The Grumman XF5F Skyrocket was a prototype of a twin-engine shipboard fighter interceptor to which Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation applied the model number G-34. It was a radical advance in shipboard fighters at the time when single engine fighters were just changing to monoplane designs from bi-planes. The U.S. Navy ordered one prototype airplane on June 30, 1938 with the designation XF5F-1. Prototypes or prototypical instances combine the most representative attributes of a category. ... The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading producer of military and civilian aircraft of the 20th century. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
The aircraft possessed a unique appearance in that the forward part of the fuselage didn’t extend forward of the wing. Provisions were included in the prototype for two 23 mm Madsen cannon. In an aircraft, the fuselage is the main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. ...
The aircraft flew for the first time on April 1, 1940. Engine cooling problems arose in the initial flights, resulting in modification to the oil cooling ducts. Further modifications were made to the prototype including reduction in the height of the cockpit canopy, revising the armament installation to four 0.5 inch machine guns in place of the cannon, redesign of the engine nacelles, adding spinners to the propellers, and extending the fuselage forward of the wing. These changes were completed on July 15, 1941. Additional changes were needed after further flight tests that were not completed until January 15, 1942. In the meantime Grumman began work on a more advanced twin-engine shipboard fighter, the XF7F-1, and further testing with the XF5F-1 supported the development of the newer design. The prototype continued to be used in various tests, although plagued by various landing gear problems, until it was struck from the list of active aircraft after it made a belly landing on December 11, 1944. 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Cockpit of a light aircraft, showing instrumentation dials and dual control yokes. ... A propeller can be seen as a rotating fin in water or a wing in air. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the year. ... 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Specifications (XF5F-1)
General characteristics
Crew: one, pilot
Length: m (28 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: m (42 ft)
Height: m (11 ft 4 in)
Wing area: m² (303.5 ft²)
Empty: kg (8,107 lb)
Loaded: kg (10,138 lb)
Powerplant: Two Wright XR-1820-40/42 nine cylinder radial air-cooled engines, kW (1,200 hp)
Performance
Maximum speed: km/h ( 383 mi/h at sea level)
Range: km ( 1,200 statute miles)
Service ceiling: m (33,000 ft)
Rate of climb: m/min (4,000 ft/min)
Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
Power/mass:
Armament (planned)
Four 0.5 in machine guns
Two 165 lb bombs
References
William Green (1961). War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters, (Vol 4). London: MacDonald
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Grumman's "Skyrocket" was meant to be a fast-climbing fleet defense interceptor, and was one of four single-seat twin-engine fighters developed during this period, the others being the Lockheed P-38, the Westland Whirlwind, and the Focke-Wulf Fw-187.
The first twin-engine fighter built for the navy, the comparatively large XF5F-1 was first flown April 1, 1940, with two Wright R-1820-40 Cyclones rated at 900 h.p.
Known to Grumman as the G-34 Skyrocket, it was originally designed to be armed with two Madsen 37mm cannon, but the armament was later changed to two.50 caliber and two.30 caliber machine guns, installed in the nose ahead of the cockpit.
The Grumman XF5F-1 Skyrocket is one design that didn't go as well as the company would have liked, yet, because of its unusual configuration, has a personality all its own.
The result is the aircraft known as the 'Skyrocket' and designated XF5F-1.
The Skyrocket was accepted as a prototype, and in 1940 flight testing began.
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