| L-133 "Starjet" | |
|---|---|
| Role | Jet fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed |
| First flight | never flew |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Forces |
The Lockheed L-133 was designed to be the first jet fighter of the US Forces during the first half of World War II.
Development[]
The Lockheed aviation company was the first in the United States to start work on a jet-powered aircraft, the L-133 design started in 1939 as a number of "Paper Projects" by engineers Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, Willis Hawkins and Hall J Hibbard. By 1940 preliminary work on a company-financed jet fighter had been started, which progressed to several different versions on the drawing board. In the meantime Lockheed were working on an axial-flow L-1000 turbojet engine of their own design, which was intended to power the culmination of the jet fighter project, the Model L-133-02-01.
Throughout World War II, the development of a jet-powered fighter had the potential to bring a decisive advantage in the air battles of the war; as history played out only the Luftwaffe built significant numbers of jet fighters before WWII ended, and they reached service too late to make a difference.
On March 30, 1942, Lockheed formally submitted the L-133-02-01 to the United States Army Air Forces for consideration.[1] Powered by two L-1000 turbojets and featuring a futuristic-appearing canard design with slotted flaps to enhance lift, the single-seat fighter was expected to have a top speed of 612 mph (985 km/h) in level flight,[1] but a range of only 310 mi (500 km) [2]
The L-133 had a main wing shape that is essentially the outer wing sections of a Lockheed P-38. In many respects the L-133 was far ahead of its time, with futuristic features including:
- canard layout
- blended wing-body planform
- two engines in a very low-drag integral fuselage location
The USAAF considered the L-133 to be too advanced for the time, and did not pursue the project.[1] The experience gained with the design served Lockheed well in the development of the USAAF's first operational jet fighter, the P-80 Shooting Star. Although entering service after WWII had ended, the P-80 was less advanced than the L-133. Because the USAAF didn't give the L-133 project the go-ahead, the advanced engines intended for the L-133 had long pauses in their development. The most expedient engine choice for the P-80 thus became the Allison J33 based on British centrifugal compressor designs. The P-80 was a cheap-to-build single-engined aircraft with a conventional wing and tailplane design, not using the blended wing-body and canard layout of the L-133.
Specifications (L-133-02-01)[]
Data from [3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 48 ft 4 in (14.73 m)
- Wingspan: 46 ft 8 in (14.22 m)
- Wing area: 325 ft2 (30.194 m2)
- Powerplant: 2 × Lockheed L-1000 axial-flow turbojets, 5100 lbf (23 kN) each each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 625 mph (985 km/h)
Armament
See also[]
- Planes That Never Flew
- Heinkel He 280
- Gloster Meteor
- McDonnell XP-67
- Messerschmitt Me 262
- List of fighter aircraft
- List of military aircraft of the United States
References[]
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Norton 2008, p. 221
- ↑ Planes That Never Flew - America's First Jet Fighter, 17:48 min.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3viiJ4g5G8&feature=relmfu -- accessed Aug. 29, 2012
- ↑ Francillon 1982, p. 468
- Bibliography
- Francillon, René J. (1982). Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. London: Putnam & Company. ISBN 0-370-30329-6.
- Norton, Bill. U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939-1945. North Branch, Minnesota: Specialty Press, 2008. ISBN 978-1-58007-109-3.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lockheed military aircraft. |
- tanks45.tripod.com
- www.up-ship.com
- http://www.fantastic-plastic.com/LockheedL-133Page.htm
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3viiJ4g5G8&feature=related
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The original article can be found at Lockheed L-133 and the edit history here.