Curtiss VF-11B

Carrierborne Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal

United States | 1947

"The Curtiss VF-11B rounded out a trio of submissions to the United States Navy to cover a fleet defense fighter requirement down the road."

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 Curtiss VF-11B was the third, and final, design proposal directed at a potential Untied States Navy (USN) fleet defense fighter requirement in the immediate post-World War 2 period. The first two offerings (detailed elsewhere on this site) were to rely on a tailed delta-wing planform with the original's (VF-11) twin-engine layout given up in favor of the subsequent (VB-11A) proposal's single Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet. By the time of the VF-11B, the aircraft was largely reworked to include swept-back wing mainplanes and a V-style tail arrangement with outward-canted fins.

The consistent qualities between the three designs were: turbojet powered propulsion scheme (with rocket-boosting for enhanced acceleration), tricycle undercarriage, expected carrier equipment / features (arrestor hook, folding wings), all-rocket armament (fired from the lower portside of the nose), and seating for a single crewman under a three-piece canopy.

The VB-11B was certainly the most conventional of the trio mainly due to the mainplanes, these being low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage and swept back at both their leading and trailing edges. The V-style tail unit was a considerable departure but implemented due to collected data championing weight-savings. The British Rolls-Royce "Nene" turbojet was carried over from the A-model proposal and this was to be aspirated by side-mounted intakes as in the first two designs - the expected thrust output rated at around 8,400lb and offering an afterburner capability. With the sloping nose assembly, the pilot was afforded excellent forward vision out-of-the-cockpit and the lowered dorsal line helped to achieve some rearward vision.

As drawn up, this Curtiss naval interceptor was to have a wingspan of 36 feet and a length of 36.2 feet. Maximum Take-Off Weight (MTOW) was to reach 12,000lb and maximum speeds were in the vicinity of 650 miles-per-hour. Rate-of-climb with rocket-boosting was to exceed 20,000 feet-per-minute.

Like the other submissions of the VF-11 series, the VF-11B did not advance beyond this paper stage.

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-11B Carrierborne Fleet Defense Fighter Proposal.

1 x Rolls-Royce Nene afterburning turbojet engine developing 8,400lb of thrust.
Propulsion

646 mph
1,040 kph | 562 kts
Max Speed

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

20,500 ft/min
6,248 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

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

1
(MANNED)
Crew

36.3 ft
11.05 m
O/A Length

35.9 ft
(10.95 m)
O/A Width

10,417 lb
(4,725 kg)
Empty Weight

11,905 lb
(5,400 kg)
MTOW

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

PROPOSED:
6 x 5" (127mm) High-Explosive, fin-stabilized aerial rockets fired from lower port side fuselage.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Curtiss VF-11B 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-11B. 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.

Going Further...
The Curtiss VF-11B Carrierborne 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)