Delays occurring with the intended Westinghouse XJ46 engines meant that the prototypes were completed with the alternative (and lower-powered) Westinghouse J34-WE-32 turbojet instead (4,900 lb thrust each). Testing began in San Diego Bay and a first flight was had, rather accidentally, on January 14th, 1953 when a high-speed run took the aircraft up.
From then on, the program revealed mounting shortcomings in both design and performance that would lead to the Sea Dart's undoing. The engines never helped the aircraft perform to expected levels and the ski arrangement was not as successful as hoped (several variations of the ski arrangement were used). Supersonic speed proved elusive and was only attained in a diving action - making the Sea Dart the only seaplane in aviation history to achieve this feat. Aerodynamic drag was an ongoing detriment for the product.
All this led to a termination of the second contracted prototype which moved a service test airframe to the forefront. This model - BuNo 135762 was lost in midair when it broke apart on a November 4th, 1954 flight, claiming the life of its test pilot. By this time, USN authorities had begun moving away from the novel concept of the seaplane fighter and focused greater efforts in delivering the service's first supersonic carrier-based fighter instead (to become the Douglas F4D "Skyray").
A total of five Sea Darts were completed but not all were flown. The program was ended in April of 1957 with the four surviving members becoming museum showpieces.
The finalized Sea Dart exhibited a length of 52.6 feet, a wingspan of 33.7 feet and a height of 16.1 feet. Maximum speed was 825 miles per hour with a range out to 513 miles. Its service ceiling was listed at 54,800 feet and a rate-of-climb of 17,100 feet-per-minute was reported. Proposed armament for the fighter was to include 4 x 20mm Colt Mk 12 series cannons and support for FFAR (Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets) as well as early-generation Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs).
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.