Ginter, Steve Curtiss XF15C-1 "Stingaree"

Volume 119 of the "Naval Fighters" series. During World War II, the US Navy ordered two carrier-based, composite-powered (both propeller and jet) fighters to counter the land-based jet aircraft developed by the Germans. The first was the small Ryan FR-1 "Fireball", followed by the much larger Curtiss XF15C-1 "Stingaree" heavy fighter. On 7 April 1944, three XF15C-1s, BuNos 01213-01215, and a static airframe were ordered. They were powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W propeller engine with 2,100 hp in the nose and an Allis-Chalmers H-1B (J36) (British "Goblin") jet engine with 2,700 lbs thrust in the tail. The maiden flight of the first aircraft took place on 27 February 1945. All three aircraft were completed with a conventional tail section. During flight testing of the first aircraft, it was decided to retrofit aircraft two and three with "T" tail assemblies to improve overall performance and increase the number of aircraft that could be placed on the deck and hangar deck of the carrier. The first aircraft was lost due to fuel starvation caused by a faulty gauge. The other two XF15C-1s were delivered to the Naval Air Test Centre, where they were flown until the programme was discontinued in October 1946. At this point, the Navy opted for the fully jet-powered FD/FH-1 "Phantom".