# Ryan FR Fireball > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ryan_FR_Fireball > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ryan_FR_Fireball.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_FR_Fireball > Source revision: 1337552090 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American World War II-era jet and piston-engined fighter aircraft}} {{Redirect|FR-1||FR1 (disambiguation)}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Good article}} {{Infobox aircraft |name= FR-1 Fireball |image= File:Ryan FR-1 Fireball VF-66 North Island 1945.jpg |caption= An FR-1 Fireball of [VF-66](/source/VF-66) at [NAS North Island](/source/NAS_North_Island), 1945 |type= Fighter |national_origin= United States |manufacturer= [Ryan Aeronautical](/source/Ryan_Aeronautical) |designer= |first_flight= 25 June 1944 |introduction= March 1945 |retired= 1 August 1947 |primary_user= [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) |produced= 1944–1945 |number_built= 71 |unit cost= |variants = |developed_into= [Ryan XF2R Dark Shark](/source/Ryan_XF2R_Dark_Shark) }} The '''Ryan FR Fireball''' is an American mixed-power ([piston](/source/Reciprocating_engine) and [jet-powered](/source/jet_aircraft)) [fighter aircraft](/source/fighter_aircraft) designed by [Ryan Aeronautical](/source/Ryan_Aeronautical) for the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). It was the Navy's first aircraft with a [jet engine](/source/jet_engine). Only 66 aircraft were built before [Japan surrendered](/source/Surrender_of_Japan) in August 1945. The FR-1 Fireball equipped a single [squadron](/source/Squadron_(aviation)) before the war's end, but did not see combat. The aircraft ultimately proved to lack the structural strength required for operations aboard [aircraft carrier](/source/aircraft_carrier)s and was withdrawn in mid-1947. ==Design and development== Design of the FR-1 began in 1943 to a proposal instigated by [Rear Admiral](/source/Rear_Admiral) [John S. McCain Sr.](/source/John_S._McCain_Sr.) for a mixed-powered fighter because early jet engines had sluggish acceleration that was considered unsafe and unsuitable for [carrier](/source/aircraft_carrier) operations. Ryan received a contract for three XFR-1 [prototype](/source/prototype)s and one static test airframe on 11 February 1943 with the first two prototypes delivered in 14 months.Ginter 1995, p. 2. Another contract was placed for 100 aircraft on 2 December 1943 and a later contract on 31 January 1945 increased the total of FR-1s on order to 700.Swanborough and Bowers 1990, p. 402. The XFR-1 was a single-seat, low-wing [monoplane](/source/monoplane) with [tricycle landing gear](/source/tricycle_landing_gear). A {{convert|1350|hp|adj=on}} [Wright R-1820-72W](/source/Wright_R-1820) Cyclone [radial engine](/source/radial_engine) was mounted in the fighter's nose while a {{convert|1600|lbf|abbr=on}} [General Electric I-16](/source/General_Electric_J31) (later redesignated as the J-31) [turbojet](/source/turbojet) was mounted in the rear [fuselage](/source/fuselage). It was fed by ducts in each [wing root](/source/wing_root) which meant that the wing had to be relatively thick to house the ducts and the outward-retracting main landing gear. To simplify the fuel system, both engines used the same grade of [avgas](/source/avgas). Two [self-sealing fuel tank](/source/self-sealing_fuel_tank)s were housed in the fuselage, one of {{convert|130|USgal}} and the other of {{convert|50|USgal}}. The [cockpit](/source/cockpit) was positioned just forward of the leading edge of the wing and the pilot was provided with a [bubble canopy](/source/bubble_canopy) which gave him excellent visibility. The XFR-1 had the first [laminar flow](/source/laminar_flow) [airfoil](/source/airfoil) in a Navy carrier aircraft.Ginter 1995, pp. 5, 30. The Fireball was armed with four [.50 in](/source/.50_BMG) (12.7 mm) [M2 Browning machine gun](/source/M2_Browning_machine_gun)s with 300 [rounds](/source/Cartridge_(firearms)) per gun. They were mounted in the center section of the wing, immediately outboard of the air intakes for the jet engine. Four 5-inch (127 mm) rockets could be carried under each outer wing panel and two [hardpoint](/source/hardpoint)s were provided under the center section for 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs or {{convert|100|USgal|abbr=on}} [drop tank](/source/drop_tank)s. Armor plates were provided in front and behind the pilot's seat and for the oil cooler. thumb|left|FR-1 trials aboard {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|2}}, May 1945 The first XFR-1 made its first flight on 25 June 1944 without its jet engine, but this was installed shortly afterward. The second prototype first flew on 20 September 1944. Test flights confirmed [wind tunnel](/source/wind_tunnel) tests that revealed a lack of [longitudinal stability](/source/Flight_dynamics) because the [center of gravity](/source/Center_of_gravity_of_an_aircraft) had been miscalculated. In addition, the circular rear fuselage of the FR-1 gave less stability than the slab-style fuselage of the [Grumman F4F Wildcat](/source/Grumman_F4F_Wildcat) that was used as a model for the stability calculations. A new tail with enlarged [vertical](/source/vertical_stabilizer) and [horizontal stabilizer](/source/horizontal_stabilizer)s was designed and retrofitted to the prototypes. The original Douglas double-slotted [flap](/source/flap_(aircraft))s proved to be unsatisfactory during flight testing, but all three prototypes and the first 14 production aircraft were built with them before they were replaced with a single-slotted flap.Ginter 1995, pp. 3, 5. The first prototype was lost in a crash at [NAS China Lake](/source/Naval_Air_Weapons_Station_China_Lake) on 13 October 1944. Investigation showed that the wing structure was not strong enough to resist [compressibility effects](/source/Compressibility). This was cured by doubling the number of rivets in the outer wing panels. The second prototype crashed on 25 March 1945 when the pilot failed to recover from a dive from {{convert|35000|ft|-1}}, probably also due to compressibility effects. The third prototype crashed on 5 April when the canopy blew off during a high-speed pass over [Lindbergh Field](/source/Lindbergh_Field).Ginter 1995, p. 31. Operational testing by the [Naval Air Test Center](/source/Naval_Air_Test_Center) at [Naval Air Station Patuxent River](/source/Naval_Air_Station_Patuxent_River) that included carrier acceptability tests revealed additional problems: The piston engine tended to overheat until electrically operated [cowl](/source/cowling) flaps were installed, the [catapult](/source/aircraft_catapult) hooks had to be moved, and the nosewheel [oleo shock](/source/Oleo_(shock_absorber)) strut had to be lengthened by {{convert|3|in}}. Carrier suitability tests began aboard the [escort carrier](/source/escort_carrier) {{USS|Charger|CVE-30|2}} in early January 1945. The aircraft successfully made five catapult takeoffs using the piston engine as well as three takeoffs using both engines. No problems were reported when landing aboard the carrier.Ginter 1995, pp. 32–33. The FR-1 Fireball was further developed into the XFR-2 which utilized a 1,425 hp (1,063 kW) Wright R-1820-74W in place of the -72W. One single airframe was converted to this configuration. No prototypes were built for the next proposed variant, the FR-3, which would have used a General Electric I-20 turbojet. Both of these projects were canceled with the end of the war. The fastest Fireball was the XFR-4, which had a [Westinghouse J34](/source/Westinghouse_J34) turbojet and was approximately 100 mph (160 km/h) faster than the FR-1.McDowell 1995, p. 39. The turbojet's air intakes were moved from the wing roots to the fuselage in front of the wing; they were covered by electrically powered doors to lessen [drag](/source/drag_(physics)) when the aircraft was flying only on its piston engine. The Fireball's fuselage was lengthened by {{convert|8|in|0}} to accommodate the larger engine and the [leading edge extension](/source/leading_edge_extension) of the wing root that housed the air intakes was also removed. The XFR-4 was intended to serve as a testbed for the turbojet installation on the [XF2R-1 Dark Shark](/source/XF2R_Dark_Shark).Ginter 1995, pp. 32, 57. This was the final variant; the piston engine was replaced with a [General Electric XT31-GE-2](/source/General_Electric_T31) [turboprop](/source/turboprop), but only one prototype was built.McDowell 1995, p. 45. On 2 December 1943, orders for 100 production FR-1s were placed, with a follow-up order of 1,000 additional fighters in January 1945. All of the contracts were contingent on the aircraft successfully completing carrier trials. Only 66 Fireballs were completed by November 1945 as orders for 1,044 FR-1s were canceled on [VJ Day](/source/Victory_over_Japan_Day).Green 1969, p. 186. ==Operational history== thumb|upright=0.8|An FR-1 launching from the escort carrier {{USS|Badoeng Strait|CVE-116|2}}, 1947 One squadron, [VF-66](/source/VF-66), received its first Fireballs in March 1945, but they never saw combat. On 1 May, three of the squadron's aircraft were craned aboard the carrier {{USS|Ranger|CV-4|2}} to attempt to qualify seven pilots, but two of the fighters were damaged while landing. One missed the arresting gear and hit the crash barrier while the other aircraft's nose gear collapsed. The following month the pilots qualified and were on pre-embarkation leave when the Japanese surrendered. The squadron was decommissioned on 18 October with all pilots and aircraft transferred to [VF-41](/source/VF-1_(1945-8)).Ginter 1995, pp. 45–47, 51. It has been claimed that a Fireball of VF-41 became the first aircraft to land under jet power on an aircraft carrier, albeit without prior planning, on 6 November 1945.Ginter 1995, p. 52. After the radial engine of an FR-1 failed on final approach to the escort carrier {{USS|Wake Island|CVE-65|2}}, the pilot managed to start the jet engine and land, barely catching the last [arrestor wire](/source/Arresting_gear) before hitting the ship's crash barrier."First Jet Landing." ''Naval Aviation News'', United States Navy, [https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/research/histories/naval-aviation/Naval%20Aviation%20News/1940/pdf/1mar46.pdf March 1946], p. 6.{{#tag:ref|A month later on 4 December 1945, a [Sea Vampire](/source/de_Havilland_Vampire) piloted by [Royal Navy](/source/Royal_Navy) [Captain](/source/Captain_(naval)) [Eric "Winkle" Brown](/source/Eric_Brown_(pilot)) was the first aircraft to perform an intentional and planned jet-powered landing on an aircraft carrier.Brown 2006, p. 136.|group=N}} However, there is evidence that the aircraft may have still benefited from some residual power from its Wright R-1820 and therefore the landing was not purely under jet power.{{Cite web|date=6 November 2019|title=The First Jet Carrier Landing - On This Day (Or Not?)|url=https://navalairhistory.com/2019/11/06/the-first-jet-carrier-landing-on-this-day-or-not/|website=Naval Air History}} The squadron was attempting to qualify its pilots for carrier operations during this time, but only 14 of its 22 pilots made the six required takeoffs and landings. A number of accidents occurred when the nose gear failed on landing, but the pilots were at least partly responsible as they were slamming the nose gear onto the deck after landing on the main gear. thumb|upright=0.8|Underside of a VF-66 aircraft, 1945, illustrating the wing planform and the wing-root air intakes The squadron qualified on the escort carrier {{USS|Bairoko|CVE-115|2}} in March 1946, but nose gear problems persisted and cut the cruise short. Ryan installed a steel fork for the nosewheel, but inspections also revealed evidence of partial wing failures so the aircraft was limited to maneuvers not to exceed 5 [Gs](/source/g-force). VF-41 suffered three fatal accidents in 1946 before being redesignated as VF-1E on 15 November 1946. One [ensign](/source/Ensign_(rank)) collided with the target banner during gunnery practice and [spun](/source/spin_(flight)) into the water. A few months later, the squadron commander was performing a [barrel roll](/source/barrel_roll) when his wing broke off and he struck another Fireball, killing both pilots.Ginter 1995, pp. 52–53. VF-1E conducted carrier qualification in March 1947 aboard the escort carrier {{USS|Badoeng Strait|CVE-116|2}} and only eight pilots successfully qualified, not least because the FR-1s were proving to be too fragile to endure repeated carrier landings. During one brief deployment in June aboard {{USS|Rendova|CVE-114|2}}, one aircraft broke in two during a hard landing. Subsequent inspections of the squadron's aircraft showed signs of structural failure and all the Fireballs were withdrawn by 1 August 1947.Ginter 1995, pp. 54–55. After the withdrawal of the type from service, except for a few examples retained for modifications and testing, the FR-1s were scrapped.Green 1969, p. 187. {{ external media | float = right | width = | video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3woaZmAkBMU Footage of the FR-1 being tested] }} ==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; never built.Ginter 1995, p. 57. ;XFR-4 :Variant with Westinghouse J34; one built. J34-WE-12. ==Operators== ;{{USA}} * [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) The "Firebirds" squadron was known under three names: * VF-66 (March 1945 – 15 October 1945)Ginter 1995, pp. 45–46. * VF-41 (15 October 1945 – 1 August 1947), redesignated VF-1E on 15 November 1946.Ginter 1995, pp. 52–55. [[File:Fireballfrontquarter.jpg|thumb|FR-1 Fireball at the [Planes of Fame](/source/Planes_of_Fame) Museum in Chino, California]] ==Surviving aircraft== Only a single example, FR-1 BuNo 39657, still survives. Deployed first to the [NASA Ames Research Center](/source/Ames_Research_Center), the aircraft served as an instructional airframe at a technical school before being acquired by the [Planes of Fame Air Museum](/source/Planes_of_Fame) at [Chino, California](/source/Chino%2C_California) from a technical school located in [San Luis Obispo, California](/source/San_Luis_Obispo%2C_California) in the 1960s. After restoration to static display condition, 39657 was rolled out at Chino on 13 June 2009.Mormillo, Frank B. "Prop-and-Jet Fireball rolled out." ''Flypast'', No. 338, September 2009. ==Specifications (FR-1)== 300px|right {{Aircraft specs |ref=''United States Navy Aircraft since 1911''Swanborough and Bowers 1990, p. 403. and ''Ryan FR-1 Fireball and XF2R-1 Darkshark''Ginter 1995, p. 1. |prime units?=imp |crew=1 |length ft=32 |length in=4 |length note= |span ft=40 |span in=0 |span note= |height ft=13 |height in=11 |height note= |wing area sqft=275 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil='''root:''' [NACA 65-117 a=1](/source/NACA_airfoil); '''tip:''' [NACA 65-115 a=.5](/source/NACA_airfoil){{cite web |last1=Lednicer |first1=David |title=The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage |url=https://m-selig.ae.illinois.edu/ads/aircraft.html |website=m-selig.ae.illinois.edu |access-date=16 April 2019}} |empty weight lb=7689 |empty weight note= |gross weight lb=11652 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general= |eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=[Wright R-1820-72W Cyclone](/source/Wright_R-1820-72W_Cyclone) |eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine |eng1 hp=1350 |eng1 note= |eng2 number=1 |eng2 name=[General Electric J31-GE-3](/source/General_Electric_J31-GE-3) |eng2 type=[centrifugal-flow turbojet](/source/centrifugal-flow_turbojet) engine |eng2 lbf=1600 |eng2 note= |prop blade number=3 |prop name=constant-speed fully-feathering propeller |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note= |max speed mph=404 |max speed note=both engines ::::{{cvt|276|mph|kn km/h}} |cruise speed mph=152 |cruise speed note=piston engine only |stall speed mph= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |range miles= |range note= |combat range miles= |combat range note= |ferry range miles=1620 |ferry range note=(with 2 drop tanks) |endurance= |ceiling ft=43100 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= 9 |climb rate note=(Piston engine only, with 1 drop tank) |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |thrust/weight= |more performance= |guns= 4 × [.50 in](/source/.50_BMG) (12.7 mm) [M2 Browning machine gun](/source/M2_Browning_machine_gun)s with 300 rpg |bombs= 2 × 1,000 lb (454 kg) bombs |rockets= 8 × 5-inch (127 mm) rockets under wings |avionics= }} ==See also== {{aircontent| |related= * [Ryan XF2R Dark Shark](/source/Ryan_XF2R_Dark_Shark) |similar aircraft= * [Caproni Campini Ca.183bis](/source/Caproni_Campini_Ca.183bis) * [Curtiss XF15C](/source/Curtiss_XF15C) * [Mikoyan-Gurevich I-250](/source/Mikoyan-Gurevich_I-250) * [Sukhoi Su-5](/source/Sukhoi_Su-5) |lists= * [List of United States Navy aircraft designations (pre-1962)](/source/List_of_United_States_Navy_aircraft_designations_(pre-1962)) * [List of military aircraft of the United States](/source/List_of_military_aircraft_of_the_United_States) |see also= }} ==References== ===Notes=== {{Reflist|group=N}} ===Citations=== {{Reflist|25em}} ===Bibliography=== * Brown, Eric. ''Wings on My Sleeve: The World's Greatest Test Pilot tells his Story.'' London: Orion Books, 2006. {{ISBN|0-297-84565-9}}. * Ginter, Steve. ''Ryan FR-1 Fireball and XF2R-1 Darkshark, Naval Fighters Number 28''. Simi Valley, California: Ginter Books, 1995. {{ISBN|0-942612-28-0}}. * Green, William. "Ryan FR-1 Fireball". '''War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters''. London: Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., Sixth impression 1969, First edition 1961, pp. 186–187. {{ISBN|0-356-01448-7}}. * Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "Ryan FR-1 Fireball". ''WW2 Fact Files: US Navy and Marine Corps Fighters''. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1976, pp. 66–68. {{ISBN|0-356-08222-9}}. * McDowell, Ernest. ''FR-1 Fireball (Mini in action number 5)''. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1995. {{ISBN|0-89747-344-2}}. * Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. ''United States Navy Aircraft since 1911.'' London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, Third edition 1990. {{ISBN|0-85177-838-0}}. ==Further reading== *{{cite journal |last1=Bedford|first1=Alan|title=Earl American Carrier Jets: Evolving Jet Operations with the US Fleet, Part One|journal=Air Enthusiast|date=May–June 1999|issue=81|pages=13–19 |issn=0143-5450}} ==External links== {{Commons category|Ryan FR Fireball}} * [http://tanks45.tripod.com/Jets45/Histories/Ryan-FR-1_XF2R-1/FR-1_XF2R-1.htm Ryan FR-1 "Fireball" / XF2R-1 "DarkShark" page on Jets45 website] * [https://books.google.com/books?id=p98DAAAAMBAJ&dq=1954+Popular+Mechanics+January&pg=PA8 "Prop+Jet=Fireball."] ''Popular Mechanics'', November 1945, pp. 8–9. {{Ryan aircraft}} {{USN fighters}} {{Authority control}} Category:Carrier-based aircraft Category:Mixed-power aircraft Ryan F1R Category:Ryan aircraft Category:Low-wing aircraft Category:Aircraft first flown in 1944 Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ryan FR Fireball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_FR_Fireball) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_FR_Fireball?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.