• Source: Vought XF3U

The Vought XF3U was the prototype of a two-seat, all-metal biplane fighter, built by Vought Aircraft Company of Dallas, Texas for the United States Navy.




Development and design


The XF3U was designed to meet the Bureau of Aeronautics 1932 Design Specification No. 111, which called for a high-performance fighter with a fixed undercarriage and powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior air-cooled radial engine. Of the seven proposed aircraft the XF3U and the Douglas XFD were chosen. The XF3U was the first all-metal aircraft produced by Vought. The aircraft was also equipped with an enclosed cockpit. During flight testing in 1933, it outperformed the Douglas entry and was chosen the winner.
The XF3U was also redesignated the XSBU, meaning "scout bomber."




Operational history


The Navy was no longer interested in two-seat fighters, and therefore only the one XF3U prototype aircraft was built. The XF3U subsequently evolved into a dive bomber, and became the XSBU prototype for the SBU-1 Corsair.
The only one every built has a naval bureau number of 9222.




Specifications


Data from Angelucci 1987, p. 434.General characteristics
Crew: 2; pilot, navigator
Length: 27 ft 10 in (8.4 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 3 in (10.1 m)
Height: 11 ft 11 in (3.6 m)
Wing area: 295 sq ft (27.4 m2)
Empty weight: 3,435 lb (1,558 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 5,297 lb (2,402 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1535-80 Twin Wasp Jr. 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 700 hp (518 kW)
Performance

Maximum speed: 208 mph (334 km/h, 181 kn)
Range: 570 mi (917 km, 500 nmi)
Service ceiling: 25,300 ft (7,700 m)
Wing loading: 18 lb/sq ft (88 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.13 hp/lb (0.22 kW/kg)
Armament
3 × .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns




References






= Notes

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= Bibliography

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External links


Media related to Vought XF3U at Wikimedia Commons

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