Vought XF2U

Last updated
XF2U
Vought XF2U-1.jpg
RoleFighter
National origin United States
Manufacturer Vought
Designer Chance M. Vought [1]
First flight21 June 1929 [1]

The Vought XF2U was a prototype biplane fighter aircraft evaluated by the United States Navy at the end of the 1920s, but was already outclassed by competing designs and never put into production.

Biplane Airplane wing configuration with two vertically stacked main flying surfaces

A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage over a monoplane, it produces more drag than a similar unbraced or cantilever monoplane wing. Improved structural techniques, better materials and the quest for greater speed made the biplane configuration obsolete for most purposes by the late 1930s.

Fighter aircraft Military aircraft designed particularly for air-to-air combat against other aircraft

A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat against other aircraft, as opposed to bombers and attack aircraft, whose main mission is to attack ground targets. The hallmarks of a fighter are its speed, maneuverability, and small size relative to other combat aircraft. Although helicopters are sometimes used in similar roles, the term fighter is at present applied only to fixed-wing aircraft.

United States Navy Naval warfare branch of US Armed Forces

The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most capable navy in the world and it has been estimated that in terms of tonnage of its active battle fleet alone, it is larger than the next 13 navies combined, which includes 11 U.S. allies or partner nations. It has the highest combined battle fleet tonnage and the world's largest aircraft carrier fleet, with eleven in service, and two new carriers under construction. With 336,978 personnel on active duty and 101,583 in the Ready Reserve, the U.S. Navy is the third largest of the U.S. military service branches in terms of personnel. It has 290 deployable combat vessels and more than 3,700 operational aircraft as of June 2019, making it the third-largest air force in the world, after the United States Air Force and the United States Army.

Contents

Development and design

Vought's O2U Corsair, first delivered in 1927, was a successful design that set several speed and altitude record in that year. To compete for the Bureau of Aeronautics requirement for a two-seat carrier-based fighter, Vought adapted this design, but progress was slow. Ordered on 30 June 1927, the aircraft was not completed until June 1929. It was no longer state-of-the-art; in particular Curtiss' F8C Falcon was further along. [1]

The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" for the design, procurement, and support of Naval aircraft and related systems. Aerial weapons, however, were under the cognizance of the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd).

The aircraft was constructed of welded steel tubing, covered in fabric. The wings were made of wood and fabric covered. The prototype first flew on 21 June 1929, and was tested on a simulated carrier deck in Norfolk, Virginia. It was found satisfactory, allaying concerns about problems due to the rather long cowling over the engine. The aircraft then went to the Naval Aircraft Factory, who operated it until 6 March 1931, when it was lost in a crash landing. [1]

Norfolk, Virginia Independent city in Virginia, United States

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. At the 2010 census, the population was 242,803; in 2017, the population was estimated to be 244,703 making it the second-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach and the 91st largest city in the nation.

A cowling is the covering of a vehicle's engine, most often found on automobiles and aircraft.

Naval Aircraft Factory 1918-1945 aircraft manufacturer in the United States

The Naval Aircraft Factory (NAF) was established by the United States Navy in 1918 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was created to help solve aircraft supply issues which faced the Navy Department upon the entry of the U.S. into World War I. The US Army’s requirements for an enormous quantity of airplanes created a decided lack of interest among aircraft manufacturers in the Navy's requirements for a comparatively small quantity of aircraft. The Navy Department concluded that it was necessary to build a Navy-owned aircraft factory in order to assure a part of its aircraft supply; to obtain cost data for the department’s guidance in its dealings with private manufacturers; and to have under its own control a factory capable of producing experimental designs.

Specifications

Data from The American Fighter from 1917 to the present [1]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Angelucci, Enzo (1987). The American Fighter from 1917 to the present. New York: Orion Books. pp. 433–434. ISBN   0-517-56588-9.

Further reading

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