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XFD
Douglas XFD-1
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[]

    References[]

    1. 1.0 1.1 Angelucci, 1987. pp. 182-183.
    Bibliography
    • Angelucci, Enzo (1987). The American Fighter from 1917 to the present. New York: Orion Books. 

    External links[]

    All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
    The original article can be found at Douglas XFD and the edit history here.
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