ryan mixed power jet powered fighter aircraft designed united_states_navy world war navy aircraft jet engine aircraft built japan surrendered august equipped single squadron end war combat aircraft ultimately proved lack structural strength required operations aboard aircraft carriers withdrawn design development design began proposal instigated admiral mixed powered fighter early jet engines sluggish acceleration considered unsafe unsuitable carrier operations ryan received contract prototypes static test airframe february prototypes delivered months contract placed aircraft december later contract january increased total order single seat low wing landing gear horsepower cyclone radial engine mounted fighter nose lbf general later redesignated mounted rear fuselage fed wing root meant wing relatively thick house outward main landing gear fuel system engines grade self sealing fuel tanks housed fuselage gallons imp gal gallons imp gal cockpit positioned forward leading edge wing pilot provided bubble canopy gave excellent visibility flow navy carrier aircraft armed machine guns rounds gun mounted center section wing immediately air jet engine inch rockets carried outer wing panel provided center section bombs gal imp gal drop tanks armor plates provided pilot seat oil cooler flight june jet engine installed shortly afterward second prototype flew september test flights confirmed wind tunnel tests revealed lack longitudinal stability center gravity addition circular rear fuselage gave stability slab style fuselage model stability calculations new tail enlarged vertical horizontal designed prototypes original douglas double flaps proved unsatisfactory flight testing prototypes production aircraft built replaced single prototype lost crash october investigation showed wing structure strong resist effects cured doubling number outer wing panels second prototype crashed march pilot failed recover dive feet probably effects prototype crashed april canopy blew high speed pass operational testing naval air station river included carrier tests revealed additional problems engine tended electrically operated flaps installed catapult hooks moved shock lengthened inches carrier tests began aboard escort carrier early january aircraft successfully catapult engine engines problems reported landing aboard carrier developed utilized wright place single airframe converted configuration prototypes built proposed variant projects canceled end war fastest approximately mph faster air moved wing roots fuselage wing covered electrically powered doors drag aircraft flying engine fuselage lengthened inches accommodate larger engine leading edge extension wing root housed air removed intended serve installation dark shark final variant engine replaced general_electric prototype built december orders production placed follow order additional fighters january contracts contingent aircraft successfully completing carrier trials completed november orders canceled day operational history squadron received march saw combat squadron aircraft aboard carrier ranger attempt qualify seven pilots fighters damaged landing missed arresting gear hit crash barrier aircraft nose gear collapsed following month pilots qualified pre leave japanese surrendered squadron decommissioned october pilots aircraft transferred november aircraft land jet power aircraft carrier albeit unintentionally radial engine failed final approach escort carrier pilot managed start jet engine land barely catching wire hitting ship crash barrier squadron attempting qualify pilots carrier operations time pilots required landings number accidents occurred nose gear failed landing pilots partly responsible nose gear deck landing main gear squadron qualified escort carrier march nose gear problems persisted cut cruise short ryan installed steel fork revealed evidence partial wing failures aircraft limited maneuvers exceed suffered fatal accidents redesignated november ensign collided target banner gunnery practice spun water months later squadron commander performing barrel roll wing broke struck killing pilots conducted carrier qualification march aboard escort carrier pilots successfully qualified proving fragile endure repeated carrier landings brief deployment june aboard aircraft broke hard landing subsequent squadron aircraft showed signs structural failure withdrawn august withdrawal type service examples retained modifications testing scrapped variants designation prototype model aircraft built fighter aircraft built conversion wright replacing earlier engine aircraft modified proposed variant replacing earlier jet engine built built final variant replacing engine built operators united_states united_states navy squadron known names march october october august redesignated november survivors single example survives deployed aircraft served airframe technical school acquired california 1960s restoration static display condition rolled june specifications data united_states navy aircraft general characteristics crew length wingspan height wing area weight loaded weight powerplant lbf wright cyclone radial engine performance maximum speed mph mph engine cruise speed mph engine range drop tanks service ceiling rate climb engine drop tank armament machine gun rpg bombs inch rockets wings
Ryan FR Fireball