Vought FU
| FU | |
|---|---|
 | |
| FU-1 of VF-2 in 1928 | |
| Role | Fighter aircraft |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Vought |
| Introduction | 1927 |
| Retired | 1929 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 20 |
|
| |
The Vought FU was a biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Navy in service during the late 1920s.
Design and development
Pleased with the company's VE-7, in 1926 the Navy gave Vought a $459,709 contract for convertible land/sea 20 fighters. Vought already had a two-seat observation plane, the UO-1, basically a VE with additional fuselage streamlining and a Wright J-3 radial engine. This was made into a fighter simply by covering over the front cockpit of the observation plane, mounting machine guns in that area, and upgrading to a 220 hp Wright R-790 Whirlwind with a supercharger. With the help of the supercharger, the newly designated FU-1 was able to reach a speed of 147 mph at 13,000 ft.
The FU-1s were delivered to VF-2B based in San Diego, California. With their float gear mounted, one was assigned to each of the battleships of the Pacific Fleet, where they were launched from catapults. They spent 8 months in this role, but as the squadron went to aircraft carrier operations, the further-aft cockpit proved to a visibility problem when maneuvering around a carrier deck. In response, the forward cockpit was re-opened, the result being designated FU-2.
By this time they were obsolescent, and the two-seaters primarily served as trainers and utility aircraft.
Operators
- Peruvian Air Force - Two aircraft.
- Peruvian Navy - Two aircraft.
Specifications (FU-1)
Data from United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 [1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 28 ft 4½ in (8.65 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 4 in (10.47 m)
- Height: 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m)
- Wing area: 270 ft² (25.1 m²)
- Airfoil: Navy N-9
- Empty weight: 2,074 lb (943 kg)
- Loaded weight: 2,774 lb (1,260 kg)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 106 knots (122 mph, 196 km/h) at sea level
- Range: 357 NM (410 mi, 660 km)
- Service ceiling: 26,500 ft (8,080 m)
- Wing loading: 10.3 lb/ft² (50.2 kg/m²)
- Climb to 5,000 ft (1,520 m): 5 minutes
Armament
- Guns: 2 x .30 in machine guns
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Naval Fighters. Fallbrook CA: Aero Publishers, 1977, ISBN 0-8168-9254-7), pp. 53–54.
- Swanborough, Gordon and Bowers, Peter. United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. London:Putnam, Second edition, 1976. ISBN 0-370-10054-9.
External links
Media related to Vought FU at Wikimedia Commons