FL Airabonita
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| FL Airabonita | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Bell Aircraft Corporation |
| Maiden flight | 1940-05-13 |
| Status | Cancelled |
| Number built | 1 |
The Bell FL Airabonita was an experimental shipboard interceptor aircraft developed for the U.S. Navy. It was similar to and a parallel development of the land-based P-39 Airacobra, differing mainly in the use of a tail wheel landing configuration in place of the P-39's tricycle gear. It first flew on May 13, 1940. Only one aircraft was manufactured.
The FL-1 was powered by a single Allison XV-1710-6 engine installed amidship behind the pilot and driving a three bladed propellor in the nose through a 10 foot 4 and half inch (3.2 m) extension shaft. The aircraft had provisions for 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) or 37 mm cannon firing through the propellor shaft and two 0.3 inch (7.62 mm) machine guns in the fuselage nose.
Delivery of the prototype to the Navy was delayed due to difficulties with the Allison engine until February 1941. Following Navy tests the aircraft was returned to Bell for modification in December 1941, but before the modifications were completed the Navy decided that the XFL-1 was not suitable for further development.
[edit] Specifications (XFL-1 Airabonita)
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- Length: 29 ft 9 in (9.07 m)
- Wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
- Height: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
- Wing area: 232 ft² (21.6 m²)
- Empty weight: 5,161 lb (2,341 kg)
- Loaded weight: 6,651 lb (3,017 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 7,212 lb (3,271 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Allison XV-1710-6 V-12, 1,150 hp (858 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 307 mph (464 km/h)
- Range: 1,072 mi (1,725 km)
- Service ceiling: 30,900 ft (9,421 m)
- Rate of climb: 2,630 ft/min (13.4 m/s)
- Wing loading: 29 lb/ft² (140 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.17 hp/lb (280 W/kg)
Armament
- 2 x 0.30 cal (7.62 mm) machine guns
- 1 x 0.50 cal (12.7 mm) machine gun or 37 mm cannon
[edit] Reference
- Green, William (1961). War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters (Vol 4). London: Macdonald.
[edit] Related content
Related development
P-39 Airacobra - P-63 Kingcobra
