The Vought V-173 is an American single-seat, twin-engine experimental aircraft with an almost circular wing, built by Chance Vought for the U.S. Navy to test Charles Zimmerman's low-aspect-ratio designs. Nicknamed the 'Flying Pancake', it first flew on 23 November 1942 and could lift off in about 200 ft in still air. Developed by Chance Vought (United Aircraft).
The Vought V-173 is an American single-seat, twin-engine experimental aircraft with an almost circular wing, built by Chance Vought for the U.S. Developed by Chance Vought (United Aircraft).
Photo: San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, Public domainSee Specifications for full detail.
The Vought V-173 is an American single-seat, twin-engine experimental aircraft built by Chance Vought for the U.S. Navy to test the low-aspect-ratio, almost circular wing designed by Charles H. Zimmerman. Nicknamed the 'Flying Pancake', it first flew on 23 November 1942 with Boone Guyton at the controls. [1] [2]
It made about 190 flights before its last on 31 March 1947, and it led to the larger XF5U-1 fighter, which the Navy cancelled in 1947. The Smithsonian took the V-173 in 1960, and after an eight-year restoration by retired Vought employees it went on show at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas in 2012. [1] [3]
Zimmerman argued that the drag created by disturbed airflow at the tips of a conventional wing could be reduced by placing the propellers at the wingtips. A wing of very low aspect ratio built on that principle would let an aircraft fly at very low speeds. In 1935 he won a NACA grant to develop a compact short take-off and landing aircraft, but NACA declined to fund further work, and he took the idea to private industry. [4] [2] [5]
Vought became interested and built a quarter-scale model. The Navy reviewed the data in 1939, and on 4 May 1940 it placed a contract for one full-size aircraft, the V-173. Wind tunnel tests followed in 1940 and 1941. [4] [1] [6]
The V-173 was built largely of wood and fabric around a wing 23 ft 4 in (7.11 m) across, with an area of 427 sq ft and a symmetrical NACA 0015 aerofoil. It was 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m) long and sat on its landing gear at a 22-degree nose-up angle, so that it stood 14 ft 9 in (4.50 m) high. [1] [3]
Pitch and roll were controlled by 'airivators', all-flying surfaces that worked as both elevators and ailerons and were a forerunner of the modern elevon. Two 80 hp Continental A-80 engines drove the wingtip propellers. The first set came from the F4U Corsair; they were later replaced by specially modified three-blade propellers 16 ft 6 in across. Vought gave an empty weight of 2,258 lb and a gross weight of 3,050 lb, which put wing loading at about 5 lb per sq ft. The top speed was 138 mph, and the aircraft took seven minutes to climb to 5,000 ft. [1] [6] [3] [5]
Boone Guyton made the first flight on 23 November 1942. The early flights showed that the lateral controls were too heavy and that drivetrain vibration was high, and landing flaps were later added to deal with problems in ground effect. Richard Burroughs and Charles Lindbergh also flew the aircraft. Lindbergh found it surprisingly controllable. The V-173 could lift off in about 200 ft in still air, or without any ground run into a 25-knot headwind, and it landed at about 22 mph. [2] [1] [6] [5]
It made about 190 flights and logged about 131.8 hours. It survived several forced landings, including one on a beach in which it nosed over, without serious damage or injury to the pilot. Its shape led people living near the Connecticut test area to report UFO sightings. The last flight was on 31 March 1947. [1] [4]
The Navy ordered two enlarged, all-metal versions as the XF5U-1 fighter. The XF5U-1 was about five times heavier than the V-173, with Pratt & Whitney R-2000 engines and retractable landing gear. [3] [1]
The XF5U-1 was completed but never made a real flight. The Navy cancelled the programme in early 1947, before a first flight, after deciding to move its fighters to jet engines, and the surviving XF5U-1 airframes were destroyed after January 1949. [4] [3]
The Navy's Bureau of Weapons transferred the V-173 to the Smithsonian in September 1960. It was moved to Dallas in 2004, and from 2003 to 2011 retired Vought employees restored it at the company's Grand Prairie site. Replacing the fabric covering alone took about 81,000 hand stitches, and the restorers kept the wear marks left in the cockpit by Guyton, Burroughs and Lindbergh. [2] [3]
The finished aircraft was rolled out on 10 February 2012 and moved by flatbed truck to the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field, Dallas, in March. It was unveiled there on 15 April 2012, on loan from the National Air and Space Museum for at least ten years. [2] [3]
Not trackable. The V-173 last flew in March 1947 and is now a static exhibit. It can be seen at the Frontiers of Flight Museum at Love Field, Dallas, where it is on loan from the Smithsonian.
| Performance | |
| Max Speed | 120 kn (138 mph / 222 km/h) |
|---|---|
| Cruise SpeedCruise Speed — The economical speed an aircraft sustains for the bulk of a flight - lower than maximum speed, chosen for the best balance of time and fuel burn. Glossary → | Not published |
| RangeRange — How far an aircraft can fly without refuelling. Quoted figures vary with payload, speed and reserves - see also ferry range and combat radius. Glossary → | Not published |
| Service CeilingService Ceiling — The highest altitude at which an aircraft can still climb at a useful rate (typically 100 ft/min). Above it, the air is too thin to keep climbing meaningfully. Glossary → | Not published |
| Airframe & Weight | |
| Wingspan | 23 ft 4 in |
| Length | 26 ft 8 in |
| Height | 14 ft 9 in |
| WeightMTOW — Maximum Take-Off Weight - the heaviest an aircraft is certified to be at the start of its take-off run, including fuel, crew, payload and the aircraft itself. Glossary → | empty: 2,258 lb; MTOW: 3,050 lb |
| Power & Payload | |
| Engines | 2 × Continental A-80 piston engines, 80 hp each, driving wingtip propellers |
| Crew | 1 (pilot) |
| CapacityPayload — Everything an aircraft is carrying that isn't the aircraft or its fuel: passengers, cargo, or weapons. Payload and fuel usually trade off against each other. Glossary → | None - single-seat research aircraft |
| Program & Service | |
| Manufacturer | Chance Vought (United Aircraft) |
| Origin | United States |
| First Flight | November 23rd 1942 |
| Service Entry | Never entered service |
| Retired | March 31st 1947 |
| Number Built | 1 |
| Unit Cost | Not publicly disclosed - no contract value for the one-off V-173 has been published, officially or on enthusiast forums |
5 notable events involving the V-173 Flying Pancake, 1940 to 2012. Curated rather than exhaustive.
The U.S. Navy placed a contract for one full-size V-173 after reviewing Vought's quarter-scale model data. Wind tunnel testing followed in 1940 and 1941.
Boone Guyton flew the V-173 for the first time. It went on to make about 190 flights and survived several forced landings, including a nose-over on a beach, without serious damage.
The V-173 made its final flight. The Navy cancelled the follow-on XF5U-1 fighter the same year.
The Navy's Bureau of Weapons handed the V-173 to the National Air Museum, now the National Air and Space Museum.
After an eight-year restoration by retired Vought employees, the V-173 went on display at Love Field, Dallas, on loan from the Smithsonian for at least ten years.
| V-173 (Corsair propellers) | The aircraft as first flown on 23 November 1942 by Boone Guyton, fitted with propellers taken from the F4U Corsair. The layout followed Zimmerman's idea that propellers turning at the wingtips would reduce the drag caused by disturbed airflow at the tips of a conventional wing. It was built largely of wood and fabric, with a symmetrical NACA 0015 aerofoil section. |
| V-173 (16 ft 6 in propellers) | The same airframe re-fitted with specially modified three-blade propellers 16 ft 6 in across. Over its test career the V-173 made about 190 flights and 131.8 hours in the air, survived several forced landings including a nose-over on a beach without serious damage, and was flown by Charles Lindbergh. It last flew on 31 March 1947. |
| XF5U-1 Flying Flapjack (follow-on) | The Navy's intended combat version: an all-metal fighter about five times heavier, with Pratt & Whitney R-2000 engines and retractable landing gear. Two were ordered. The Navy cancelled the programme in 1947, when it switched its fighter plans to jet engines, before the XF5U-1 had made a real flight, and the surviving airframes were destroyed after January 1949. |
The only V-173 built survives. The Navy transferred it to the Smithsonian in September 1960, and retired Vought employees restored it between 2003 and 2011.
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