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.