Rockwell XFV-12

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Rockwell XVF-12 prototype used nose from the A-4 Skyhawk
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Rockwell XVF-12 prototype used nose from the A-4 Skyhawk

Rockwell International's XFV-12A was a once-promising supersonic naval fighter which combined the Mach 2 speed and AIM-7 Sparrow armanent of the F-4 Phantom into a VTOL vertical takeoff / landing fighter for the small Sea Control Ship which was under study at the time. At least on paper, it seemed far superior to the subsonic Harrier attack fighter. It used a "Thrust Augmenter Wing" concept in which exhaust would be directed between spaces between a wing opened up like blinds to increase available lift, somewhat like Lockheed's unsuccessful XV-4 Hummingbird. Such arrangement restricted weapons carriage to under the narrow fuselage and 2 conformal missile mounts.

The 30,000 lb class afterburning turbofan engine easily had enough thrust to lift the weight of the 20,000 lb aircraft alone. Yet, it was modified so that the thrust would be increased still further for vertical lift. The rear engine exhaust was closed and the gases redirected through ducts to ejector nozzles in the wings and canards for vertical lift.

The project was started in 1972. To reduce costs, the nose from an A-4 Skyhawk and intakes of the F-4 Phantom were used. Engine rig testing began in 1974, aircraft ground testing in July 1977. Two were built, but only one was completed.

Unfortunately, the design generated only 19% of the lift for the wing and 6% for the canard that was anticipated in the lab. One problem is that much of the massive thrust was lost in the intricate ducting. While most VTOL aircraft might be considered failures to reach operational service, the XFX-12 could not even lift itself into the air without being suspended under the same NASA gantry in Virginia used for the Lunar Lander project. The Navy would abandon the project, having learned what it could . Aviation Week would later publish an article with drawings of an even more ambitious proposal to fit a similar wing to the huge C-130 Hercules, but such a plan never made it off the drawing board.

[edit] Legacy

The Marine Corps is currently on order for the F-35C vertical flight version of the F-35 Lightning II which has already demonstrated supersonic flight, though even this plane is not designed for Mach 2 speeds. The F-35 uses a rotating rear nozzle in combination with a shaft-driven forward fan to successfully create more thrust than possible with engine exhaust alone.

[edit] Specifications

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 (Pilot)
  • Length: 43 ft 11 in ()
  • Wingspan: 28.5 ft ()
  • Height: ()
  • Empty weight: =3,890 lb ()
  • Loaded weight: 19,500 lb ()
  • Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney F401-PW-400 afterburning turbofans
    • Dry thrust: lbf (kW)
    • Thrust with afterburner: 30,000 lbf (kW)

Performance

Armament

[edit] External links

  • airbornegrafix.com on which much of this article is based, with many pictures
  • X-Planes and Prototypes, Jim Winchester Barnes and Noble Books, also a source for this article
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