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Hello everyone, I’d like to suggest the Ryan XF2R-1 Dark Shark for the US aviation tech tree in War Thunder. It was an American experimental aircraft built for the United States Navy that combined turboprop and turbojet propulsion. It was based on Ryan FR-1 Fireball, which replaced its piston engine with a turboprop engine. The XF2R-1 Dark Shark was the last mixed-proposition fighter built for the US, with only one prototype built before the US military branches went forward with an all-out focus on all-jet fighters during the dawn of the jet age.
Key Characteristics
- Mixed-propulsion naval fighter
- Major modification of the FR-1 Fireball
- Lengthened nose to house 1,700-shp T31-GE-2 turboprop engine
- Retained 1,600-lbf J31 turbojet engine and 4 x .50-cal. heavy machine guns
History
When the General Electric turboprop became available to the US military, the Navy was interested in equipping an aircraft with the turboprop in the nose and turbojet in the tail, so it established a NAVAIR requirement SD399, which called for that aircraft specifically. Ryan responded and received the contract to use one FR-1 to be modified with a turboprop. Previously, Ryan was successful with the development of the FR-1 Fireball aircraft that was powered by an R-1820-72 piston engine and a J31 turbojet engine. Ryan built 66 aircraft for the Navy, and the series production of the FR-1 was terminated after the Japanese surrender in World War II. Nonetheless, the NAVAIR requirement for the turboprop aircraft was already issued and responded to around that time, and the contract was given and proceeded forward as intended.
A FR-1 with serial number 39661 was selected and modified to use the TG-100 (later redesignated as XT31-GE-2) turboprop driving a propeller with four square-tipped blades. The propeller could be fully feathered or reversed to zero blade angle extremely rapidly, and the drag of the flatter blade angle could serve as an air brake for landing. This aircraft still retained the same J31 turbojet in the back. Its nose was lengthened four feet to house the turbojet, giving the aircraft its sleek bullet shape. The vertical tail surfaces of the aircraft were enlarged to improve stability and compensate for the lengthened nose. As ordered and built, the aircraft was given the designation XF2R-1 and known unofficially as the Dark Shark. The aircraft appeared more elegant than the FR-1, sharing a similar airframe. The XF2R-1 did not have the wing-folding mechanism and the catapult and arrestor gear standard and weighed 1,100 lb more than the FR-1. The XF2R-1 would be armed with 4 x .50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns.
In November 1946, the XF2R-1 made its first flight, and it was the first turboprop in the Navy markings to take off to the air. The aircraft was reported to have improved maneuverability over the FR-1 and a top speed of 500 mph, 75 mph faster than the FR-1. It had an excessive rate of climb of 5,000 feet per minute at low and intermediate altitudes.
On May 2, 1947, the XF2R-2 accomplished a world altitude record for turboprop aircraft when it completed a power climb to 39,160 feet. Although the XF2R-1 proved to be an impressive turboprop aircraft, it was outsped by the Ryan XFR-4 with the standard prop engine and uprated the J34 turbojet engine by 25 mph faster. The XFR-4 was a lighter FR-1 airframe with the new Westinghouse J34-WE-12 turbojet.
The US Air Force was initially impressed enough with the XF2R-1 during its trials at Muroc Dry Lake Airfield Base. The Air Force also requested the additional construction of the XF2R-2, which would be powered by the same TG-100 turboprop and the uprated J34 turbojet. They hoped it would serve as a better alternative to the previously trialed mixed-powered XP-81 fighter, using the same turboprop. However, the mockup was only built, and no further development was undertaken. The evolution of military aircraft technology was accelerated beyond a normal pace. The proposed XF2R-2 was canceled without being built, as the Navy and Air Force abandoned the combination fighter and looked after all-jet fighters.
Specifications
Ryan XF2R-1 Dark SharkGeneral Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Length: 36 ft (10.97 m)
- Height: 14 ft (4.46 m)
- Span: 42 ft (12.80 m)
- Wing area: 305 sq ft (28.33 sq m)
- Propeller Type: 4-bladed Hamilton Standard, super hydromatic propeller
- Propeller Diameter: 11 ft (3.35 m)
- Powerplants:
- General Electric T31-GE-2 turboprop engine
→ 1,700 shp (1268 kW) @ sea level- Westinghouse J31-GE-3 centrifugal-flow turbojet engine
→ 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN) thrust @ sea level- Gross Weight: 11,000 lb (4,990 kg)
- Internal Fuel: (?)
- Oil Tankage: (?)
Performance
- Sea Level Speed: 500 mph (805 km/h)
- Wing loading: 36.1 lb/sq ft (176 kg/sq m)
- Rate of Climb: 4,850 fpm (24.64 m/s)
- Time to Altitude: 2 minutes to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
- Service Ceiling: 39,100 ft (11,918 m)
Armament
- Guns:
- 4 x .50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (300 rpg; 1,200 rounds)
Notes: It remains unknown if the XF2R-1 was cleared to utilize racks and carry the bombs and rockets like the FR-1 Fireball. It was presumable that the XF2R-1 already lacked such provisions in the first place.
Diagrams
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
The XF2R-1 Dark Shark was the last fighter designed by Ryan Aeronautical Company for the US military, and it was one of the other US turboprop fighters that combined turboprop and turbojet propulsion. Although it had a short-lived history, I feel the XF2R-1 could become a premium or battle pass aircraft in War Thunder. It would serve as the mixed-propulsion fighter alternative to the FR-1 Fireball, as the turboprop engine provides improved top-speed performance and maneuverability despite its obsolete armament.
See Also
- The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present (1987)
- Ryan FR-1 Fireball and XF2R-1 Darkshark (1995)
- The Complete Book of Fighters : An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Every Fighter Aircraft Built and Flown (2001)
- U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939-1945 (2008)
- Ryan XF2R Dark Shark Prototype Mixed-Power Fighter Aircraft
- Ryan XF2R Dark Shark - Wikipedia
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃