Vought FU
{{Infobox aircraft
|name = FU
|image = File:Vought FU-1 of VF-2.jpg
|caption = FU-1 of VF-2 in 1928
|type = Fighter aircraft
|national_origin = United States of America
|manufacturer = Vought
|designer =
|first_flight =
|introduction = 1927
|retired = 1929
|status = Retired from Military service
|primary_user = United States Navy
|more_users =
|produced =
|number_built = 20
|program cost =
|unit cost =
|developed_from =
|variants =
}}
The Vought FU was a biplane fighter aircraft of the United States Navy in service during the late 1920s.
Design and development
File:Vought_UO-1_Aero_Digest_June_1926.jpg
Pleased with the company's VE-7, in 1926 the Navy gave Vought a $459,709 contract for 20 convertible land/sea fighters. Vought already had a two-seat observation plane, the UO-1, basically a VE-7 with additional fuselage streamlining and a Wright J-3 radial engine. This was made into a fighter simply by covering over the front cockpit of the observation plane, mounting machine guns in that area, and upgrading to a {{cvt|220|hp|kW}} Wright R-790 Whirlwind with a supercharger. With the help of the supercharger, the newly designated FU-1 was able to reach a speed of {{cvt|147|mph|km/h}} at {{cvt|13,000|ft|m}}.
The FU-1s were delivered to VF-2B based in San Diego, California. With their float gear mounted, one was assigned to each of the battleships of the Pacific Fleet, where these observation seaplanes were launched from catapults. They spent eight months in this role, but as the squadron went to aircraft carrier operations, the further-aft cockpit proved to have a visibility problem when maneuvering around a carrier deck. In response, the forward cockpit was re-opened, the resulting aircraft being designated FU-2.
By this time they were obsolescent, and the two-seaters served primarily as trainers and utility aircraft.
Operators
Specifications (FU-1)
File:Vought_UO-1_3-view_Aero_Digest_July_1926.jpg
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=kts
|ref=United States Navy Aircraft since 1911 Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p.389.
|crew=one
|length ft= 28
|length in= 4.5
|length m= 8.65
|span ft= 34
|span in= 4
|span m= 10.47
|height ft= 10
|height in= 2
|height m= 3.10
|wing area sqft= 270
|wing area sqm= 25.1
|airfoil=Navy N-9
|empty weight lb= 2,074
|empty weight kg= 943
|gross weight lb= 2,774
|gross weight kg= 1,260
|eng1 name=Wright J-5 Whirlwind
|eng1 type=9 cylinder air cooled radial engine
|eng1 hp= 220
|eng1 kw= 164
|max speed kts= 106
|max speed mph= 122
|max speed kmh= 196
|max speed note= at sea level
|range nmi= 357
|range miles= 410
|range km= 660
|ceiling ft= 26,500
|ceiling m= 8,080
|wing loading lb/sqft= 10.3
|wing loading kg/m2= 50.2
|power/mass=0.079 hp/lb (0.13 kW/kg)
|more performance=*Climb to 5,000 ft (1,520 m): 5 minutes
|guns= 2 x .30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns
}}
References
{{Commons category|Vought FU}}
=Notes=
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Naval Fighters. Fallbrook CA: Aero Publishers, 1977, {{ISBN|0-8168-9254-7}}, pp. 53–54.
- Swanborough, Gordon and Bowers, Peter. United States Navy Aircraft since 1911. London:Putnam, Second edition, 1976. {{ISBN|0-370-10054-9}}.
{{Vought aircraft}}
{{USN fighters}}
{{USN observation aircraft}}