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Convair XFY Pogo

November 25, 2023

The Convair XFY-1 Pogo was an experimental VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft developed during the early years of the Cold War. It was intended to be a high-performance fighter aircraft capable of operating from small warships. Lockheed and Convair were awarded contracts to build experimental VTOL fighters, with Convair producing the XFY-1, also known as the "Pogo."

XFY Pogo
Role Experimental VTOL fighter aircraft
Manufacturer Convair
First flight 19 April 1954 (tethered)
1 August 1954 (free flight)
Primary user United States Navy
Produced 1954
Number built 1

The XFY-1 featured a unique design with delta wings and three-bladed contra-rotating propellers powered by a turboprop engine. Test flights began in 1954, and the aircraft's capabilities were pushed to their limits. Challenges included difficulties in slowing down and landing at high speeds, as well as the need for highly skilled pilots due to its complex handling characteristics. Landing the XFY-1 was difficult, as the pilot had to look over his shoulder while carefully working the throttle to land.

Ultimately, technical and operational challenges, along with the superiority of jet-engined fighters, led to the project's suspension in 1955. The XFY-1 Pogo is now preserved in the National Air and Space Museum.

Design and development edit

After World War II, the Cold War prompted the United States Army and Navy to study VTOL operations. It was envisaged to protect task forces, convoys or any fleet, even without aircraft carriers, by placing VTOL aircraft on any ship. These fighters would be housed within a conical protective housing, saving limited deck space available aboard ships. They would provide first line of airborne defense and reconnaissance capability, before more aircraft could be scrambled to help, with flight performance that helicopters could not provide.[1]

In May 1951, Lockheed and Convair were awarded contracts in the attempt to design, construct, and test two experimental VTOL fighters that would be suitable for use by the armed forces. Although contract stipulations stated that each manufacturer have two fighters, each was only able to construct one, with Lockheed producing the XFV, and Convair producing the XFY, nicknamed the "Pogo", after the pogo stick.[2] The first XFY-1 prototype was used for engine testing and the third for static testing, and only the second prototype serial number 138649 was flown.[3]

The XFY-1 was designed for the Allison XT40-A-14 turboprop, which was expected to deliver 7,100 shp (5,295 kW). The production aircraft were intended to use the even more powerful Allison T54 which was never built.[4] It was one of the few propeller-driven aircraft with delta wings, swept at 52 degrees, and a fin with a span of 21 ft 8 in (6.5 m). The pilot's seat was mounted on gimbals allowing for movement from 45 degrees in vertical flight to 90 degrees in horizontal flight. The Curtiss-Wright turbo-electric three-bladed contra-rotating propellers were 16 feet (4.88 m) in diameter.[5]

Operational history edit

Testing and evaluation edit

 
XFY on a launching cart

On 19 April 1954, a Convair engineering test pilot and Marine reservist, Lieutenant Colonel James F. "Skeets" Coleman, made the first tethered flight in the Pogo. The XFY-1 was like no other propeller driven aircraft before it. No previous aircraft with a similar weight, engine power, or size had ever attempted to take off and land vertically. For the safety of both the craft and its pilot, the propeller hub cover was removed and replaced by safety tether lines for the first flight, in case Coleman lost control of the craft and would need to be tethered to prevent the craft falling to the ground. On the other end of the tether was another engineer, Bob McGreary. If Coleman ever lost control, McGreary controlled the winch which could be turned to raise the tethers to prevent the craft from plummeting to the ground. For further safety precautions, four security cables were fastened to each wing in case control was lost in any axis. The tests were conducted inside of a naval airship hangar at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California.[6]

 
The XFY-1's pilot entering the aircraft via a ladder
 
In flight

Throughout the next few weeks, Coleman logged almost 60 hours in test flights in the Pogo, and by August, the test was moved to outdoor conditions. On 1 August 1954, Coleman logged two outdoor test flights, the second flying 150 ft (50 m) into the air, and shortly after he flew 70 takeoff–landing drills at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Brown Field, California.[7] The first conversion to horizontal flight took place on 5 November 1954.[8][N 1]

Upon later flights with longer durations, flaws in the design were found. Due to the Pogo's lightweight design, and the lack of spoilers and air brakes, the aircraft lacked the ability to slow down and stop efficiently after moving at high speeds. Landing was also a problem, as the pilot had to look back behind himself during a landing to properly stabilize the craft.

It became evident that even if technical problems could be overcome, such VTOL aircraft would be flown only by the most experienced pilots. Thus, it was not feasible to place VTOL fighters—as previously hoped for—on every ship. Also, whereas jet-engined fighters had top speeds that approached Mach 2, the turboprop VTOL fighter was at a disadvantage with a top speed below Mach 1. Due to these problems, the XFY Project was put on hiatus.[11]

Later testing edit

Although a test flight was made on 19 May 1955, it again ended with failure, and on 1 August 1955 the project was formally concluded. The last flight of the XFY-1 Pogo took place in November 1956.

Aircraft on display edit

After several years on static display at Naval Air Station Norfolk, Virginia, the Pogo was moved to the National Air and Space Museum in Suitland, Maryland, where it currently resides.[12]

Specifications (XFY-1) edit

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also edit

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Note: This date is in dispute as various reliable sources give different dates of 2, 4 and 5 November 1954.[9] One source indicates it was prior to "a widely publicized flight over downtown San Diego" on 2 November 1954.[10]

Citations edit

  1. ^ Allen 2007, p. 14.
  2. ^ Yenne 2009, p. 103.
  3. ^ United States Navy Centennial Newsletter, Fall 2009, p. 12
  4. ^ Yenne 2009, p. 103.
  5. ^ Taylor 1977, p. 63
  6. ^ Taylor 1977, p. 63.
  7. ^ Taylor 1977, p. 63.
  8. ^ "Convair XFY." Flight, 12 November 1954, p. 696.
  9. ^ Allen 2007, p. 13.
  10. ^ Yenne 2009, p. 105.
  11. ^ Allen 2007, p. 20.
  12. ^ Yenne 2009, p. 105.
  13. ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Bibliography edit

  • Allen, Francis J. "Bolt Upright: Convair's and Lockheed's VTOL fighters". Air Enthusiast (Key Publishing) Volume 127, January/February 2007, pp. 13–20. ISSN 0143-5450.
  • Rogers, Mike. VTOL: Military Research Aircraft. New York: Orion Books, 1989. ISBN 0-517-57684-8.
  • Taylor, Michael. The World's Strangest Aircraft. London: Grange Books plc, 1999. ISBN 1-85627-869-7.
  • Taylor, John W. R. & Michael J. H. Jane's Pocket Book of Research and Experimental Aircraft. Collier Books: New York, 1977 ISBN 0-356-08405-1.
  • Winchester, Jim. "Convair XFY1 'Pogo'." Concept Aircraft: Prototypes, X-Planes and Experimental Aircraft. Kent, UK: Grange Books, 2007 [2005]. ISBN 978-1-84013-809-2.
  • Yenne, Bill. Convair Deltas from SeaDart to Hustler. Specialty Press: North Branch, MN, 2009. ISBN 978-1-58007-118-5.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Convair XFY.
  • The National Air and Space Museum Web page for the Pogo.
  • This short YouTube clip shows the XFY-1 takeoff, transition, and landing.
  • This longer (nine-minute) clip shows testing of the XFY-1 in an airship hangar, and extended takeoff, flight and landing sequences.
  • "Heads Up Fighters." Popular Mechanics, May 1954, pp. 96–97.

November 25, 2023
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The Convair XFY 1 Pogo was an experimental VTOL vertical takeoff and landing aircraft developed during the early years of the Cold War It was intended to be a high performance fighter aircraft capable of operating from small warships Lockheed and Convair were awarded contracts to build experimental VTOL fighters with Convair producing the XFY 1 also known as the Pogo XFY PogoRole Experimental VTOL fighter aircraftManufacturer ConvairFirst flight 19 April 1954 tethered 1 August 1954 free flight Primary user United States NavyProduced 1954Number built 1The XFY 1 featured a unique design with delta wings and three bladed contra rotating propellers powered by a turboprop engine Test flights began in 1954 and the aircraft s capabilities were pushed to their limits Challenges included difficulties in slowing down and landing at high speeds as well as the need for highly skilled pilots due to its complex handling characteristics Landing the XFY 1 was difficult as the pilot had to look over his shoulder while carefully working the throttle to land Ultimately technical and operational challenges along with the superiority of jet engined fighters led to the project s suspension in 1955 The XFY 1 Pogo is now preserved in the National Air and Space Museum Contents 1 Design and development 2 Operational history 2 1 Testing and evaluation 2 2 Later testing 3 Aircraft on display 4 Specifications XFY 1 5 See also 6 References 6 1 Notes 6 2 Citations 6 3 Bibliography 7 External linksDesign and development editAfter World War II the Cold War prompted the United States Army and Navy to study VTOL operations It was envisaged to protect task forces convoys or any fleet even without aircraft carriers by placing VTOL aircraft on any ship These fighters would be housed within a conical protective housing saving limited deck space available aboard ships They would provide first line of airborne defense and reconnaissance capability before more aircraft could be scrambled to help with flight performance that helicopters could not provide 1 In May 1951 Lockheed and Convair were awarded contracts in the attempt to design construct and test two experimental VTOL fighters that would be suitable for use by the armed forces Although contract stipulations stated that each manufacturer have two fighters each was only able to construct one with Lockheed producing the XFV and Convair producing the XFY nicknamed the Pogo after the pogo stick 2 The first XFY 1 prototype was used for engine testing and the third for static testing and only the second prototype serial number 138649 was flown 3 The XFY 1 was designed for the Allison XT40 A 14 turboprop which was expected to deliver 7 100 shp 5 295 kW The production aircraft were intended to use the even more powerful Allison T54 which was never built 4 It was one of the few propeller driven aircraft with delta wings swept at 52 degrees and a fin with a span of 21 ft 8 in 6 5 m The pilot s seat was mounted on gimbals allowing for movement from 45 degrees in vertical flight to 90 degrees in horizontal flight The Curtiss Wright turbo electric three bladed contra rotating propellers were 16 feet 4 88 m in diameter 5 Operational history editTesting and evaluation edit nbsp XFY on a launching cartOn 19 April 1954 a Convair engineering test pilot and Marine reservist Lieutenant Colonel James F Skeets Coleman made the first tethered flight in the Pogo The XFY 1 was like no other propeller driven aircraft before it No previous aircraft with a similar weight engine power or size had ever attempted to take off and land vertically For the safety of both the craft and its pilot the propeller hub cover was removed and replaced by safety tether lines for the first flight in case Coleman lost control of the craft and would need to be tethered to prevent the craft falling to the ground On the other end of the tether was another engineer Bob McGreary If Coleman ever lost control McGreary controlled the winch which could be turned to raise the tethers to prevent the craft from plummeting to the ground For further safety precautions four security cables were fastened to each wing in case control was lost in any axis The tests were conducted inside of a naval airship hangar at Moffett Field in Mountain View California 6 nbsp The XFY 1 s pilot entering the aircraft via a ladder nbsp In flightThroughout the next few weeks Coleman logged almost 60 hours in test flights in the Pogo and by August the test was moved to outdoor conditions On 1 August 1954 Coleman logged two outdoor test flights the second flying 150 ft 50 m into the air and shortly after he flew 70 takeoff landing drills at the Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Brown Field California 7 The first conversion to horizontal flight took place on 5 November 1954 8 N 1 Upon later flights with longer durations flaws in the design were found Due to the Pogo s lightweight design and the lack of spoilers and air brakes the aircraft lacked the ability to slow down and stop efficiently after moving at high speeds Landing was also a problem as the pilot had to look back behind himself during a landing to properly stabilize the craft It became evident that even if technical problems could be overcome such VTOL aircraft would be flown only by the most experienced pilots Thus it was not feasible to place VTOL fighters as previously hoped for on every ship Also whereas jet engined fighters had top speeds that approached Mach 2 the turboprop VTOL fighter was at a disadvantage with a top speed below Mach 1 Due to these problems the XFY Project was put on hiatus 11 Later testing edit Although a test flight was made on 19 May 1955 it again ended with failure and on 1 August 1955 the project was formally concluded The last flight of the XFY 1 Pogo took place in November 1956 Aircraft on display editAfter several years on static display at Naval Air Station Norfolk Virginia the Pogo was moved to the National Air and Space Museum in Suitland Maryland where it currently resides 12 Specifications XFY 1 editGeneral characteristics Crew 1 Airfoil NACA 63 009 mod 13 Propellers 6 bladed Curtiss Electric constant speed contra rotating propellerPerformance Power mass 0 34 hp lb 0 56 kW kg Armament Guns 4 20mm 0 79 in cannon Rockets 48 2 75 in 70 mm Mk 4 Folding Fin Aerial RocketsSee also editVTOLAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Focke Wulf Triebflugel Heinkel Lerche Lockheed XFVRelated lists List of experimental aircraft List of fighter aircraft List of United States Navy aircraft designations pre 1962 List of military aircraft of the United StatesReferences editNotes edit Note This date is in dispute as various reliable sources give different dates of 2 4 and 5 November 1954 9 One source indicates it was prior to a widely publicized flight over downtown San Diego on 2 November 1954 10 Citations edit Allen 2007 p 14 Yenne 2009 p 103 United States Navy Centennial Newsletter Fall 2009 p 12 Yenne 2009 p 103 Taylor 1977 p 63 Taylor 1977 p 63 Taylor 1977 p 63 Convair XFY Flight 12 November 1954 p 696 Allen 2007 p 13 Yenne 2009 p 105 Allen 2007 p 20 Yenne 2009 p 105 Lednicer David The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage m selig ae illinois edu Retrieved 16 April 2019 Bibliography edit Allen Francis J Bolt Upright Convair s and Lockheed s VTOL fighters Air Enthusiast Key Publishing Volume 127 January February 2007 pp 13 20 ISSN 0143 5450 Rogers Mike VTOL Military Research Aircraft New York Orion Books 1989 ISBN 0 517 57684 8 Taylor Michael The World s Strangest Aircraft London Grange Books plc 1999 ISBN 1 85627 869 7 Taylor John W R amp Michael J H Jane s Pocket Book of Research and Experimental Aircraft Collier Books New York 1977 ISBN 0 356 08405 1 Winchester Jim Convair XFY1 Pogo Concept Aircraft Prototypes X Planes and Experimental Aircraft Kent UK Grange Books 2007 2005 ISBN 978 1 84013 809 2 Yenne Bill Convair Deltas from SeaDart to Hustler Specialty Press North Branch MN 2009 ISBN 978 1 58007 118 5 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Convair XFY The National Air and Space Museum Web page for the Pogo This short YouTube clip shows the XFY 1 takeoff transition and landing This longer nine minute clip shows testing of the XFY 1 in an airship hangar and extended takeoff flight and landing sequences Heads Up Fighters Popular Mechanics May 1954 pp 96 97 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Convair XFY Pogo amp oldid 1177525254, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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