Rockwell XFV-12 ... any survivors?

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RMAllnutt
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Rockwell XFV-12 ... any survivors?

Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:01 pm

Just saw a little blurb on this aircraft which I had never realized got beyond the drawing board. It's so futuristic looking that it seems like it belongs in a Buck Rogers show. Does anyone have any further details on this beast... were any saved? Where are they, or what happened to them?

Cheers,
Richard

Image

Wed Dec 26, 2007 7:49 pm

There's a bit more here: http://www.airbornegrafix.com/HistoricA ... /XFV12.htm including some more pictures. Never heard of it before.

Dave G
RMAllnutt
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Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:40 pm

It's one really cool looking aircraft... more suited to a sci-fi movie really. Too bad they couldn't get the powerplant system to provide enough thrust. I wonder what could have happened if it had been successful. Can you imagine how different the Navy/USMC might have looked had it worked? Anyone have any more data?

Cheers,
Richard
Steve Nelson
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Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:58 pm

Looks like an A-4, Phantom, and Harrier had a three-way.. 8)

SN
famvburg
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Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:51 am

It should, at least 2/3. It did use the forward section of the A-4 & part of the fuselage & wing structure of the F-4. It used some other spare parts too, but I can't recall.



Steve Nelson wrote:Looks like an A-4, Phantom, and Harrier had a three-way.. 8)

SN
daveymac82c
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Fri Dec 28, 2007 1:06 am

The landing gear look quite weak. I'm wondering which are the mains and which is the nose wheel.... haha. They all look to be the same size. Wheelbarrow sized.

-David
51fixer
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Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:02 am

daveymac82c wrote:The landing gear look quite weak. I'm wondering which are the mains and which is the nose wheel.... haha. They all look to be the same size. Wheelbarrow sized.

-David

A-4 nose gear is weak?
I think they were counting on soft VTOL landings.
Rich
RMAllnutt
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Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:36 pm

They never did get it airbourne under its own power. Apparently the ducting system bled off an enormous amount of engine power, far more than the small scale model predicted. I had heard that one, or both prototypes were in store at NASA Langley. Does anyone know if this is true, or if not, what happened to them? They are too cool looking to hide away. Would be great to see one in a museum!

Cheers,
Richard
Canso42
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Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:38 pm

When was this thing built?
airnutz
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Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:52 pm

Canso42 wrote:When was this thing built?

The link provided suggests "hard part" testing ran from '74 til '81 when
the project was cancelled due to cost overruns...and I presume, failure of design.....
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