Mock-up of a Pirate (XF6U-1 that is!) Part III

     Final set of images of the XF6U-1 Pirate mock-up. The first image shows the catapult bridle hookup and hold back cable installation for aircraft carrier operations.

CV-18373 XF6U-1 Catapult Bridle and Back Cable Attachments

     Sight installation for bore sighting the cannons on the Pirate.

CV-18437 XF6U-1 Sights for aligning target with airplane

     Cannon installation and ammo boxes on the left side of the aircraft.

CV-18439 XF6U-1 Gun Installation LH Side

     Nice image of the canopy and windshield shapes.

CV-18442 XF6U-1 Cabin Side View

     Front view of the left hand main landing gear.

CV-18447 XF6U-1 Front View Of Landing Gear

     Inboard view of the left hand main landing gear.

CV-18448 XF6U-1 Landing Gear Side View Looking Outboard

     The first image shows the catapult bridle hookup and hold back cable installation for aircraft carrier operations.

CV-18455 XF6U-1 View Showing Antennas

     That concludes this series on the XF6U-1 mock-up. A future post will show the first prototype XF6U-1 to illustrate what the flight worthy aircraft actually looked like.

Mock-up of a Pirate (XF6U-1 that is!) Part II

     Continuing with the Pirate mock-up, one of the interesting features was the ability to kneel the aircraft to allow for tighter parking on the flight deck. Kneeling required the nose landing gear to be retracted after a small kneeling nose wheel was installed.

CV-18454 XF6U-1 Kneeling 

     Nose image with panels removed showing the gun camera, oxygen bottle and avionics installations.

CV-18445 XF6U-1 Nose Installation

     Second view of the open nose compartment showing the details of the equipment installed inside.

CV-18446 XF6U-1 Nose Installation

     One of the areas of interest that gets a considerable level of detail in the mock-up is the cockpit. The first image shows the instrument board with control stick. The second image shows the chart board extended as it would be during use. 

CV-18446 XF6U-1 Instrument Board

CV-18306 XF6U-1 Chart Board Installation

     The next post in this series will feature the armament and landing gear.

     These images come from the National Archives II Record Group 72. The Vought and NARA images numbers are in the file names.

  

Mock-up of a Pirate (XF6U-1 that is!)

     In aviation mock-ups are a fascinating subject. I enjoy looking at them and comparing them to the actual aircraft that was derived from them. Mock-ups are the collision of the designers vision and the reality of systems integration that has yet to be tested in the sky.

     The following images come from the National Archives II Record Group 72. The Vought and NARA images numbers are in the file names.

     I will post some actual aircraft images in a later post for comparison purposes. Of interest is the wing mounted drop tank on the first image.

CV 18191 XF6U-1 Mock-up Left Side

CV 18193 XF6U-1 Mock-up Rear Right Hand Side

     The plan views show the clean lines of the wings and fuselage to advantage. Metalite construction was planned for use on the Pirate. 

CV 18194 XF6U-1 Mock-up Plan View

CV 18195 XF6U-1 Mock-up Plan View

     The cockpit is fairly conventional and includes a chart board for navigation information essential to the Naval Aviator. 

CV 18303 XF6U-1 Mock-up Pilot in Cockpit

CV 18304 XF6U-1 Mock-up Pilot in cockpit

     Finally a couple of images of the "jet unit" used to power the Pirate.

CV 18367 XF6U-1 Mock-up Left Side Jet Unit Installation

CV 18365 XF6U-1 Mock-up Jet Unit Lowered on Torpedo Truck