SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Wasn't the F4U touted as being the first American fighter (if not the first, period) to hit 400 mph in level flight?
400 MPH aircraft
- Thread starter daveT
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FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
"Ron Lewis also notes that the Lockheed P-38 Lightning was the first fighter to exceed 400 mph in level flight, making the XF4U the first single-engine fighter to do so. In a quick interweb search, I didn't find a Lockheed or Army Air Forces claim that the sole XP-38—which first flew on 27 January 1939 and crashed about two weeks later at the end of an attempt to set a transcontinental speed record—reached 400 mph in its brief flight test career. It was reportedly capable of that The first YP-38 flew on 17 September 1940, about two weeks before the XF4U's "400 mph" flight, a second chance for the Lightning to have beaten the XF4U to that milestone. Again, I didn't find a report of a claim to that effect. Therefore, although the P-38 was appears to be the first U.S. fighter capable of 400 mph in level flight, Vought might have been correct with respect to the XF4U being the first to actually do it."
U.S. Navy Aircraft History: 400 MPH! (?)
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Great link!
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
The P-38 was probably the first US fighter to do 400 mph, the F4U was the first fighter to do it officially.
The "AN" signified "Army Navy"; the item was used by both services as is. The Browning .50 cal M2 was "AN/M2".
The first fighter 'capable' of 400mph was neither the F4U or the P-38, it was the Heinkel He 100 - figuratively speaking. The prototype first flew in January 1938, a year before the XP-38, but on 30 March 1939 the eighth prototype reached 463mph (746km/h), briefly holding the world air speed record until taken by the Messerschmitt Me 209, which although promoted as a fighter was nothing of the sort. Admittedly, the eighth prototype He 100 was modified specifically to attack the speed record, but the type's max speed is listed as either 416 or 420 mph, depending on where you look. That damn Balkankreuz...
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FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
Yes but it signified a "standard part" or in this place component. Guns, instruments and small parts were designated as such.
FLYBOYJ
"THE GREAT GAZOO"
March 1939? The P-38 allegedly did this 11 February 1939 during a cross country. I believe the He 100's record was over a closed course. The F4U did over 400 mph on it's first flight, don't know if this was over a closed course.
Glider
Captain
Didn't the Hurricane top 400mph on a cross country flight when being pushed by exceptional winds, just before the war.
PS not trying to claim this makes it a 400mph fighter
Yup, that's why I wrote 'capable' as such. The XP-38 exceeded the speed before the world record attempt, but 469 mph is a lot faster than 400 mph, and the maximum speed of the He 100 is listed as exceeding 400 mph. In June 1938, Ernst Udet took the second prototype up and reached 394 mph (634 km/h), but when the type exceeded 400 mph for the first time might have been the record attempt, but I can't be certain of that.
The first aircraft to exceed 400 mph was the Supermarine S.6B Schneider Trophy seaplane, in 1931.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Did the Supermarine S.6B have a balkenkreuz to do it?
Sure did, 450 mph ground speed, but sadly not indicated - only 380 mph, and it was in a shallow descent taking advantage of tail winds. The aircraft was a Treble One Sqn example flying from Northolt to Turnhouse and back again in February 1938.
Ha haaa! No, but its successor that beat its speed record was Fascist Italian if that counts, the mighty MC.72.
SaparotRob
Unter Gemeine Geschwader Murmeltier XIII
Both gorgeous aircraft.
Interestingly, those first Hurricane Is, although their maximum speed was listed as 315 mph, Treble One Sqn pilots reckoned that with that massive hunk of wood on the front as a propeller and their fabric covered wings, they could barely reach 280 mph.
Shortround6
Major General
A few qualifiers.
The speed "record" aircraft were not using aviation gasoline.
The Supermarine S.6B went through 2 or 3 sets of spark plugs to start and warm up and then fly.
It used different heat ranges, not the the plugs couldn't be reused for starting on the next flight or day.
The Heinkel 100 that set the record was using smaller wings than the "service" aircraft. It also had to be started and warmed up with one set of spark plugs which had to be changed when the tanks were filled with the racing fuel.
While the earlier fast aircraft were undoubtedly amazing achievements for their time such specialized aircraft and special procedures had no place in arena of "fighter" aircraft.
The speed "record" aircraft were not using aviation gasoline.
The Supermarine S.6B went through 2 or 3 sets of spark plugs to start and warm up and then fly.
It used different heat ranges, not the the plugs couldn't be reused for starting on the next flight or day.
The Heinkel 100 that set the record was using smaller wings than the "service" aircraft. It also had to be started and warmed up with one set of spark plugs which had to be changed when the tanks were filled with the racing fuel.
While the earlier fast aircraft were undoubtedly amazing achievements for their time such specialized aircraft and special procedures had no place in arena of "fighter" aircraft.
GregP
Major
It has been said the F4U was the first fighter to exceed 400 mph in level flight. This is wrong.
George Stainforth was the first man to exceed 400 mph in the Supermarine S.6B in 1931, but this was a race plane, not a military fighter. More airplanes went 400 mph+ after that, but the S.6B was the first.
Lockheed won a contract and construction of the P-38 began in Jul 38. The XP-38 first flew 27 Jan 39. It was the first military fighter to exceed 400 mph in level flight. It was calculated at between 394 and 413 mph, and Ben Kelsey recorded 403 mph. Aerodynamic improvements saw production P-38 with armament have top speeds exceeding 400 mph.
The Vought F4U Corsair became the first single-engine fighter to exceed 400 mph when it went 405 mph on 1 Oct 40 between Stratford to Hartford, Connecticutt, U.S.A. . Production units were not that fast until later in the F4U's life.
George Stainforth was the first man to exceed 400 mph in the Supermarine S.6B in 1931, but this was a race plane, not a military fighter. More airplanes went 400 mph+ after that, but the S.6B was the first.
Lockheed won a contract and construction of the P-38 began in Jul 38. The XP-38 first flew 27 Jan 39. It was the first military fighter to exceed 400 mph in level flight. It was calculated at between 394 and 413 mph, and Ben Kelsey recorded 403 mph. Aerodynamic improvements saw production P-38 with armament have top speeds exceeding 400 mph.
The Vought F4U Corsair became the first single-engine fighter to exceed 400 mph when it went 405 mph on 1 Oct 40 between Stratford to Hartford, Connecticutt, U.S.A. . Production units were not that fast until later in the F4U's life.
