X-Planes and Test Aircraft
SECTION 14 CARD 49 YEARS
Vought
XF5U The ‘Flying Pancake’
Vought’s XF5U-1 was a singularly adventurous essay in aeronautical design. It was a daringly
innovative aircraft which, had it been flown and successfully tested, may have provided the
US Navy with an aircraft that had not only the high top speed of the first generation of
jet fighters, but the slow-flying capabilities of a helicopter – a perfect combination for use
aboard aircraft-carriers. It was not to be, however, and the type was cancelled in 1947.
Propellers
The props initially fitted to the
XF5U-1 were conventional
Hamilton Standard Hydromatic
examples, as fitted to the F4U-4
Corsair. Later a pair of specially-
designed propellers with offset
‘flapping’ blades, as used on
helicopters, were fitted, as seen
in this illustration.
1942-1947
USA
Powerplant
The XF5U-1 was fitted with Pratt & Whitney radial air-cooled
engines buried within the aircraft’s circular body. Lying in a
horizontal position, each engine drove a four-bladed propeller
through a complicated system of shafting and gearboxes. The
two props were counter-rotating, each turning inwards towards Would it have worked?
the cockpit. It was essential that both propellers would continue Although the XF5U programme
to turn with equal power should one engine fail; the resulting looked as though it may yield a
common driveshaft proved problematic during development. potentially valuable aircraft for
the US Navy, the development
problems it would have had
to overcome may have led to
disappointment. The XF5U-1’s
powerplant configuration, in which
the drive train was required to
turn 90º twice between engine
and propeller, was complex,
inefficient and by Zimmerman’s
own admission, likely to fail after
relatively little use. The original
‘discoid’ aerofoil concept was
proved sound aerodynamically by
the V-173, but it may have been
difficult to turn into a front-line
fighting machine.
Armament
The proposed
armament for the
XF5U was six 0.5-in
(12.7-mm) machine-
guns, to be fitted
three in each wing
root between the
cockpit pod and
engine. A later
proposal called for
the replacement
of the six machine
guns with four
20-mm cannon.
In the event, no
armament was ever
fitted to the type.
Structure
The XF5U-1 used
Metalite throughout
its structure; this was
a Vought-developed
material comprising
balsa wood
sandwiched between
aluminium. It was
immensely strong
and when the XF5U-1
had to be broken up
Patchwork appearance after its cancellation
Tail unit Painted in a standard overall midnight
Zimmerman’s original flying in 1947, a metal
blue US Navy colour scheme, the wrecking ball dropped
models of his concept – ‘Zimmer’s XF5U-1 also had matt black sheets
Skimmers’ – had no tailplane, the from a crane had to
taped on walking areas in order to be used repeatedly to
entire rear of the body hinging as a provide some degree of protection
control surface. Both the V-173 and dismantle the aircraft’s
for the Metalite surface. These black main body.
the XF5U-1, however, were fitted areas gave the type a somewhat
with conventional tailplanes. patchwork appearance in plan view.
SPECIFICATION
Vought XF5U-1
Type: short take-off and vertical landing experimental fighter
Powerplant: two Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7 Twin Wasp turbo-supercharged 14-cylinder two-row
radial air-cooled engines, each rated at 1,350 hp (1008 kW) for take-off and war emergency, and driving
16-ft (4.88-m) four-bladed articulated airscrews
Performance: (estimated at weight of 16,802 lb/7620 kg) maximum speed at military rated power
482 mph (775 km/h) at 30,700 ft (9357 m), at war emergency power 504 mph (811 km/h) at 28,900 ft (8808 m);
initial climb rate at normal rated power, 2,200 ft/min (11.18 m/sec), service ceiling, 32,000 ft (9754 m); max
range at 1,000 ft (305 m), 910 mls (1465 km) at average speed of 236 mph (380 km/h); take-off distance
(calm), 930 ft (283 m); stalling speed (full load with military rated power), 46 mph (74 km/h)
Weights: normal loaded, 16,802 lb (7620 kg); max overload, 18,917 lb (8581 kg);
landing weight 15,542 lb (7050 kg)
Dimensions: overall width (across tailplane) 32 ft 6 in (9.90 m); overall width across airscrews
(diagonal) 31 ft 9 in (9.68 m), (square) 36 ft 5 in (11.10 m); length 28 ft 7½ in (8.72 m); height 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m)
Armament: (proposed) six 0.5-in (12,7-mm) Browning MG 53-2 machine guns with 400 rounds per gun
and provision for two 1,000-lb (453,6-kg) bombs on ventral racks
X-Planes and Test Aircraft
Vought XF5U The ‘Flying Pancake’
Briefing
A
lthough one of the oddest-
looking flying machines ever
built, Vought’s XF5U could
have been an invaluable stopgap
resource during the US Navy’s
transition from the piston era to
first-generation jets.
Designed by former NACA aero-
dynamicist Charles H. Zimmerman,
the XF5U was the final part in an
ambitious programme to prove the
‘disc-wing’ concept, in which large
propellers mounted in the forward
tips of a circular aerofoil blew
huge amounts of air over a wing
of extremely low-aspect-ratio, pro-
viding lift and cancelling any drag-
inducing tip vortices.
In April 1941 Zimmerman per-
suaded the US Navy to let him
build a prototype, the V-173, which
Timeline February 1939
’Zimmer’s skimmer’
Having experimented with low-aspect-ratio air-
craft designs for NACA and Vought since the
early 1930s, Charles H. Zimmerman proposed
a fighter design of ‘discoid’ configuration for the
US Navy in February 1939. Construction of a
prototype, the V-173, began in mid-1939.
Comparison
Without question one of the most peculiar – but promising
– designs in aviation history, the XF5U-1 was developed to Top speed
explore the possibilities of a blended wing and fuselage,
which, if matched with sufficiently powerful engines,
Had it flown, the
XF5U-1 would
would enable both very fast and very slow flight. Its career probably have
may not have been long had it entered production, but it shown similar
could have been a useful stopgap. performance
to the new
generation of jet
fighters such as
the FH-1 Phantom
and would have
been faster than
the last piston
fighters. However,
the XF5U-1 would
have had the
added advantage
of being capable
of very slow flight
and would have
been virtually
impossible
to stall, an
immensely
valuable asset
for a carrierborne
aircraft.
1 Interception
These diagrams show typical
operations with the ‘F5U’ had
first flew on 23 November 1942.
It performed well and two proto-
Right: The XF5U, also
known as the ‘Flying
the type entered service with
the US Navy in the immediate
types of a larger, more powerful Pancake’ or ‘Flying post-war era. Here, F5Us are
version, the XF5U, were complet- Flapjack’, was the launched in rapid succession
brainchild of Charles and in strength to meet enemy
ed just after the end of World War H. Zimmerman (third
airborne threats.
II. Sadly, neither flew, the project from right). Zimmerman
being cancelled in 1947 in favour started work on the
of the development of jet fighters.
2 Multi-role
circular aerofoil concept
in 1933, his various test Here, the F5U demonstrates
models being referred its ability to carry out multiple
to by colleagues as tasks in the same mission.
While one F5U attacks a North
‘Zimmer’s Skimmers’.
Korean Lavochkin La-9 piston
fighter, another F5U attacks an
enemy convoy.
3 Recovery
The high lift generated by the
F5Us’ wings minimises their
approach and landing speeds
and therefore the landing
run on the carrier deck. In a
given time, this allows more
F5Us to be recovered than
Two prototype XF5U-1s were built, one for static testing, and the other, BuNo 33958 conventional aircraft.
(illustrated), to fly. It would have made its first flight from Muroc Dry Lake (later
Edwards AFB) in California, but the project was cancelled before it could get there.
November 1942 1942–1943 1942–1945
V-173 aloft V-173 test mishaps Enter the XF5U-1
Powered by a pair of 80-hp (60-kW) Continental The V-173 quickly accumulated over 130 hours In September 1942, before the V-173 had
engines, each driving a large three-bladed prop, of flying time during 1943, in the hands of flown, the US Navy instructed Vought to build
the V-173 made its first flight, from Bridgeport several pilots, including Charles Lindbergh. two prototypes (one for static testing only) of
Airport, Connecticut, on 23 November 1942, in Nicknamed the ‘Flying Pancake’, it suffered an upscaled, more powerful version, to be des-
the hands of test pilot Boone Guyton. Its han- two forced landings, but its immense strength ignated XF5U-1. The first prototype was rolled
dling was unusual, but showed great promise. meant it was soon ready to fly again. out of the factory on 20 August 1945.
From the cockpit
McDonnell
FH-1 Phantom
Vought “…I felt elated and had the
XF5U-1 ‘Flying Pancake’
Vought
impulse to yell ‘Charlie,
F4U-5 Corsair she flies!’…”
SECTION 05 CARD 20
Test pilot Boone Guyton (seen below)
joined Vought in 1939 and took part in
the testing of many of the company’s
wartime and post-war aircraft, including
the F4U Corsair and jet-powered F6U
Pirate and F7U Cutlass. Boone also
made the maiden flight of the V-173
on 23 November 1942 from the Vought
factory in Stratford, Connecticut. Here
he describes making the first flight of
480 mph (773 km/h) the ‘Flying Flapjack’:
479 mph (771 km/h)
470 mph (756 km/h)
Multi-role ‘Pancake’ missions
Rapid-response carrier air defence These F5Us are shown
operating from large ‘Essex’-
class fleet aircraft-carriers.
Able
to take off
in a very short
distance, the F5Us
may be launched at
“A
s soon as we were airborne and
minimal intervals.
away from the ground effect,
which was large on this type of air-
Fighter and attack missions
craft. I was quickly distressed by the
extreme heaviness and sluggishness of
the controls. There was a question as to
whether I could obtain enough control
to bank the aircraft sufficiently to com-
F5U attacks enemy convoy plete a turn back to the runway.
with gunfire and bombs. ”Slowly the aircraft moved back
towards the airport. I felt elated and had
the impulse to yell ‘Charlie, she flies!’.
Very short deck landing ”The landing was not at all normal. I
managed to get the stick full aft and the
aircraft settled so quickly on the ground
Mother carrier F5Us return to carrier F5Us make maximum flare
from its last few feet of descent that it
steams into after mission. landing in very short space.
was both startling and pleasing. The
wind to reduce
V-173 rolled about 50 ft (15 m); landing
over-deck
speed was about 50 mph (80 km/h).
wind and
minimise “I noted that this aircraft, designed
landing speed. to be a VTOL machine, showed every
promise of filling its design mission.”
1945–1946 March 1947
Powerplant testing End of the line
Difficulties with the extremely intricate gear- By early 1947 the XF5U-1, fitted with spe-
ing of the propellers – initially a pair of stand- cially-developed articulated propellers, had
ard F4U-4 Corsair four-bladed props (as seen finished its engine test programme and was
above) – delayed progress on the XF5U-1, as ready to be sent to Muroc Dry Lake in Cali-
did a wartime lack of funds and engineering fornia to fly. On 17 March 1947, however, the
expertise. This eased when the war finished. entire XF5U project was cancelled.