Vought FU
Vought · United States · first flew 1926 · fighter
The Vought FU was a single-seat biplane fighter floatplane operated by the US Navy in the late 1920s, intended for catapult launch from battleships and cruisers. It was a development of the earlier Vought UO observation series adapted for the fighter role.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.65 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- US Navy single-seat biplane fighter floatplane of the 1920s
- Operated from battleships via catapult
- Development of the Vought UO series
Equal-span biplane with a single central float and two smaller wing-tip floats, a radial engine in the nose, and an open cockpit — the classic 1920s American catapult floatplane configuration.
Specifications
- The Vought FU has a length of 8.65 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.47 m (34 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 196 km/h (122 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The US Navy procured small numbers of the FU for fleet defence and scouting duties aboard capital ships. The type was quickly superseded as naval aviation matured, but it represented the state of shipboard fighter practice in the mid-1920s.
Variants
The FU-1 was the production version, 20 being ordered in 1926; when the squadron moved to carriers the forward cockpit was reopened and the aircraft became two-seat FU-2s.
Where you'll see it
US Navy, approximately 1926–1929, aboard battleships and cruisers in the catapult fighter role.
Related aircraft
- Vought XF2U
- Vought SBU Corsair
- Vought VE-10
- Vought XF3U
- ACAZ C.2
- Avia BH-23
- Avro 566 Avenger
- Bernard SIMB AB 12
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