Hughes XF-11 | FerrariChat

Hughes XF-11

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by tbakowsky, Sep 13, 2016.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
    Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

    Sep 18, 2002
    19,387
    The Cold North
    Full Name:
    Tom
    #1 tbakowsky, Sep 13, 2016
    I have a bit of a thing for the Howard Hughes story. I know be built 2 XF-11 prototypes and obviously one of them famously crashed. I was wondering if anybody knew why happend to the 2nd one? No mention of it at all hardy in anything I have read. Google turns up nothing but a couple of old grainy photos of it sitting on a tarmac.
     
  2. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 27, 2004
    15,942
    Georgia
    Full Name:
    Jim Pernikoff
    #2 Gatorrari, Sep 13, 2016
    According to Wikipedia:

    "The airframe was transferred to Sheppard AFB, Texas, on 26 July 1949 for use as a ground maintenance trainer by the 3750th Technical Training Wing, and was dropped from the USAF inventory in November 1949."

    Presumably it was scrapped soon afterward.
     
  3. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Jan 2, 2010
    4,739
    Denver, Albuquerque
    #3 Tcar, Sep 13, 2016
    Didn't the second one have conventional props?
     
  4. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 27, 2004
    15,942
    Georgia
    Full Name:
    Jim Pernikoff
    #4 Gatorrari, Sep 14, 2016
    Yes. The U.S. seemed to have lots of problems with contraprops in the early days; consider the XB-35 which also switched to conventional props.
     
  5. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Jan 2, 2010
    4,739
    Denver, Albuquerque
    #5 Tcar, Sep 14, 2016
    The Russians (USSR) seemed to get contra's figured out...

    Bears are still flying.
     
  6. Bob Parks

    Bob Parks F1 Veteran
    Consultant

    Nov 29, 2003
    7,917
    Shoreline,Washington
    Full Name:
    Robert Parks
    #6 Bob Parks, Sep 14, 2016
    Yes, thanks to the German engineers that they collected after the war.
     
  7. jcurry

    jcurry Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 16, 2012
    21,572
    In the past
    Full Name:
    Jim
    #7 jcurry, Sep 14, 2016
    Maybe. Does anyone know the maintenance requirements, MTBF numbers, etc. The US has always prioritized things the Russians never cared much about.
     
  8. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Jan 2, 2010
    4,739
    Denver, Albuquerque
    #8 Tcar, Sep 14, 2016
    And our B-29's they kept...

    The Bear seems to be basically a reverse-engineered, TU built, swept-wing B-29 with turboprop engines.
     
  9. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
    Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

    Sep 18, 2002
    19,387
    The Cold North
    Full Name:
    Tom
    #9 tbakowsky, Sep 14, 2016
    What are the advantages of counter rotating props? I know on boats it helps with cavitation (Volvo penta) I would assume it's the same with aircraft?
     

Share This Page