This airplane was the world's first jet aircraft to fly using the radical delta-wing configuration pioneered by Germany's Dr. Alexander Lippisch during the 1930s.
In 1946 the United States approved the construction of a delta-wing airplane, designated the Convair Model 7002. First flown on Sept. 18, 1948, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., it was to serve as a flying prototype for the XF-92 fighter then being designed. The XF-92 program was canceled, however, without any XF-92 being built, and the USAF accepted the Model 7002 in June 1949 as the XF-92A. Flight tests demonstrated that the stability and control characteristics of the delta-wing concept were practical and much of the information was incorporated in the development of the supersonic F-102 and F-106 interceptors.
TECHNICAL NOTES: Armament: None Engines:Allison J33 of 7,500 lbs. thrust with afterburner
Maximum speed: 700 mph Cruising speed: 655 mph Range: Not applicable Service ceiling: 50,750 ft. Span: 31 ft. 4 in. Length: 42 ft. 6 in. Height: 17 ft. 9 in. Weight: 14,608 lbs. maximum
