Convair F2Y Sea Dart
The Convair Sea Dart F2Y was a jet -powered, sea-based interceptors, of which only five prototypes were produced.
History
The Sea Dart was the contribution of Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation to compete in the U.S. Navy for a new, supersonic fast fighter aircraft in 1948. Because there was doubt about the operation supersonic speed aircraft from aircraft carriers at that time to Convair decided on a seaplane.
1951 two prototypes XF2Y -1 of Deltaflüglers were ordered. The plane had two retractable skis for takeoff and landing, which were extended during acceleration from a speed of 16 km / h and should assume the function of a stepped hull. At a lower rate of whole body was in the water. At the second built machine was experimented with only a central runner, which indeed resulted in a reduced splash education, but also to a reduced stability, so that you can return to the original interpretation.
The air intakes of the two equipped with afterburners Westinghouse turbojet engines were far behind the wing leading edge on top of the fuselage to minimize the risk of ingress of sea spray and splashes. The outlet nozzles were located on both sides of the triangular vertical tail just above the waterline. The two prototypes were initially equipped with the Westinghouse J34 -WE -32, as provided XJ46 -WE- 02 are not yet available. Westinghouse J34 had only half of the power of the XJ46 engines.
The prototypes were built and tested in San Diego, and on January 14, 1953 was achieved in a high-speed test of the first short flight of the first prototype ( ID 137634 ). The official maiden flight took place on April 9.
In the first experiments, it was found that the machine was underpowered, and there came during takeoff and landing, despite shock absorbing ski racks to strong vibrations. However, the problems could be minimized. Because of the weak engines, the machine could not reach the speed of sound.
Even before the first flight of Convair was awarded a contract for an initial 12 series machines F2Y -1, and shortly thereafter changed to four pre-production models YF2Y -1 and eight F2Y -1 plus an additional eight production models, so that now a total of 22 Sea Darts should be produced in August 1952. The order for the second XF2Y -1 ( 137635 ) was canceled in October 1953. On August 3, 1954, the first built YF2Y -1 ( 135 762 ) broke through in the descent through the sound barrier and is therefore still the fastest seaplane in the world. Nevertheless, their performance remained behind the requirements. The machine broke on November 4, 1954 apart at a demonstration in front of representatives of the Navy in the air, the pilot was killed.
This accident, the problems with the engines and the further development of the aircraft carrier led to the downgrading of the program to an experimental program and terminating in 1957. Built the last two copies are never flown.
In 1962, the Sea Dart, though long since shut down, the new label F-7 in the new naming scheme of the U.S. armed forces.
The prototype is now in the Smithsonian Institute on restoration, the three remaining series machines are located in the San Diego Aerospace Museum, the Wings of Freedom Air and Space Museum in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and at the airport in Lakeland, Florida.
Specifications
- Length: 16 m
- Wingspan: 10.26 m
- Height: 4.9 m, with extended skid 6.32 m
- Wing area: 52,30 m²
- Empty weight: 5739 kg
- Off weight max: 7495 kg
- Engines: 2 x Westinghouse J46 -WE -2 with 53 kN thrust
- Maximum speed: 1118 km / h at 2,440 m altitude
- Range: 826 km
- Service ceiling: 16,705 m
- Rate of climb: 87 m / s at an altitude of