Vought XF5U (Flying Flapjack)

Experimental Fighter Aircraft [ 1943 ]

Of the two XF5U airframes built by Vought for the US Navy, only one was ever completed - ending her days as a museum showpiece.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 07/13/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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The promising nature of the Vought V-173 technology demonstrator produced a US Navy fighter contract for an expanded prototype form on June 30th, 1942. Engineer Charles Zimmerman had developed his wing-less "pancake" concept into the 1930s and was able to produce several scale models including the small V-162 test vehicle upon joining the Vought ranks as a consultant. From this came the V-173 which proved some of the concept sound, the design incorporating a circular fuselage with two leading-edge propeller engines and a centralized single-seat cockpit. Of course the military-grade version would require considerable modification and this made the follow-up XF5U something of a whole new beast.

The basic concept remained the same though structural dimensions were increased to accommodate more powerful engines, a new cockpit and fuselage as well as consideration for armament (this was to be a Navy fighter after all). The original 80-horsepower engines gave way to 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7 "Twin Wasp" radial piston engines of 1,350 horsepower each (driving four-bladed propellers). Dimensions included a length of 28 feet, 7 inches, a width of 32 feet, 6 inches and a height of 14 feet, 9 inches. Comparatively, the V-173 showcased a length of 26 feet, 8 inches, a width of 23 feet, 4 inches and an equal height. Loaded weights of both designs were notable, the V-173 topping the scales at 2,260lbs with the revised XF5U weighing 16,720lbs.The V-173 was also constructed of wood with fabric covering and sported a fixed undercarriage; the XF5U would be completed with a metal structure and metal skin as well as a retractable undercarriage. One of the more notable additions to the XF5U model was its inclusion of two circular intakes at the leading edges of the fuselage for aspirating the radial piston engines buried within the fuselage. As with the V-173, the XF5U relied on a network of shafts to drive its unorthodox engine installation.

US Navy authorities were already thinking ahead with their possible fleet of wingless aircraft. They envisioned a fighter-type entity with support for two external fuel drop tanks to counter the ranges required of over-sea travel. She would be capably-armed with either 6 x 0.50 Browning heavy machine guns or up to 4 x 20mm cannons. She was also intended for light bombing and provision for 2 x 1,000lb bombs were shortly added. The Navy looked for its new aircraft to reach a maximum speed of 500 miles per hour and out to ranges of 1,000 miles.

Vought was handed a contract to produce two airframes - one to serve as a static test bed and the other to become the full-fledged flyable platform. Vought returned with a wooden mockup which went under review by US Navy staff in June of 1943. This paved the way for a more finalized form appearing on June 25th, 1945. Testing of the "flyable" prototype revealed a host of technological issues primarily related to the powerplants (generally overheating) and the complicated gearbox arrangement which turned the flyable XF5U-1 into a recognized danger if pushed.

The war in Europe had drawn to a close in May of 1945 and the war in the Pacific followed in September. Many military programs were either shelved or scuttled altogether and the XF5U now fell under threat. Additionally, strides made in the realm of turbojet-powered flight further signaled the end for the propeller-driven, highly-novel XF5U. Its technological battle as well as ballooning program costs eventually led to its cancellation on March 17th, 1947. The two airframes were then subsequently scrapped, bringing an end to the "Flying Flapjack" endeavor of the US Navy.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1943

Origin

United States

Status

CANCELLED
Development Ended.

Crew

1

Production

2
UNITS

Vought - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United States

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

✓ X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

Length

28.6 ft
(8.73 m)

Width/Span

32.5 ft
(9.90 m)

Height

14.8 ft
(4.50 m)

Empty Wgt

13,228 lb
(6,000 kg)

MTOW

18,805 lb
(8,530 kg)

Wgt Diff

+5,578 lb
(+2,530 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the Vought XF5U-1 (Flying Flapjack) production variant)

Installed: 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7 radial piston engines developing 1,350 horsepower each.

Max Speed

475 mph
(765 kph | 413 kts)

Ceiling

34,498 ft
(10,515 m | 7 mi)

Range

1,056 mi
(1,700 km | 3,148 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

3,000 ft/min
(914 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Vought XF5U-1 (Flying Flapjack) production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

PROPOSED:
4 x 20mm cannons
6 x 0.50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns

OPTIONAL:
2 x 1,000 conventional drop bombs

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft heavy machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft automatic cannon

Graphical image of an aircraft conventional drop bomb munition

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 2

XF5U - Base Series Designation

XF5U-1 - Completed prototype

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Images Gallery

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Image of the Vought XF5U (Flying Flapjack)