The Douglas XFD was an aircraft designed for carrier-based operations, specifically as a biplane fighter for the United States Navy.
It was the first fighter aircraft to be developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company.
The XFD was created in response to the Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) Specification No. 311, which called for a two-seater biplane fighter that could operate from a carrier.
The Navy ordered the XFD, along with the Vought XF3U and Curtiss XF12C, for testing on June 30, 1932.
Constructed of metal with a fabric outer covering, the XFD was designed to accommodate a crew of two in tandem within a single bay, enclosed by a long canopy.
The aircraft was equipped with fixed conventional landing gear and was intended to be armed with two .30 in (7.6 mm) machine guns, one fixed in the cowling and the other on a flexible mount for the observer.
It was capable of carrying a 500-pound (230 kg) bomb load.
The Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior radial engine provided the necessary power for the XFD.
Despite its promising design, the XFD did not enter production due to changing requirements. Specifications Crew Two Length 25 ft 4 in (7.72 m) Wingspan 31 ft 6 in (9.60 m) Height 25 ft 4 in (7.72 m) Wing area 295 sq ft (27.4 m2) Empty weight 3,227 lb (1,464 kg) Gross weight 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) Powerplant 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1535-64, 14-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, 700 hp (520 kW) Propellers 2-bladed Hamilton Standard Performance Maximum speed 204 mph (328 km/h, 177 kn) Cruise speed 170 mph (270 km/h, 150 kn) Combat range 576 mi (927 km, 501 nmi) Service ceiling 23,700 ft (7,200 m) Rate of climb 1,670 ft/min (8.5 m/s) Armament Guns 1 x .30-caliber machine gun, fixed forwards-firing cowl mounting 1 x .30-caliber machine gun, flexible mounting in the rear cockpit Bombs 500 pounds (230 kg) external.
Sources
McDonnell Douglas aircraft since 1920: Volume I-René J Francillon. San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
