Hughes XR-11 / XF-11 Long-Range Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft Prototype

The Hughes XF-11 reconnaissance-minded platform only saw two prototypes completed - the first crashing into the suburb of Beverly Hills with Howard Hughes at the controls.

Detailing the development and operational history of the Hughes XR-11 / XF-11 Long-Range Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft Prototype. Entry last updated on 6/28/2018. Authored by Staff Writer. Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com

Though only achieving prototype form, the XF-11 was one of the darling designs of famed American aviator Howard Hughes. Looking very much like an oversized Lockheed P-38, the twin-boom XF-11 was designed to fulfill a United States military requirement for a long-range photographic reconnaissance fighter. The project progressed with great potential until a disastrous crash of Prototype 1 in the suburbs of Beverly Hills (nearly taking the life of Hughes himself) effectively caused the cancellation of the entire project. The XF-11 would face off with Republic's offering of the XF-12 "Rainbow" only to see neither design chosen at project's end.

The XF-11 was of a traditional twin-boom design, popularized in other forms such as the Northrop P-61 Black Widow and the aforementioned Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The first of two prototypes featured contra-rotating propeller systems on each engine, offering up a great deal of power and performance potential at the cost of increased maintenance and production times. The X-11 featured a powered tricycle landing gear system which proved successful in other designs during the Second world War. The fuselage was constructed of all metal with a two-man crew - the pilot and a radio operator - in a center-fuselage nacelle with complete cabin pressurization for high-altitude capability. Pratt & Whitney brand engines were selected to power the design and these powerplants would turn two four-bladed propeller systems with variable pitch settings. With the Beverly Hills crash blamed on engine failure, the second XF-11 prototype was engineered with traditional non-contra-rotating propeller blade systems.

By all respects, the XF-11 performed admirably well considering the dramatic series of setbacks to the project. Stability and control at high speeds was especially noteworthy though exception was made to the low-altitude stability and performance the system encouraged. A complicated aircraft to fly when compared to others of this type, the XF-11 was nonetheless a capable design in most respects.

Pitted against the Republic XF-12, the XF-11 was deemed as too costly to maintain and produce along with the complications inherent in the system's design. Even with the XF-12 having an edge, the United States Air Force ultimately went with the Boeing produced RB-50 reconnaissance aircraft, citing its respectable range and reconnaissance capabilities equal to that of either XF offering with a lesser price tag.

Any available statistics for the Hughes XR-11 / XF-11 Long-Range Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft Prototype are showcased in the areas immediately below. Categories include basic specifications covering country-of-origin, operational status, manufacture(s) and total quantitative production. Other qualities showcased are related to structural values (namely dimensions), installed power and standard day performance figures, installed or proposed armament and mission equipment (if any), global users (from A-to-Z) and series model variants (if any).

General Assessment (BETA)

Firepower

Performance

Survivability

Versatility

Impact

Rating: 44 (of 100)
The rating is an internal assessment derived from forty factors pertaining to this entry.

Relative Maximum Speed Rating

Hi: 500mph

Lo: 250mph

This entry's maximum listed speed (447mph).

Graph average of 375 miles-per-hour.

City-to-City Ranges

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Graph showcases the Hughes XR-11 / XF-11's operational range (on internal fuel) when compared to distances between major cities.

Aviation Era

Useful in showcasing the era cross-over of particular aircraft/aerospace designs.

Unit Production Comparison

Comm. Market HI*: 44,000 units

Military Market HI**: 36,183 units

2

* Commercial Market High belongs to Cessna 172.

** Military Market High belongs to Ilyushin Il-2.

Altitude Visualization

Compare this entry against other aircraft using our Comparison Tool

Supported Mission Types:

Anti-Ship

Airborne Early Warning

VIP Travel

Origin: United States

Year: 1946

Type: Long-Range Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft Prototype

Manufacturer(s): Hughes Aircraft - USA

Production: 2

Status: Cancelled

Global Operators:
United States (cancelled)

Historical Commitments / Honors:

Military lapel ribbon for Operation Allied Force

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Britain

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Midway

Military lapel ribbon for the Berlin Airlift

Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the French-Indochina War

Military lapel ribbon for the Golden Age of Flight

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Iran-Iraq War

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1982 Lebanon War

Military lapel ribbon for the Malayan Emergency

Military lapel ribbon for the attack on Pearl Harbor

Military lapel ribbon for the Six Day War

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Suez Crisis

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for Warsaw Pact of the Cold War-era

Military lapel ribbon for the WASP (WW2)

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur

* Ribbons not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns/operations.

Structural - Crew, Dimensions, and Weights:
Unless otherwise noted the presented statistics below pertain to the Hughes XR-11 / XF-11 model. Common measurements, and their respective conversions, are shown when possible.

Operational
CREW

Personnel
2

Dimension
LENGTH

Feet
65.42 ft

Meters
19.94 m

Dimension
WIDTH

Feet
101.35 ft

Meters
30.89 m

Dimension
HEIGHT

Feet
23.16 ft

Meters
7.06 m

Weight
EMPTY

Pounds
37,038 lb

Kilograms
16,800 kg

Weight
LOADED

Pounds
58,202 lb

Kilograms
26,400 kg

Installed Power - Standard Day Performance:
2 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360-31 radial piston engines developing 3,000 horsepower each.

Performance
SPEED

Miles-per-Hour
447 mph

Kilometers-per-Hour
720 kph

Knots
389 kts

Performance
RANGE

Miles
4,971 mi

Kilometers
8,000 km

Nautical Miles
4,320 nm

Performance
CEILING

Feet
44,012 ft

Meters
13,415 m

Miles
8.34 mi

Armament - Hardpoints (0):

None.

Variants: Series Model Variants
• XF-11 - Original Series Designation; 2 examples produced with the first offering featuring contra-rotating blades and the second with traditional propeller blade assemblies.
• XR-11 - Later Designation