Lockheed XFV – Photos & Video

The American Lockheed XFV (sometimes referred to as the Salmon) was an experimental tailsitter prototype aircraft built by Lockheed in the early 1950s to demonstrate the operation of a vertical takeoff and landing fighter for protecting convoys.

Source: Lockheed XFV on Wikipedia

The Lockheed XFV was an experimental aircraft designed by Lockheed Corporation for the United States Navy in the early 1950s. The XFV was intended to be a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) fighter that could operate from small platforms on ships and provide convoy protection. The XFV had a unique tailsitter configuration, meaning that it rested on its tail before takeoff and landing, and used a powerful turboprop engine with contra-rotating propellers to generate thrust. The XFV faced many technical challenges and never achieved a successful transition from horizontal to vertical flight or vice versa. The project was cancelled in 1956, as jet fighters became faster and more capable than the XFV.