UFO UpDates Mailing List
From: Jan Aldrich <jan@cyberzone.net>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 14:06:20 -0800
Fwd Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 20:40:19 -0500
Subject: The Flying Flapjacks, V-173 and XF5U-1
We are informed by Tim Mathews that the Top Secret "Analysis
of Flying Object Incidents over the US" stated that the
XF5U-1 was flying around.
http://www.iufog.org/project1947/fig/1948air.htm
Here is the quote that Tim must be referring to:
"Among those which have been operational in recent years are
the XF5U-1 ("Flying Flapjack") developed by Chance-Vaught, the
Northrup B-35, and the turbo-jet powered Northrup YB-49. The
present existence of any privately developed flying-wing type
aircraft has not been determined but one such aircraft, the
Arup tailless monoplane, was operational at South Bend, Indiana,
prior to 1935."
I would be more confident that the "Analysis" authors were correct
if they were able to properly identify the XF5U-1. On the last
page of the "Analysis" we find the following:
"c. CHANCE-VOUGHT XF5U-1. Developed by Chance-Vought
Aircraft, this radical design promises the reality of high
and low speed performance. Powered by two R-2000-2 engines, the
airplane will have a speed range from 40 to 425 miles per hour.
(See Fig. 8)"
Figure 8 is not a picture of the XF5U-1 but the predecessor,
the V-173 which did indeed fly. Many people use information
on the two different, but similar aircraft, interchangeably.
Tim Mathews caught me on this. Obviously the authors of the
"Analysis" did the same.
Recently Joel Carpenter brought an early 1947 news reel to
the Project 1947 Research List attention:
Hello Folks-
One more significant newsreel to bring to your attention.
Dated June 21, 1947. Wonder if Ken Arnold went to the movies?
- Joel Carpenter
(please note that there are many typos in this which I have
fixed in brackets)
Collection
PMN
Negative
C-9112
Release_Date
06-21-47
Issue
87
Footage
111
Cameraman
BLUM
Source
Description
STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT
NAVY UNVEILS WORLD'S WEIRDEST AIRPLANE
INTRODUCING THE XF5U-1, THE NAVY'S FANTASTIC, FLYING-WING
FIGHTER. AT STRATFORD, CONNECTICUT, TEST FLIGHTS DEMONSTRATE
THE INCREDIBLE POSSIBILITIES OF THE PLANE. POTENTIALLY IT HAS
THE SLOWEST LANDING SPEED AND THE FASTEST FLYING SPEED OF ANY
PROPELLER-DRIVEN AIRCRAFT. IT'S OUR NOMINATION FOR THE WORLD'S
WEIRDEST AIRPLANE!
SV FLAPJACK, VHANCE [CHANCE] VOUGHT N-F-F U-1 [XF5U-1], NAVY
EXPERIMENTAL FIGHTER PLANE, FLYING DIRECTLY ABOVE CAMERA. GV
CROWD LOOKING. CU ARMY OFFICERS LOOKING. GV PLANE LANDING.
CROWD. EL V MEN TURNING THE PLANE AROUND. CU PILOT, BOONE GUFTON
[GUYTON], CLOSING THE PLEXI-GLASS HOOD. SV PLANE TAKING OFF.
ANGLE V PLANE FLYING DIRECTLY OVER CAMERA (THIS SC. IS
REPEAT OF SCENE 2).
ORIGINAL NEGATIVE.
"A" VERSION DUPE NEGATIVE IN STORAGE.
CROSS REFERENCE
F-5 U-1, VOUGHT (XF-5U-1): NAVY FIGHTER (IN AIR; LANDS;
TAKES OFF; ETC.)
When I asked Joel if his research could be reposted here, he
offered the further information below.
Hi Jan-
Certainly!
Important to note! I think that even though it claims to show
the XF5U-1 flying, what it really is the V-173. I have pretty
extensive clippings about the Vought airshow on 18-20 June 47, and
several times it is mentioned in various papers that the show was
the very first public showing of the V-173, which was finishing
its flight test program and was about to be declassified and
grounded. in fact, I believe that the V-173 made its last
flight on July 30, '47. I have seen footage of the real XF5U-1 in
high-speed taxi tests, and I interviewed Charles Zimmerman a
few years ago (the designer), and he did admit that it made hops,
but no real flights. After all , the plane was designed to take
off at 30 mph or so, so it would almost be a shock if it _hadn't_
taken off. But I would swear that it never left
Stratford.
- Joel
[See Joel's article on the Midland, MI 1947 trace case in
the current International UFO Report.]
The V-173 and XF5U-1 were mentioned extensively during the
1947 wave. Several people, including Walter Winchell
pointed to the Flying Flapjack as the answer to UFO wave.
The V-173 made a short flight in Connecticut at a 1947
airshow.
On the 2d of July 1947, the Bridgeport, Connecticut POST
ran the following article: 'SAUCERS' ARE SIMILAR TO VOUGHT
FLYING WING
Whatever those strange flying objects repeatedly report
in western skies these days may be ther're definitely not
carbon copies of Chance Vought Aircraft's "flying flapjack,"
full-scale flying model of the XF5U-1, an experimental Navy
fighter of radical "flying wing" design.
Matter of fact, except for one aerial jaunt to Floyd
Bennett Field, the V-173, hit of an air show ----- at
Bridgeport's municipal airport last month to climax Chance
Vought's 30th anniversary celebration, has never been away
from its home base at the Stratford plant.
Latest report on strange objects in the western skies
was provided yesterday by Richard Rankin, veteran Pacific
Coast pilot, who said he saw the "flying saucers" over
California, the Associated Press reported.
Completely shameless, I would introduce these 1947 sightings
from my Preliminary Report and question if the XF5U-1 or
any experimental aircraft at the time could account for them.
Page 19-20, Bryon Savage, a pilot and businessman's sighting
in Oklahoma City, OK of a shiny silvery object flying a terrific
rate of speed. (Project SIGN/Grudge Incident 82)
Page 66-67, Richard Rankin, the famous pilot's sighting of
14 June 1947, over Barkersfield, California saw not only one
but 10 objects which he at first took to be the Flying Flapjack.
How there could be a formation of XF5U-1's that could not
continue in the testing program for lack of money would be
a good story. (Project SIGN/Grudge Incident 29)
Page 84, Two Phillips Petroleum pilots flying enroute to
Bartlesville, OK, on 6 July 1947, at the Kansas-Colorado
border encountered one after another during 15 minute
period revolving metal 9 disc-shaped objects as big as
a hanger door rushing toward their plane at speeds they
were not able to clock.
Pages 104, 183-185 Two pilots on the staff of "Southern
Wings" magazine on 11 July 1947 over High Point, North Carolina
encountered a huge red object that with flames
coming out from the bottom. As they turned in the object's
direction it sped off.
Pages 203, 207, Dave Johnson's sighting of a dark object
following a step ascension course near Meridian, Idaho
on 9 July 1947 (Project SIGN/Grudge Incident 83)
Pages 114-5, August 1947 sighting reported by Lt Commander
Tex Witherspoon at Coffeyville, Kansas during an airshow
(erroneous located at Pittsburg, Kansas in the UFO Evidence.)
Page 144-145, August 26 1947 sighting from a postplane of
a greenish rhombiod and investigated by the Swedish Defense
Staff. ("1947 Reports from Sweden and Scandinavia" by
Anders Liljergren)
Page 199, August 19, 1947, the fourth sighting from a
United Airlines planes in a six week period was reported
by two pilots over Mountain Home, Idaho. Two objects like
skit targets flew under the plane flying at 8,000 feet. The
co-pilot clocked the objects at over 900 mph.
These sightings by pilots and aviation people at widely
scattered points do not point to some secret aircraft.
Do we have test aircraft in 1947 flying the airways
below airliners flying at more than the speed of sound?
--
Jan Aldrich
Project 1947
http://www.iufog.org/project1947/
P. O. Box 391, Canterbury, CT 06331, USA
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