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The Pilots Desk
Fighters1949 interceptor aircraft prototype model by Republic Aviation

XF-91 Thunderceptor

XF-91 Thunderceptor

The Republic XF-91 Thunderceptor (originally designated XP-91) is a mixed-propulsion prototype interceptor aircraft, developed by Republic Aviation. The aircraft would use a jet engine for most flight, and a cluster of four small rocket engines for added thrust during climb and interception. The design was largely obsolete by the time it was completed due to the rapidly increasing performance of contemporary jet engines, and only two prototypes were built. One of these was the first American fighter to exceed Mach 1 in level flight. A unique feature of the Thunderceptor was its unusual inverse tapered wing, in which the chord length increased along the wing span from the root to the tip, the opposite of conventional swept wing designs. This was an attempt to address the problem of pitch-up, a potentially deadly phenomenon that plagued early high-speed models. The Thunderceptor's design meant the entire wing stalled smoothly, more like a straight-wing design.

Summary from Wikipedia, photo via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Category
Fighters
First flight
1949-05-09
Wingspan
9.517 m

Specifications

Max speed
855 kt
Range
1,018 nm
Service ceiling
55,000 ft
Max takeoff weight
28,516 lb
Empty weight
15,853 lb
Fuel capacity
559 US gal
Powerplant
General Electric J47-GE-7 turbojet
Engines
1
Seats
1
Length
43.3 ft
Wingspan
31.2 ft
Height
18.1 ft
Number built
2

Specifications are approximate and may vary by variant. Compiled from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

Reference and training only. Specifications vary by variant — consult the manufacturer and the official documents.