Hughes XR-11 / XF-11 Long-Range Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft - History, Specs and Pictures

Authored By Staff Writer | Last Updated: 11/15/2010

The XF-11 only saw two produced prototypes, the first crashing into the suburb of Beverly Hills with Hughes at the controls.

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Though only achieving prototype form, the XF-11 was one of the darling designs of famed American aviator Howard Hughes. Looking very much like an oversized Lockheed P-38, the twin-boom XF-11 was designed to fulfill a United States military requirement for a long-range photographic reconnaissance fighter. The project progressed with great potential until a disastrous crash of Prototype 1 in the suburbs of Beverly Hills (nearly taking the life of Hughes himself) effectively caused the cancellation of the entire project. The XF-11 would face off with Republic's offering of the XF-12 "Rainbow" only to see neither design chosen at project's end.

The XF-11 was of a traditional twin-boom design, popularized in other forms such as the Northrop P-61 Black Widow and the aforementioned Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The first of two prototypes featured contra-rotating propeller systems on each engine, offering up a great deal of power and performance potential at the cost of increased maintenance and production times. The X-11 featured a powered tricycle landing gear system which proved successful in other designs during the Second world War. The fuselage was constructed of all metal with a two-man crew - the pilot and a radio operator - in a center-fuselage nacelle with complete cabin pressurization for high-altitude capability. Pratt & Whitney brand engines were selected to power the design and these powerplants would turn two four-bladed propeller systems with variable pitch settings. With the Beverly Hills crash blamed on engine failure, the second XF-11 prototype was engineered with traditional non-contra-rotating propeller blade systems.

By all respects, the XF-11 performed admirably well considering the dramatic series of setbacks to the project. Stability and control at high speeds was especially noteworthy though exception was made to the low-altitude stability and performance the system encouraged. A complicated aircraft to fly when compared to others of this type, the XF-11 was nonetheless a capable design in most respects.

Pitted against the Republic XF-12, the XF-11 was deemed as too costly to maintain and produce along with the complications inherent in the system's design. Even with the XF-12 having an edge, the United States Air Force ultimately went with the Boeing produced RB-50 reconnaissance aircraft, citing its respectable range and reconnaissance capabilities equal to that of either XF offering with a lesser price tag. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Hughes XR-11 / XF-11
Long-Range Photographic Reconnaissance Aircraft

Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Hughes Aircraft - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1946
Production: 2

Focus Model: Hughes XR-11 / XF-11
Crew: 2

Length: 65.42ft (19.94m)
Width: 101.35ft (30.89m)
Height: 23.16ft (7.06m)
Weight (Empty): 37,038lbs (16,800kg)
Weight (MTOW): 58,202lbs (26,400kg)

Powerplant: 2 x Pratt & Whitney R-4360-31 radial piston engines generating 3,000hp each.

Maximum Speed: 447mph (720kmh; 389kts)
Maximum Range: 4,971miles (8,000km)
Service Ceiling: 44,012ft (13,415m; 8.3miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)

Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
None.

Variants:
XF-11 - Original Series Designation; 2 examples produced with the first offering featuring contra-rotating blades and the second with traditional propeller blade assemblies.

XR-11 - Later Designation

Operators:
the United States of America

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