XF-11

Flying Fries

HISTORICWORLD WAR 2RECONNAISSANCEHUGHES

4.6/5 (53)


In 1943, the Hughes Aircraft Company took order from the USAF of a hundred military reconnaissance aircraft with an ambitious flight envelope including fast altitude, high cruise speed and unbeatable range. Three years later, this first prototype of the XF-11 was born. 6,000 horsepower provided by two Pratt and Whitney 28-cylinders radial beasts. The impressive "Wasp Major". And everything about this aircraft is over the top:

  • 16 enormous blades mounted on 2x2 contra-rotating propellers.
  • A ceiling altitude of 44,000 feet.
  • A cruise speed of 300 knots at 30,000 feet
  • And a range of 5,000 Miles (4,300 NM).

Unfortunately this beauty was destroyed during its first flight, ending prematurely the story of the XF-11, but luckily making no casualities.

Today, Flying Fries is proud and honored to present you a virtual replica of this iconic aircraft. We have been scraping old drawings, schematics and low-quality photos for months, and here is the result in all its glory. A fully custom made aircraft, with high quality modeling and texturing, and a unique level of interaction with each system and each switch, down to every single circuit breaker.

The flight model has also been patiently crafted using Asobo's latest tools (CFD, modern propellers, modern fuel system, etc.).

From the complexity of the electrical and fuel systems to the custom pressurization module or the ground power unit and exterior items that you can operate directly by getting out of the plane and clicking on them, we have pushed the immersion to its maximum.

Take off, set the auto-pilot and explore the vast cockpit of the XF-11. You will start with the pilot and navigator area, but you will also be able to crawl in the nose section into the photographer seat, to take a look through the lens of your camera or just contemplate the world by sitting in the fully transparent glass dome at the nose. And when you're done, you can check on the lower deck that the access door is closed and all 12 fuel valves are properly set.

For the bravest among you, there are some random failures of various severity that could trigger during your flight, making your life much more complicated!

Did we mention the useful clipboard that will allow you to set all your options, check your failures and handle your refueling tasks without opening the in-game fuel menu? And did we mention the many easter eggs that are yours to find?

Here is a comprehensive list of this XF-11 features:

  • Highly detailed 4K textures.
  • Engines, landing gear bays, two cockpit decks, etc. fully modeled and textured.
  • Precise CFD flight model.
  • Era-correct auto-pilot installed.
  • Random failures available with various severity levels - disabled by default.
  • Garmin GNS 530 available with one click.
  • Fully compatible with Garmin GTN 750 by PMS50 if installed.
  • Aircraft configuration and refueling via the clipboard (no need for the fuel and payload menu).
  • Complex electrical system with functioning circuit breakers.
  • Complex fuel system with 7 tanks, 10 pumps and so many routing possibilities!
  • Variable propeller pitch with feathering and reverse pitch.
  • Engine and ground roll vibration effects on the levers and needles.
  • Custom interior lighting with dimmable lights and UV lights.
  • Interactive exterior static elements (remove the chocks or plug the GPU manually if you want).
  • 8 liveries included.
  • 4 LODs for performance optimization in multiplayer.
  • A lot of custom sound effects.
  • Custom visual effects: Epic smoke when you start the engines, fuel leaks, etc.
  • Interactive in-game checklists with all the highlits and cameras you need.
  • A long, detailed and illustrated user manual.
  • A few hidden easter eggs!

"The XF-11 was a two-seat, twin-engine, piston-powered experimental photoreconnaissance aircraft developed during World War II by American aviation firm Hughes Aircraft. The company developed the XF-11 in pursuit of a contract with the United States Army Air Forces. The airplane took its maiden flight on July 7, 1946. Hughes built just two prototypes. The first prototype crashed and was destroyed while piloted by Howard Hughes. The second prototype was scrapped. The model never entered serial production.

Hughes Aircraft began the initiative that would become the XF-11 based on a United States Army Air Forces requirement for a high-altitude, long-range photoreconnaissance aircraft. The field of photoreconnaissance was vitally important during World War II for military planners to get up-to-date imagery of enemy movements, create maps, and develop campaign plans. Due to the capabilities of German fighters at the time, photoreconnaissance platforms needed to be able to operate at high altitudes and to fly fast.

The design of the XF-11 began with the D-2 program, a Hughes project to create an aircraft that could perform the roles of air superiority, surface attack, and light bombing. The D-2 design comprised a high-aspect-ratio main wing, twin-tail booms, and two engines. The XF-11 evolved the design with larger dimensions.

The XF-11 featured an elongated trapezoidal main wing with a nacelle extending forward from the wing’s midline. The Nacelle housed a tandem two-seat cockpit at its rear and a camera area at its nose. Twin booms extended from the main wing to the XF-11’s tail. Each boom housed an engine at its forward extremity and had a vertical stabilizer at its rear. A horizontal stabilizer interconnected the aft aspects of the tail booms. The main wing comprised full-span flaps and used spoilers and small ailerons for roll control.

The XF-11 was nearly as large as a B-17 bomber by both exterior dimensions and weight. It was also very fast, had a high service ceiling, had great range, and boasted a pressurized cockpit. Despite the aircraft’s performance, World War II ended before its maiden flight, and the specialized airframe was no longer needed. B-29s and variants, fitted with aerial cameras, performed all necessary photoreconnaissance roles in the era immediately following the Second World War.

The XF-11 measured 65 feet, 3 inches in length, had a high-aspect-ratio main wing with a span of 101 feet, 5 inches, and stood 23 feet, 3 inches tall. It was crewed by two: a pilot and a navigator / camera operator. The aircraft was powered by two 28-cylinder, turbo-supercharged, Pratt & Whitney R-4360-31 Wasp Major radial piston engines. Each engine produced up to 3,000 horsepower and drove a set of contra-rotating, 8-blade, Hamilton Standard Hydromatic propellers (4-blades per propeller).

The XF-11 had a range of 5,000 miles, a service ceiling of 42,000 feet above sea level, and had a top speed of 450 miles per hour. "

Specifications


CRUISE SPEED300 KTAS
ENGINE2 Pratt & Whitney Wasp Major R-4360
MAX ALTITUDE44,000 ft
RANGE4,300 NM
FUEL CAPACITY2,030 gal
WINGSPAN101 ft