General Aviation XFA

The General Aviation XFA was an American biplane fighter aircraft built by General Aviation Company.

Development

The PW-4 was built for US Navy Specification No. 96, calling for a carrier-based light fighter. This specification was eventually revealed as a cover for the Navy's actual desire for an airship fighter, the Curtiss XF9C. The XFA was a single bay biplane with an all metal fuselage and metal laminate skin. The construction of its fuselage was innovative in that instead of using lap jointing, the edges of each panel were bent inwards, with the rivets fastening them on the inside, instead of being visible on the surface. It had a gull-type upper wing which was fabric covered. The prototype was ordered in 1930, but the company was engaged in another reorganization, which delayed its work. Delivered for evaluations in 1932, it showed poor flying characteristics, including longitudinal instability and over-sensitive controls. General Aircraft increased the area of the tail surfaces and made other changes, then returned the prototype for more testing; but now the stability problems were worse. The plane would nose up with more throttle, but then drop its nose when the throttle was reduced. After another round of modifications, and some close calls, the plane was finally classed as unsafe and testing was abandoned.

pecifications

aerospecs
ref=Angelucci, 1987. pp. 203-204.
met or eng?=eng

crew=1
capacity=
length m=6.75
length ft=22
length in=2
span m=7.77
span ft=25
span in=6
height m=2.81
height ft=9
height in=3
wing area sqm=16.25
wing area sqft=175
empty weight kg=833
empty weight lb=1,837
gross weight kg=1,138
gross weight lb=2,508

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Pratt & Whitney R-1340C
eng1 kw=
eng1 hp=450
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=

max speed kmh=274
max speed mph=170
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=834
range miles=518
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=6,157
ceiling ft=20,200
climb rate ms=7.47
climb rate ftmin=1470

armament1=2 .30in machine guns
armament2=
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6= aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
lists=

References

Bibliography

*
* Lloyd S. Jones, "U.S. Naval Fighters" (Fallbrook CA: Aero Publishers, 1977, ISBN 0-8168-9254-7), pp. 89-91