Subject: Number 109 in the Series-"XF-109"

From: [email-masked]
Date: 3 Mar 94 17:13:44 GMT

>From [email-masked]

Although temporarily assigned to several projects, it now appears that 
the designation F-109 was never actually used by any aircraft.  

In 1955, the McDonnell Corporation proposed that the designation F-109 
be assigned to the two-seat all-weather interceptor variant of the 
Voodoo.  The Air Force turned down this proposal, and the aircraft was 
assigned the designation F-101B instead.  

Throughout the 1950s there were published reports that the F-109 
designation had been assigned to a vertical-takeoff aircraft designed 
by the Ryan Aeronatutical Company.  However, this aircraft was 
actually designated X-13 (a designation in the X-for-experimental 
series).  The X-13 was strictly experimental and was never intended as 
an operational fighter aircraft, and it never actually bore the F-109 
designation.  

Many references that I have read state that the F-109 designation was 
assigned to the Bell D-188A, a late 1950s private venture proposal by 
the Bell Aircraft Corporation for a Mach 2+ V/STOL fighter.  This 
proposal called for a high-winged aircraft powered by eight General 
Electric J85-GE-5 turbojets.  Two of these engines were mounted 
horizontally in the rear fuselage and were fed by cheek-type air 
intakes mounted on the sides of the rear fuselage.  Two other J85 
engines were mounted vertically in the fuselage behind the pilot's 
cockpit.  They provided lift during vertical takeoff and landing, but 
were shut down for ordinary horizontal flight.  The other four engines 
were mounted in two pairs in movable pods at the wingtips.  The pods 
were rotated into a vertical position for vertical takeoff and 
landing, then were rotated horizontally for level flight.  

The project had gotten as far as the mockup stage when, in February 
1958, the Bell Aircraft Corporation requested that the USAF assign the 
designation XF-109 to the D-188A project.  The Air Force had no 
interest in the proposal and turned down the request.  Consequently, 
the D-188A never, in fact, received a USAF designation, although the 
USAF serial numbers 59-2109 and 60-2715 have been associated with this 
project.  In the event, the D-188A never did find favor with the 
military, although the general concept was later taken up by West 
Germany in the E.W.R-Sud VJ 101C.  

Sources: 

  United States Military Aircraft Since 1909.  Gordon Swanborough and 
  Peter M.  Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.  

  Fighters of the Unites States Air Force, Robert F.  Dorr and David 
  Donald, Temple Press Aerospace, 1990.  

  The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion, 1987.  

Joe Baugher		AT&T Bell Laboratories   	
2000 North Naperville Road      Naperville, Illinois 60566-7033