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Ryan XF2R Dark Shark

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XF2R Dark Shark
General information
TypeFighter
National originUnited States
ManufacturerRyan Aeronautical
StatusCanceled
Number built1 prototype
History
First flightNovember 1946
Developed fromRyan FR Fireball

The Ryan XF2R Dark Shark was an American experimental aircraft built for the United States Navy that combined turboprop and turbojet propulsion. It was based on Ryan Aeronautical's earlier FR Fireball, but replaced the Fireball's piston engine with a turboprop engine.

Design and development

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The XF2R-1 in flight.

The XF2R Dark Shark was based on Ryan Aeronautical's earlier FR Fireball, but replaced the Fireball's piston engine with a General Electric T31 turboprop engine driving a 4-bladed Hamilton Standard propeller. The turboprop made for much improved performance over the Fireball, and Ryan proposed the XF2R-2 to use a Westinghouse J34 turbojet in place of the General Electric J31 used as the auxiliary turbojet for the XF2R-1. The XF2R-2 also had a squared-off vertical stabilizer and jet intakes moved to the sides of the forward fuselage with NACA ducts instead of the inlets in the wing leading edge for the XF2R-1.

Although the Dark Shark proved to be a capable aircraft, it never progressed beyond the prototype stage and the XF2R-2 was canceled without being built because the Navy had abandoned the idea of the combination fighter and was instead looking into all-jet fighters, which it considered superior.

Specifications (XF2R-1)

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3-view line drawing of the Ryan XF2R Dark Shark
3-view line drawing of the Ryan XF2R Dark Shark

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters[1]

General characteristics

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 497 mph (800 km/h, 432 kn) at sea level
  • Service ceiling: 39,100 ft (11,900 m)
  • Rate of climb: 4,850 ft/min (24.6 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 36.1 lb/sq ft (176 kg/m2)

Armament

  • Guns: 4 × .50-inch (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns

See also

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Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References

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Notes

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  1. ^ Green, W; Swanborough, G (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Smithmark Publishers inc. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
  2. ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Bibliography

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  • Ginter, Steve. Ryan FR-1 Fireball and XF2R-1 Darkshark, Naval Fighters Number 28'. Simi Valley, CA: Ginter Books, 1995. ISBN 0-942612-28-0.
  • McDowell, Ernest. FR-1 Fireball, Mini in action number 5. Carrollton, TX: Squadron/Signal Publications Inc., 1995. ISBN 0-89747-344-2.
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