Before World War II ended, Chance Vought was busy with the design of the Chance Vought V-340 single-seat jet-propelled fighter for service with the US Navy. It was the first turbojet-powered aircraft to be designed by the company, but proved sufficiently attractive for the US Navy to award a contract for three XF6U-1 prototypes on 29 December 1944.

Of low-wing monoplane configuration, the all-metal structure of the air-frame had Metalite skins, patented by the company and comprising two sheets of high-strength light alloy bonded to a balsawood core. The tailplane was mounted on the fin, just above the fuselage, but production aircraft had two auxiliary fins, one towards the tip on each side of the tailplane. The Pirate had retractable tricycle landing gear, jettison-able auxiliary fuel tanks at each wingtip, and the pilot accommodated high on the fuselage, well forward of the wing. The first of the three prototypes made its maiden flight at Muroc Dry Lake on 2 October 1946, powered by a 1361kg thrust Westinghouse J34-WE-22 turbojet mounted in the aft fuselage. Production examples of the F6U-1, of which the first flew during July 1949, began to enter service with the US Navy in the following month. A total of 65 had been ordered but after 30 had been delivered the remainder were cancelled.

3-View

A three-view drawing (1278 x 870)