The ultimately-abandoned Lockheed L-205 of the early-1950s attempted to convince USAF authorities of its value - as a high-performance supersonic interceptor.
Once straightline, level supersonic flight had been proven by the Bell X-1 rocket-powered research aircraft (detailed elsewhere on this site) in October of 1947, attention of aerospace designers turned toward producing a viable military end-product to serve the post-World War 2 United States Air Force (USAF) as its first supersonic performer. Eventually embodied by such types as the North American F-100 "Super Sabre", McDonnell F-101 "Voodoo", and the CONVAIR F-102"Delta Dagger", the end of the road went through several stops involving many proven players of the defense industry of the time including the Lockheed Corporation.
The L-205 project aircraft was a submission by the company to cover the future requirement and emerged around January 1951 in paper form. It was drawn up to satisfy the official XM1554 interceptor specification of 1950 seeking a readied solution as soon as 1954.
In true Lockheed fashion, the aircraft was given a sleek and aerodynamically-refined exterior for the expected supersonic speeds. The general design of this fighter was of single-seat configuration with the pilot in his ejection seat under a two-piece canopy aft of the nose cone assembly. Mainplanes were of relatively small surface area and seated aft of midships for balance, the low-mounted planes tapering at both the leading and trailing edges while being clipped at their tips (of similar form-and-function to another supersonic Lockheed product, the F-104 "Starfighter"). The wingtips would mount fuel tanks for extended operational ranges (same as in the F-104). The fuselage tapered towards the rear and was capped by a single vertical tailfin mounting mid-set horizontal planes. The propulsion scheme saw the system exhaust from under the tailfin. A wheeled, retractable undercarriage was to be featured for ground-running.
The most unique (and relatively unconventional for the time) aspect of this entry was the intake which was a semi-circular opening sat over the fuselage along the dorsal line and just behind the canopy / cockpit section. This feature cleared the lower half of the airframe of obstructions and streamlined airflow under the fighter while adding inherent protection of the air-breathing engine from ingestion of foreign objects.
Though no specific powerplant was specified, the performance requirements of the day (primarily to be limited by technology) would result in a fighter with a maximum speed of at least 1,265 miles-per-hour (to achieve the Mach 1 goal) while flying to altitudes of over 60,000 feet - well within the expected target altitude for interception of Soviet bombers. Interception would be aided by an advanced onboard Fire Control System (FCS) and, to guarantee target destruction, armament was to center on current-generation missile technology. In the case of the L-205, this was to be 6 x "Falcon" Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) along with 20 x 70mm High-Explosive (HE) fin-stabilized aerial rockets all housed in an internal weapons bay at the belly (another feature to keep the fighter streamlined).
As finalized, the L-205 had a running length of 63.8 feet with a wingspan of 30.3 feet. Combat weight would reach 27,765lb and rise to 32,125lb under full loads. The aircraft was estimated with a range of 1,760 miles with a rate-of-climb of 15,000 feet-per-minute under power.
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(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.
✓Interception
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.
✓X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.
INTERNAL BAY
Fuselage volume includes space for internally-held weapons or special-mission equipment.
HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE
Can accelerate to higher speeds than average aircraft of its time.
HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE
Can reach and operate at higher altitudes than average aircraft of its time.
EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE
Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.
SUPER PERFORMANCE
Design covers the three all-important performance categories of speed, altitude, and range.
PILOT / CREW EJECTION SYSTEM
Assisted process of allowing its pilot and / or crew to eject in the event of an airborne emergency.
CREWSPACE PRESSURIZATION
Supports pressurization required at higher operating altitudes for crew survival.
ENCLOSED CREWSPACE(S)
Features partially- or wholly-enclosed crew workspaces.
RETRACTABLE UNDERCARRIAGE
Features retracting / retractable undercarriage to preserve aerodynamic efficiency.
Length
63.8 ft (19.45 m)
Width/Span
30.3 ft (9.25 m)
Empty Wgt
24,692 lb (11,200 kg)
MTOW
32,187 lb (14,600 kg)
Wgt Diff
+7,496 lb (+3,400 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the Lockheed Model L-205 production variant)
monoplane / low-mounted / straight
Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular mainplane arrangement.
Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.
Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.
(Structural descriptors pertain to the Lockheed Model L-205 production variant)
Installed:
Unspecified; assumed turbojet engine or engines with possible rocket boosting to meet performance goals.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the Lockheed Model L-205 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:
6 x "Falcon" Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) in internal ventral weapons bay.
20 x 2.75" (70mm) High-Explosive (HE) fin-stabilized aerial rockets in internal ventral weapons bay.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
L-205 - Base Project Designation.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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United States (cancelled)
