XF2R Dark Shark

Infobox Aircraft
name = XF2R Dark Shark
type = Fighter
manufacturer = Ryan Aeronautical Company

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caption =
designer =
first flight =
introduced =
retired =
status = Cancelled
primary user =
more users =
produced =
number built = 1 prototype
unit cost =
variants with their own articles =
developed from = FR FireballThe Ryan XF2R Dark Shark was an experimental aircraft built for the United States Navy that combined turboprop and turbojet propulsion. It was based on Ryan's earlier FR Fireball, but replaced the Fireball's piston engine with a General Electric T-31 turboprop engine driving a huge 4-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller.

The turboprop made for much improved performance over the Fireball, but the Navy showed little interest in it; by that time, they had abandoned the idea of the combination fighter and were instead looking into all-jet fighters.

The United States Air Force, however, showed a little more interest; they were at the time evaluating the Convair XP-81 of similar concept, and asked Ryan to modify the XF2R to use the Westinghouse J-34 turbojet instead of the General Electric J-31 used previously. Modifications to the prototype created the XF2R-2, with the jet intakes moved to the sides of the forward fuselage with NACA ducts instead of the inlets in the wing leading edge used before.

Although the Dark Shark proved to be a capable aircraft, it never got further than the prototype stage; all-jet aircraft were considered superior.

Specifications

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=both
ref=The Complete Book of Fighterscite book |last= Green|first= W |coauthors=Swanborough, G |title= The Complete Book of Fighters |edition= |year= 1994|publisher= Smithmark Publishers inc|isbn= 0-8317-3939-8
crew=1
length main=36 ft 0 in
length alt=10.97 m
span main=42 ft 0 in
span alt=12.80 m
height main=14 ft 0 in
height alt=4.27 m
area main= 305 ft²
area alt= 28.3 m²
empty weight main= lb
empty weight alt= kg
loaded weight main= 11,000 lb
loaded weight alt=4,990 kg
max takeoff weight main= lb
max takeoff weight alt= kg

engine (jet)=General Electric J31
type of jet=turbojet
number of jets=1
thrust main=1,600 lbf
thrust alt=7.1 kN
engine (prop)=General Electric T-31
type of prop=turboprop
number of props=1
power main=1,760 hp
power alt=1,310 kW

max speed main=497 mph
max speed alt=432 knots, 800 km/h
max speed more= (at sea level)
range main= mi
range alt= nm, km
ceiling main=39,100 ft
ceiling alt=11,900 m
climb rate main=4,850 ft/min
climb rate alt=24.64 m/s
loading main=36.1 lb/ft²
loading alt= 176 kg/m²
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=

ee also

aircontent

related=
* FR Fireball

similar aircraft=
* Convair XP-81
* Curtiss XF15C
* XTB3F Guardian

lists=
* List of fighter aircraft
* List of military aircraft of the United States

see also=

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Ginter, Steve. "Ryan FR-1 Fireball and XF2R-1 Darkshark, Naval Fighters Number 28"'. Simi Valley, CA: Ginter Books, 1995. ISBN 0-942612-28-0.
* McDowell, Ernest. "FR-1 Fireball, Mini in action number 5". Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-89747-344-2.