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?
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Wasn't the F4U touted as being the first American fighter (if not the first, period) to hit 400 mph in level flight?
Great link!"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! (?)
Great link!
The "AN" signified "Army Navy"; the item was used by both services as is. The Browning .50 cal M2 was "AN/M2".This carries an "AN" number so this is manufactured to a production standard. It's obvious it was used on the EC-121, my guess this was used on a multitude of aircraft that had a Vne of under 400 knots. It seems these can be found on the internet in serviceable condition.
Wasn't the F4U touted as being the first American fighter (if not the first, period) to hit 400 mph in level flight?
The "AN" signified "Army Navy"; the item was used by both services as is. The Browning .50 cal M2 was "AN/M2".
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.The first fighter 'capable' of 400mph was neither the F4U or the P-38, it was the Heinkel He 100 - figuratively speaking. 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. That damn Balkankreuz...
Didn't the Hurricane top 400mph on a cross country flight when being pushed by exceptional winds, just before the war.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.
March 1939? The P-38 allegedly did this 11 February 1939 during a cross country.
Did the Supermarine S.6B have a balkenkreuz to do it?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.
Didn't the Hurricane top 400mph on a cross country flight when being pushed by exceptional winds, just before the war.
Did the Supermarine S.6B have a balkenkreuz to do it?
Both gorgeous aircraft.