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Air Intelligence Review Description

Air Intelligence Review
5 July 1949

The new Lockheed XF-90 jet penetration fighter is a heavyweight slugger combining speed, range and maneuverability. Designed to fly and fight deep within enemy territory, seeking out specific military objectives or targets of opportunity in the air and on the ground, the XF-90 is a swept-wing, needle-nosed airplane using two turbo-jet engines relying on speed and maneuverability to avoid trouble.

Although it is a single-seat fighter, the XF-90 is almost as heavy as the familiar DC-3 (C-47) transport plane. Its appearance presents a striking departure from earlier Lockheed aircraft. The 40-foot wings sweep back from the fuselage at a streamlined 35-degree angle, with rudder and elevator surfaces swept back comparably. The single cockpit is located well ahead of the wings for visibility. Into it were built many cockpit installation features developed by the Joint Cockpit Standardization Committee, with the general arrangement coming in for intensive study by pilots and technicians.

Every precaution was taken during the design of the XF-90 to make it as invulnerable as possible to battle damage, since the nature of its mission requires it to operate far behind enemy lines where it would be subject to heavy punishment. Simplified maintenance was highly sought-after and problems of producibility were also taken into account in the design of the XF-90, with the result that in spite of its heavy structure the airplane readily lends itself to assembly-line production.

Extensive flight test data was obtained through use of six steel and plastic models of the XF-90 which were dropped from high-flying aircraft, the descent being studied by radar and radio-recording.

The XF-90 has conventional landing gear and incorporates a pilot ejection seat. It is equipped with cabin pressurization and air-conditioning.