Grumman's XF5F Skyrocket

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Between the F4F Wildcat and the F6F Hellcat there was Grumman's Wierd and Wonderful SKYROCKET! Let's learn all about it, what happened to it and how it is related to the F7F Tigercat and Blackhawk Comic Book!!
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7 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 140

@kaptainkaos1202 2 месяца назад

I’m an USN/USMC flight test engineer. I’ve worked a number of Grumman aircraft. To this day we still refer to them as Grumman Ironworks because everything they build is sturdy to say the least.

@harrykeel8557 2 месяца назад

With a rate of climb of four thousand feet per minute, it might have been a game changer in the early stages against the zero.

@oscarjohnson9156 2 месяца назад

I immediately recognized this aircraft as the one in the Blackhawk Comic Book. I was born in 1940 and in my formative years was a great fan of the comic. I was also born in Bridgeport Ct. The Chance-Voight/Sikorsky plant that developed the F4U Corsair right next door in Stratford, and the planes were a common sight in the airs above Bridgeport up to about 1950. I have a photo of me, as a good looking 4 year old buying a Corsair at a war bond rally, that was named the Spirit of Bridgeport. Bridgeport was a major industrial center during both WWI and WWII. Simon Lake, called the father of the modern submarines, had a plant there. Remington built the largest building in the Western Hemisphere to manufacture rifles for Cazarist Russia. Igor Skorski built flying boats, the first successful helicopters, and the famed Corsair. The same plant that made the Corsair later built the first gas turbines for the AI-Abrams. And about 80 or 90 other manufacturers found their home there. Many are now vacant lots.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Thanks for sharing!

@tedthoman6580 3 месяца назад

In the left-overs from an estate sale, my friend recovered 30-odd dog-eared models of WWII era military and racing aircraft, most sans props, ailerons, rudders, etc. Many of them appear to be hand-crafted kits of wood, foam and gesso... Among them there is a model of the XF5F Skyrocket, [ missing a few parts ]. A local air museum has some information about this rare bird, but your video really is great in putting it in context w/ aircraft development during the pre-WWII era of round engines. Thank you for a beautifully-done presentation.....

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as I liked making it!

@edclark4822 3 месяца назад

Most excellent video on the Skyrocket , much deserved !!!!😊

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Glad you liked it!

@chuckw1113 21 день назад

For the record, the first letter (or two for multi-mission) in the designation is for the mission type. e.g. F for Fighter, O for Observation, S for Scout, B for Bomber, etc. Multi-mission aircraft had two letters, e.g. SBD (Scout Bomber Douglas) or TBF (Torpedo Bomber Grumman).

@Chongo_657 2 месяца назад

The Army Skyrocket looked like a retro warthog..

@jebsails2837 3 месяца назад

In a early WWII aviation magazine, I saw an ad for the AT-9, which had a very similar configuration. It was billed as an advanced trainer for multi engine aircraft (bombers?). As I recall that configuration led to a number of problems, including withdrawal from service and scrap heap. Great video. Narragansett Bay

@jerrewilliams5555 2 месяца назад

Gosh! I recognized the Blackhawk plane from the first of your program and wondered why the plane wasn't used or famous. Didn't even remember the name of the comic, just the plane. Best Christmas Present - 2 funnybooks and a candy bar!

@user-ke4vx1tt6j 3 месяца назад

I always liked the design and the idea of the alt history of it's success as a naval fighter.

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

I guess that’s what the Blackhawk Comics kind of were!

@Paughco 3 месяца назад

Cool, man! Glad you mentioned the Blackhawks. HAWKAAA!!

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

How could I not!

@dennisdose5697 3 месяца назад

That's what I came here for.

@dennisdose5697 3 месяца назад

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one that sees an F5F Skyrocket and thinks, "Blackhawks!" With that rate of climb and decent speed, it might have been a good fighter.

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Its DNA ended up in the F7F, which was supposedly excellent!

@Axgoodofdunemaul 2 месяца назад

At last, the ID of the Blackhawk airplanes of my comic-reading youth in 1948-1951 have been clarified! Even my dad didn't know what they were. But they sure taught me and my pals how to draw airplanes. Will Eisner was one of America's greatest comic artists. Those of you who grew up in military families in early Cold War 1 will remember him as the master cartoonist who illustrated the US Army's P.M. magazine. (We're in Cold War 2 now. Lotsa luck, boys, same as I had in the other one.)

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

I'm glad you liked it and happy that it brought back some Blackhawk memories!

@Curiosity-NZ 2 месяца назад

I have a lot of information on this aircraft including technical documents. As I was looking at building a replica of this particular aircraft, but as the long nose variant. If the various Governnent departs had just left Grumman alone to get on with the task at hand this aircraft would have gone to both the Navy and the Marines. It would have been a real game changer. But due to the multiple demands being made and the changes to the original design to meet these needs ruin an excellent aircraft.

@ronjon7942 2 месяца назад

Do you have a way to share your information, like scanned onto a web page? That would be great stuff for the world to have access to.

@richardlincoln8438 3 месяца назад

Another fine episode, very interesting. Thanks for sharing and Best Wishes to You and Your Family.

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Many thanks!

@Lord.Kiltridge 3 месяца назад

I know I'm dating myself here, but I remember the Black Hawks comic books from the early 70's.

@wtsane5449 3 месяца назад

I still have a few somewhere...

@MrCSRT8 3 месяца назад

Kinda reminds me of the Westland Whirlwind.

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Yes, I thought the same!

@johnnewall7208 2 месяца назад

Yup, similar history in a way as well. The Whirlwind looked a lot more ready for prime time IMO though.

@ditzydoo4378 3 месяца назад

The first time I'd ever seen an image of the XF5F I immediately though. the Genisus of the Blackhawk comic series started here. the Blackhawks (created in August 1941) operate from a hidden base known only as Blackhawk Island, fly Grumman XF5F Skyrocket fighter aircraft, and shout their battle cry of "Hawk-a-a-a!" as they descend from the skies to fight tyranny and oppression.

@neilwilson5785 3 месяца назад

It's a bit like a mini-Beaufighter. I've seen a Beau in a museum, and it is HUGE! So not so much.

@dougscott8161 3 месяца назад

I've always thought that the Grumman XF5F was a killer design and I seem to recall seeing a lot about them when I was growing up in the 1960's.💯

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Thanks for the comment!

@andygray9285 3 месяца назад

I do enjoy these videos thanks.

@lightnervejm2664 3 месяца назад

XF5F, the missing piece! Thanks Brian!

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

I’m glad you enjoyed it!

@user-dk7fb1iv1y 2 месяца назад

Great video. Thanks for sharing.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Thanks for watching! As long as folks are watching them, I'll keep making them!

@wernerschulte6245 2 месяца назад

An excellent video ! Have forgotten the time when I watched it.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed it!

@MichaelSmith-il3wm 3 месяца назад

Looks like a backwards A-10…

@patrickcosgrove2623 2 месяца назад

Super thanks for sharing this video interesting aircraft.👍

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed it

@daniellabra4186 3 месяца назад

This was incredibly interesting... Thanks!!!

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed it!

@Ettoredipugnar 3 месяца назад

Great video !!! Hawkaaaaa skreeeeeeeeeee !!!

@CorrieBergeron 2 месяца назад

Nice to see a video of one of my favorite weird planes!

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

There’s more to come! If you guys keep watching and liking them, I’ll keep making them!

@kurtpena5462 3 месяца назад

Blackhawk - Fearless Champions of Freedom!

@queencinn4964 3 месяца назад

Love it!!! Thank you!

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

You are so welcome!!

@joehughes5177 2 месяца назад

It has all the components of an a10 just in a different configuration. Move the wing back, and engines to a lengthened fuselage. Blunt nose. It's there. Inspiration for the future

@Steve-GM0HUU 3 месяца назад

👍Thanks for video.

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Glad you enjoyed it!

@tireballastserviceofflorid7771 2 месяца назад

Friendly suggestion. Instead of referring to it as the torque effect exclusively. It's referred to as P factor in aviation. Get that wrong, and your instructor won't let you fly that day. Nice video and really cool plane.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Hi, actually I am a former flight instructor with almost 2000 hours of flight time. It was an editorial decision to lump the concept to "torque", of which most people have a basic understanding, rather than introduce P-Factor which most people don't. Explaining that would've broken up the flow of the video. Thanks for the suggestion and explaining the differences between the two forces will make for a good future short!

@tireballastserviceofflorid7771 2 месяца назад

@worldofwarbirds Not being critical at all. I just notice people tend not to understand more technical terms. Nice video

@lonelocustoftheapocalypse3700 2 месяца назад

Thanks for sharing this. I've always liked the F5F. It's very much the ultimate expression of Grumman's apparent design language - we don't care if it's pretty as long as it works right, every time. I get that it was always a bit of a compromised design in trying to jam two massive engines onto an airframe small enough to operate from then-current carriers, but that rate of climb is just eye-popping for the time, it was also very good in speed and maneuverability, and I'd imagine the rate of acceleration on throttle changes would be fantastic. But in addition to the spares issue, I can also see the Navy balking at the possible range penalty from two engines drinking avgas simultaneously, and also just the issue of burning THROUGH the carrier's supply of avgas a lot faster, needing more frequent resupplying. But, what could have been.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Many of the ideas behind the F5F ended up in the F7F Tigercat! I will be releasing an audio episode on that Cat through Patreon soon and then for general consumption next week. Sometime after that there will be a video. Enjoy!

@markwriter2698 2 месяца назад

Thank you

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

You're welcome!

@kenlodge3399 2 месяца назад

Super-Thanks!!

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

I’m glad you liked it!

@timacrow 2 месяца назад

A Blackhawk movie featuring the F5 Skyrocket would be awesome!

@TheEvivzorglub 2 месяца назад

On the picture at 4:48 the propellers are not contra rotating ??? S

@joeschlotthauer840 3 месяца назад

I had "skyrocket" shoes in 1967(?). They could make me run faster, and jump higher, aaaaaand now you know the rest of the story.

@QuadMochaMatti 2 месяца назад

Jimmy got some new shoes! Check out the moves on Jimmy!

@ronjon7942 2 месяца назад

Hancock.

@andygray9285 3 месяца назад

Thanks

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Thanks so much!

@euvaldoamstalden9991 2 месяца назад

Grumman's, avião do Falcão Negro. . . . .

@Idrinklight44 2 месяца назад

Got to play with them engines on S-58 helos

@AHAproductions712 2 месяца назад

Could you please do a video on the HE177 greif?

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

It is certainly on my list!

@AHAproductions712 2 месяца назад

@@worldofwarbirds thanks

@aarondraper1818 2 месяца назад

In a way, it brings to my mind an image of a pod racer from Star Wars 🤔

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Several have noticed this!

@minhthunguyendang9900 2 месяца назад

I can’t shake off the impression that there’s compensation in reincarnation : The NO-NOSE XF-5F Later gets the most sallying forth nose as the F-7F Tigercat & with a shape as the XF-5F is burdened with, the « Skyrocket » name is nothing short of ironic !

@minhthunguyendang9900 2 месяца назад

But I must tip my hat 🧢 twice : 1- its speed for the time despite its shape 2- its shape that belies its name & its speed When I saw a photo of it in a magazine of air oddities I thought of a joke ! That’s perhaps why it’s the only non-feline of the Grumman Family.

@tracywoolery5066 2 месяца назад

Almost looks like a Warthog.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

You're the second one today that made that connection!

@josephhyland8904 2 месяца назад

Reminds me a bit of the Bristol Beaufighter.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Have you seen my video on the Beau?

@josephhyland8904 2 месяца назад

@@worldofwarbirdsI've watched a couple on it. Not sure if yours was one of them.

@ryanhanchett3708 2 месяца назад

It looks like an early version of the A-10 Warthog

@Strakin 3 месяца назад

Both are flying in the War Thunder Game

@adamchurvis1 2 месяца назад

4:46 The props on this bird don't look like they counter-rotate. Look at the way the blades are both canted in the same direction. What am I missing here, pilots?

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Yes, I've seen that and many have pointed it out. Perhaps at that time the opposite turning engine was not available? We know that for at least some of the test flights, there were counter-rotating props because it in mentionned on the test pilot reports. I'm sorry that I don't have a better answer.

@ronjon7942 2 месяца назад

Maybe it’s a plastic model over a diorama, or a model in MSFS or War Thunder. Note it has guns; I don’t think the prototype ever did, prior to turning it over to the Navy and having its paint scheme did. Edit - good catch, I totally missed the prop angle. Look at the photo at 4:31, you’ll see the props angled such that the left is counter clockwise, the right is clockwise.

@BELCAN57 2 месяца назад

Looks like it would've made a great ground attack aircraft.

@grigoriyvislobokov8488 2 месяца назад

The 3:03 animation shows propellers rotation direction incorrectly. See the drawing on 3:08. The 4:47 image does not show correct propellers' shapes which supposed to spin opposite directions.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Sorry, it was just a generic GIF showing counter-rotation.

@ronjon7942 2 месяца назад

Huh, I didn’t catch the arrows on the drawing. I don’t think the image at 4:47 is the real deal, as it has guns installed. Maybe an image from WarThunder?

@cpcattin 2 месяца назад

Your Video is awsome. Slight suggestion……. Horses come from a stable. Birds come from a nest.

@bgw33 2 месяца назад

Yea! Never knew there was a real plane the blackhawks had.❤

@lucianene7741 2 месяца назад

Seems more like a procurement debacle to me. Easy to fly, a carrier pilot's dream, would have had a low accident rate and a large base of pilots who could fly it, as opposed to the "Ensign Eliminator" Corsair which was barely usable from a carrier deck and required highly-experienced pilots. If the rather underpowered Wildcat could barely hold its own against the Zero, this hot rod would have wiped the floor with Japan's champion. It was rejected out of trivial reasons - the landing gear issue could have been easily fixed, and logistics - it's not like the United States lacked the industrial capacity to produce a mature and well-established engine in any quantity. Another chance missed by the U.S. military before the war, like the Christie suspension for tanks.

@finaloption... 2 месяца назад

I wonder if they ever plucked those remains out of the sound 🤔

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

I wondered the same thing!

@raztaz826 3 месяца назад

Now this is podracing!

@jinchoung 2 месяца назад

hey that's blackhawk's plane....

@reneeverlaan3056 2 месяца назад

Those were ffing planes😂

@frederickwise5238 3 месяца назад

The engines were not "geared" (as stated @3:01) to rotate "the props" in opposite directions, the "whole" portside engine rotated clockwise like the P38 Lightning?? (Its a logistic and maintenance nightmare but...) PS I believe your diagram is in error at 3:03. The props would surely rotate in reverse of what you've shown because you want the vortex coming off the props to go < under the wing toward the fuselage >. See the P38 Lightning. (Standing in front of and facing the plane - The engine to the viewers right rotates clockwise and the engine to the viewers left rotates counter clockwise. (The still photo of the XF5F, at 5:15 confirms this to be the case - look at the prop blades and comments beginning 6:30 confirm my suspicions.) GREAT VIDEO even tho I have OCD and am a nitpicker for detail. That fault made me the best Progammer/Sys Analyst in my DOD job. I saved taxpayers a bunch of money by doing it right the FIRST time!!! No costly TDY's overseas to fix errors in the field Trivia addendum: For 80 some years I have looked for this plane. My uncle gave me a model of it for my birthday in 1941. It was beyond me. Back then model airplanes were umpteen shapes printed on sheets of balsawood that had to be cutout and glued together. I think my dad and uncle Art, actually built it. It got painted orange and hung in a spare room for a long time. Parenthetically, Captain Midnight and "his flying crew" used this plane in the comic book series in WWII. I've never seen any ID till now. Nor did I remember "The Blackhawks" till you mentioned them. (Do I remember right they flew from an island off the coast of Na.zi occupied Norway???) THANK YOU for answering a few of the open questions from my youth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

Geared was just term of speech in this case. The rotating prop GIF is just an example of counter rotation, in some aircraft they go one way, in others the other. Thanks for sharing!

@cosmobuszard 2 месяца назад

4:50 that plane does not have counter-rotating props

@ronjon7942 2 месяца назад

Might be a flight sim model; note it also has guns, don’t think the prototype did, while in the Grumman paint scheme prior to turning it over to the Navy. Nice catch, though.

@cosmobuszard 2 месяца назад

@@ronjon7942 you're RIGHT on closer inspection it's a digital rendering. Pretty good one, though!

@user-fw9er1ee7p 3 месяца назад

Спасибо очень интересно

@49BigPoppa 2 месяца назад

Army version looks like the F7F Tigercat

@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists 2 месяца назад

It appears Darth Vadar borrowed from this tail design ;)

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

As Star Wars was set "A long time ago", maybe Grumman borrowed from Vadar?? Haha

@cdfe3388 2 месяца назад

Pretty sure we already had a Blackhawk movie: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Of course, Jude Law flew a P-40E with some very nonstandard aftermarket toys on it…

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Yes, you are correct! Here's a quote on the film: "The Flying Legion is a homage to pulp magazine and comic book heroes such as G-8 and his Battle Aces, Captain Midnight, and the Blackhawk squadron." That being said, don't you think they should've used the Skyrocket??

@cdfe3388 2 месяца назад

@@worldofwarbirds Tempting, but honestly I'm more of a P-40 guy myself.

@SmellySumtom 2 месяца назад

They all look like versions of the Gee Bee made by Granville Brothers Aircraft of Springfield, Massachusetts. (I'm not a pilot or know anything about aircraft)

@ronjon7942 2 месяца назад

I can see that - there’s some visual similarities there.

@maxasaurus3008 2 месяца назад

Podracer?

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

I wonder if they were influenced by it!

@paulbalogh4582 2 месяца назад

That is the basis of the Fairchild…. You know it…. A-10.

@marlonjohnfreyburger6242 2 месяца назад

Très délicate la visibilité pour le pilote avec cet avion au 2 gros moteurs lancés en avant, je pense qu’avec la sortie du légendaire F4U tous les autres projets tombent à l’eau, du moment que juste après les avions à réaction arrivent.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Grumman a perfectionné le design avec le F7F Tigercat, trop tard pour la guerre et bientôt remplacé par les avions à réaction!

@jcole4 2 месяца назад

If the US had persisted perfecting the F5 the Zero would have been the second best Carrier fighter. And they wouldn’t have been so arrogant, no PH 12/7/41.

@scottfw7169 2 месяца назад

Grumman, if only you guys had named it Skycat it would have had the success of all your other cats.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Imagine if THAT was the missing element! I'm also a Space Fan and I've been tempted to jump way out of my era and profile the Grumman Apollo Lunar Module: the "Lunar Cat"? the "Moon Cat"?

@scottfw7169 2 месяца назад

@@worldofwarbirdsHey, I like that idea! And in other news: I'm currently looking at shelf on other wall where there is a yet unbuilt 1/72 scale kit by Dragon for Apollo 17 lander and rover. On top of that box is a reissue of Airfix's classic 1/76 scale Astronauts. Turns out that 4 leg 2 person thing in that set is based on a proposal by Bell. At same present moment a now 16 year old orange tabby rescued injured 15.5 years ago from side of rural highway is snuggled beside me. Vet thought left rear leg might have to be amputated due to both physical and nerve injury, Grumman still has that leg, walks on it, and even uses it when jumping up on furniture. Truly, a Grumman cat can take hits and keep on flying. 😸

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

Start building! I had a Revell 1/72 Lancaster on my shelf for two years that my son had given me until a friend kicked my ass and said to start building! Since then I’ve done an A6M3 Zero, He 219 Uhu, and I just finished a DH Mosquito fighter-bomber. Next on deck is a Bristol Beaufighter Mk. 6. It’s a wonderful hobby!

@scottfw7169 2 месяца назад

@@worldofwarbirds That kit is in line behind several other projects. Being built currently is a Hobby Boss Easy Kit 1/72 scale Brewster F2A Buffalo to mail to a friend in England to add some "Loud American" yellow wings color to the RAF museum she's making on her railway layout which can be lowered from sewing room ceiling on to her quilting table. British OO model railway scale at 1/76 is far closer to 1/72 scale than is our American HO scale of 1/87. Selected that kit both because it is sturdy to take frequent handling and because it was available. It *seriously* needed a new cockpit, so I made that, the life raft canister, the rollover pylon, and it got an Airfix pilot whose plane had been cut up for a sci-fi project decades ago. Speaking of decades ago, about 25 years ago I acquired neurological autoimmune disease, endocrine autoimmune disease, mitochondrial dysfunction, so it is a bit of a wonder that I can sill make models ever at all. True, I am now exponentially slower than before, as in the Brewster was begun over a year ago, but, hey, I still have fun when I'm good for it! And in other news, I wish 1/72 pilot figures were more popular a thing and Revell Germany had continued with the boxed sets of ground crew figures and about a dozen seated aircrew they offered around 2010, NATO, WW2 RAF, and WW2 German. I'd be quite happy to have more nationalities and non-Europe environments too. ✈🛩 Being poked along at between bouts of Brewster progress are a Emhar F-94C and ancient FROG/SCAT of Ukraine Sea Venom. Both getting aircrew from other sources and both being painted 🎨🖌 in absolutely anachronistic liveries 😆 Sea Venom is getting USN Yellow wings and treated like it is my personal airplane (so is that Brewster, like I flew in to visit Julie's museum) & the F-94 is getting 1920s USAAC yellow wings and olive green fuselage. I'm 60 years old now and I've done modeling to prototype in both planes and trains, I just want to play now. 😁

@ronjon7942 2 месяца назад

Skycat, that is great.

@mikethompson7290 2 месяца назад

One ugly Airplane.

@worldofwarbirds 2 месяца назад

But kinda ugly cute? Like a pug? (Uh oh, here come the Pug People!)

@haroldbrown1998 3 месяца назад

I didn't like the Skyrocket Look awarked. Wasn't easy to fly.

@worldofwarbirds 3 месяца назад

It did look strange, but the test pilots said good things…

@restitvtororbis5330 3 месяца назад

There's definitely something about it that makes it look uncanny, like someone wanted to design the wing and the engines and just slapped the body of the plane on as an afterthought. I'm trying to think of any other fighters that have the cockpit so far back to the point you could probably see the edge of the wing directly in front of you, and I imagine it would be particularly difficult to see anything below you as well. It almost looks like the body is hanging off the back of the wing for dear life.