarily in having a second crewman in a position immediately behind the pilot This second crewman was added to operate the extremely powerful and capable Hughes AN/ASG-18 pulse Doppler fire control radar, which had originally been developed for the F-108 Rapier and the RB-58C Hustler. The AN/ASG-18 was installed in the extreme nose of the aircraft, with the forward chines being cut back to accommodate the 40-inch radome. The ASG-18 radar supposedly had a search range as great as 500 miles. Infrared sensors were installed in the forward edges of the cut-back chines.
The YF-112A also differed from the A-12 in having armament. This armament consisted of four Hughes AIM-47A Falcon air-to-air missiles housed internally in chine bays that had previously been used to carry the reconnaissance equipment. The AIM-47A had originally been known as the GAR-9 and (like the ASG-18 radar) had originally been intended for the F-108 Rapier. When fired, the Falcon missiles were explosively ejected from their bays, and their rocket motors were fired. Powered by a storable-propellant liquid-fuelled rocket, the AIM-47A had a maximum speed of Mach 6 and an interception range of 115 miles. It had a launch weight of about 800 pounds. The missile relied on semiactive radar homing for midcourse guidance to the immediate vicinity of the target, homing in on reflections off the target resulting from transmissions from the huge ASG-18 radar. However, it used terminal infrared homing for the final run in to the target. The AIM-47 could carry a 250-kiloton nuclear warhead.
Early wind-tunnel testing indicated that there would be directional stability problems resulting from the revised nose and cockpit configuration, and a large folding fin was mounted under the aft fuselage and two shorter fixed fins were mounted underneath each nacelle.
The first YF-112A took off on its initial flight on August 7, 1963, piloted by James D. Eastham. It was equipped with a streamlined camera pod mounted underneath each engine nacelle for photographing AIM-47 missile launches. On April 16, 1964, the first airborne AIM-47 missile separation test was conducted. Unfortunately, the missile's nose-down position was not correct, and had the missile's rocket motor actually fired, the aircraft would probably have shot itself down. On March 18, a YF-112A successfully engaged a Q-2C target drone at 40,000 feet while the interceptor was flying at Mach 2.2 at an altitude of 65,000 feet. The first powered launch was undertaken on March 18, 1956. Six out of seven AIM-47 tests resulted in hits, including One fired from an altitude of 75,000 feet and a speed of Mach 3.2 against a target approaching head-on at 1500 feet.
The three YF-112As served initially with the 4786th Test Squadron at Edwards AFB. The USAF was sufficiently impressed with the performance of the YF-112A that on May 14, 1965 they ordered a total of 93 definitive F-12B aircraft into production and Congress had voted $90 million toward the project. Secretary McNamara attempted to prevent their construction by diverting the funding but this ploy was revealed and the attempt cost him his position as Secretary for Defense.
Variants
Lockheed F-112B Blackbird
The F-112B was almost identical to the YF-112A. Initially at least the aircraft proved hard to operate, having severe leakage from fuel tanks and requiring excessive operational care and maintenance. These problems were reminiscent of those experienced by the RB-58 when it first entered SAC service and, like the problems with the Hustler, slowly evaporated as experience with the aircraft grew. The first F-112Bs entered service in mid-1967 with deliveries being completed by 1969. They equipped two interceptor groups, one on each coast.
Specification of Lockheed F-112B:
Engines: Two Pratt and Whitney J-58-PW-10 turbojets, each rated at 32,500 lb.s.t. with afterburning. Performance: Maximum speed: 2,150 mph at 80,000 feet, cruise speed: 2110 mph (Mach 3.2) Maximum operational ceiling: 85,000 feet Maximum unrefuelled range: 2500 miles Dimensions: Length: 101 feet 7 inches, Wingspan: 55 feet 7 inches. Height: 18 feet 6 inches. Wing Area: 1795 square feet Weights: 60,730 pounds empty, 127,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Armament: Four Hughes AIM-47A air to air missiles which are explosively ejected downwards from paired tandem missile bays.
Lockheed F-112C Blackbird.
A productionized version of the F-112B, the F-112C was externally identical to the B-version but exploited the lessons learned in building and operating the first batch of aircraft. By 1975, 10 NORAD groups were equipped with F-112C fighters.
Lockheed F-112D Blackbird
The F-112D was introduced into service from 1980 onwards and included the ability to carry the new AIM-54 missile, its radar system being upgraded so that it could target all four of its missiles onto separate enemy aircraft.
Lockheed F-112E Blackbird
The F-112E featured a new radar system, the APG-76, that was much more reliable and had greater performance than the ASG-18. The aircraft also had improved datalinks and enhanced EW equipment
Lockheed F-112F Blackbird
All surviving F-112C and F-112D aircraft were brought up to F-112E standards as the F-112F.
Lockheed F-112G Blackbird
The F-112G has a new glass cockpit and was equipped to carry the AIM-120 missile in place of the AIM-54. This doubled the munitions stowage on the F-112 to eight missiles.
Lockheed F-112H Blackbird
Final production version of the F-112, this version was re-engineered with new internal systems, improved engines and an improved radar.
Introduction
The Lockheed F-112B Mach 3 interceptor is the fighter version from a family of combat aircraft derived from the A-12 spyplane which had been designed by Lockheed at Central Intelligence Agency request as a successor to the U-2 spyplane. The other members of the family include the B-71 strategic light bomber, the RS-71 reconnaissance strike aircraft and the SR-71 strategic reconnaissance aircraft. The F-112 was undoubtedly the most successful of these and was produced in by far the largest numbers. Until very recently aircraft of this type formed the backbone of NORAD’s long range interceptor force.
Early Development
The CIA wanted an aircraft with a maximum cruising speed of over Mach 3 which could operate at altitudes exceeding 80,000 feet, which should render the aircraft immune from interception by any known threat. The Agency gave the project the code name Project Gusto. On August 29, 1959, Lockheed was officially declared the winner of the contest and was awarded a limited development contract for design, wind-tunnel testing, and the construction of a mockup. It quickly became apparent that the aircraft they were developing had much more potential than just a reconnaissance aircraft. On September 3, 1959, the CIA authorized Lockheed to proceed with antiradar studies, aerodynamic structural tests, and engineering designs, and on 30 January 1960 the Agency gave the green light to produce 12 aircraft under the designation A-12.
Lockheed thought that the Air Force might still be interested in an F-106 replacement and suggested to the Air Force that the A-12 design would make a good platform for a Mach 3+ interceptor. Sufficient interest was expressed by the Air Force that in October of 1960 they gave Lockheed permission to modify three A-12 Airframes (the 7th, 8th, and 9th) to interceptor configuration. The designation AF-12 was initially assigned to this project. In September, 1962, these three aircraft were assigned the designation YF-112A.
The YF-112A was quite similar in overall configuration to the A-12 from which it was derived. It differed from the A-12 primarily in having a second crewman in a position immediately behind the pilot This second crewman was added to operate the extremely powerful and capable Hughes AN/ASG-18 pulse Doppler fire control radar, which had originally been developed for the F-108 Rapier and the RB-58C Hustler. The AN/ASG-18 was installed in the extreme nose of the aircraft, with the forward chines being cut back to accommodate the 40-inch radome. The ASG-18 radar supposedly had a search range as great as 500 miles. Infrared sensors were installed in the forward edges of the cut-back chines.
The YF-112A also differed from the A-12 in having armament. This armament consisted of four Hughes AIM-47A Falcon air-to-air missiles housed internally in chine bays that had previously been used to carry the reconnaissance equipment. The AIM-47A had originally been known as the GAR-9 and (like the ASG-18 radar) had originally been intended for the F-108 Rapier. When fired, the Falcon missiles were explosively ejected from their bays, and their rocket motors were fired. Powered by a storable-propellant liquid-fuelled rocket, the AIM-47A had a maximum speed of Mach 6 and an interception range of 115 miles. It had a launch weight of about 800 pounds. The missile relied on semiactive radar homing for midcourse guidance to the immediate vicinity of the target, homing in on reflections off the target resulting from transmissions from the huge ASG-18 radar. However, it used terminal infrared homing for the final run in to the target. The AIM-47 could carry a 250-kiloton nuclear warhead.
Early wind-tunnel testing indicated that there would be directional stability problems resulting from the revised nose and cockpit configuration, and a large folding fin was mounted under the aft fuselage and two shorter fixed fins were mounted underneath each nacelle.
The first YF-112A took off on its initial flight on August 7, 1963, piloted by James D. Eastham. It was equipped with a streamlined camera pod mounted underneath each engine nacelle for photographing AIM-47 missile launches. On April 16, 1964, the first airborne AIM-47 missile separation test was conducted. Unfortunately, the missile's nose-down position was not correct, and had the missile's rocket motor actually fired, the aircraft would probably have shot itself down. On March 18, a YF-112A successfully engaged a Q-2C target drone at 40,000 feet while the interceptor was flying at Mach 2.2 at an altitude of 65,000 feet. The first powered launch was undertaken on March 18, 1956. Six out of seven AIM-47 tests resulted in hits, including One fired from an altitude of 75,000 feet and a speed of Mach 3.2 against a target approaching head-on at 1500 feet.
The three YF-112As served initially with the 4786th Test Squadron at Edwards AFB. The USAF was sufficiently impressed with the performance of the YF-112A that on May 14, 1965 they ordered a total of 93 definitive F-12B aircraft into production and Congress had voted $90 million toward the project. Secretary McNamara attempted to prevent their construction by diverting the funding but this ploy was revealed and the attempt cost him his position as Secretary for Defense.
Variants
Lockheed F-112B Blackbird
The F-112B was almost identical to the YF-112A. Initially at least the aircraft proved hard to operate, having severe leakage from fuel tanks and requiring excessive operational care and maintenance. These problems were reminiscent of those experienced by the RB-58 when it first entered SAC service and, like the problems with the Hustler, slowly evaporated as experience with the aircraft grew. The first F-112Bs entered service in mid-1967 with deliveries being completed by 1969. They equipped two interceptor groups, one on each coast.
Specification of Lockheed F-112B:
Engines: Two Pratt and Whitney J-58-PW-10 turbojets, each rated at 32,500 lb.s.t. with afterburning. Performance: Maximum speed: 2,150 mph at 80,000 feet, cruise speed: 2110 mph (Mach 3.2) Maximum operational ceiling: 85,000 feet Maximum unrefuelled range: 2500 miles Dimensions: Length: 101 feet 7 inches, Wingspan: 55 feet 7 inches. Height: 18 feet 6 inches. Wing Area: 1795 square feet Weights: 60,730 pounds empty, 127,000 pounds maximum takeoff. Armament: Four Hughes AIM-47A air to air missiles which are explosively ejected downwards from paired tandem missile bays.
Lockheed F-112C Blackbird.
A productionized version of the F-112B, the F-112C was externally identical to the B-version but exploited the lessons learned in building and operating the first batch of aircraft. By 1975, 10 NORAD groups were equipped with F-112C fighters.
Lockheed F-112D Blackbird
The F-112D was introduced into service from 1980 onwards and included the ability to carry the new AIM-54 missile, its radar system being upgraded so that it could target all four of its missiles onto separate enemy aircraft.
Lockheed F-112E Blackbird
The F-112E featured a new radar system, the APG-76, that was much more reliable and had greater performance than the ASG-18. The aircraft also had improved datalinks and enhanced EW equipment
Lockheed F-112F Blackbird
All surviving F-112C and F-112D aircraft were brought up to F-112E standards as the F-112F.
Lockheed F-112G Blackbird
The F-112G has a new glass cockpit and was equipped to carry the AIM-120 missile in place of the AIM-54. This doubled the munitions stowage on the F-112 to eight missiles.
Lockheed F-112H Blackbird
Final production version of the F-112, this version was re-engineered with new internal systems, improved engines and an improved radar.
Re: US Army & US Air Force Fighters
US Navy Fighters 1940-2006
Bell Aircraft
XFL-1 Airabonita Failed attempt to develop a version of the P-39 Airacobra for carrier use.
Boeing Airplane Company
XF8B-1 Bison An attempt to design a long-range carrier fighter, the XF8B-1 was an impressive multi-role aircraft that could carry a warload of 6,400 pounds to a range of 1,300 miles while still retaining fighter-like agility and speed. While a successful design, it was powered by the R-4360 engine which was already in short supply. Priority for the R-4360 engine was, of course, held by the B-36 with the F-72 Thunderstorm and F2G Corsair competing for what production was left over. Adding the demand from an extra airframe for this engine was considered impossible and the XF8B was reluctantly abandoned.
Brewster Aeronautical Company
F2A Buffalo The U.S. Navy’s first monoplane fighter, the F2A had a controversial record to this day. In the U.S. Navy, the aircraft was condemned as a dog, slow, unresponsive and hard to maneuver. It spent a few years of operational service in the Pacific before being relegated to training roles. However, the same aircraft achieved significant success in Finnish hands, shooting down a large number of Russian aircraft during the Winter and Continuation Wars and even achieving a number of kills against Canadian aircraft on the Kola Peninsula. The F2A entered service in 1940 and was withdrawn from US Navy squadrons by the middle of 1942. However, Finnish aircraft remained in service until 1948.
F3A Corsair The Brewster F3A-1 Corsair started life as a license-built version of the Vought F4U-1D Corsair, however production of the Brewster-built aircraft was delayed and, when the first aircraft were delivered, they were found to be structurally suspect. They were restricted to 300mph and aerobatics were strictly prohibited, leaving the aircraft fit only for training duties. This caused them to be redesignated the F3A to distinguish them from combat-ready F4Us. The F3A also had the sad distinction of being the victim of the only known case of sabotage in the USA during WW2. On inspection of some newly-built F3A aircraft, it was found that holed had been drilled in the arrester hook assembly, causing this to be seriously weakened. This was the last straw and the Brewster Aviation Company was closed down by the US Government.
Convair Aviation Company
XFY-1 Pogo Designed in an attempt to produce a high-performance fighter that could be carried on merchant ships to provide air defense. This function had been carried out by Merchant Aircraft Carriers in WW2 but these were too small to carry high-performance aircraft. The XFY-1 was a vertical take-off and landing design that stood on its tail for take-off and landing and was powered by a turboprop engine. Although it performed quite successfully, the operational need for the aircraft had vanished by the time it flew in 1954 and the concept was pursued no further.
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
XF14C Seahawk A prototype fighter intended to replace the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the XF14C proved disappointing and was rejected in favor of the F6F Hellcat.
XF15C The XF15C combined an R-2800 piston engine with a J-33 jet engine in an attempt to combine piston-engined range with jet performance. The XF15C was just a little too late, the Ryan FR1 Fireball filled the very limited mixed-engine role and the XF15C was abandoned.
The Douglas Company
F2D Skyknight A large night fighter intended to replace the Grumman F7F-3, the F2D was powered by two 3,000 pound thrust J-34 jet engines and was armed with four 20mm cannon. The F2D first flew in May 1947, just one month before The Big One destroyed Germany. The first production aircraft entered service in late 1948 and detachments of four aircraft were assigned to each of the Gettysburg class aircraft carriers. The type remained in service until 1953 when it was replaced by the F3D
F3D Skyknight The F3D was a re-engined version of the F2D, powered by two 4,100 pound thrust J-46 engines and equipped with swept wings. At 630mph, it was almost 100mph faster than the F2D and replaced the older aircraft from 1952 onwards. In 1956, the F3D-5 became the first Navy fighter to be armed with Sparrow missiles, carrying four AIM-7B Sparrow II weapons in addition to its four cannon. Later F3Ds were rearmed with a pair of AIM-47 missiles. In this configuration, the F3D served until 1963 when it was replaced by the F6D.
F4D Skyray The F4D grew out of a 1947 US Navy requirement aimed at producing a short-range interceptor to defend carriers against the sort of sudden attack that had destroyed the USS Shiloh. The aircraft was powered by a single 5,000 pound thrust J-35 and first flew in this form. However, the US Navy ordered that it be re-engined with an 10,200 pound thrust J-57 (16,000 pounds thrust with afterburner) and this delayed the program by more than four years. The aircraft finally entered service in 1956. It was armed with four 20mm cannon and four Sidewinder missiles. It had a maximum speed of 732mph and a service ceiling of 55,000 feet. Skyrays proved to be very popular aircraft and the type remained in service until 1964.
F5D Skylancer Essentially a much-developed version of the F4D, the F5D had the same engine as the older aircraft but was aerodynamically refined to increase speed by 200mph to give a maximum of 953mph. Service ceiling was 57,500 feet. Increased fuel tankage doubled the aircraft’s range over the F4D and the aircraft was equipped with a radar fire control system that allowed it to carry the Sparrow II missile. Total armament was four 20mm cannon, two Sparrow missiles and four Sidewinders. The F5D entered service in 1959 with Marine Corps squadrons and remained until it was eventually replaced by the F4H in the late 1960s. After that time, it continued to operate from Navy land bases until the last aircraft were withdrawn in 1978.
F6D Missileer Designed as a replacement for the F3D Skynight, the F6D appeared to revert to the older F2D configuration with straight wings. The F6D was designed as a long-endurance patrol fighter that could engage its targets at extended range using its battery of six nuclear-tipped AIM-47 missiles. The aircraft entered service in 1962 but was never popular due to its lack-luster performance (maximum speed was less than 550mph) and reputation as a maintenance hog. In addition, its inflexibility and dedication to a single role only made this large aircraft an inefficient consumer of deck space and many carrier commanders preferred to replace their detachment of 12 F6Ds with 15 or even 18 F5Ds. The F6D was withdrawn from service (mourned by very few) in 1973.
Goodyear Aerospace
FG-1 Corsair The FG-1 started life as part of the same licensed production arrangement that gave birth to the Brewster F3A but the histories of the aircraft were very different. Originally intended as an F4U-1D, Goodyear Aerospace redesigned the aircraft with a bubble canopy, clipped wings and a cropped supercharger impeller that greatly increased performance at low altitude. As a result, the FG-1 proved ideally suited to ground attack, fighter-bomber missions and was issued to Marine Corps squadrons. Later, as the F2G-1 replaced the FG-1 in Marine units, Navy squadrons frequently “acquired” the FG-1s to replace their older-model F4Us. The FG-1 remained in service with its “adopted” squadrons well into 1949. It had a speed of 425mph and was armed with six .50 caliber machine guns plus up to two thousand pounds of bombs.
F2G Super Corsair The F2G started life when Goodyear re-engined an FG-1 with a R-4360 engine, delivering 3,500hp. Development was difficult and the type only started to enter service in mid-1945. The F2G was extremely fast at low altitude, being capable of almost 460mph. Early versions were armed with six .50 caliber machine guns and up to 3,000 pounds of bombs but the later versions had four 20mm cannon and could carry up to 4,000 pounds of external ordnance. F2G production was limited by the shortage of R-4360 engines. Postwar, the type remained in service until 1957 with both Navy and Marine Corps squadrons.
Grumman Aircraft Engineering
Grumman F3F Bobcat The F3F was the US Navy’s last biplane fighter and was still equipping a few Navy squadrons as late as mid-1941. The aircraft was then withdrawn from service and assigned to training units. However, in 1944, the surviving aircraft were returned to operational service aboard escort carriers operating with the Arctic convoys to Murmansk and Archangel. The F3F served on that run until 1946, its biplane configuration making it docile enough to operate off small flight decks in the worst of weather while the aircraft was capable enough to shoot down the converted transport aircraft the Germans were using for maritime patrol. There was even some talk of returning the type to production but this proved impractical.
F4F Wildcat The F4F Wildcat started life as a derivative of the F3F powered by the R-1830 engine but this lost to the Brewster F2A and was redesigned as a monoplane. This was more successful and the type became the US Navy’s standard fighter between 1941 and 1943. As the Vought F4U started to enter fleet service, the F4F was relegated to service in the Pacific and on escort carriers. It was finally phased out of service in 1946. The F4F was armed with four or six .50 caliber machine guns and had a speed of 320 mph. It’s service ceiling was around 34,000 feet.
XF5F Skyrocket An early attempt to produce a carrier-based twin-engined fighter, the XF5F proved to have extremely unpleasant flying characteristics and was quickly abandoned. The type was modified for land-based use as the XP-50 but its faults were too serious to remedy and it was abandoned in favor of a developed version of the P-38 Lightning.
F6F Hellcat Intended to compete with the Vought F4U Corsair, the F6F was a developed version of the F4F powered by a R-2800 engine. Despite being a competent performer, the F6F spend most of its career in obscurity, equipping fleet carrier fighter squadrons and land-based units in the Pacific, allowing the preferred F4U to be assigned to the carriers operating in the Atlantic. It was armed with six .50 caliber machine guns and could carry 2,000 pounds of bombs. It had a speed of 375 mph and a service ceiling of 37,000 feet. It entered service in mid-1943 and was withdrawn by the end of 1948.
F7F Tigercat The F7F represented Grumman’s second attempt to build a twin-engined carrier fighter and was a much more successful design. Powered by two 2,100 hp R-2800 engines, the F7F had a maximum speed of 445 mph and service ceiling of 36,000 feet. More importantly, it had a ferocious armament of four 0.5 inch machine guns in the nose, four 20mm cannon in the wing roots and up to 2,000 pounds of bombs or a torpedo. The F7F-1 first flew in mid-1943 and entered operational service in mid-1944, seeing service with some of the earliest carrier strikes on western France and the UK. The main single-seat production variant was the F7F-3 that had its maximum speed boosted to 460mph. However, the most important F7F variants were intended for night operations. A night-fighter version of the F7F, the F7F-2N was already in production. This had its nose 0.5s replaced by a radar set with the operator in a second seat behind the pilot. Maximum speed dropped to 430mph (445mph for the F7F-4N version). This configuration was exceptionally successful and the F7F-4N became the standard US Navy and (as the P-65A) Air Force night fighter. In addition, the fighter-bomber sweeps over Western Europe effectively prevented the Germans moving trucks and troop convoys in daylight, forcing them to move by night. Interdicting night transport movements was a high priority and, once again, the F7F stepped up to the mark. The F7F nightfighters proved effective and deadly at locating night supply movements by trains and trucks and the aircraft quickly became known as the “Nightwitch” to the Germans. Postwar, the F7F remained in service until 1952.
F8F Bearcat Another mistimed aircraft, the F8F Bearcat might well have seen much greater service had it not been for the development of jet aircraft. Production was limited, the F8F serving on board escort carriers and light fleet carriers that were too small to handle the F2G and FV-1. Early versions of the aircraft were armed with four 0.5 inch machine guns and could carry two thousand pounds of bombs. Later versions had four 20mm cannon. Speed was 447mph and service ceiling 40,600 feet. The F8F entered service in 1945 and the type was withdrawn by 1953.
F9F Panther Previous Grumman fighters had been dogged by ill-luck; either mistimed or limited to niche roles. The F9F Panther broke that pattern and proved a runaway success. The F9F was Grumman’s first jet fighter and was an immediate hit. Powered by a 5,750 pound thrust J-42 engine, the F9F had a speed of 594mph and a service ceiling of 44,600 feet. The first squadrons arrived in the Atlantic just in time for WW2 (seeing service on the same day as The Big One) and, despite their brief combat career proved to be quite deadly. They could match the speed of Germany’s best fighter, the Go-229 and had a 1,000 feet per minute greater climb rate (a critical point since the Go-229 pilots tended to fight in the vertical and escaped combat by climbing away from their opponent; faced with an F9F, that proved a fatal mistake. In addition, the F9F was a pilot’s aircraft, easy and forgiving to fly while its four 20mm cannon gave it a formidable punch. Postwar, the F9F quickly became the US Navy standard carrier fighter, replacing all other fighter types except for the specialized F7F and (later) the F2D. The F9F started to be replaced by the F10F in 1952 but the last examples were not withdrawn from service until 1955.
F10F Cougar A swept-wing derivative of the F9F, the F10F was powered by a 7,250 pound thrust J-48 giving it a maximum speed of 642mph. It had the same quartet of 20mm cannon as the F9F but later marks also carried four Sidewinder missiles. The F10F replaced the F9F from 1952 onwards and remained in service for almost a decade, the last examples not being replaced until 1961. Even after that time, the type soldiered on in training units, its docile characteristics making it an excellent advanced trainer.
F11F Tiger Intended as a supersonic replacement for the F10F, the F11F lost out to the Douglas F5D and the Vought F8U and only a very small number of aircraft were built for the US Navy. However, the type was approved for export and achieved significant success, being sold to the UK, India, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and South Africa.
XF12F Lion A further development of the F11F, the F12F lost out to the Vought F9U and the McDonnell F4H and was not developed further.
F13F Tomcat Marking Grumman’s return to the US Navy fighter arena and the revival of its “cat” names, the F13F first flew in 1973. Powered by two J-93 engines giving 32,000 pounds of thrust, the F13F was capable of mach 3.3 and had a service ceiling of 76,000 feet. Critically, it was armed with six of the new AIM-54 missiles on internal rotary launchers. This is a much developed version of the AIM-47 while the F13F’s AWG-9 fire control system could target all six simultaneously. The AIM-54 had a range of well over 100 miles giving the F13F a massive defense capability. The type was also produced for the USAF as the F-114. The F13F entered Navy service in 1976 and remained until it was replaced by the F14F in the early years of the 21st century.
F14F Tomcat Also known as Tomcat-21, the F14F is a revised version of the F13F using later-technology engines and electronics to reduce maintenance demands, new materials in its airframe to reduce weight and improve serviceability and generally incorporating all the experience gained with operating the F13F. Armament is increased to eight long-ranged nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles carried on internal rotary launchers.
Lockheed Aircraft Company
FV-1 Flivver Essentially a carrier-modified version of the Air Force’s F-80 Shooting Star, the FV-1 entered service in mid-1945 and remained until it was replaced by the F9F from 1947 onwards. Thus, although considered an interim type, the FV-1 carried the brunt of the fighting over France and other parts of Western Europe. It was capable of 558 mph (giving it a speed advantage of 20mph over its primary opponent, the Me-262) and was armed with six .50 caliber machine guns. Later versions were capable of 594 mph, giving them a 30mph advantage over the He-162 when that type arrived in large-scale service early in 1946.
F2V Starfire A two-seat, radar-equipped derivative of the FV-1, the F2V served briefly as a carrier nightfighter, bridging the gap between the F7F and the F2D.
XF3V Starbee A tail-sitting turbopop fighter essentially similar to the Convair XFY-1, the XF3V was underpowered and was quickly abandoned.
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
FH-1 Phantom Only powered by two 1,600 pound thrust J-30 engines, the FH-1 nevertheless managed to achieve quite respectable performance and could achieve a maximum speed of 505 mph. It was armed with four 0.5 inch machine guns and could carry 2,000 pounds of bombs. The type was pressed into service, the first examples flying combat missions in early 1945, serving as a fighter-bomber. It had a brief career since it was quickly replaced by the much more effective F2H
F2H Banshee The F2H was an enlarged and upgraded FH-1, powered by two 3,250 pound thrust J-34 engines giving it a maximum speed of 587 mph. It was armed with four 20mm cannon and could carry up to 2,000 pounds of bombs and rockets. The F2H became the standard US Navy fighter-bomber; with an almost 100mph speed advantage over the Me-262 and He-162 at low altitude, it presented the Germans with serious defensive problem. Few F2Hs were lost in air combat, most casualties falling victim to anti-aircraft fire. The service ceiling of the F2H was 48,400 feet, giving the type a theoretical capability of intercepting B-36 type bombers. In fact, it fell just short of that capability but the match was close enough for some Navy and Marine Corps squadrons to be temporarily assigned to NORAD. The last F2H aircraft were only withdrawn from US Navy service in 1955.
F3H Demon Designed to replace the F2H as a carrier-based fighter-bomber, the F3H was dogged by an underpowered and unreliable engine. Production was thus limited and the type only saw brief use between 1955 and 1958. It was capable of 628mph and had a service ceiling of 44,000 feet. It was armed with four 20mm cannon and could carry 4,000 pounds of bombs.
F4H Phantom II The F4H was a further, this time successful, attempt to build a carrier-based fighter-bomber. Powered by two 17,000 pound thrust J-79 engines, the F4H was capable of 1,485mph and had a service ceiling of 56,850 feet. The aircraft could carry up to 16,000 pounds of bombs in the bomber role or four Sparrow and four Sidewinder missiles as a fighter. Early versions were armed with four 20mm cannon, these were deleted from mid-life versions but later a 20mm Vulcan cannon was installed. The F4H entered service in 1961 and remained with navy squadrons until 1990. The type also served with the USAF as the F-110 Spectre.
North American Aviation
FJ-1 Fury The FJ-1 saw only limited US Navy service since it was overshadowed by the F9F, however the type served with distinction in the USAF as the F-74. FJ-1s joined US Navy fighter squadrons in early 1947 and the type vanished quickly post-war.
F2J Dragon With the failure of the F3H Demon, the US Navy saw an urgent need for a new fighter-bomber to replace the F2H. North American produced a derivative of their F-86 Sabredog powered by a 7,700 pound J-65 engine. This gave the aircraft a maximum speed of 680 mph, a service ceiling of 46,800 feet and, most significantly, a range of 2,000 miles, much greater than existing naval fighters. The aircraft was armed with four 20mm cannon and could carry 4,000 pounds of bombs or four Sidewinder missiles. The F2J entered service in 1955 and remained until it was replaced by the F4H from 1961 onwards.
Ryan Aircraft Corporation
Ryan FR-1 Fireball Since the early jet fighters had very short range, coupling a jet engine for performance with a piston engine for range seemed a good idea. The FR-1 had a speed of 426mph and a range of 1,030 miles which were both inferior to equivalent piston-engined aircraft. Only 66 FR-1s were built and they were assigned to escort carriers in the Pacific.
Ryan XF2R Darkshark A further development of the FR-1 idea, the F2R had a turboprop/jet combination. Again, the idea was left behind by advancing aviation developments and the 500mph XF2R was already obsolete when it first flew. The type was quickly abandoned.
Chance-Vought Corporation
F4U Corsair Well-known as the workhorse of the US Navy throughout WW2, the F4U was the standard fighter and fighter-bomber of the Navy Atlantic Fleet carriers and, although supplemented by other types, was never replaced in that role. The fighter entered service in mid-1942 but severe problems with landing delayed its operational debut until early 1943. In retrospect, it is fortunate that the US Navy faced no major surface fleet opposition in the 1941-43 era, what might have happened had it been forced to fight a naval war against a competent opponent while flying only F3F and F4F fighters is very unpleasant to contemplate. Be that as it may, the F4U was available and in squadron service by the time the Navy carriers started striking west in late-1943 onwards. The original F4U-1 was capable of 420mph, this increased to 45 mph with the F4U-4 introduced in 1944 and to 470mph with the F4U-7 introduced in 1945. The primary opponent of the F4U-7 was the Ta-152C and it is interesting to compare the two aircraft. The F4U-7 was 40mph faster across the board although the two aircraft were equal in speed if the Ta-152C used its MW-50 boost at sea level and the F4U-7 was 10mph faster than the Ta-152C using MW-50 at 16,000 feet. The F4U-7 could outclimb the Ta-152C by almost 1,000 feet per minute, could out-turn the German fighter and had a service ceiling 1,000 feet greater. The only advantage held by the German aircraft was that it had a superior roll rate. The F4U-7 remained with the Navy until 1954.
XF5U Skimmer Featuring a unique circular wing, the XF5U promised much and delivered little. It’d maximum speed was only 425mph in an era were jets were already creeping up to the 600mph mark, it had short range and it offered a big target to anti-aircraft guns. The prototype flew in 1949 and was forgotten as quickly as possible.
F6U Pirate Powered by a J-34 engine equipped with an afterburner, the F6U had a maximum speed of 535mph and a service ceiling of 40,500 feet. It was armed with the usual four 20mm cannon. 30 were built, equipping one fighter squadron that served on the USS Saratoga in the Pacific Fleet. The F6U entered service in 1947 and was withdraw a year later.
F7U Cutlass Known (not affectionately) as the “Gutless Cutlass” the F7U was intended to replace the F3D as a missile-armed all-weather interceptor. The F7U had a maximum speed of 680mph and was armed with the usual four 20mm cannon backed up by four Sparrow missiles. The aircraft was difficult and dangerous to fly and in the two years it was in service, more than a quarter of the total production run of 300 crashed.
F8U Crusader After the disaster of the F7U, Vought regained their reputation with the F8U Crusader. A highly successful replacement for the F10F, the F8U saw off competition from the F11F and the F5D to become the Navy’s standard fighter between 1957 and 1963. Capable of 1,228mph and with a service ceiling of 53,500 feet, the F8U was armed with four 20mm cannon and four Sidewinder missiles. The type would probably had a much longer service career had it not been replaced by the even better F9U.
F9U Super-Crusader Essentially marrying the airframe of the F8U with a new J-75 engine, the F9U had a sustained maximum speed of 1,550mph (a burst speed of 1,750mph was attainable but thermal limitations restricted the time that could be spent at that speed) and had a service ceiling of 60,000feet. It was armed with three Sparrow and two Sidewinder missiles. The type entered service in 1963 and was brilliantly successful and remained in service for more than 20 years, eventually being replaced by the F13F. Even then, many carrier commanders preferred to have a dedicated dogfighter on board and continued to embark F9U squadrons (usually replacing the F4H) until the type was no longer available.
F10U Crusader II Known in the Navy as the “Crusader-Max” or (to Hispanic pilots) “Matamoros” (Slayer of Moors), the F-10U is the US Navy’s current dogfighter. Experience quickly showed that reliance on the F13F/F14F family for fighter capability was unwise so, when the F4H replacement was being considered, it was decided to build another pure dogfighter. To fill this requirement, Vought took the F9U airframe, rebuilt it with modern, temperature resistant materials and shoe-horned a JS-93 turboscram engine into the fuselage. The aircraft is armed with six AIM-120 missiles in internal bays. Performance is classified but the aircraft is reputed to be capable of Mach 3.7 at 90,000 feet and speeds in excess of Mach 7 at over 125,000 feet. Mission profile is to use that performance to transit quickly to the scene of combat and then slow down to engage enemy aircraft.
Bell Aircraft
XFL-1 Airabonita Failed attempt to develop a version of the P-39 Airacobra for carrier use.
Boeing Airplane Company
XF8B-1 Bison An attempt to design a long-range carrier fighter, the XF8B-1 was an impressive multi-role aircraft that could carry a warload of 6,400 pounds to a range of 1,300 miles while still retaining fighter-like agility and speed. While a successful design, it was powered by the R-4360 engine which was already in short supply. Priority for the R-4360 engine was, of course, held by the B-36 with the F-72 Thunderstorm and F2G Corsair competing for what production was left over. Adding the demand from an extra airframe for this engine was considered impossible and the XF8B was reluctantly abandoned.
Brewster Aeronautical Company
F2A Buffalo The U.S. Navy’s first monoplane fighter, the F2A had a controversial record to this day. In the U.S. Navy, the aircraft was condemned as a dog, slow, unresponsive and hard to maneuver. It spent a few years of operational service in the Pacific before being relegated to training roles. However, the same aircraft achieved significant success in Finnish hands, shooting down a large number of Russian aircraft during the Winter and Continuation Wars and even achieving a number of kills against Canadian aircraft on the Kola Peninsula. The F2A entered service in 1940 and was withdrawn from US Navy squadrons by the middle of 1942. However, Finnish aircraft remained in service until 1948.
F3A Corsair The Brewster F3A-1 Corsair started life as a license-built version of the Vought F4U-1D Corsair, however production of the Brewster-built aircraft was delayed and, when the first aircraft were delivered, they were found to be structurally suspect. They were restricted to 300mph and aerobatics were strictly prohibited, leaving the aircraft fit only for training duties. This caused them to be redesignated the F3A to distinguish them from combat-ready F4Us. The F3A also had the sad distinction of being the victim of the only known case of sabotage in the USA during WW2. On inspection of some newly-built F3A aircraft, it was found that holed had been drilled in the arrester hook assembly, causing this to be seriously weakened. This was the last straw and the Brewster Aviation Company was closed down by the US Government.
Convair Aviation Company
XFY-1 Pogo Designed in an attempt to produce a high-performance fighter that could be carried on merchant ships to provide air defense. This function had been carried out by Merchant Aircraft Carriers in WW2 but these were too small to carry high-performance aircraft. The XFY-1 was a vertical take-off and landing design that stood on its tail for take-off and landing and was powered by a turboprop engine. Although it performed quite successfully, the operational need for the aircraft had vanished by the time it flew in 1954 and the concept was pursued no further.
Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company
XF14C Seahawk A prototype fighter intended to replace the Grumman F4F Wildcat, the XF14C proved disappointing and was rejected in favor of the F6F Hellcat.
XF15C The XF15C combined an R-2800 piston engine with a J-33 jet engine in an attempt to combine piston-engined range with jet performance. The XF15C was just a little too late, the Ryan FR1 Fireball filled the very limited mixed-engine role and the XF15C was abandoned.
The Douglas Company
F2D Skyknight A large night fighter intended to replace the Grumman F7F-3, the F2D was powered by two 3,000 pound thrust J-34 jet engines and was armed with four 20mm cannon. The F2D first flew in May 1947, just one month before The Big One destroyed Germany. The first production aircraft entered service in late 1948 and detachments of four aircraft were assigned to each of the Gettysburg class aircraft carriers. The type remained in service until 1953 when it was replaced by the F3D
F3D Skyknight The F3D was a re-engined version of the F2D, powered by two 4,100 pound thrust J-46 engines and equipped with swept wings. At 630mph, it was almost 100mph faster than the F2D and replaced the older aircraft from 1952 onwards. In 1956, the F3D-5 became the first Navy fighter to be armed with Sparrow missiles, carrying four AIM-7B Sparrow II weapons in addition to its four cannon. Later F3Ds were rearmed with a pair of AIM-47 missiles. In this configuration, the F3D served until 1963 when it was replaced by the F6D.
F4D Skyray The F4D grew out of a 1947 US Navy requirement aimed at producing a short-range interceptor to defend carriers against the sort of sudden attack that had destroyed the USS Shiloh. The aircraft was powered by a single 5,000 pound thrust J-35 and first flew in this form. However, the US Navy ordered that it be re-engined with an 10,200 pound thrust J-57 (16,000 pounds thrust with afterburner) and this delayed the program by more than four years. The aircraft finally entered service in 1956. It was armed with four 20mm cannon and four Sidewinder missiles. It had a maximum speed of 732mph and a service ceiling of 55,000 feet. Skyrays proved to be very popular aircraft and the type remained in service until 1964.
F5D Skylancer Essentially a much-developed version of the F4D, the F5D had the same engine as the older aircraft but was aerodynamically refined to increase speed by 200mph to give a maximum of 953mph. Service ceiling was 57,500 feet. Increased fuel tankage doubled the aircraft’s range over the F4D and the aircraft was equipped with a radar fire control system that allowed it to carry the Sparrow II missile. Total armament was four 20mm cannon, two Sparrow missiles and four Sidewinders. The F5D entered service in 1959 with Marine Corps squadrons and remained until it was eventually replaced by the F4H in the late 1960s. After that time, it continued to operate from Navy land bases until the last aircraft were withdrawn in 1978.
F6D Missileer Designed as a replacement for the F3D Skynight, the F6D appeared to revert to the older F2D configuration with straight wings. The F6D was designed as a long-endurance patrol fighter that could engage its targets at extended range using its battery of six nuclear-tipped AIM-47 missiles. The aircraft entered service in 1962 but was never popular due to its lack-luster performance (maximum speed was less than 550mph) and reputation as a maintenance hog. In addition, its inflexibility and dedication to a single role only made this large aircraft an inefficient consumer of deck space and many carrier commanders preferred to replace their detachment of 12 F6Ds with 15 or even 18 F5Ds. The F6D was withdrawn from service (mourned by very few) in 1973.
Goodyear Aerospace
FG-1 Corsair The FG-1 started life as part of the same licensed production arrangement that gave birth to the Brewster F3A but the histories of the aircraft were very different. Originally intended as an F4U-1D, Goodyear Aerospace redesigned the aircraft with a bubble canopy, clipped wings and a cropped supercharger impeller that greatly increased performance at low altitude. As a result, the FG-1 proved ideally suited to ground attack, fighter-bomber missions and was issued to Marine Corps squadrons. Later, as the F2G-1 replaced the FG-1 in Marine units, Navy squadrons frequently “acquired” the FG-1s to replace their older-model F4Us. The FG-1 remained in service with its “adopted” squadrons well into 1949. It had a speed of 425mph and was armed with six .50 caliber machine guns plus up to two thousand pounds of bombs.
F2G Super Corsair The F2G started life when Goodyear re-engined an FG-1 with a R-4360 engine, delivering 3,500hp. Development was difficult and the type only started to enter service in mid-1945. The F2G was extremely fast at low altitude, being capable of almost 460mph. Early versions were armed with six .50 caliber machine guns and up to 3,000 pounds of bombs but the later versions had four 20mm cannon and could carry up to 4,000 pounds of external ordnance. F2G production was limited by the shortage of R-4360 engines. Postwar, the type remained in service until 1957 with both Navy and Marine Corps squadrons.
Grumman Aircraft Engineering
Grumman F3F Bobcat The F3F was the US Navy’s last biplane fighter and was still equipping a few Navy squadrons as late as mid-1941. The aircraft was then withdrawn from service and assigned to training units. However, in 1944, the surviving aircraft were returned to operational service aboard escort carriers operating with the Arctic convoys to Murmansk and Archangel. The F3F served on that run until 1946, its biplane configuration making it docile enough to operate off small flight decks in the worst of weather while the aircraft was capable enough to shoot down the converted transport aircraft the Germans were using for maritime patrol. There was even some talk of returning the type to production but this proved impractical.
F4F Wildcat The F4F Wildcat started life as a derivative of the F3F powered by the R-1830 engine but this lost to the Brewster F2A and was redesigned as a monoplane. This was more successful and the type became the US Navy’s standard fighter between 1941 and 1943. As the Vought F4U started to enter fleet service, the F4F was relegated to service in the Pacific and on escort carriers. It was finally phased out of service in 1946. The F4F was armed with four or six .50 caliber machine guns and had a speed of 320 mph. It’s service ceiling was around 34,000 feet.
XF5F Skyrocket An early attempt to produce a carrier-based twin-engined fighter, the XF5F proved to have extremely unpleasant flying characteristics and was quickly abandoned. The type was modified for land-based use as the XP-50 but its faults were too serious to remedy and it was abandoned in favor of a developed version of the P-38 Lightning.
F6F Hellcat Intended to compete with the Vought F4U Corsair, the F6F was a developed version of the F4F powered by a R-2800 engine. Despite being a competent performer, the F6F spend most of its career in obscurity, equipping fleet carrier fighter squadrons and land-based units in the Pacific, allowing the preferred F4U to be assigned to the carriers operating in the Atlantic. It was armed with six .50 caliber machine guns and could carry 2,000 pounds of bombs. It had a speed of 375 mph and a service ceiling of 37,000 feet. It entered service in mid-1943 and was withdrawn by the end of 1948.
F7F Tigercat The F7F represented Grumman’s second attempt to build a twin-engined carrier fighter and was a much more successful design. Powered by two 2,100 hp R-2800 engines, the F7F had a maximum speed of 445 mph and service ceiling of 36,000 feet. More importantly, it had a ferocious armament of four 0.5 inch machine guns in the nose, four 20mm cannon in the wing roots and up to 2,000 pounds of bombs or a torpedo. The F7F-1 first flew in mid-1943 and entered operational service in mid-1944, seeing service with some of the earliest carrier strikes on western France and the UK. The main single-seat production variant was the F7F-3 that had its maximum speed boosted to 460mph. However, the most important F7F variants were intended for night operations. A night-fighter version of the F7F, the F7F-2N was already in production. This had its nose 0.5s replaced by a radar set with the operator in a second seat behind the pilot. Maximum speed dropped to 430mph (445mph for the F7F-4N version). This configuration was exceptionally successful and the F7F-4N became the standard US Navy and (as the P-65A) Air Force night fighter. In addition, the fighter-bomber sweeps over Western Europe effectively prevented the Germans moving trucks and troop convoys in daylight, forcing them to move by night. Interdicting night transport movements was a high priority and, once again, the F7F stepped up to the mark. The F7F nightfighters proved effective and deadly at locating night supply movements by trains and trucks and the aircraft quickly became known as the “Nightwitch” to the Germans. Postwar, the F7F remained in service until 1952.
F8F Bearcat Another mistimed aircraft, the F8F Bearcat might well have seen much greater service had it not been for the development of jet aircraft. Production was limited, the F8F serving on board escort carriers and light fleet carriers that were too small to handle the F2G and FV-1. Early versions of the aircraft were armed with four 0.5 inch machine guns and could carry two thousand pounds of bombs. Later versions had four 20mm cannon. Speed was 447mph and service ceiling 40,600 feet. The F8F entered service in 1945 and the type was withdrawn by 1953.
F9F Panther Previous Grumman fighters had been dogged by ill-luck; either mistimed or limited to niche roles. The F9F Panther broke that pattern and proved a runaway success. The F9F was Grumman’s first jet fighter and was an immediate hit. Powered by a 5,750 pound thrust J-42 engine, the F9F had a speed of 594mph and a service ceiling of 44,600 feet. The first squadrons arrived in the Atlantic just in time for WW2 (seeing service on the same day as The Big One) and, despite their brief combat career proved to be quite deadly. They could match the speed of Germany’s best fighter, the Go-229 and had a 1,000 feet per minute greater climb rate (a critical point since the Go-229 pilots tended to fight in the vertical and escaped combat by climbing away from their opponent; faced with an F9F, that proved a fatal mistake. In addition, the F9F was a pilot’s aircraft, easy and forgiving to fly while its four 20mm cannon gave it a formidable punch. Postwar, the F9F quickly became the US Navy standard carrier fighter, replacing all other fighter types except for the specialized F7F and (later) the F2D. The F9F started to be replaced by the F10F in 1952 but the last examples were not withdrawn from service until 1955.
F10F Cougar A swept-wing derivative of the F9F, the F10F was powered by a 7,250 pound thrust J-48 giving it a maximum speed of 642mph. It had the same quartet of 20mm cannon as the F9F but later marks also carried four Sidewinder missiles. The F10F replaced the F9F from 1952 onwards and remained in service for almost a decade, the last examples not being replaced until 1961. Even after that time, the type soldiered on in training units, its docile characteristics making it an excellent advanced trainer.
F11F Tiger Intended as a supersonic replacement for the F10F, the F11F lost out to the Douglas F5D and the Vought F8U and only a very small number of aircraft were built for the US Navy. However, the type was approved for export and achieved significant success, being sold to the UK, India, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and South Africa.
XF12F Lion A further development of the F11F, the F12F lost out to the Vought F9U and the McDonnell F4H and was not developed further.
F13F Tomcat Marking Grumman’s return to the US Navy fighter arena and the revival of its “cat” names, the F13F first flew in 1973. Powered by two J-93 engines giving 32,000 pounds of thrust, the F13F was capable of mach 3.3 and had a service ceiling of 76,000 feet. Critically, it was armed with six of the new AIM-54 missiles on internal rotary launchers. This is a much developed version of the AIM-47 while the F13F’s AWG-9 fire control system could target all six simultaneously. The AIM-54 had a range of well over 100 miles giving the F13F a massive defense capability. The type was also produced for the USAF as the F-114. The F13F entered Navy service in 1976 and remained until it was replaced by the F14F in the early years of the 21st century.
F14F Tomcat Also known as Tomcat-21, the F14F is a revised version of the F13F using later-technology engines and electronics to reduce maintenance demands, new materials in its airframe to reduce weight and improve serviceability and generally incorporating all the experience gained with operating the F13F. Armament is increased to eight long-ranged nuclear-tipped air-to-air missiles carried on internal rotary launchers.
Lockheed Aircraft Company
FV-1 Flivver Essentially a carrier-modified version of the Air Force’s F-80 Shooting Star, the FV-1 entered service in mid-1945 and remained until it was replaced by the F9F from 1947 onwards. Thus, although considered an interim type, the FV-1 carried the brunt of the fighting over France and other parts of Western Europe. It was capable of 558 mph (giving it a speed advantage of 20mph over its primary opponent, the Me-262) and was armed with six .50 caliber machine guns. Later versions were capable of 594 mph, giving them a 30mph advantage over the He-162 when that type arrived in large-scale service early in 1946.
F2V Starfire A two-seat, radar-equipped derivative of the FV-1, the F2V served briefly as a carrier nightfighter, bridging the gap between the F7F and the F2D.
XF3V Starbee A tail-sitting turbopop fighter essentially similar to the Convair XFY-1, the XF3V was underpowered and was quickly abandoned.
McDonnell Aircraft Corporation
FH-1 Phantom Only powered by two 1,600 pound thrust J-30 engines, the FH-1 nevertheless managed to achieve quite respectable performance and could achieve a maximum speed of 505 mph. It was armed with four 0.5 inch machine guns and could carry 2,000 pounds of bombs. The type was pressed into service, the first examples flying combat missions in early 1945, serving as a fighter-bomber. It had a brief career since it was quickly replaced by the much more effective F2H
F2H Banshee The F2H was an enlarged and upgraded FH-1, powered by two 3,250 pound thrust J-34 engines giving it a maximum speed of 587 mph. It was armed with four 20mm cannon and could carry up to 2,000 pounds of bombs and rockets. The F2H became the standard US Navy fighter-bomber; with an almost 100mph speed advantage over the Me-262 and He-162 at low altitude, it presented the Germans with serious defensive problem. Few F2Hs were lost in air combat, most casualties falling victim to anti-aircraft fire. The service ceiling of the F2H was 48,400 feet, giving the type a theoretical capability of intercepting B-36 type bombers. In fact, it fell just short of that capability but the match was close enough for some Navy and Marine Corps squadrons to be temporarily assigned to NORAD. The last F2H aircraft were only withdrawn from US Navy service in 1955.
F3H Demon Designed to replace the F2H as a carrier-based fighter-bomber, the F3H was dogged by an underpowered and unreliable engine. Production was thus limited and the type only saw brief use between 1955 and 1958. It was capable of 628mph and had a service ceiling of 44,000 feet. It was armed with four 20mm cannon and could carry 4,000 pounds of bombs.
F4H Phantom II The F4H was a further, this time successful, attempt to build a carrier-based fighter-bomber. Powered by two 17,000 pound thrust J-79 engines, the F4H was capable of 1,485mph and had a service ceiling of 56,850 feet. The aircraft could carry up to 16,000 pounds of bombs in the bomber role or four Sparrow and four Sidewinder missiles as a fighter. Early versions were armed with four 20mm cannon, these were deleted from mid-life versions but later a 20mm Vulcan cannon was installed. The F4H entered service in 1961 and remained with navy squadrons until 1990. The type also served with the USAF as the F-110 Spectre.
North American Aviation
FJ-1 Fury The FJ-1 saw only limited US Navy service since it was overshadowed by the F9F, however the type served with distinction in the USAF as the F-74. FJ-1s joined US Navy fighter squadrons in early 1947 and the type vanished quickly post-war.
F2J Dragon With the failure of the F3H Demon, the US Navy saw an urgent need for a new fighter-bomber to replace the F2H. North American produced a derivative of their F-86 Sabredog powered by a 7,700 pound J-65 engine. This gave the aircraft a maximum speed of 680 mph, a service ceiling of 46,800 feet and, most significantly, a range of 2,000 miles, much greater than existing naval fighters. The aircraft was armed with four 20mm cannon and could carry 4,000 pounds of bombs or four Sidewinder missiles. The F2J entered service in 1955 and remained until it was replaced by the F4H from 1961 onwards.
Ryan Aircraft Corporation
Ryan FR-1 Fireball Since the early jet fighters had very short range, coupling a jet engine for performance with a piston engine for range seemed a good idea. The FR-1 had a speed of 426mph and a range of 1,030 miles which were both inferior to equivalent piston-engined aircraft. Only 66 FR-1s were built and they were assigned to escort carriers in the Pacific.
Ryan XF2R Darkshark A further development of the FR-1 idea, the F2R had a turboprop/jet combination. Again, the idea was left behind by advancing aviation developments and the 500mph XF2R was already obsolete when it first flew. The type was quickly abandoned.
Chance-Vought Corporation
F4U Corsair Well-known as the workhorse of the US Navy throughout WW2, the F4U was the standard fighter and fighter-bomber of the Navy Atlantic Fleet carriers and, although supplemented by other types, was never replaced in that role. The fighter entered service in mid-1942 but severe problems with landing delayed its operational debut until early 1943. In retrospect, it is fortunate that the US Navy faced no major surface fleet opposition in the 1941-43 era, what might have happened had it been forced to fight a naval war against a competent opponent while flying only F3F and F4F fighters is very unpleasant to contemplate. Be that as it may, the F4U was available and in squadron service by the time the Navy carriers started striking west in late-1943 onwards. The original F4U-1 was capable of 420mph, this increased to 45 mph with the F4U-4 introduced in 1944 and to 470mph with the F4U-7 introduced in 1945. The primary opponent of the F4U-7 was the Ta-152C and it is interesting to compare the two aircraft. The F4U-7 was 40mph faster across the board although the two aircraft were equal in speed if the Ta-152C used its MW-50 boost at sea level and the F4U-7 was 10mph faster than the Ta-152C using MW-50 at 16,000 feet. The F4U-7 could outclimb the Ta-152C by almost 1,000 feet per minute, could out-turn the German fighter and had a service ceiling 1,000 feet greater. The only advantage held by the German aircraft was that it had a superior roll rate. The F4U-7 remained with the Navy until 1954.
XF5U Skimmer Featuring a unique circular wing, the XF5U promised much and delivered little. It’d maximum speed was only 425mph in an era were jets were already creeping up to the 600mph mark, it had short range and it offered a big target to anti-aircraft guns. The prototype flew in 1949 and was forgotten as quickly as possible.
F6U Pirate Powered by a J-34 engine equipped with an afterburner, the F6U had a maximum speed of 535mph and a service ceiling of 40,500 feet. It was armed with the usual four 20mm cannon. 30 were built, equipping one fighter squadron that served on the USS Saratoga in the Pacific Fleet. The F6U entered service in 1947 and was withdraw a year later.
F7U Cutlass Known (not affectionately) as the “Gutless Cutlass” the F7U was intended to replace the F3D as a missile-armed all-weather interceptor. The F7U had a maximum speed of 680mph and was armed with the usual four 20mm cannon backed up by four Sparrow missiles. The aircraft was difficult and dangerous to fly and in the two years it was in service, more than a quarter of the total production run of 300 crashed.
F8U Crusader After the disaster of the F7U, Vought regained their reputation with the F8U Crusader. A highly successful replacement for the F10F, the F8U saw off competition from the F11F and the F5D to become the Navy’s standard fighter between 1957 and 1963. Capable of 1,228mph and with a service ceiling of 53,500 feet, the F8U was armed with four 20mm cannon and four Sidewinder missiles. The type would probably had a much longer service career had it not been replaced by the even better F9U.
F9U Super-Crusader Essentially marrying the airframe of the F8U with a new J-75 engine, the F9U had a sustained maximum speed of 1,550mph (a burst speed of 1,750mph was attainable but thermal limitations restricted the time that could be spent at that speed) and had a service ceiling of 60,000feet. It was armed with three Sparrow and two Sidewinder missiles. The type entered service in 1963 and was brilliantly successful and remained in service for more than 20 years, eventually being replaced by the F13F. Even then, many carrier commanders preferred to have a dedicated dogfighter on board and continued to embark F9U squadrons (usually replacing the F4H) until the type was no longer available.
F10U Crusader II Known in the Navy as the “Crusader-Max” or (to Hispanic pilots) “Matamoros” (Slayer of Moors), the F-10U is the US Navy’s current dogfighter. Experience quickly showed that reliance on the F13F/F14F family for fighter capability was unwise so, when the F4H replacement was being considered, it was decided to build another pure dogfighter. To fill this requirement, Vought took the F9U airframe, rebuilt it with modern, temperature resistant materials and shoe-horned a JS-93 turboscram engine into the fuselage. The aircraft is armed with six AIM-120 missiles in internal bays. Performance is classified but the aircraft is reputed to be capable of Mach 3.7 at 90,000 feet and speeds in excess of Mach 7 at over 125,000 feet. Mission profile is to use that performance to transit quickly to the scene of combat and then slow down to engage enemy aircraft.