×
Aircraft / Aviation Vehicles & Artillery Infantry Arms Warships & Submarines Military Pay Chart (2023) Military Ranks
Advertisements
HOME
AIRCRAFT / AVIATION
MODERN AIR FORCES
COUNTRIES
MANUFACTURERS
COMPARE
BY CONFLICT
BY TYPE
BY DECADE
COLD WAR
X-PLANE
Aviation / Aerospace

Rockwell XFV-12


VTOL Carrier-based Fighter Prototype [ 1977 ]



The Rockwell International XFV-12 VTOL system never materialized past the prototype stage.



Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 01/29/2019 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

GO TO SPECIFICATIONS [+]
Advertisements
The Rockwell XFV-12 aircraft was a proposed design attempting to fulfill a United States Navy (USN) requirement for a VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) supersonic fighter. Though a promising concept, the XFV-12 was tested in extremely limited circumstances and proved to be a failure by the early 1980's. The XFV-12 was later dropped by the United States Navy due to rising developmental costs with its official cancellation ordered in 1981. The program only ever produced a sole prototype with a second under construction at the time of termination.

Externally, the XFV-12 was certainly a futuristic-looking fighter aircraft. To speed up development and keep costs in check, the nose section of a Douglas A-4 "Skyhawk" carried-based, multi-role fighter was used along with the intake work of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 "Phantom II" multi-role fighter. This surprisingly produced a mated design whose parts made up a sound whole. One of the most characteristic design elements became the wing planform which featured a distinct rear-set mainplane assembly coupled to all-moving forward canards. The large wing area was utilized fully for the "thrust augmented" concept to which thrust could be delivered through various openings found throughout the wings and canard foreplanes.

Power was served through a single Pratt & Whitney F401-PW-400 afterburning turbofan engine. Development estimates considered the installation to provide the aircraft with enough direct lift power but the complicated internal workings of extensive ductwork eliminated much of the thrust power resulting in less-than-expected performance. Proposed armament was to consist of a single 20mm internal Gatling-style cannon for close-in work as well as a mix of air-to-air missiles - primarily the AIM-7 "Sparrow" medium-range missile and the AIM-9 "Sidewinder" short-range missile. Because of the nature of the VTOL internal working, armament hardpoints were themselves restricted to a few placements and none could be fitted under the wings - so all missiles were mounted under the fuselage mass. Such a move limited the tactical value of the XFV-12 as a carried-based fighter despite the unique VTOL capability.

With project complexity and cost overruns beginning to take their toll, the XFV-12 was cancelled by the USN. The British Hawker Siddeley remained the VTOL champion of the skies and was even adopted by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in a rare move by an American service branch taking on a foreign frontline aircraft. While a capable attack platform with some fighter qualities, the Harrier remained a subsonic design. The VTOL mantle is expected to be taken by the upcoming Lockheed F-35 "Lightning II" VTOL variant still in development. The product represents a stealthy, 5th Generation Fighter form with advanced, inherent strike capabilities.

The hulk of the XFV-12 may someday still emerge as a preserved museum showpiece.©MilitaryFactory.com
Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.
Advertisements

Specifications



Service Year
1977

Origin
United States national flag graphic
United States

Status
CANCELLED
Development Ended.
Crew
1

Production
1
UNITS


National flag of the United States 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.
Maritime / Navy
Land-based or shipborne capability for operating over-water in various maritime-related roles while supported by allied naval surface elements.
X-Plane (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.


Length
44.0 ft
(13.40 m)
Width/Span
28.5 ft
(8.69 m)
Height
32.8 ft
(10.00 m)
Empty Wgt
13,799 lb
(6,259 kg)
MTOW
24,251 lb
(11,000 kg)
Wgt Diff
+10,452 lb
(+4,741 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Rockwell XFV-12 production variant)
Installed: 1 x Pratt & Whitney F401-PW-400 augmented turbofan delivering 30,000lbf with afterburning.
Max Speed
1,591 mph
(2,560 kph | 1,382 kts)
Ceiling
38,999 ft
(11,887 m | 7 mi)


♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)
Sub
Trans
Super
Hyper
HiHyper
ReEntry
RANGES (MPH) Subsonic: <614mph | Transonic: 614-921 | Supersonic: 921-3836 | Hypersonic: 3836-7673 | Hi-Hypersonic: 7673-19180 | Reentry: >19030


(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Rockwell XFV-12 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 STANDARD:
1 x 20mm M61A1 Vulcan internal cannon.

PROPOSED OPTIONAL:
2 x AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles OR 4 x AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles.
2 OR 4 x AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles (underfuselage).


Supported Types


Graphical image of an aircraft automatic cannon
Graphical image of an aircraft Gatling-style rotating gun
Graphical image of an air-to-air missile weapon
Graphical image of a short-range air-to-air missile
Graphical image of a medium-range air-to-air missile


(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 4


XFV-12 - Base Project Series Designation
XFV-12A - Sole Prototype Model Designation


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 Chaco War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cold War
Military lapel ribbon for the Cuban Missile Crisis
Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft
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 representing modern aircraft
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 Ukranian-Russian War
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 War
Military lapel ribbon for experimental x-plane aircraft


Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.

Images Gallery



1 / 2
Image of the Rockwell XFV-12
Image from the Public Domain.
2 / 2
Image of the Rockwell XFV-12
Image from the Public Domain.


Advertisements




Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies


2023 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

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.

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.

View day-by-day actions of the American Civil War with CivilWarTimeline.net. View day-by-day actions of World War II with SecondWorldWarHistory.com.


©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)