McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo

McDonnell Aircraft Corporation · United States · first flew 1948 · fighter

The McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo was an American experimental penetration fighter prototype of 1948, designed to escort bombers deep into enemy territory at high speed.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Twin-jet penetration fighter with swept wings and area-ruled fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin-jet penetration fighter with swept wings and area-ruled fuselage
Two Westinghouse turbojets buried in wing roots
Long pointed nose and swept tail surfaces

Distinguished by its twin-engine layout with intakes at the wing roots, a long tapered nose, and swept wings — a clear ancestor of the production F-101 Voodoo.

Specifications

The McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo has a length of 16.5 m (54 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.09 m (40 ft).
Its maximum speed is 1136 km/h (706 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Developed in response to a USAF requirement for a long-range penetration fighter, the XF-88 competed against the Lockheed XF-90 and North American XF-93. Despite strong performance, the programme was cancelled in 1950 due to budget constraints. The design lineage directly influenced the later F-101 Voodoo.

Variants

Two XF-88 prototypes were built; one was later modified as the XF-88B with a turboprop nose engine for research.

Where you'll see it

Never entered production; both prototypes were used for research before being scrapped.

Related aircraft

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