Douglas XFD

XFD
Role	Fighter
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Douglas Aircraft Company
Designer	James H. Kindelberger, Arthur Emmons Raymond
First flight	January 1933[1]
Status	Abandoned project
Number built	1

The Douglas XFD was a carrier-based biplane fighter aircraft, the first fighter to be built by Douglas Aircraft Company.

Development

The XFD was designed to the Bureau of Aeronautics Specification No. 311, requesting a carrier-based two-seat biplane fighter. On June 30, 1932, the Navy ordered the XFD, Vought XF3U, and Curtiss XF12C for testing. The XFD was all metal except for its fabric covering. The crew sat in tandem in a single bay, enclosed by a long canopy. It was fixed gear with a tailwheel. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Wasp, it first flew in January 1933, and was evaluated by the Navy between June 18, 1933 and August 14, 1934. The XFD performed well, but the Navy had stopped using two-seat fighters; therefore, no orders were received.

Specifications

Data from Angelucci, 1987. pp. 182-183^[1]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 25 ft 4 in (7.72 m)
• Wingspan: 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m)
• Height: 11 ft 1 in (3.37 m)
• Wing area: 295 ft² (27.40 m²)
• Empty weight: 3,227 lb (1,464 kg)
• Gross weight: 4,672 lb (2,119 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1535-64 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 700 hp ( kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 208 mph (335 km/h)
• Cruise speed: 170 mph (274 km/h)
• Range: 576 miles (927 km)
• Service ceiling: 23,700 ft (7,224 m)
• Rate of climb: 1,670 ft/min (8.48 m/s)

Armament

• 3 × .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns
• 500 lb (230 kg) bombs

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Vought XF3U
  

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Angelucci, 1987. pp. 182-183.

Bibliography

• Angelucci, Enzo (1987). The American Fighter from 1917 to the present. New York: Orion Books.