SP-4305 ENGINEER IN CHARGE. Appendix E. Aircraft

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1 SP-4305 ENGINEER IN CHARGE Appendix E Aircraft [479] Langley laboratory conducted both wind tunnel arid free-flight testing Sometimes the researchers studied a problem first in flight and then moved on to explore it in a tunnel under a more extreme aerodynamic condition, such as higher speed Other times the researchers made the initial investigation in a tunnel and then checked the accuracy of the simulation in flight Such confirmation was essential to aeronautical progress because there were reasons to suspect the accuracy of tunnel data No one knew, for instance, the exact effect of Reynolds number on test results Walls, struts, supports, and other tunnel structures affected the aerodynamic performance of a test model in ways that could not be compensated for exactly The following is a catalog of the aircraft assigned to Langley in order of receipt Some of the aircraft were subjected to extensive research probes, others served as test beds for the study of specific innovations, some were given merely cursory flight evaluation, and still others were only visitors at the lab or military base Field Langley's aircraft numbering system may be confusing because it does not conform sequentially to the order of receipt Some aircraft had multiple designations depending upon the type of arrangement by which the aircraft had been assigned to Langley (eg, ownership indefinite loan, temporary loan) An example is the P-80A-5, serial , acquired on 5 November 1946, which was listed in early records as " 281" but continued to carry the USAAF designation "PN-352" until transfer of ownership to the on 1 May 1950, when it was designated " 112" Over a period of years, in fact, more than one aircraft could have the same number (The current NASA numbering system begins with 1 for the transports, but the research and support aircraft carry 3-digit numbers, the first digit of which indicates the center to which the aircraft is assigned For instance, "NASA 1" is a transport operated by Langley for the NASA administrator in Washington, whereas Langley's other aircraft have numbers beginning with 5, such as "NASA 515," a research Boeing 737) During the years of the, many military aircraft were temporarily assigned to Langley lab for specific programs requested by the services Rather than paint numbers on most of these, Langley used the last three digits of the military number for the identification If the aircraft was held over an appreciable time for research, or transferred in ownership to the, Langley then applied numbers Aircraft purchased by the carried numbers from the start Order of receipt at Langley Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed no 1 Curtiss JN4H 1919 Nov 1923 (N6249)

2 [480] Top, the original hangars, 1981 The aircraft parked to the right is the Fairchild owned by the Just outside the hangar door is a modified Ford Model A that was used to start aircraft propellers Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 2 Curtiss JN4H (AS 44946) 1919 Nov Curtiss JN4H (AS 38131) 1919 Apr Vought VE-7 (A 5669) Apr 1921 July British Royal Aircraft Factory (RAF) SE-5A (AS 8049) Sept 1922 Sept 1926 no

3 6 DeHavilland (AS 22830) Sept July 1927 [481] What interested the most a lout the famous Fokker D-VII was the German fighter plane's thick, internally braced cantilever wings Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 7 Fokker D-VII (6328) Martin MO-1 (AS 63335) 9 DeHavilland 9A (AS 31839) 10 SPAD VII (AS 7142) Sept 1922 Sept 1922 Sept 1922 Nov 1923 Dec 1927 Feb 25 No number Nieuport No number Thomas-Morse MB-3 Jan Douglas DT-2 (A 6425) May 1923 June Curtiss JN6H (AS 44946) Sept Consolidated CBS Vought VE-7 (A 5950) Curtiss TS-1 (A 6249) Nov 1923 Dec Sperry M-1 Messenger (AS 68473) Jan Supermarine Vickers Viking IV (A6073) no

4 18 Curtiss F4C-1 (6689) [482] Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 19 Curtiss JNS-1 (AS 24232) Nov 1924 June 1926 No number Martin MB Sperry M-1 Messenger (AS 64226) Jan Vought UO-1 22 Boeing PW-9 Jan Curtiss F4C-1 (6690) 24 Douglas M3 Mailplane DeHavilland 4-B (AS 31839) Dec 1927 no Jan Fairchild FC-2W Curtiss XF7C-1 Seahawk (A 7653) 28 Atlantic Fokker C-2 (AC ) 29 Douglas O-2H (AC ) Jan Curtiss H-16 Feb 1929 July Stearman C3B (NS 7550) 32 Curtiss P-1A Marin Hawk (AC ) July Consolidated NY-1 34 Doyle 0-2 Oriole Vought 02U-1 36 Consolidated/Fleet XN2Y-1 (A 8019) Boeing F3B-1 38 Boeing F2B-1 39 Boeing XF4B-1 (A 8128) 40 Consolidated NY-2 41 Verville Sportsman 42 McDonnell Doodlebug 43 Vought 03U-1 44 Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro July 1931 Sept Curtiss 02C-1 46 Loening XSL- 1 (BuNo 8696) 47 Fairchild C-7A Martin XBM-l (BuNo 9212)

5 [483] Fokker trimotor with experimental cowlings in flight over Langley, 1929 Curtiss Bleeker helicopter in front of the NA CA hangar, July 1980

6 [484] The 's new hangar in the east area, 1932 Martin XBM-1 equipped with experimental heated wing for icing research, 1939 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed

7 49 Douglas YO-31A 50 Fleet N2Y-1 51 Detroit/Lockheed XtO4 (BuNo 9054) 52 Curtiss F6C-4 53 Curtiss 02C-1 (BuNo 8455) 1932 Feb 1933 no [485] The 's Fairchild 2 with an eperimental flap and spoiler installation, October 1940 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 54 Boeing F4B-2 (BuNo 8628) July 1932 June Boeing P-12C 56 Curtiss P-GE 57 Fleet N2Y-1 Sept Vought 02U-1 59 Pitcairn PAA-1 Autogiro 60 Fairchild 22 May Fairchild C-7A June 1936 no Boeing F3B-1 63 Consolidated NY-2 64 Vought 65 Vought XO4U-2 (BuNo 8641) Apr 1933 May 1933

8 66 Boeing F4B-1 67 Boeing P-12C 68 Curtiss P-GE 69 Vought XF3U-1 (BuNo 9222) 70 Weick W-1A (NS-67) Feb 1934 Apr Boeing P-26A (AC 33-56) 72 Grumman JF-1 73 Northrop XFT-1 (BuNo 9400) June 1934 June 1934 June July Martin T4M-1 75 Vought SU-2 76 Boeing F4B-4 (BuNo 8912) [486] Fred Weick's homebuilt W-1A of 194, one of the first aircraft to employ tricycle landing gear Weick and a group of nine other Langley engineers built this small experimental airplane in their spare time to study the special needs of the private flyer The plane was eventually purchased by the Department of Commerce After leaving the (for a second and final time) in 1986, Weick incorporated many elements of the W-1 into his design of the famous Ercoupe, a small, simple-to-fly airplane built first by the Engineering Research and Development Corporation (ERCO) of suburban Washington, D C

9 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 77 Boeing XBFB-1 (BuNo 8975) Curtiss N2C-2 Nov Vought 02U-2 No number Consolidated XB2Y1 (BuNo 9221) Boeing YP-29A (AC 34-24) Mar 1935 July Kellet KD-1 Apr 1935 July 1940 No number Bellanca Pacemaker Apr 1935 Apr Fairchild XR2K-1 (BuNo 9998) Sept 1935 no Curtiss BF2C-1 (BuNo 9586) Oct 1935 Dec Great Lakes XTBG41 (BuNo 9723) Nov 1935 Nov Grumman XSF-2 Scout (BuNo 9493) Dec 1935 Jan 1936 [487] Boeing P-26A fighter mounted in the Full-Scale Tunnel, 1984 This aircraft, known as the Peashooter, was the first army fighter to be constructed entirely of metal and to employ the low-wing monoplane configuration The wings, though, were externally braced, and the landing gear was fixed

10 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 86 Taylor E-2 Cub (NC13Y) Dec Taylor E-2 Cub (NC12117) Dec Kellett YG-2 Autogiro (35-279) Dec 1935 Mar Kellett YG-1 Autogiro (35-278) Jan 1936 May Curtiss XBFC-1 (BuNo 9219) Jan Aeronca E113A (NR13089) Jan Franklin PS-2 Glider (BuNo 9615) Apr Franklin PS-2 Glider (BuNo 9614) Apr Stinson Reliant SR-8E July Aeronca C-2N Ryan ST 1938 no [488] Kellett autogiro, April 1986 This type of aircraft could make extremely short takeoffs and landings, but it was not capable of the helicopter's hovering or vertical flight In theory the autogiro main advantage over the conventional airplane was that, in the event of engine failure, its autorotation permitted safe descent

11 The equipped one of the navy's Curtiss XBFC-1 fighter-bombers with a nose slot cowling in October 1987 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 97 Curtiss XSBC-3 (BuNo 9225) 98 Cunningham-Hall Grumman XSBF-1 (BuNo 9998) 100 Pitcairn XOP-2 no [489] Stinson Reliant model SR-7 on floats moored in the Back River, 1936 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed no

12 101 Vought O2U-4 (BuNo 8104) Mar 1937 No number Consolidated PB2A May Curtiss SOC Boeing P-26A 104 Curtiss XF13C-3 (BuNo 9343) 105 North American BT-OA 106 Martin B-10B 107 Vought SB2U Douglas DC-3 (NC16070, United Ar Lines) 109 Douglas XB-7 (AC3O-228) 110 Seversky P-35 (X1254 and X1390) 111 Grumman F3F Fairchild F Douglas B-18 Bolo 114 Kellett YG-1B Autogiro No number Brewster XF2A Stearman-Hammond Y (NS73) 116 Wilford XOZ-1 Autgiro Grumman XF4F-2 (BuNo 0383) 118 Northrop A-17A (AC 85) 119 Grumman F3F-2 (BuNo 0967) [490]

13 This twin-engine Douglas Dolphin amphibian was unusual in that it employed a nose wheel instead of a tail wheel, January 1937 Stearman-Hammond Model Y, January 1989, winner of the $700 safe airplane competition sponsored by the Department of Commerce in the mid Only a few of these aircraft were produced, and at a cost far in excess of $700 Order of receipt at Langley Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 120 Fairchild XC-31 (AC 34-26) 121 Vought SB2U-1 (BuNo 0726) 122 Douglas OA-4A (AC) ) June Curtiss AT-5 (AC 28-66) no [491]

14 Langley tried a center fin to improte the directional stability of its Lockheed Model 12 executive transport, June 1940 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 124 North American BT-9B (AC ) 1938 Feb Ryan 126 North American BC Vought XSB3U-1 (BuNo Sept 1938 Jan Vought SB2U-2 (BuNo 1326) Nov 1938 Mar Vought SB2U-1 (BuNo 0770) Nov 1938 Dec 1938 No Number Sikorsky XPBS-1 (BuNo 9995) Douglas XBT Lockheed 12 (transferred to Ames lab) (NC17396) no Jan 1939 Oct Northrop A-17A (AC ) Feb 1939 June Brewster XSBA-1 (BuNo 9726) Feb Lockheed XR4O Model 14 (BuNo 1441) Feb 1939

15 135 Curtiss P-36A Mar 1939 Nov 1939 [492] Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 136 Curtiss XP-40 (AC 38-10) Mar 1939 Mar Seversky P-35 Apr Seversky XP-41 (AC ) May 1939 Apr Fairchild (NX18689) May 1939 Apr Bell XP-39 (AC ) 141 Grumman XF4F4 (BuNo 0383) 142 Aeronca 65-C 143 Douglas B-18 June Sept Kellett YG-1B Autogiro (AC ) Sept Piper Cub (NC26899) 146 Piper Cub #2 Sept 1939 Sept 1939 Sept 1939 Nov 1941 Jan 1940 no Oct Oct Taylorcraft Oct Douglas R2D Dec Stinson 105 Jan 1940 Mar Beechcraft (NC20780) 151 Beechcraft (NC19494) 152 Curtiss P Bellanca Crusair (NC15690) June 1940 June 1940 June 1940 June 1940 June 1940 June 1940 July 1940 July Bellanca Crusair (NC25303) July 1940 July Douglas C-39 July 1940 July Curtiss P Curtiss XP-42 (AC 38-4) June 1940 Sept 1940 July 1940 Nov 1942

16 158 Curtiss XSO3C-1 (BuNo 1385) 159 St Louis PT-LM4 (NX25500) Sept 1940 Sept 1940 Nov 1940 Oct Lockheed XC-35 (AC ) Oct 1940 Feb Brewster XF2A-2 (BuNo 0451) Oct 1940 June 1941 [493] Curtiss XP-42 fighter with various test modifications in flight over Langley, 1945

17 The used this Lockheed XC-35 in 1948 to study cabin pressurization at high altitudes Order of receipt at Langley Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 162 Grumman F4F-3 (BuNo 1845) Nov 1940 May Curtiss P-36C Dec 1940 June 1941 no [494] This Martin B-26 crashed at the end of an test flight in December 1941 when its nose wheel failed to extend Order of receipt at Langley Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 164 Republic XP-41 (AC ) Dec 1940 Apr 1942 no

18 165 Douglas A-20A Jan Brewster XSBA-1 (BuNo 9726) Jan 1941 Sept Republic YP-43 Feb 1941 Feb Bell YP-39 Feb 1941 July Curtiss YP-37 (AC ) Feb 1941 Jan Grumman F4F-3 (BuNo 2538) Apr 1941 May Lockheed 12A May 1941 Mar Vought XF4U-1 (BuNo 1443) June 1941 Mar Fleetwing 33 Oct 1941 Dec Martin B-26 Nov 1941 Dec Hawker Hurricane (25017) Nov 1941 Dec Spitfire R7347 (35497) Nov 1941 Jan Lockheed YP-38#2 (AC ) Nov 1941 Feb Spitfire W3119 (37147) Dec 1941 Feb North American XP-51 (AC 41-38) Dec 1941 Dec Grumman F4F-3 (BuNo 3990) Feb 1942 May 1943 [495] Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 181 Curtiss P-40E (AC ) Mar 1942 July Republic P-47B (AC ) Mar 1942 Oct Curtiss SNC-1 (BuNo 6295) Apr 1942 May Grumman XTBF-1 (BuNo 2540) May 1942 June Curtiss P-40K-1 July 1942 Oct Republic P-47B #2 (AC ) July 1942 Oct Curtiss P-40E (AC ) July 1942 Sept Brewster F2A-2 (BuNo 1426) July 1942 June Curtiss P-40F (AC ) July 1942 Sept Fairchild 24 (transferred to Ames) Sept 1942 no Oct Republic P-47C Oct 1942 Dec Republic P-47C (AC ) Oct 1942 Dec Vought F4U-1 Oct 1942 Mar Republic P-47C-1 (AC ) Oct Curtiss SB2C-1 (BuNo 00014) Dec 1942 May North American SNJ-3 (BuNo 01847) Dec 1942 July 1945

19 197 Bell P-39D-1 (AC ) Jan 1943 Apr Grumman F6F-3 (BuNo 04776) Feb 1943 June Curtiss SB2C-1 (BuNo 00056) Feb 1943 July Republic XP-47F (AC ) Feb 1943 Oct Japanese Zero (4593) Mar 1943 Mar North American XP-51 (AC 41-39) Mar 1943 Jan Curtiss SB2C-1 (BuNo 00140) May 1943 Nov 1943 [496] A captured Japanese Zero was evaluated (with new markings) in March 1948

20 A Consolidated B-24D Liberato rests outside the Langley airship hangar in July 1948 The air force dismantled this hangar in 1947 and 1948 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 204 Martin RA-30 (AC ) 205 Consolidated B-24D (AC ) June 1943 June 1943 Mar 1944 Apr Vought F4U-1 (BuNo 02161) July 1943 Sept Bell P-63 (AC ) July 1943 Nov 1943 no [497]

21 The army's Bell P-68 Kingcobra fighter employed one of the 's laminar-flow airfoil sections, May 1944 Order of receipt at Langley Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 208 Curtiss P40F (AC ) July 1943 Feb General Motors TBM-1 (BuNo 24820) North American P-51B (AC ) 211 North American P-51B Nov Jan 1951 Sept 1943 no Oct Republic P-47D-3-RE (AC ) Oct 1943 Mar North American XP-51 (AC 41-38) Jan 1944 July Sikorsky YR-4B Jan 1944 Oct Bell P-63A-1BE (AC ) Feb 1944 June Douglas A-26B-2-DL (AC ) Mar 1944 June Grumman XF6F-4 (BuNo 02981) Apr 1944 Mar Sikorsky HNS-1 (BuNo 39034) Apr Curtiss SB2C-1C (BuNo 18294) Apr 1944 June Bell P-63A-1-BE (AC ) May [498]

22 Langley test pilots, 1945 To the far left is chief test pilot Melvin N Gough Order of receipt 221 Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed Cessna UC CE (AC ) June Republic P-47D-15-RA July 1944 July Republic P-47D 28-RE (AC ) 224 Grumman TBM 3 (BuNo 22857) 225 Brewster F3A-1 (BuNo 11213) 226 Spitfire (EN-474) 227 DeHavilland F-8 (AC ) 228 DeHaviliand F-8 (AC ) 229 Douglas A-26B-10-DT (AC ) July 1944 Apr Sept Sept 1945 Nov 1944 Jan 1945 Jan 1945 Oct 1945 no

23 230 Douglas SBD-5 (BuNo 28373) Sept 1944 Oct Curtiss SC-1 (BuNo 35324) Oct 1944 Feb 1945 [499] Sikorsky's HNS-1 helicopter was test flown in March 1945

24 The used this Grumman JRF-5 Goose amphibian to shuttle workers back and forth between Langley and Wallops Island [500] Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 232 Grumman XF8-1 (BuNo 90460) Dec 1944 Feb North America P-51D-5 (AF ) no Dec 1944 May Curtiss SB2C-3 (BuNo 19332) Jan 1945 June General Motors FM-2 (BuNo 74507) Jan 1945 Apr Culver PQ-14B (AF ) Jan 1945 Apr North America P-51D-5 (AF ) Jan 1945 June Republic P RE (AF ) Jan 1945 July Republic P RA (AF ) Jan 1945 Oct Vought F4U-1 (BuNo 82716) Feb 1945 Mar Beechcraft UC- 45F (AF ) Mar Sikorsky JRS-1 (BuNo 1063) Apr 1945 Nov Boeing B-29B (AF ) May 1945 Sept Grumman XF8 F-1 (BuNo 90461) May 1945 Apr North America P-51B (AF ) June North America P-51B (AF ) June 1945 July 1945 Oct 1945

25 247 North America P-51H (AF ) June 1945 Sept Grumman JRF 5 (BuNo 34094) July 1945 Apr North America SNJ-3 (BuNo 05475) July 1945 Oct Boeing TB-29 (AF ) July 1945 Nov Vought F4U-1D (BuNo 50378) 252 Consolidated PBY-5A (BuNo 2473) [501] Order of receipt Sept 1945 Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed Republic P-47N-25-RE (AF ) North American TP-51D (AF ) 255 Douglas C-47-DL (AF ) 256 North American P-51D-25 (AF ) 257 Douglas BTD-1 (BuNo 09060) 258 Curtiss SC-1 (BuNo 93334) North American P-51D-25 (AF ) North American P-51D-25 (AF ) North American P-51D-25 (AF ) North American P-51D-25 (transferred to Muroc I SFS) (AF ) Douglas C-47A-25-DK (AF ) Sept 1945 Sept 1945 Sept 1945 Sept 1945 Dec 1950 Apr 1946 Oct 1945 no July Apr 1946 Apr 1946 June June June Oct 1945 Apr Douglas BTD-1 (BuNo 09058) Oct 1945 Nov Curtiss SB2C-4E (BuNo 82877) Nov 1945 Oct Boeing B BW (AF ) Nov 1945 Dec Grumman F8F-1 (BuNo 90448) Jan 1946 Feb Beechcraft UC-45 (transferred to Muroc HSFS) (AF ) Jan 1946 May

26 269 Douglas C-47B-51-DK (transferred to Lewis Research Center) (AF ) Jan 1946 Oct Northrop P-61C (AF ) Feb 1946 Feb Grumman JRF-5 (BuNo 34088) Apr 1946 June [502] The L-89 was a purely experim ntal version of the Bell P-69 Kingcobra fighter designed to study the low-speed handling characteristics of swept wings, December 1946

27 The east area hangar, 1947, with a Douglas C-54 and two B-29 Superfortresses and, in the background, the 19-Foot Pressure Tunnel and the Full-Scale Tunnel [503]

28 Langley modified a Stinson L-5 to show that a quiet airplane could be developed During the lunchtime of the NAGA's annual inspection in 1946, the modified (lower photograph) and the standard aircraft were flown separately over the conference building Those who witnessed the demonstration were astonished by e relative quiet of the modified L-5 Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 272 Grumman F8F-1 (BuNo 94812) May 1946 Apr Fairchild PT-19A (AF ) May Grumman F8F-1 (BuNo 94873) North American AT-6 (AF ) Douglas R4D-6 (transferred to Lewis) (BuNo 50795) June no July 1946 Jan Oct 1946

29 [504] Order of receipt Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 277 Douglas R4D-6 (BuNo 50826) Douglas R4D-6 (transferred to Ames) (BuNo 50812) Bell L-39-1 (transferred to Lewis) (BuNo 90060) 280 Douglas C-54D (AF ) Sept 1946 Dec 1948 Oct 1946 Dec no 281 Lockheed P-80A-5 Nov 1946 July Bell L-39-2 (BuNo 90061) Dec 1946 Dec Vultee L-5E-1VW (AF ) Mar 1947 Oct Vultee L-5E-1VW (AF ) Mar 1947 Nov Grumman J4F-2 (BuNo 32972) 1947 June Sikorsky HO3S-1 (BuNo ) Feb 1948 Sept Grumman J4F-2 (BuNo 32976) May North American P-82 (AF ) June Grumman JRF-5 (BuNo 37778) 290 Cessna 190 (N3477V) June Oct July June North American B-45 (AF 47-21) Oct North American SNJ-5 (BuNo 84839) Oct 1948 June Douglas R4D-6 (BuNo 50831) Nov 1948 July Bell H-13B (AF ) May 1949 Apr Lockheed TO-1 (BuNo 33870) May 1949 Oct Beechcraft C-45F (AF ) 1949 Mar [505]

30 In 1948 this Cessna 190 was used by the to test new ways of controlling the boundary layer at the wing's leading edge Order of receipt 297 Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed Republic YF-84 (transferred to Muroc (SFS) (AF ) 1949 no Nov Vought F4U-4B (BuNo 97392) Mar Vultee L-5 (AF ) May 1950 Nov Beechcraft Bonanza 35 (N5094C) 1950 Nov McDonnell F2H (BuNo ) Oct 1950 June Grumman F9F-2 (BuNo ) Jan 1951 July Lockheed TO-2/TV-2 (BuNo ) Jan 1951 Feb Piasecki HRP-1 (BuNo ) Feb North American F-86A-1 (AF ) 306 McDonnell F2H-1 (BuNo ) Feb 1951 July Sept Boeing B-47A (AF ) July 1952 Mar Sikorsky HRS-1 (BuNo ) Mar [506]

31 Congestion in the west area hangar, 1952 Order of receipt at Langley Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 309 McDonnell XF-8 B (AF ) July 1953 Sept Hiller HTE-1 (BuNo ) July 1953 Feb Bell H-13G (AF ) Sept 1953 July 1967 no 312 Lockheed F-80B (AF A) Dec 1953 Oct Grumman F9F-7 (BuNo ) Jan 1954 Nov 1959

32 314 Vertol H-25A/HUP-1 ( G) Feb 1954 Jan McDonnell F2H-3 (BuNo ) July 1954 Sept Grumman JRF-5 (BuNo 37816) 1954 Nov Vertol H-25 ( ) Sept 1954 Feb 1955 [507] The navy's Vought XF8U-3 supersonic fighter was an entirely new design as compared to the earlier F8U Crusader series This ft plane lost in competition with the McDonnell F4H, however, and was never put into production Langley used the XF8U-8 in some of the first flight measurements of sonic boom intensity Order of receipt 318 Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed no Grumman JRF-5 (replaced #103, which was lost in crash at Wallops Island, 3 Nov 1954) (BuNo 87748) Feb 1955 Mar / McDonnell XF-88A (AF ) Feb 1955 July Beechcraft C-45F (AF ) Mar 1955 Mar North American EJF- 6D (AF ) North American F (AF A) North American JF-8 D-5 (AF ) Feb 1956 May Mar 1956 Sept 1958 Apr 1956 July Sikorsky HSS-1 (BuNo ) June Feb 1957

33 325 McDonnell F-101A (AF ) 326 Hiller YH-32 ( ) 327 Hiller YH-32 ( ) Nov 1956 Nov 1956 Mar Nov 1958 Nov 1958 [508]

34 Two views of the McDonnell XF- 8B experimental jet fighter Langley used this aircraft in the mid-1950s to explore the potential of a supersonic propeller In the overhead view, note the survey rake mounted just behind the prop Order of receipt at Langley Aircraft type and serial no Arrived Departed 328 Vought F8U-1 (BuNo d) Dec 1956 Feb Grumman F11F-1 (BuNo ) Jan Grumman SA-16A (AF A) May 1957 Mar North American T-28 (AF A) June 1957 Mar North American F-100-C25 (AF A) Sept 1957 Oct Lockheed T-33A (AF A) Nov 1957 Feb 1958 no 334 McDonnell F-101A (AF A) Apr 1958 Dec Sources: Log books, Aircraft Operations Branch, Bldg 1244, LaRC; Airplane and Engine Records, , LaRC Historic Archives; Robert L Burns, "Aircraft Assigned to Langley Aeronautical Laboratory," unpublished typescript with handwritten notes, 1986, copy in LaRC Archives

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