- Curtiss XF14C
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XF14C Role Carrier fighter Manufacturer Curtiss First flight July 1944 Status Cancelled Primary user US Navy Number built 1 The Curtiss XF14C was a 1940s United States naval fighter aircraft. It was developed by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in response to a request by the United States Navy in 1941 to produce a new shipboard high-performance fighter aircraft.
Contents
Design and development
In 1941 the US Navy requested a better-performing carrier-based fighter plane, to be powered by the XH-2470 liquid-cooled engine. This was an unusual step for the Navy, which had been adamant to that time that all its aircraft use air-cooled radial engines.
On June 30, 1941 a contract for two prototype aircraft, designated the XF14C-1, was awarded to the Curtiss-Wright company. On the same date prototype development contracts were also awarded to Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation for the single-engine XF6F-1 and the twin engine XF7F-1 (which would use air-cooled radial engines).
Early in the development the Navy requested better altitude performance and, in view of unsatisfactory progress in the development of the XH-2470 engine, Curtiss adapted the design of the aircraft around the new turbocharged Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone air-cooled radial engine. The aircraft equipped with this eighteen-cylinder twin-row radial air-cooled engine and three bladed contra-rotating propellers was designated the XF14C-2. The XF14C-1 was canceled. Also, looking at the problems of operation at altitudes of about 40,000 feet (12,000 m), the Navy also initiated work on a third version with a pressurized cockpit designated the XF14C-3.
Ultimately, only the XF14C-2 prototype was completed, flying for the first time in July 1944. Moreover, disappointment with performance estimates and delays with the availability of the XR-3350-16 engine coupled with the evaporating tactical need for an extremely high-altitude fighter led to cancellation of the development.
Specifications (XF14C-2)
Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 37 ft 9 in (11.5 m)
- Wingspan: 46 ft (14.02 m)
- Height: 17 ft (5.18 m)
- Wing area: 375 ft² (34.83 m²)
- Empty weight: 10,531 lb (4,777 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 14,950 lb (6,781 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright XR-3350-16 eighteen cylinder twin row air-cooled radial engine, 2,300 hp (1,716 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 418 mph (363 knots, 673 km/h) at 32,000 ft (9,800 m)
- Cruise speed: 172 mph (150 knots, 277 km/h)
- Range: 1,530 mi (1,330 nmi, 2,462 km)
- Service ceiling: 39,800 ft (12,100 m)
- Rate of climb: 2,700 ft/min (13.7 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: 4 × wing mounted 20 mm cannon (planned)
See also
- Related lists
- List of fighter aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)
References
Notes
- ^ Bowers 1979, p. 440.
Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London, UK: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters, vol. 4. London, UK: MacDonald, 1961. ISBN 0-356-01448-7.
- Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: US Navy and marine Corps Fighters. London, UK: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1976. ISBN 0-356-08222-9.
Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Aircraft produced by Curtiss and Curtiss-Wright Manufacturer
designationsModel letters: C • D • E • F • G • GS • H • J • K • L • M • N • PN • JN • R • S
Model numbers: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 23 • 24 • 26 • 28 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59A/59B • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 79 • 81 • 82 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 90 • 91 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 •
"CW" models: CW-1 • CW-2 • CW-3 • CW-4 • CW-5 • CW-6 • CW-7 • CW-8 • CW-9 • CW-10 • CW-11 • CW-12 • CW-14 • CW-15 • CW-16 • CW-17 • CW-18 • CW-19 • CW-20 • CW-21 • CW-22 • CW-23 • CW-24 • CW-25 • CW-27 • CW-29 • CW-32
By role Experimental: No. 1 • Model C • Tanager
Racing: No. 2 • CR • R2C • R3C
General utility: Model D • Model E • Model F • Robin • Thrush
Maritime patrol: Model H • HS-1L and -2L
Training: Model L • Model JN • Fledgling • AT-4 Hawk • AT-5 Hawk
Fighters: 18 • PW-8 • P-1 • P-2 • P-3 • P-4 • P-5 • P-6 • XP-31 • P-36 • P-40 • XP-46 • XP-53 • YP-60 • XP-62 • XP-71 • XP-87
Naval Fighters: HA • FC • F2C • F3C • F4C • F6C • F7C • F8C • F9C • F10C • F11C • XF12C • F13C • XF14C • XF15C
Airliners: Eagle • Condor II • Kingbird
Naval Scouts/Dive Bombers: CS • GS • S2C • XS3C • S4C • SC • SBC • SB2C • XSB3C • SOC • SO2C • SO3C
Observation: O-1 • O-12 • O-13 • O-16 • O-18 • O-26 • O-39 • O-40 • O-52
Naval Observation: OC • O2C • O3C
Naval Bombers: 24 • BFC • BF2C • XBTC • XBT2C
Ground Attack: A-3 • A-4 • A-5 • A-6 • A-8 • YA-10 • A-12 • YA-14 • A-25 • A-40 • XA-43
Licensed production: NBS-1
USN fighter designations pre-1962 General Aviation
BrewsterBoeing Curtiss Douglas
McDonnellGrumman Eberhart
GoodyearHall
McDonnellBerliner-Joyce
North American AviationLoening
BellGeneral Motors Seversky FN
Lockheed Ryan FR • XF2R
Northrop Vought Lockheed Wright Convair Categories:- United States fighter aircraft 1930–1939
- Low wing aircraft
- Single-engine aircraft
- Propeller aircraft
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