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Designed specifically for long-range photographic reconnaissance, the Hughes XR-11 (formerly XF-11)
twin-engined, twin-boom monoplane flew for the first time on 7 July 1946 but lost a propeller,
the flight ending in a crash that nearly cost pilot Howard Hughes his life. A second aircraft flew on 5 April 1947 and subsequently went to Eglin Field, Florida (now Eglin Air Force Base), to be tested, but the US Air Force cancelled the programme in favour of utilizing the much more economical Boeing RB-50 to meet the long-range photo-reconnaissance requirement.
| MODEL | XF-11 |
| ENGINE | 2 x Pratt-Whitney R-4360, 2611kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 26416 kg | 58238 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 30.90 m | 101 ft 5 in |
| Length | 19.97 m | 65 ft 6 in |
| +odd Eaton, gdafcgd(@)hotmail.com, 18.12.2008 This had the longest range (5,000 mi.) highest service cieling (45,000 ft.) highest multi-engine unofficial speed (480 mph w/CR hydromatic props) and with external fuel had the greatest time aloft potencial of any piston engined aircraft made, it was an elitist dream come true! | | Nathan Mofield, natemofield(@)yahoo.com, 14.07.2008 How did the original counter rotating props work? Like so maney of Lockheeds airframes this bird was long and sleek> I love it | | Maguire, 10.06.2008 Although this plane was great at high altimtudes it had poor low speed and low altitude performance. It couldn't have been used as a fighter because of its small ailerons and slow turn rate. It was designed from the D-2 to be a recon plane, nothing else. | | barry4900, horrell(@)tadaust.org.au, 17.04.2008 Obviously related to or inspired U-2 & SR-1 type operations | | 3VI, landmania(@)libero.it, 15.12.2007 It could be an excellent recon plane, maybe not a fighter and it would not to be.
Howard Hughes frequently said P-38 was an unauthorized copy of his original project (the D-2 Convoy Protector fighter), but Kelly Johnson at Lockheed started early on 1937 to design his more lucky creature. | | Sgt.KAR98, 20.10.2007 This plane is beautiful!
Looks like an advanced P-38!Dunno why it wasn´t used as a fighter... | | Vilmar Moccelin, vilmarmoccelin(@)uol.com.br, 16.10.2007 Joris, the XF-11 is twice the weight and is twice the size of the P-38... The performance of the XF-11 in hi altitude is superior and the range of the Huges is far superior.
And it isn't a fighter, is the father of the U-2 and SR-71. | | Johnny Wickham, corncobradial(@)aol.com, 14.09.2007 Howard Hughes was a nut case, a gifted pilot & designer and probaly a genious, but still a nut case. | | Joris Van den Berghe, jorisvdbtomahawk(@)hotmail.com, 21.02.2007 It looks a little like a P-38 Lightning. Why should they design such a beast if the P-38 was able to do the same job? |
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Do you have any comments about this aircraft ?
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FACTS AND FIGURES© The XF-11 had a two-man
cockpit and a large camera nose.
Unlike the XF-12 there was no
room for onboard film processing. © The first XF-11 had eight-bladed
contra-rotating propellers with
reversible pitch. It is thought
that the rear propeller on the
starboard engine went into
reverse, precipitating the crash. © The ailerons were small and
gave sluggish control at low
altitudes, although high-altitude
performance was very good. © Most of the fuel
supply was carried in
the long tailbooms.
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