The Vought XS2U was a design for an all-weather,
carrier-based
Carrier-based aircraft, sometimes known as carrier-capable aircraft or carrier-borne aircraft, are naval aircraft designed for operations from aircraft carriers. They must be able to launch in a short distance and be sturdy enough to withstand ...
anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW, or in older form A/S) is a branch of underwater warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, submarines, or other platforms, to find, track, and deter, damage, or destroy enemy submarines. Such operations are t ...
(ASW) aircraft. A twin-engine, twin-tailed, mid-wing, propeller-driven design with tricycle landing gear, it lost to the
Grumman S2F Tracker
The Grumman S-2 Tracker (S2F prior to 1962) was the first purpose-built, single airframe anti-submarine warfare (ASW) aircraft to enter service with the United States Navy. Designed and initially built by Grumman, the Tracker was of conventiona ...
in the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
competition, and the two prototypes were not completed.
Design and development
Chance Vought Aircraft
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Mathematics and Science
* In mathematics, likelihood of something (by way of the Likelihood function and/or Probability density function).
* ''Chance'' (statistics magazine)
Places
* Chance, Kentucky, US
* Chance, Mary ...
began work on 25 January 1950 on a U.S. Navy proposal for an all-weather anti-submarine warfare design. The company constructed a full-scale mock-up of the XS2U-1 and received a contract-of-intent for two XS2U-1 prototypes, BuNos ''133780'' and ''133781'', which were not completed before development was abandoned.
Three-blade propellers similar to those used on the S2F were installed on the mock-up, which had a two-wheel nosegear, and single-tire main gear that would retract into the engine nacelles. The twin-tail fins were canted inward, 90 degrees from the tailplane dihedral.
Construction was begun on the fuselages and wings, but technical difficulties arose over how to fold the wings for carrier stowage. A complicated double-fold of each wing outboard of the radial engine was required. The contract was canceled and neither airframe was completed, the Navy electing to acquire the S2F Tracker instead.
The S2U was also proposed for the carrier-borne AEW role as the S2U-1W, later changed to WU-1.
[Moran 1978, p.108] A bulged radome was astride the center fuselage, and the forward fuselage/cockpit design bore a passing resemblance to the later
Grumman Mohawk.
Variants
;XS2U-1
:Designation for the two prototype aircraft ordered but not completed.
;S2U-1
:Proposed anti-submarine warfare version, as originally proposed.
;S2U-1W
:Proposed Airborne Early Warning version of the S2U-1 with large radome over the centre section, similar to the
Grumman WF which was purchased by the US Navy for the carrier-borne AEW role.
;WU-1
:The S2U-1W re-designated into the W-Warning category.
See also
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vought Xs2u
S02U
Cancelled military aircraft projects of the United States
Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft
Carrier-based aircraft
AEW aircraft
Mid-wing aircraft