Time Period: World War II
Country of Origin: United States
Type: Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Ryan Aeronautical
Ryan FR Fireball Aircraft Overview
The Ryan FR Fireball was a fighter aircraft developed by Ryan Aeronautical Company during World War II. It was designed to be a carrier-based aircraft that could serve both as a fighter and a scout plane.
The Fireball was a unique design, featuring a combination of a radial engine and a jet engine. The aircraft was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp radial engine and a General Electric J31 turbojet engine. The aircraft was armed with four 20mm cannon and could carry bombs or rockets under its wings.
The Fireball’s first flight was in June 1944, and it entered service with the United States Navy in 1945. However, the aircraft saw limited service, as the war ended soon after it was introduced.
The Fireball had a number of issues, including poor handling characteristics and difficulties with the combination of the radial and jet engines. In addition, the aircraft’s landing gear was prone to collapsing on landing, which led to several accidents and the loss of several aircraft.
Despite these issues, the Fireball was considered a promising design and was developed further into the XF2R-1 Dark Shark, which was an all-jet aircraft based on the Fireball’s design.
Today, no Fireballs are known to survive. However, the aircraft’s unique design and combination of engines made it an important stepping stone in the development of jet aircraft.
Ryan FR Fireball Specifications
- Crew: 1
- Length: 32 ft 4 in (9.86 m)
- Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
- Height: 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m)
- Wing area: 275 sq ft (25.5 m2)
- Airfoil: root: NACA 65-117 a=1; tip: NACA 65-115 a=.5
- Empty weight: 7,689 lb (3,488 kg)
- Gross weight: 11,652 lb (5,285 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-1820-72W Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,350 hp (1,010 kW)
- Powerplant: 1 × General Electric J31-GE-3 centrifugal-flow turbojet engine, 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN) thrust
- Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed fully-feathering propeller.
Ryan FR Fireball Performance
- Maximum speed: 404 mph (650 km/h, 351 kn) both engines. 276 mph (240 kn; 444 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 152 mph (245 km/h, 132 kn) piston engine only
- Ferry range: 1,620 mi (2,610 km, 1,410 nmi) (with 2 drop tanks)
- Service ceiling: 43,100 ft (13,100 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,800 ft/min (9 m/s) (Piston engine only, with 1 drop tank)
Ryan FR Fireball Armament
- Guns: 4 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 300 rpg.
- Rockets: 8 × 5-inch (127 mm) rockets under wings.
- Bombs: 2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs.
