Tm: Claim. {ARE}: Summer 2002 World Setting Aircraft By Jack Russell - Director Emeritus Most visitors to the Naval Museum of Armament and Technology are probably not ,\ aware of the illustrious backgrounds of the two historical aircraft displayed in front. Both are two of a kind experimental versions of two Fleet fighters that were produced and deployed in 1950’s and early 60’s. The first of the two aircraft is the bat- winged Douglas XF4D-1 Skyray. The one on display is the second of two that were built and first flown in January of 1951. This particular aircraft set a world speed record of 753.4 miles per hour over a low-level, straightaway 3- kilometer course on October 3, 1953. Thirteen days later it captured the IOU-kilometer closed- course world speed record of 728.1 miles per hour. The first of these records was set on a course laid out near Southern California's Salton Sea while second was at Edwards Air Force Base. Toward the end of their life times the two XF4D-1’s were used as the original test bed for the famous General Electric J79 engine. Finally the two prototypes were transferred to China Lake. Our display aircraft was used for static environmental testing before being refurbished for display at the Naval Air Facility. It’s sister aircraft was destroyed in fire fighting exercises. Incidentally, on May 22 and 23, 1958, a standard production F4D-1 set five time-to-climb world records at Point Mugu. The other display aircraft is the Grumman F1 lF-lF Super Tiger. As was the case for the XF4D-1, this is the second of only two that were built. It is a derivative of the FllF Tiger that was mass produced and went into the Fleet. The F1 1F was also a Blue Angel aircraft for a number of years. The Fleet Fl 1F was under-powered with a Curtis Wright J65 engine. This was remedied in the Super Tiger with a General Electric J79 engine that was tested in the XF4D-1 mentioned above. It appears that the J 79 engine along with a few relatively minor changes to the airframe nearly doubled the speed capability. In fact our display Super Tiger unofficially exceeded both the world speed record and world altitude record on the same flight on May 2, 1957. (continued on page 9) , OCR Text: Tm: Claim. {ARE}: Summer 2002 World Setting Aircraft By Jack Russell - Director Emeritus Most visitors to the Naval Museum of Armament and Technology are probably not ,\ aware of the illustrious backgrounds of the two historical aircraft displayed in front. Both are two of a kind experimental versions of two Fleet fighters that were produced and deployed in 1950’s and early 60’s. The first of the two aircraft is the bat- winged Douglas XF4D-1 Skyray. The one on display is the second of two that were built and first flown in January of 1951. This particular aircraft set a world speed record of 753.4 miles per hour over a low-level, straightaway 3- kilometer course on October 3, 1953. Thirteen days later it captured the IOU-kilometer closed- course world speed record of 728.1 miles per hour. The first of these records was set on a course laid out near Southern California's Salton Sea while second was at Edwards Air Force Base. Toward the end of their life times the two XF4D-1’s were used as the original test bed for the famous General Electric J79 engine. Finally the two prototypes were transferred to China Lake. Our display aircraft was used for static environmental testing before being refurbished for display at the Naval Air Facility. It’s sister aircraft was destroyed in fire fighting exercises. Incidentally, on May 22 and 23, 1958, a standard production F4D-1 set five time-to-climb world records at Point Mugu. The other display aircraft is the Grumman F1 lF-lF Super Tiger. As was the case for the XF4D-1, this is the second of only two that were built. It is a derivative of the FllF Tiger that was mass produced and went into the Fleet. The F1 1F was also a Blue Angel aircraft for a number of years. The Fleet Fl 1F was under-powered with a Curtis Wright J65 engine. This was remedied in the Super Tiger with a General Electric J79 engine that was tested in the XF4D-1 mentioned above. It appears that the J 79 engine along with a few relatively minor changes to the airframe nearly doubled the speed capability. In fact our display Super Tiger unofficially exceeded both the world speed record and world altitude record on the same flight on May 2, 1957. (continued on page 9) , China Lake Museum,China Laker - Newsletter,China Laker 2000s,China Laker 2002,Vol+8+No+3+Summer+2002.pdf,Vol+8+No+3+Summer+2002.pdf Page 1, Vol+8+No+3+Summer+2002.pdf Page 1