Convair XFY

Infobox Aircraft
name=XFY Pogo


caption=
type=Experimental VTOL fighter aircraft
manufacturer=Convair
designer=
first flight=2 November 1954 (first conversion flight)
status=
primary user=United States Navy
produced=1954
number built=1 prototype
unit cost=
variants with their own articles=The Convair XFY Pogo tailsitter was an experiment in vertical takeoff and landing. The Pogo had delta wings and three-bladed contra-rotating propellers powered by a 5,500 hp Allison YT40-A-16 turboprop engine. It was intended to be a high-performance fighter aircraft capable of operating from small warships. Landing the XFY-1 was difficult as the pilot had to look over his shoulder while carefully working the throttle to land.

Design and development

After World War II, the brewing conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union prompted top United States Army and Navy to study VTOL operations. In May 1951, Lockheed and Convair were awarded contracts in the attempt to design, construct, and test two experimental VTOL fighters that would be suitable for use by the Armed forces. Although contract stipulations stated that each manufacturer have two fighters, each was only able to construct one, with Lockheed producing the XFV, and Convair producing the XFY, nicknamed the "Pogo".

Testing and evaluation

On 19 April 1954, a Convair engineering test pilot and Marine reserve, Lieutenant Colonel James F. "Skeets" Coleman, made the first tethered flight in the Pogo. The XFY-1 was like no other propeller driven aircraft before it. No previous aircraft with a similar weight, engine power, or size had ever attempted to take off and land vertically. For the safety of both the craft and its pilot, the first test consisted of the propeller hub cover being removed and replaced with safety tether lines for a case in which the Coleman would lose control of the craft and would need to be tethered to prevent the craft falling to the ground. On the other end of the tether was another engineer, Bob McGreary. If Coleman ever lost control, McGreary controlled the winch which could be turned to raise the tethers to prevent the craft from plummeting to the ground. For further safety preventions, four security cables were fastened to each wing in case control was lost in any axis.

Throughout the next few weeks, Coleman logged almost 60 hours in test flights in the Pogo, and by August, the test was moved to outdoor conditions. On 1 August 1954, Coleman logged two outdoor test flights, the second flying 150 feet into the air, and shortly after he flew 70 takeoff-landing drills at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Brown Field, California. The first conversion to horizontal flight took place on 2 November 1954.But upon later flights with longer durations, flaws in the design were found. Due to the Pogo's lightweight design, and the lack of spoilers and air brakes, the aircraft lacked the ability to slow down and stop efficiently after moving at high speeds. Landing was also a problem, as the pilot had to look back behind himself during a landing to properly stabilize the craft. Due to these problems, the XFY Project was put on hiatus.

Later Testing

Although a test flight was made on 19 May 1955, it again ended with failure, and on 1 August 1955, the project formally concluded. The last flight of the Pogo took place in November 1956.

urvivors

The Navy tail-sitter VTOL program was a failure. The XFY and XFV contributed nothing to the development of modern VTOL aircraft. The Pogo was moved to the National Air and Space Museum in Silverhill, Maryland in 1973, where it currently resides.

pecifications (XFY-1)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop
crew=1
length main=22 ft 11 in
length alt=10.66 m
span main=27 ft 7¾ in
span alt=8.43 m
height main= ft in
height alt= m
area main=427 ft²
area alt=39.7 m²
airfoil=
empty weight main=11,700 lb
empty weight alt=5,310 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=16,250 lb
max takeoff weight alt=7,370 kg
engine (prop)=Allison YT40-A-16
type of prop=turboprop engine
number of props=1
power main=5,500 hp
power alt=4,100 kW
propellers=3-bladed contra-rotating
propeller or rotor?=propellers
max speed main=610 mph
max speed alt=530 knots, 980 km/h
max speed more=at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
cruise speed main=≈400 mph
cruise speed alt=350 knots, 640 km/h
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main=≈400 mi
range alt=350 nm, 640 km
range more=cruising at 33,000 ft (10,000 m)
ceiling main=43,600 feet
ceiling alt=13,300 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
max loading main=38.1 lb/ft²
max loading alt=186 kg/m²
max power/mass main=0.34 hp/lb
max power/mass alt=560 W/kg
armament header=Projected armament
guns=4× 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon, "or"
rockets=48× 70 mm (2.76 in) Mk 4 Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets

ee also

aircontent
related=
similar aircraft=
*Lockheed XFV
lists=
* List of experimental aircraft
* List of fighter aircraft
* List of military aircraft of the United States
see also=
* VTOL

References

* Winchester, Jim. "Convair XFY1 'Pogo'." "Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft". Kent, UK: Grange Books plc., 2005. ISBN 1-84013-309-2.

External links

* [http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/convair_pogo.htm The National Air and Space Museum Web page for the Pogo]