https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=828
General characteristics
Crew: one
Length: 32 ft 4 in (12.19 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
Height: 13 ft 11 in (4.24 m)
Empty weight: 7,689 lb (3,488 kg)
Loaded weight: 11,652 lb (5,285 kg)
Powerplant:
kgf)
kW)
Performance
Maximum speed: 404 mph (276 mph with piston engine alone) (650
km/h (444 km/h))
Cruise speed: 152 mph (piston engine alone) (246 km/h)
Range: 1,620 mi (2,610 km) (with 2 drop tanks)
Service ceiling: 43,100 ft (13,137 m)
Rate of climb: 29.7 ft/s (9 m/s) (Piston engine only, with 1 drop
tank)
Armament
The Ryan FR Fireball fighter was something of a unique creation in the
annals of US Navy aviation. The fighter fielded two individual
powerplants - a radial piston engine and a turbojet engine - within a
single airframe that supplied impressive performance statistics for
her time. Unfortunately for Ryan, the Fireball arrived simply too late
to see combat actions in World War 2 and subsequently fell out of
favor with the post-war US military looking for "all-jet" systems.
Fireball production lasted for just one year and her life span covered
two short years thereafter before she was retired in favor of more
potent and modern systems. The Fireball became the first turbojet
aircraft to be fielded by the United States Navy and the first
jet-powered aircraft to make a landing on a naval vessel. She also set
a world altitude record for turboprop-powered aircraft.
Fireball Origins
The Ryan FR Fireball series was conceived of in 1943 under the
direction of USN Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. His proposal called for a
"composite" powered fighter requiring the use of a propeller piston
engine coupled with the power of a turbojet engine. The war in Europe
and the Pacific was in full swing and the turbojet was a burgeoning
propulsion project in several nations. The idea behind the composite
concept maintained a tried and proven radial piston engine system
while incorporating the untapped power and inherent benefits of the
turbojet. Early turbojet forms - those unveiled by the United States,
Britain and Nazi Germany - all suffered from poor reliability,
endurance and power. As such, they were proven to be generally unsafe
as primary propulsion methods for any airframe of note, particularly
during the pivotal take-off and landing actions - though testing and
development nonetheless continued. It was deemed that composite
fighter would alleviate the worries of an all-jet aircraft and only
maintain the turbojet propulsion as a backup to the primary
piston-powered radial engine. The result would also net a fighter
design that, potentially, could outpace all other piston-powered
fighters of the time.
Enter Ryan Aeronautical
Ryan Aeronautical was tabbed to develop the new fighter to fit the
unique USN requirements. It is worth noting that Ryan Aeronautical
attempted several such design configurations that fielded this
dual-powerplant arrangement though many such developments were given
up by the US military as the war quickly drew to a close - the
military instead waiting to see what would become of the all-jet
fighters then under development. Ryan Aeronautical began life in 1934
in San Diego, California under founder T. Claude Ryan - builder of
Charles Lindbergh's mythical "Spirit of St. Louis". In 1969, the firm
became a part of Teledyne until Northrop Grumman purchased the company
in 1999. Ryan would best be remembered for their many distinct
aircraft designs including a pair of V/STOL aircraft while the most
notable Ryan product ultimately becoming the "Firebee" unmanned drone
of the early 1950s.
The Prototype
The initial composite fighter prototype by Ryan was unveiled in 1944
and recorded a first flight on June 25th. Tests continued though the
prototype was eventually lost to accident at China Lake Naval Air
Station in October. A further two prototypes were also lost and
investigations centered around the riveting along each wing. These
proved too weak to maintain the needed stress resistance for the new
aircraft and thusly were doubled in number. Trials were held on the
deck of the USS Ranger in 1945. Development progressed at a promising
pace and the Ryan product was officially adopted for service by the
United States Navy as the Ryan FR-1 "Fireball" with introduction of
the aircraft commencing on March of 1945. An order for 700 Fireballs
was placed and at least sixty-six of these novel systems were
delivered before the end of World War 2.
Just in Time for the End of the Show
The United States Navy and Marine Corps actions were largely centered
in and around the Pacific Theater of War. These combined forces also
included the involvement of the British Royal Navy as well as
Commonwealth forces and ultimately beat back the Empire of Japan from
far-off places like Okinawa. World War 2 also ushered in the age of
the aircraft carrier and proved them vital components to the modern
military - the US Navy became a global powerhouse in this field. The
stranglehold around the Empire ultimately shrunk to encompass the
Japanese mainland. Japan ultimately capitulated under the lethality of
the American bombing campaigns and the atomic bombs by August of 1945.
The surrender was made formal in September and World War 2 was
officially over (the war in Europe was over by June of 1945). This, of
course, left the Ryan Fireball system in limbo for the time being and
military procurement orders were quickly curtailed or cancelled
altogether. As such, the Ryan FR Fireball was not to see combat
actions on the Grand Stage.
Fireball Walk-Around
As far as outward design, the Fireball could be considered most
conventional. The fuselage was circular in its forward profile with
rounded sides, essentially mimicking a tube that was tapered at the
aft end. The radial powerplant was fitted to the forward compartment
ahead of the single-seat cockpit. The cockpit position was of note for
it was held well-forward in the design. The pilot sat behind a
slightly framed windscreen and under a single-piece bubble-type canopy
with little framing. The canopy could slide rearwards to allow access
for entry and exit to the cockpit. Controls, for the most part, were
also conventional with the exception of the turbojet systems. Wings
were low-set along the fuselage sides with dihedral (upwards angle) of
the assemblies just outboard of the main landing gear legs. The
fuselage tapered into the empennage which contained a traditional
vertical tail fin and applicable horizontal stabilizers. The jet
engine was buried in the rear fuselage and exhausted through a ring
under the tail fin. The undercarriage, unlike other prop-engine
fighters, was of a tricycle arrangement and made up of two
single-wheeled main legs and a single-wheeled nose leg. This gave the
Fireball a pronounced "nose-up" appearance when at rest. By any
regard, the Fireball certainly maintained all of the physical
qualities of an excellent fighter design. As a US Navy aircraft, the
Fireball was fitted with an arrestor hook for carrier landings.
Fireball Performance
As a composite fighter design, the Ryan Fireball maintained some
unique performance figures from her radial and turbojet engines. The
FR-1 production model fielded a Wright R-1820-72W Cyclone radial
piston engine delivering 1,350 horsepower to a three-bladed propeller
coupled with the General Electric J31-GE-3 turbojet engine of 1,600lbf
of thrust. This combined power allowed for a maximum speed of 426
miles per hour (limited to 275 miles per hour when running on just the
radial engine alone). Cruise speed was generally in the vicinity of
150 miles per hour and range was an impressive 1,300 miles. The
Fireball's listed service ceiling was equally impressive at 43,100
feet and the aircraft could climb through 80 feet per second.
Fireball Armament
Armament for the Fireball was quite modest given the lessons learned
through air-to-air combat in World War 2. While the successful US Navy
fighters mounted no less than 6 x 0.50 caliber heavy machine guns and
other nations utilized cannons of various calibers, the Fireball was
limited to just 4 x 0.50 caliber M2 Browning air-cooled heavy machine
guns with each gun afforded 300 rounds of ammunition. Her offensive
punch was furthered, however, by provision for 2 x 1,000lb bombs held
underwing. This allowed the Fireball the capability to attack ground
targets with some authority. Additionally, the bombs could be replaced
by 8 x 5-inch (127mm) unguided air-to-surface, high-explosive rockets
on individual launch racks under each wing (four rockets to a wing
underside).
Limited Reach
The Fireball was assigned to just one US Navy flight squadron during
her operational tenure. This became the "Firebirds" squadron of the
VF-66. The VF-66 existed from May of 1945 into October of 1945 before
becoming the VF-41. The VF-41 maintained a fleet presence from October
of 1945 to the middle of 1947 before being redesignated as the VF-1E
in November of that year. Ultimately, the "Firebirds" became the
VRF-32.
The Writing on the Wall
The end of World War 2 essentially meant the end of "fancy-free"
spending habits of the American war machine. The yearly billions upon
billions spent on defense now dwindled to maintain a barely active
military force as people turned their attentions to peace and
rebuilding of lives and countries. Many-a-military-product suffered
short-lived lives as a result and the unique Fireball proved no
exception. Couple this with the fact that turbojet technology was
gaining more and more traction and all-jet dedicated fighters quickly
became the hot-selling product to the American military and one begins
to understand such decisions. It was this curtailing of military
finances that would ultimately spell near-doom for the free world in
the early years of the upcoming Korean War.
The First Jet Carrier Landing Anywhere...is Unintentional
On November 6th, 1945, a Fireball was forced to land on the deck of
the escort carrier USS Wake Island. Apparently, the radial piston
engine of the aircraft had failed on the pilot forcing him to activate
the jet powerplant. This allowed the pilot to land the aircraft safely
on the USS Wake Island - in effect becoming the first aircraft
anywhere to land on a naval vessel under jet power. The Fireball in
question nearly missed her mark, however, and only caught the final
arrestor wire before being stopped by the crash barrier.
The Pinnacle After Just a Short Two Years
By this time, the Fireball had more-or-less reached its pinnacle.
There was no more war to fight and the concept proved more work than
reward. The US Navy became more and more interested in all-jet
products and the Fireball quickly took a backseat. In 1947, the Ryan
Fireball was officially withdrawn from operational service - a quick
end to be sure, serving the USN just a short two years.
Furthering the Fireball
In her entire production run spanning from 1944 to 1945, only 66 total
examples were ultimately delivered. There were further attempts to
make for a more promising system and included the XFR-2 prototype
mounting a Wright R-1820-74W series piston engine. The FR-3 would have
been a production form fitting the General Electric I-20 series
turbojet engine. The XFR-4 was another prototype proposal though this
one mounting a Westinghouse J34 series turbojet engine - ultimately
proving the fastest of all the Fireball designs by some 100 miles per
hour. The XF2R-1 "Dark Shark" prototype was something of a vast
departure from the base Fireball line and attempted to mate a General
Electric XT31-GE-2 turboprop engine with the turbojet engine for
increased performance specifications. However, only one prototype was
ultimately produced but did go on to set a new world altitude record
concerning turboprop-powered aircraft, the magic number being 39,160
feet on May 2nd, 1947. The Dark Shark was easily identified from the
base Fireball by her pointed spinner and large, four-bladed propeller
system.
The Fireball Today
It is believed that only a single Ryan Fireball airframe exists
anywhere in the world. This single example was procured by the Planes
of Flame Air Museum at Chino, California.
--
"Today, tragically, too many people in power are projecting the
worst. Many are cowardly, complicit enablers, acting against the
interests of the United States, our allies and democracy; encouraging
extremists at home and emboldening our adversaries abroad; and
threatening the livability of our planet. Many do not respect the
offices they hold; they lack - or disregard - a basic knowledge of
history, science and leadership; and they act impulsively, worsening a
toxic political environment."
- Sully Sullenberger - 2018
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