NationMaster - Encyclopedia: F7U Cutlass

**F7U Cutlass**

F7U Cutlass
Type	Fighter
Manufacturer	Chance Vought
Maiden flight	1948-09-29
Introduced	1954
Retired	2nd March 1959
Primary users	United States Navy United States Marine Corps
Number built	415

The Chance Vought F7U Cutlass (Vought V-346A Cutlass) was a U.S. Navy carrier based jet fighter and fighter-bomber of the early Cold War. It was a highly unusual, tailless[1] design, based on aerodynamic data captured from the German Arado company at the end of World War II. The Cutlass had broad, swept wings, with twin tail fins mounted on them. Pitch and roll control was provided by elevons. The very long nosewheel strut was rather weak, and a collapse could seriously jeopardize the pilot. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x809, 164 KB)A F7U Cutlass on the ramp at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, June 13, 1954 This image is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made during the course of... An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing, building, testing, selling, and maintaining aircraft, aircraft parts, missiles, rockets, and/or spacecraft. ... Vought is the name of several related aerospace firms. ... The Maiden flight of an aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... United States Marine Corps seal The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the U.S. military, which along with the U.S. Navy, is under the United States Department of the Navy. ... Vought is the name of several related aerospace firms. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraftâ€”in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... A ground attack aircraft is an aircraft that is designed to operate very close to the ground, supporting infantry and tanks directly in battle. ... The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle that emerged after World War II between the global superpowers of the Soviet Union and the United States, supported by their military alliance partners. ... Arado Flugzeugwerke was originally established as the Warnemünde factory of the Flugzeugbau Friedrichshafen firm. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, United Kingdom, Soviet Union, France/Free France, United States, China, Canada, India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Greece, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Burma, Slovakia Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8... Elevons at the wing trailing edge are used for pitch and roll control of the F-117A Nighthawk ( best seen by clicking on the picture). ...

Three prototypes were ordered in 1946, with the first example flying on September 29 1948, piloted by a Robert Baker. Production orders were placed for the F7U-1 in a specification very close to the prototypes, and F7U-2 and F7U-3 versions with more powerful engines. Because of development problems with the powerplant, however, the F7U-2 would never be built, while the F7U-3 would incorporate many refinements suggested by tests of the -1. The first 16 F7U-3 had non-afterburning Allison J35-29 engines. The -3 with its Westinghouse J46-WE-8B turbojets would eventually become the definitive production version, with 288 aircraft equipping 13 US Navy and Marine squadrons. Further development stopped once the F8U Crusader flew. This is a list of aviation-related events from 1946: // Events January January 1 - a British South American Airways Avro Lancastrian becomes the first commercial flight to depart Heathrow Airport January 10 - a Sikorsky R5 sets an unofficial helicopter altitude record of 6,400 m (21,000 ft) at Stratford... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... This is a list of aviation-related events from 1948: Events January January 17 - BOAC begins to replace flying boat routes with the Lockheed Constellation March the Israeli Air Force is formed, with the new state of Israel March 10 - VF-5 becomes the first US Navy carrier squadron to... The Allison J35 was originally developed by the General Electric Company in parallel with the Whittle_based J33, and was the Air Forces first axial-flow (straight-through airflow) compressor engine. ... Turbojets are the simplest and oldest kind of general purpose jet engine. ... F-8C digital fly-by-wire testbed (NASA) Two F-8 Crusaders Prepare to Launch from the USS Midway (CV-41). ...

Blue Angels F7U

The Blue Angels Navy aerobatics team flew several F7U Cutlass as a side act during their 1952 show season in an effort to promote the new aircraft, but did not use them as part of their regular formation act. Both the pilots and ground crews found the aircraft generally unsatisfactory.

Survivors

Six F7U Cutlass are known to survive.

F7U-3 s/n 129642 is on display at the Wings of Freedon Aviation Museum at the Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The aircraft belonged to attack squadron VA-12 and was flown to Willow Grove in May 1957 to take part in an air show. Upon arrival the aircraft was stricken from active duty. It was given to the Navy Reserve as a ground training aircraft, and eventually placed as a gate guard in front of the base on US Route 661. The airframe has only 326.3 hours TT.
F7U-3M s/n 129655 is on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida.
F7U-3 s/n 128451 is located unrestored and incomplete at the Fred E. Weisbroad Aviation Museum/International B-24 Museum in Pueblo, Colorado. Its condition is poor.
F7U-3 s/n 129554 was purchased by Len Berryman from Geiger Field, Washington in May 1958 and displayed outside the Berryman War Memorial Park in Bridgeport, Washington from 1958 until 1992. In June 1992 it was sold to Tom Cathcart of Ephrata, Washington for restoration to eventual flying condition. This aircraft is currently undergoing restoration at the Museum of Flight in Everett, Washington.
F7U-3 s/n 129685 has been located for many years on the farm of Walter Soplata in Newbury, Ohio. Like most aircraft on this famous farm the aircraft appears complete, though it's exposed to the elements and unrestored.
An F7U (s/n unknown) is currently undergoing restoration for display at the USS Hornet (CV-12) Museum in Alameda, California.

The National Museum of Naval Aviation is located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. ... Nickname: The City of Five Flags Location Location of the city within the state of Florida Government Country State County United States Florida Escambia Mayor John Fogg Geographical characteristics Area City 102. ... Pueblo is a city located in Pueblo County in southern Colorado. ... For the Museum of Flight in East Lothian, Scotland, see Museum of Flight (Scotland). ... Everett High School (part of Everett Public Schools) Everett Public Schools logo Everett Station Everett is a city located in Snohomish County, Washington. ... The eighth USS Hornet (CV/CVA/CVS-12) was originally named USS Kearsarge, but renamed in honor of the CV-8, which was lost in October of 1942. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Island City Location Location in the state of California and Alameda County Government County Alameda Mayor Beverly Johnson (D) Geographical characteristics Area City 59. ...

Variants

XF7U-1 - Three prototypes.
F7U-1 - The initial production version. (14 built).
F7U-2 - Proposed version, it was going to have two Westinghouse J34-WE-42 engines, but it was cancelled.
F7U-3 - The definitive production version. (288 built)
- F7U-3P - Photo-reconnaissance version. (12 built)
- F7U-3M - This version was armed with the AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missile. (98 built)

A RIM-7 Sea Sparrow being launched from the USS Essex (LHD-2). ...

Specifications (F7U-3M)

General characteristics

Crew: One
Length: 44 ft 3 in (13.49 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 8 in (11.79 m)
Height: 14 ft 0 in (4.27 m)
Wing area: 496 ft² (46.1 m²)
Empty weight: 18,210 lb (8,260 kg)
Loaded weight: 31,642 lb (14,353 kg)
Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
Powerplant: 2× Westinghouse J46-WE-8B turbojets, 6,000 lbf with afterburning (26.7 kN) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 695 mph clean; 648 mph with AIM-7 Sparrow missiles (1,120 km/h / 1,043 km/h)
Range: 1,400 mi (2,250 km)
Service ceiling: 40,000 ft (12,200 m)
Rate of climb: 13,000 ft/min (66.7 m/s)
Wing loading: 64 lb/ft² (312 kg/m²)
Thrust/weight: 0.29

Armament

4x 20 mm M3 cannons above inlet ducts (180 rounds per gun, 720 rounds total)
Four pylons for up to 5,500 lb (2,500 kg) of weapons.
Equipped to carry up to four AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles.

Image File history File links Vought_F7U-3_Cutlass. ... The distance AB is the wing span of this Aer Lingus Airbus A320. ... In aviation, the Maximum Take-Off Weight (or MTOW) is the maximum weight with which an aircraft can achieve flight. ... Turbojets are the simplest and oldest kind of general purpose jet engine. ... VNO of an aircraft is the V speed which refers to the velocity of normal operation. ... A RIM-7 Sea Sparrow being launched from the USS Essex (LHD-2). ... The maximal total range is the distance an aircraft can fly between takeoff and landing as limited by its fuel capacity. ... In aeronautics, the service ceiling is the maximum density altitude where the best rate of climb airspeed will produce a 100 feet per minute climb(twin engine) and 50 feet(single engine) at maximum weight while in a clean configuration with maximum continuous power. ... This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... In aerodynamics, wing loading is the loaded weight of the aircraft divided by the area of the wing. ... Thrust-to-weight ratio (where weight means weight at the Earths surface) is a dimensionless parameter characteristic of rocket and jet engines, and of vehicles propelled by such engines (typically space launch vehicles and jet aircraft). ... A RIM-7 Sea Sparrow being launched from the USS Essex (LHD-2). ...

External links

Tailless Aircraft suggested reading - http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/reading/body_reading.html

Blue Angels F7U

Survivors

Variants

Specifications (F7U-3M)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

External links

Related content

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Designation sequence

Blue Angels F7U GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Survivors

Variants

Specifications (F7U-3M)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

External links

Related content

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Designation sequence

Blue Angels F7U