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Ryan Aeronautical
/ Ryan FR Fireball
Ryan FR Fireball
The Ryan FR Fireball was an American mixed-power, piston and jet-powered, fighter aircraft designed for the United States Navy during World War II.
It was the Navy’s first aircraft with a jet engine.
Only 66 aircraft were built before Japan surrendered in August 1945.
Variants
XFR-1
Military designation of the prototype Model 28 aircraft,
Three built.
FR-1 Fireball
Single-seat fighter aircraft,
66 built.
FR-2
Conversion with a Wright R-1820-74W replacing earlier piston engine,
One aircraft modified.
FR-3
Proposed variant with a General Electric I-20 replacing earlier jet engine;
Not built.
XFR-4
Variant with Westinghouse J34
One built.
Specifications
Crew
1
Length
32 ft 4 in (9.86 m)
Wingspan
40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)
Height
13 ft 11 in (4.24 m)
Wing area
275 sq ft (25.5 m2)
Airfoil
Root: NACA 65-117 a=1;
Tip: NACA 65-115 a=.5
Empty weight
7,689 lb (3,488 kg)
Gross weight
11,652 lb (5,285 kg)
Powerplant
1 × Wright R-1820-72W Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,350 hp (1,010 kW)
Powerplant
1 × General Electric J31-GE-3 centrifugal-flow turbojet engine, 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN) thrust
Propellers
3-bladed constant-speed fully-feathering propeller
Performance
Maximum speed
404 mph (650 km/h, 351 kn) both engines
276 mph (240 kn; 444 km/h)
Cruise speed
152 mph (245 km/h, 132 kn) piston engine only
Ferry range
1,620 mi (2,610 km, 1,410 nmi)
(with 2 drop tanks)
Service ceiling
43,100 ft (13,100 m)
Rate of climb
1,800 ft/min (9 m/s)
(Piston engine only, with 1 drop tank)
Armament
Guns
4 × .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns with 300 rpg
Rockets
8 × 5-inch (127 mm) rockets under wings
Bombs
2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs.
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