One question, two part aircraft QUIZ

[Doug Robertson]

What was the FIRST U. S. Aircraft designed from the start and built from the outset to have after-burning jet engines and what year was it introduced? What else was it noted for as a first? Provide manufacturer, full name and exact nomenclature/s please.

[moxy]

I'm probably completely up the creek here Doug but I'll have a go.

My suggestion is the Lockheed F94C Starfire with the Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 engine (a licence built Rolls Royce Tay). It was a complete redesign of the original F94.

Entered service July 1951. Was it the first US jet fighter to have no guns and all rocket armament?

Best regards

Bob

[Helicopterfriend]

It's inception began August 28, 1941 by Lawerence Bell, President of Bell Aicraft. Gen Hap Arnold wanted to discuss designing a single seat jet fighter around the Canadian Air Force's engine by Frank Whittle. Mr bell put his design team on it right away, and the Bell XP-59A Airacomet was born.

Bell Aircraft Corporation, Buffalo, New York

Bell XP-59A Airacomet (AFF 42-108784) was 38' long, 12' 4" tall with a wingspan of 49'. The XP-59A was powered by the first American jet engine, the General Electric I-A, which was based on the W2B design of British jet pioneer Frank Whittle. All-metal, single-seat, two engine monoplane with shoulder-mounted wing

October 1943, Ann Baumgartener Carl of the Women Airforce Service Pilots flew a YP-59A and became the first American woman to fly a jet airplane.

[Ztex]

Well...The P-59 did not have an afterburner and the F-94 was a T-33 redesign, the first few built from T-33's...

I wonder if you are thinking of the Grumman XF10F Jaguar? (1953). Designed around the early Westinghouse engine that didn't work too well.

It also had a variable geometry wing...but it was not the first with one of those...hmmm.

If you are talking production aircraft...it could be the McDonnell F3H Demon(1956). It was also the first Supersonic Navy fighter...

How many guesses do we get?

[Helicopterfriend]

It appears you are correct Ztex, here's some more info on the ship

The F-94 was to be the first US production jet with an afterburner

Using the powerful Pratt & Whitney J48, a license-built version of the afterburning Rolls-Royce Tay

First jet vs. jet night victory

[Doug Robertson]

Thanks for the guesses, but no right answers yet. Yes, Zane, anyone can keep trying to get the right answer. It is a U.S. military aircraft, but I am not revealing which military service. Reread my question more carefully.

[Peter Nicholson]

How about the Chance Vought F7U Cutlass of 1948 with the Pratt & Whitney J48 as the first producton tail-less aircraft of swept-wing design reportedly claimed to be based on World War II German experience and which served with the Blue Angels for a short period of time?. Claimed to be the first production aircraft to be armed with the Sparrow air-to-air missile.

Peter

[mkiogima]

My guess is the Douglas F4D Skyray.

Both the McDonnell F3H Demon and the Douglas F4D Skyray were designed around the Westinghouse J40 turbojet engine. The predecessor to the J40, the J30, was the first American-designed turbojet to run. The first flight of the McDonnell F3H Demon was on August 7, 1951, but the first flight of the Douglas F4D Skyray was seven months earlier on January 23, 1951.

The F4D was the first carrier-launched aircraft to hold the worlds absolute speed record and the first Navy and Marine Corps fighter to exceed Mach 1 in level flight.

I hope this is right but if it isn't please don't laugh too hard!

[Doug Robertson]

Congrats to Peter, you got it right.

Vought got very interested in the captured German Arado tailless aircraft info after WWII and in 1946 offered their V-346A design to the US Navy. The Navy chose the V-346A design from 12 submissions in June 1946. The first of three XF7U-1 Cutlasses fitted with two J34 after-burning turbojets flew on 29 September 1948 at Pax River. Vought built 14 F7U-1s, but they were considered woefully underpowered with J46 engines (Gutless Cutlass) and four of our test pilots lost their lives flying the -1 model. There was no F7U-2 model as all 88 on contract were canceled. The Vought F7U-3 Cutlass first flew in late 1951. Power were two Westinghouse J46-WE-8A after-burning turbojets of 6,105 lb st each. The Cutlass was found to be dangerous aboard our carriers. Forward visibility was always a problem. The F7U-3/3M had a longer nose, deeper fuselage, and were first to offer nosewheel steering. The -3M Cutlass pioneered separation of missile stores at supersonic speeds and carried AIM-7 Sparrows. The Cutlass also introduced systems now common on all Navy carrier aircraft and was evaluated at Point Mugu's Sea Test Range for various stores separation.

The Blue Angels used two Cutlasses only as display aircraft. Trivia: In 1957 the mounted Gate Guard at NAS Minneapolis was a F-7U Cutlass. I have photos to prove that, but not on A-D. To 1955, 290 F7U-3/3Ms were built. A few (12) were F7U-3P recon aircraft. Last Cutlass was an F7U-3P retired from NAF El Centro on 2 March 1959. Astronauts John Glenn and Alan Shepard flew Cutlasses.

Apparently ignored in my clue by several was the word engines-meaning plural. And, the Cutlass was the Navy's first swept-wing carrier based fighter. Again, congrats to Peter!

[Helicopterfriend]

Doug, thanks for the history lesson, and believe it or not, I had alot of fun trying to answer that question. I did note the plural for engines, guess I wasn't looking hard enough

Again Thanks

Walt

[Ztex]

Well...I saw the Cutlass in my searching for the answer...but thought it was later than the Jaguar...and I missed the "S" in engines...rats.

Good fun!