Steve Ginter

Lockheed XFV-1 VTOL Fighter Steve Ginter

The photos in this edition are black and white. First published in 1996, the XFV-1 book tells the story of one of two Navy prototypes contracted as vertical take off turboprop fighters capable of operating from LSTs, Destroyers, cruisers and larger capitol ships. If they had been successful, the Navy in time of war would have been able to equip all ships with a point-of-defence fighter. The other more promising aircraft being tested was the Convair XFY-1 Pogo (see Naval Fighters #27). The aircraft were called tail sitters and the XFV-1 sat on outrigger wheels mounted on its cruceform tail. The Lockheed offering never made the transition from vertical take off to level flight and back from level flight to vertical landing. Instead, a temporary fixed landing gear was fitted for flight testing and practice transitions were made by famed test pilot Herman "Fish" Salmon. The project ended on June 16, 1955. Includes over 60 b&w photos and model reviews.