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XF-87 Blackhawk
| F-87 Blackhawk | |
|---|---|
| Type | Interceptor |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss-Wright Corporation |
| Maiden flight | 5 March 1948 in aviation |
| Status | Cancelled 10 October 1948 in aviation |
| Number built | 2 |
| Unit cost | US$11.3 million for the program [1] |
The Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk (formerly designated as the XP-87 and XA-43) was a prototype American all-weather jet interceptor fighter aircraft and the company's last aircraft project[2]. Designed as a replacement for the P-61 Black Widow, the XF-87 lost to the Northrop F-89 Scorpion. The loss of the contract was fatal; the Curtiss-Wright Corporation closed down its aviation division, selling its assets to North American Aviation.
Contents
Design and development
The aircraft started life as a project for an attack aircraft, designated XA-43. When a USAAF requirement for a jet-powered night and all-weather fighter was issued in 1945, the design was reworked for that requirement. The USAF at first favored Curtiss' proposal, for political reasons as much as technical.
The XP-87 as it was then designated was a large mid-wing aircraft with four engines paired in underwing pods, with a mid-mounted tailplane and tricycle undercarriage. Two crew members (pilot and radio operator) sat side by side under a single canopy. Armament was to be a nose-mounted powered turret containing four 20 mm cannon, but this was never fitted to the prototypes.
Testing
The first flight was on 5 March 1948. Although the top speed was slower than expected, the aircraft was otherwise acceptable, and orders for 57 F-87A fighters and 30 RF-87A reconnaissance planes were placed just over a month later. Since the performance problems were due to lack of power, the four Westinghouse XJ34-WE-7 turbojets of the prototypes were to be replaced by two General Electric J47-GE-7 jets in production models. One of the two XF-87 prototypes was to be converted to the new powerplants for test purposes.
It was at this point that the USAF decided that - as much as it wished, politically, to keep Curtiss alive - the Northrop F-89 Scorpion was a much more promising aircraft. The F-87 contract was cancelled on 10 October 1948, and both prototypes were scrapped.
Specifications (Curtiss XF-87 Blackhawk)
General characteristics
- Crew: two - pilot, radio operator
- Length: 62 ft (18.9 m)
- Wingspan: 60 ft (18.3 m)
- Height: 20 ft 4 in (6.2 m)
- Wing area: 600 ft² (55.7 m²)
- Empty weight: 25,930 lb (11,760 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 49,900 lb (22,600 kg)
- Powerplant: 4× Westinghouse XJ34-WE-7 turbojets, 3,000 lbf (13 kN) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 600 mph (970 km/h)
- Range: 1000 miles (1,600 km)
- Service ceiling: 41,000 ft (12,500 m)
- Thrust/weight: 0.12
Armament
- 4 x 20 mm cannon in nose turret (never fitted)
References
- ↑ Knaack, Marcelle Size. Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1 Post-World War II Fighters 1945-1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History, 1978. ISBN 0-912799-59-5.
- ↑ Winchester 2005, p. 72-73. Note: A further aircraft project, the experimental X-19 tilt-rotor was built by a latter-day Curtiss-Wright company.
- Winchester, Jim. Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft. Rochester, Kent, UK: Grange books plc, 2005. ISBN 1-84013-809-2.
External links
- Curtiss XP-87/XF-87 Blackhawk
- Uncommon Aircraft: XF-87 Blackhawk
- Several pictures of the XF-87 45-59600
Related content
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
- Pre-1948 USAAF/C:
- Post-1948 USAF:
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