Lockheed L-205 (MX1554)

Supersonic Fighter / Interceptor Proposal

United States | 1954

"The ultimately-abandoned Lockheed L-205 of the early-1950s attempted to convince USAF authorities of its value - as a high-performance supersonic interceptor."

Image copyright www.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 Lockheed Model L-205 Supersonic Fighter / Interceptor Proposal.

Unspecified; assumed turbojet engine or engines with possible rocket boosting to meet performance goals.
Propulsion

786 mph
1,265 kph | 683 kts
Max Speed

63,009 ft
19,205 m | 12 miles
Service Ceiling

1,762 miles
2,835 km | 1,531 nm
Operational Range

15,000 ft/min
4,572 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Lockheed Model L-205 Supersonic Fighter / Interceptor Proposal.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

63.8 ft
19.45 m
O/A Length

30.3 ft
(9.25 m)
O/A Width

24,692 lb
(11,200 kg)
Empty Weight

32,187 lb
(14,600 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Lockheed L-205 (MX1554) Supersonic Fighter / Interceptor Proposal .

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.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Lockheed L-205 (MX1554) family line.

L-205 - Base Project Designation.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/03/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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.

Like other project fighters of the immediate post-World War 2 period, this Lockheed entry was not selected for further work despite its promising qualities.

Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Lockheed L-205 (MX1554). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 0 Units
Contractor(s): Lockheed Corporation - USA

[ United States (cancelled) ]

1 / 1

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

Going Further...
The Lockheed L-205 (MX1554) Supersonic Fighter / Interceptor 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)