Category Archives: U.S. Navy

U.S.A.

Fighter, Fighterbomber

Curtiss XF-14C-2 (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Carrier-borne heavy fighter

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Wright XR-3350-16 ‘Cyclone’ radial engine, rated at 2,300 hp

PERFORMANCE: 398 mph at 32,000 ft

COMMENT: In early 1941, the Curtiss Aircraft Company proposed the development of a high-performance, heavily-armed fighter designed around a liquid-cooled engine. At that time the US Navy was dedicated to using air-cooled engines, but Curtiss experience with the Curtiss P-40 gave the company good grounds for its faith in the liquid-cooled unit, and on June 1941 it received a Navy contract for two prototypes of such an aircraft, to be designated XF14C-1. The chosen power plant was the still experimental Lycoming XH-2470-4 which was expected to deliver 2,200 hp at sea level, with a normal rating of 2,000 hp at 4,500 ft.  With an armament four 20-mm cannon in the wings, the XF14C-1 was expected to have a maximum speed of 374 mph at 17,000 ft and a service ceiling of 30,500 ft. However, wind tunnel testing by Navy engineers during 1942 cast some doubts on the validity of these figures  and with development of the XH-2470 engine lagging, the Navy eventually concluded that the performance of the XF14C-1 would be inadequate by the time it was ready to enter service, and the programme was cancelled in December 1943.
As the first airframe was then virtually complete, the Navy suggested it be flown with the air-cooled Wright R-3350 ‘Cyclone’ engine, driving six-blade contra props. In this guise, the Curtiss fighter was redesignated XF14C-2, and the first flight was made in July 1944. Performance again fell below expectation, a speed of 398 mph being reached at 32,000 ft compared with the estimated of 424 mph, and the R-3350 was still suffering from a number of teething problems. Meantime the progress of the Pacific war made further development of the XF14C-2 unnecessary, the programme being cancelled in the early month of 1945 (Ref.: 10).

Trainer

Culver TD2C-1 ‘Turkey’ (Frank-Airmodel, Resin)

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TYPE: Radio-controlled target drone

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only or radio-controlled

POWER PLANT: Franklin O-300-11 air-cooled engine, rated at 150 hp

PERFORMANCE: 180 mph

COMMENT: The Culver TDC-2 and TD2C-1 radio-controlled drones were Navy duplicates of the USAAF Culver PQ-8A and PQ-14A targets. The PQ-8 was a larger and more powerful derivative of the commercial Culver LCA sports plane. A single PQ-8 was converted to the new configuration and tested by the USAAF as the Culver XPQ-14. In 1942 the US Navy ordered 200 TDC-2, designated ‘Turkey’. In 1943 Culver introduced a new target drone powered by a 150 hp Flanklin O-300-11 engine and with a retractable undercarriage.  Like the PQ-8, it was flown manned for ferry or check-out flights, or by radio-control from the ground as a target drone. Of a total of 1,348 PQ-14As built for the USAAF, 1,201 were transferred to the US Navy as TD2C-1 (Ref.: 24).

Fighter-Torpedobomber, Torpedobomber

Grumman TBF-1C “Avenger”, VC-58, USS CVE 21 “Block Island I” (Airfix, Parts scratch built)

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TYPE: Carrier-borne torpedo bomber

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three

POWER PLANT: One Wright R-2600-20 Cyclone radial engine, rated at 1,900 hp

PERFORMANCE: 275 mph

COMMENT: The Grumman TBF “Avenger” was an American torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Nay and the Marine Corps. The “Avenger” entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. Despite the loss of five of the six “Avengers” on its combat debut, it survived in service to become one of the outstanding torpedo bombers of World War II. The Douglas TBD “Devastator”, the U.S. Navy’s main torpedo bomber introduced in 1935, was obsolete by 1939. Bids were accepted from several companies, but Grumman’s TBF design was selected as the replacement for the TBD and in April 1940 two prototypes were ordered by the Navy. The first prototype was called the XTBF-1. It was first flown on 7 August 1941. Although one of the first two prototypes crashed near, rapid production continued. The TBF-1 “Avenger” was the heaviest single-engined aircraft of World War II, and only the USAAF’s P-47 “Thunderbolt” came close to equalling it in maximum loaded weight among all single-engined fighters, being only some 181 kg lighter than the TBF, by the end of World War II. The Avenger was the first design to feature a new “compound angle” wing-folding mechanism created by Grumman, intended to maximize storage space on an aircraft carrier; the Grumman F4F-4 “Wildcat” and later variants received a similar folding wing and the Grumman F6F “Hellcat” employed this mechanism as well. There were three crew members: pilot, turret gunner and radioman/bombardier/ventral gunner. In total, 9,839 Avengers and including special-purpose versions are built, such as TBF-1C for reconnaissance, TBF-1E with radar, TBF-1J for bad-weather flying, TBF-1L with searchlight in the bomb-bay and post-war development TBM-3W with APS-20 radar in a large ventral radome. Many “Avengers” saw action with other national air and naval aviation services around the world. (Ref.: 23, 24).

Reconnaissance, Observation

Edo OSE-1, (Frank Airmodel, Vacu formed)

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TYPE: Shipboard scout floatplane

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Ranger V-770-8 air-cooled piston engine, rated at 550 hp, driving two-bladed propeller

PERFORMANCE: 198 mph

COMMENT: The Edo OSE was a 1940s American single-seat multi-role floatplane designed and manufactured by the Edo Aircraft Corporation. The Edo Aircraft Corporation was an established company that produced seaplane floats. In 1946, Edo designed its first aircraft, the Edo OSE. Two prototype aircraft designated XOSE-1 were built and flown in 1946. The XOSE-1 was a single-seat low-wing cantilever monoplane with a single float and fixed wingtip stabilizing floats. The wings could be folded for shipboard storage. The aircraft was designed for a variety of roles including observation and anti-submarine patrols. Unusually, it was designed to carry a rescue cell on the underwing hard points, which would be capable of carrying a single person when used for air-sea rescue. Eight production aircraft XOSE-1 were built to a United States Navy order but none were accepted into service. A two-seat training conversion was carried out as the XTE-1, but production TE-2 aircraft were cancelled (Ref.: 24).

Medium Bomber

Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon, VB-139 (Academy, Parts scratch-built)

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TYPE: Patrol bomber

ACCOMMODATION:  Crew of four or five

POWER PLANT: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-31 Double Wasp radial engines, rated at 2,000 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 282 mph at 13,700 ft

COMMENT:  The Lockheed PV-2 Harpoon , ordered by the US Navy on June, 1943, differed in several respects from the Lockheed PV-1 Ventura. The power plant and general configuration remained unchanged, but wing span and fuel capacity were increased, larger fins and rudders were fitted, and the armament was improved. Delivery of a batch of 500 Harpoons began in March 1944. These aircraft served primarily in the Pacific area for the last year of the WWII (Ref.: 23).

Medium Bomber

Lockheed PV-1 Ventura (Academy Models)

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TYPE: Patrol bomber

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of four or five

POWER PLANT: Two Pratt & Whitney R-2800-31 Double Wasp radial engines, rated at 2,000 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 312 mph at 13,800 ft

COMMENT:  The Ventura had been developed initially from the commercial Lockheed Model 18 to a British specification for an improved successor of the Lockheed Hudson. Powered by more powerful engines it was larger and heavier than the Hudson. First flight was made on July 1941 and the RAF ordered 873 aircraft. Further contracts were placed by the USAAF as B-34 which had a larger bomb-bay as well by the US Navy under the designation PV-1. Deliveries of the Navy variant began in December 1942 which procured a total of 1,600 PV-1. These aircraft served primarily in the Pacific area until the end of the WWII (Ref.: 23).

Heavy Bomber, Torpedobomber, Reconnaissance

Consolidated XP4Y-1 “Corregidor” (Unicraft, Resin)

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TYPE: Long-range maritime reconnaissance bomber flying boat

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of six to eight

POWER PLANT: Two Wright R-3350-8 Cyclone 18radial engines, rated at 2,300 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 247 mph at 13,600 ft

COMMENT:  The Consolidated XP4Y-1 shore-based patrol, torpedo-bomber and minelayer flying boat, unofficially dubbed “Corregidor”, was a military version of the Consolidated “Model 31”. The prototype of the Model 31 was completed in 1939, and was intended for both civil and military roles. It was intensively modified during its prolonged period of testing, eventually emerging in April 1942 as the XP4Y-1. The rear fuselage was redesigned to provide for the installation of a tail turret, the modified fuselage raised the tail assembly considerably, and, subsequently, the bow of the hull was extensively redesigned, a form of cuff being added, the retractable stabilizing floats were redesigned, and dummy gun turrets were fitted. An order for 200 aircraft was placed and a special plant was established at New Orleans for quantity production of the P4Y-1. But Wright R-3350 Cyclone power plant employed by the flying boat were needed more urgently for the Boeing B-29 “Superfortress” and, in consequence, during summer of 1943 production contracts for the P4Y-1 were cancelled, the New Orleans plant subsequently building the PBY “Catalina” (Ref.: 14).

Fighter-Torpedobomber, Reconnaissance, Observation

Grumman TBM-3W2 Avenger (Airfix, Parts scratch built)

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TYPE: Anti-submarine search aircraft

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of three

POWER PLANT: One Wright R-2600-20, rated at 1,900 hp

PERFORMANCE: 250 mph at 16,500 ft

COMMENT: During the closing stage of the hostilities in the Pacific area the Grumman Company resp. General Motors converted some TBF and TBM Avengers, respectively, into anti-submarine search and strike aircraft. The rear turret was removed and faired over and a large ventral radome, carrying a APS-20 radar, was mounted under the fuselage. By that the TBM-3 conversion as the first ship based airborne early warning control and relay platform. These search aircraft operated together with TBM-3S or TBM-3S-2 submarine-strike Avengers. These search-and-strike aircraft remained in operational service after the war until 1954. From 1950 onwards these Avengers were replaced by Grumman AF-2W “hunter” and Grumman AF-2S “killer” Guardians (Ref.:1)

Helicopter

McDonnell XHJD-1 Whirlaway (Anigrand)

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TYPE: Rescue helicopter

ACCOMMODATION: Crew of two, up to 8 passengers

POWER PLANT: Two Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines, rated at 450 hp each

PERFORMANCE: 120 mph

COMMENT:  In 1944, U.S. Navy launched a competition that called for a large rescue helicopter which could carry up to 10 occupants. McDonnell was determined to win a new Navy contract as the company only had sub-contract jobs at the war time. With investment in Platt LePage Aircraft Co., McDonnell was allowed to learn helicopter techniques and developed its own design, Model 65. Considering a most suitable configuration for a large helicopter, it was fitted with twin side-by-side rotors mounted at the end of main wings. In 1945, McDonnell proposed the project to Navy and was rewarded contract for construction of one test bed, designated XHJD-1. First flight was made on April 1946. It became the world’s first successful twin-engines, twin rotors helicopter. From 1946 to 1951, XHJD-1 was tested for numerous flying researches peculiar to its twin-rotor configuration. The aircraft never went into production.

Fighter, Nightfighter

Grumman F6F-5N Hellcat, USS CV-19 Lexington (Hasegawa)

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TYPE: Carrier-based night-fighter,

ACCOMMODATION: Pilot only

POWER PLANT: One Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10W Double Wasp radial engine, rated at 2,000 hp

PERFORMANCE: 360 mph at 23,400 ft

COMMENT: Grumman F6F-3N Hellcat night-fighters entered operation during February 1944, with VF(N)-76 aboard the USS CV-8 Hornet. The Hellcat was adapted to carry the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AN/APS-6 radar with the scanning aerial in a radome pod on the starboard wing. During 1944 deliveries began of a new Hellcat version, the F6F-5 Hellcat, with a number of detail refinements and improvements. Logically, a night-fighter version was F6F-5N was developed, retaining the AN/APS-6 radar in a starboard wing pod. Of the 1,434 F6F-5N Hellcat completed during the war many remained in service for a number of years after the war’s end (Ref.: 1).