Curtiss VF-11A

Jet-Powered Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal

United States | 1947

"The Curtiss VF-11A was the second of three designs put forth by the company to hopefully satisfy a future USN fleet defender requirement."

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/06/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The road to the United States Navy's next fleet defense fighter went down many paths after the close of World War 2 (1939-1945) where prop-driven types dominated carrier decks. The service was beginning its needed transition to turbojet-powered forms and the Curtiss concern attempted to supply the branch with its next fighter by undertaking a few proposals to help satisfy the future need. Work in 1946 produced three similar results all related to the VF-11 initiative, these included "VF-11" itself (detailed elsewhere on this site) as well as subsequent designs in "VF-11A" and "VF-11B". While none of the offerings were selected for further work, they still provide an interesting look into the design direction aeroplane-makers were headed in during the early stages of the Cold War period (1947-1991).

The earlier VF-11 utilized a "tailed delta-wing" planform, resulting in an arrow-like shape with its singular rounded rudder fin set dorsally. The pilot was positioned at the nose in the usual way and the twin-engine arrangement (side-by-side) was aspirated by twin air intakes to either side of the cockpit. Proposed armament was six 5" high-velocity aerial rockets launched from a port at the nose's lower left side and ground running was to be made possible through a retractable, wheeled tricycle arrangement.

This approach was somewhat changed with the introduction of VF-11A. The same general form-and-function of the aircraft was retained save for the switch to a single-engine layout set to feature the promising, in-development British Rolls-Royce "Nene" turbojet engine over the original Westinghouse 24C pairing. This single engine was expected to deliver a thrust output of 5,000lb and, for its aspiration, the intakes of VF-11 were reworked for the needed flow. Like the VF-11, the VF-11A would also utilize a short-burn, rocket booster accelerator to achieve the required time-to-altitude. Beyond this, the tail rudder fin was slightly redesigned to feature a clipped tip (instead the original's rounded shape).

As with the VF-11 before it, the equally-promising VF-11A went nowhere and ended its days as a "paper airplane" alongside VF-11 and VF-11B. The VF-11B that followed and was a mostly complete rework of both designs in that conventional swept-back mainplanes were added and a "V-tail" tailplane arrange replaced the original's single fin.

In any case, the USN eventually took on stocks of the Douglas "Skyray" and McDonnell "Demon" jet fighters for its fleet defense needs.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Curtiss VF-11A Jet-Powered Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal.

1 x Rolls-Royce "Nene" turbojet afterburning engine developing 5,000lb thrust with 1 x Rocket booster motor generating additional 1,000lb of thrust for short-term, fast-acceleration to reach interception altitude.
Propulsion

677 mph
1,090 kph | 589 kts
Max Speed

50,033 ft
15,250 m | 9 miles
Service Ceiling

25,000 ft/min
7,620 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Curtiss VF-11A Jet-Powered Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

30.0 ft
9.15 m
O/A Length

30.0 ft
(9.15 m)
O/A Width

8,708 lb
(3,950 kg)
Empty Weight

10,240 lb
(4,645 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Curtiss VF-11A Jet-Powered Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal .

PROPOSED:
6 x 5" (127mm) High-Explosive (HE), fin-stabilized aerial rockets fired from lower left side of nose assembly.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Curtiss VF-11A family line.

VF-11 - Base Fighter Proposal of 1946.

VF-11A - Revised proposal with squared-off vertical tail fin and single Rolls-Royce turbojet engine.

VF-11B - Revised proposal showcasing more traditional fighter design mainplane wing arrangement; outward-canted V-style tail unit.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Curtiss VF-11A. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units
Contractor(s): Curtiss Aeroplane Company - USA

[ United States (cancelled) ]

1 / 1

Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Similar
Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the Curtiss VF-11A Jet-Powered Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal.

Curtiss VF-11

Going Further...
The Curtiss VF-11A Jet-Powered Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal appears in the following collections:

HOME

AVIATION INDEX

AIRCRAFT BY COUNTRY

AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Scale Military Ranks of the World U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols Breakdown U.S. 5-Star Generals List WWII Weapons by Country World War Next

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2024 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2024 (21yrs)