Vought V-340

History

Even before the end of World War II, the United States Navy (USN) looked to the future and considered jet-powered types for many of its aircraft carriers in service. This type of aircraft has inherent advantages for the carrier, including reliability and thrust for operations at sea and on water. However, this will come at the cost of fuel economy (limited range) and the overall complexity of maintenance and repairs. Still, the jet was the future of fighter aviation, and even before the fall of the Japanese Empire, the U.S.

Navy was considering its next move.

The first jet arrived in August 1947 as the McDonnell FD "Phantom" (detailed elsewhere on this page), but this was mainly because McDonnell was not as involved in wartime duty as some of the USN's other major players. 62 fighter jets were produced that were powered by Westinghouse turbojets, and over time the series eventually evolved into the more successful McDonnell F2H Banshee (described in detail elsewhere on this site).

Another entry into the US Navy's early interest in jet-powered, carrier design comes from Chance Vought - then known for his brilliant F4U "Corsair" piston-powered monoplane (see elsewhere for details). side? Place). Chance Vought's proposal was the "V-340," which required a Westinghouse 24C series turbojet with 3,000 pounds of thrust to power the single-seat monoplane.

The engine is both lightweight and compact, which in turn has encouraged lighter, more compact fighter jet designs.

The V-340's cockpit follows a short nose cone assembly that, together with a teardrop canopy, provides excellent forward visibility. The jet will be buried in a deep fuselage with two large fuel reservoirs near the fuselage's dorsal spine. The engine is drawn in through the wing root air intakes and exhausted under the tail, the latter reducing the need for unnecessarily long tailpipes. The main plane of the wing is mounted low on the side of the fuselage and its general shape is straight with rounded tips (also hinged to fold for storage).

The rear wing consists of a single circular vertical plane and a center mounted horizontal plane. The tricycle landing gear (fully retractable) will be used for deck operation.

The construction will consist of timber and aluminium and will utilize Vought's proprietary 'Metalite' process - thereby reducing weight even further.

Dimensions include 32' 3" length and 30' 2" wingspan for a total weight of 10,870 lbs.

Since the engine is mounted behind the pilot and the air intake is at the root of the wing, the weapon can replace the nose under the cockpit. Proposed weapons include 4 x 20mm automatic cannons or 6 x .50 caliber machine guns.

Estimated performance figures for the V-340 include a top speed of 553 mph, a rate of climb approaching 4,880 feet per minute, and a combat radius of 345 miles. Range could be increased by installing fuel tanks on the wingtips - a common feature of early jet fighters.

Chance Vought had committed an airworthy prototype to the USN back in October 1945, but the Pacific War ended in August and the V-340 design was not selected for further development. In addition to MacDonald's approximately 60 completed Phantom aircraft, the service has enlisted nearly 900 Banshee fighter jets to meet its short-term carrier-based fighter needs, a product that provided the US Navy and US Marine Corps' foray into South Korea.

Major Jet Fighter Power Wars (1950-1953).

Specification

Basic

Production

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes