Lockheed XF-90

Lockheed Corporation · United States · first flew 1949 · fighter

The Lockheed XF-90 was an American experimental long-range penetration fighter of the late 1940s, competing against the McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo. Only two prototypes were built before the programme was cancelled in favour of the XF-88.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Twin Westinghouse J34 turbojets buried in fuselage flanks
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Sharply swept low wing with distinctive dogtooth leading edge
Twin Westinghouse J34 turbojets buried in fuselage flanks
Long pointed nose and pronounced ventral intake cheeks

Elegant low-wing jet with a sharply swept wing featuring a noticeable dogtooth notch, a long tapering fuselage, and cheek-style air intakes flanking the nose.

Specifications

The Lockheed XF-90 has a length of 17.12 m (56 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.2 m (40 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1064 km/h (661 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed to a USAF requirement for a long-range escort and penetration fighter, the XF-90 first flew in June 1949 and was the first Lockheed aircraft to exceed Mach 1 in a dive. Despite impressive aerodynamics, its twin J34 engines were underpowered for the airframe, and it lost the fly-off to the XF-88. One surviving airframe was later used as a target at nuclear weapon tests.

Variants

Two prototypes only (XF-90 and XF-90A with afterburning engines); neither entered production.

Where you'll see it

Never entered operational service; both prototypes used solely for USAF evaluation and experimental testing.

Related aircraft

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