Hughes D-2, D-5 and XF-11

From the link which discovered by Jcf.

http://www.afhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2008_spring.pdf
 

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Re: Hughes XF-11 and Variants

RyanC said:
Here is a random photo of the XF-11 sitting on a tarmac somewhere. Notice the connie in the background;
Click to expand...
It's at Hughes Airport in Los Angeles.
 
Re: Hughes XF-11 and Variants

bercr said:
94 HI-RES HUGHES XF-11 PHOTOS AVAILABLE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LAS VEGAS DIGITAL LIBRARY :


http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/hughes?CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=%2Fhughes&CISOBOX1=XF-11&x=0&y=0


There are a total of 1688 digitized hi-res images of Hughes and its airplanes :


http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/hughes?CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=%2Fhughes&CISOBOX1=&x=15&y=12


Hundreds of photos of the Spruce Goose here :
keyword : flying boat (280 photos)
http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/hughes?CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=%2Fhughes&CISOBOX1=flying+boat&x=20&y=14


key word : spruce goose (60 photos, perhaps the same)
http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/hughes?CISOOP1=all&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=%2Fhughes&CISOBOX1=spruce+goose&x=29&y=10
Click to expand...

This site has several D-2 photos I havent seen before.
 

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Nice find! Thanks a lot for sharing. For an aircraft that Hughes had allegedly destroyed all trace of, there's still quite a lot of material around, after all! :)
 
The EAA museum in Lakeland (which houses that wind tunnel model) has a lot of Hughes material--drawings, photos--some of which is D-2-related. A docent there showed me a bit of it a few years ago, specifically a beautifully-drawn diagram of a Spruce Goose control system and a photo of the burned wreckage of the D-2. The wreckage was twisted and charred, and I couldn't recognize any component, but that's how it was labeled.

At that time the museum was trying to raise funds to scan the large drawings. I don't know if they've made much progress.
 
roadrunner2 said:
some plan.
Click to expand...
Hello roadrunner2,
super drawing. Do you have the originals available?
If so, would it be possible to share it in a better quality.
I want to use it for build a RC model from this and it is not easy to get good drawings in suitable quality.
Best regards from germany
Michael
 
Hi!
D-2's span is 60ft(18.3m). According to this D-5 drawing, I think that D-5's span is about 76ft(23m).

Following site says that D-5's span is 92ft(28m).
oldmachinepress.com

Hughes D-2

Howard Hughes kept his D-2 aircraft hidden away. The aircraft’s roll changed several times and included fighter and attack. Control issues plagued the prototype, but a redesign led to the XF-11.
oldmachinepress.com oldmachinepress.com
hughes-d-5-drawing-17jun43.jpg
"A Hughes D-5 drawing dated 17 June 1943. The aircraft is very similar to the D-2, but with a new wing. The D-5 was of Duramold construction and powered by R-2800 engines. Its specifications included a wingspan of 92 ft (28.0 m), a length of 58 ft (17.7 m), a top speed of 488 mph (785 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,144 m), a service ceiling of 37,000 ft (11,278 m), and a gross weight of 36,400 lb (16,511 kg). Note the bombs in the internal bay and rear guns."
 

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Hi!

Howard Hughes' D-2

I was real interested in this thread, but got distracted by Lucky's new avatar~ Nice! A book about Howard Hughes has been on my future reading list for some time now. Ever since I saw The Aviator, I have been fascinated by this man. He was way ahead on some of his planes designs. Also amazing to...
ww2aircraft.net
 

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Hi!
There are some short nose variant pictures and drawing s for D-2. DX-2, XA-37, XP-73 and D-5.
Looking at pictures of existing D-2 airplanes and the official D-5 three side view drawing, the nose is not transparent.
 

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I think that D-2 is DX-2, maiden flight was June 20 1943.
Planned DX-2A variants are as follows.(Wikipedia)
1.Concoy protector
2.Convoy destroyed
3.Pursuit airplane
4.Fighter
5.Light bombardment type

So perhaps these long nose type drawings shows light bombardment type with bomb bay.
 

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From Aeroplane monthly 1984.
 

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From, Hughes XF-11,Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions.
 

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Apophenia said:
No. it is a typo. 'Hap' Arnold was refused entry to view the Hughes D-2 mock up.
Click to expand...

Why not my dear Apophenia,in the book about American Secret Projects 1937-45,the first fighter
for X-609 was probably called H-1 as he suggested,and when I read that,I disagree with my dear
Tony Buttler,so the logical name for it D-1,because H-1 was used already for a racer aircraft.
 
Apart from too late, what was the major malfunction? Engines is my guess but I really cannot find concise fault lists.
 
hesham said:
Why not my dear Apophenia,in the book about American Secret Projects 1937-45,the first fighter
for X-609 was probably called H-1 as he suggested,and when I read that,I disagree with my dear
Tony Buttler,so the logical name for it D-1,because H-1 was used already for a racer aircraft.
Click to expand...

Why not? Because Occam's Razor nudges us towards the simplest explanation. The core of my argument related to that well-known story of 'Hap' Arnold being turned away from viewing a mock up at Hughes Aircraft. In all sources except for your clipping, this story relates to the H-2 mock up. So, we have two possibilities here:

1 - That repeated story reveals that 'H-1' was a typographical error for H-2 (as in the majority of tellings); or,

2 - That story is repeated because General Arnold was twice refused facility entry to view a mock up. In the first instance, 'Hap' wished to see the H-1 mock up. In the second instance, 'Hap' returned to view the H-2 mock up. In both cases, Gen. Arnold was refused entry because Howard Hughes was not on-site.

One of the two possibilities given above is simpler than the other. And, yes, that represents an imperfect, heuristic approach to the problem. But, logically, the counter to 'highly improbable' cannot be 'anything is possible ... and therefore likely'.
 
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Foo Fighter said:
Apart from too late, what was the major malfunction? Engines is my guess but I really cannot find concise fault lists.
Click to expand...

I don't think that the engines were an issue. The rival Republic XF-12 had four of the same R-4360-31s used in the XF-11 (although output was 3,000 hp each rather than 3,250 hp). The second prototype XF-11 ditched the Superhydromatic contra-rotating propellers in favour of conventional, 4-bladed HamStan props. That was thought to be the solution to powerplant problems.

Not a malfunction but ... in several accounts, USAAF aerial-photography staff, assessed the XF-11 as representing no real advantage over ad hoc converted fighter aircraft. The XF-11's nose camera installation was cramped and difficult to access in flight. The boom installations were, of course, completely inaccessible. By contrast, the rival Republic XF-12 Rainbow had no such issues.
 
My dear Apophenia,

in this book,Mr. Tony Buttler explained that,H-1 was a single engine (X-609) and H-2 was twin engined (X-608),
now how come the 'H-1' was a typographical error for H-2,they are two different concepts,and no logical to use
the same designation "H-1",so a big possibility the H-1 for fighter was indeed D-1 ?!.
 
hesham: My apologies for confusing X-609 with X-608. I also regret digressing into that off-topic H-1/D-1 morass. Those elements have now been deleted from post #103.

Meanwhile, none of this addresses typos, my point about the retelling of a familiar story, or Occam's Razor.
 
OK my dear Apophenia,

as we know,the beginning in many sources is from D-2,no sign to D-1.
 
Arjen said:
It would be helpful if you could show a longer quote from the book. If, for instance, the D-1 is described as a single-engine aircraft, that would rule out a close connection to the D-2/D-5/F-11family of designs.
Click to expand...

It's not necessary to be a twin engined ?,in the same source,H-1 was a single engine and H-2 was a twin
engine,why they weren't a single engine all ?!.
 
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Hi, my name is Alex and I am looking for the stencils and markings for the Hughes XF-11 that I need for my RC Model design, I got must of the information from the web and some magazines but nothing about the details of this aircraft, if you know where I can get it please let me know.
Thanks
Alex
 
ZacYates said:
Is this document available online anywhere?
Click to expand...

Here it's,

www.google.com.eg

Hughes XF-11 Pilot's Flight Operating Instructions

The XF-11 was originally conceived as a dedicated reconnaissance aircraft, capable of high-speed penetration of enemy defenses. The plane's design benefited from research work by its builder, the brilliant and sometimes mercurial Howard Hughes. Inspired by an experimental aircraft he had created...
www.google.com.eg
 
A recent scan of an original Hughes drawing from the Gerald Balzer collection. Interesting it represents the prop used on the XF-11A and not the original contrarotating prop of the #1 ship Hughes crashed.

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 

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I think I know the answer to this but still feel it's worth asking: did anyone besides Howard fly 44-70156?
Artie Bob said:
Re: Hughes D-2

Apparently, there is a fair amount of D-2 documentation in the Sara Clarke files at College Park. Unfortunately, that collection is ciurrently closed, possibly for indexing.
Click to expand...
Have these been made available?
RyanC said:
I found a three view blueprint of the D-5 (the fighter version that came before the XF-11) at Archives II
Click to expand...
How does one access Archives II?
 

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