Hall XFH-1

Hall XFH-1


In 1927, the US Navy's first all-metal fighter aircraft was ordered. Its creator was, quite logically, Charles Ward Hall, owner and chief designer of the Hall Aluminum Aircraft Corporation and one of the main American pioneers in the field of all-metal aircraft. The Navy had strictly specified the form of the new machine - it was to be a machine with an aluminium semi-shell fuselage, which was to be completely watertight for possible emergency surface landings, and the landing gear was to be jettisonable for the same reason. The wings were of course also metal, but unlike the fuselage, which was covered with aluminium sheeting, they were covered with canvas. The upper wing had a slight sweep and was set well forward of the lower wing, which also had a sweep, but negative. The result was an excellent view from the cockpit. The result, the Hall XFH-1, bore a slight resemblance to Charles Hall's previous work, the Curtiss F4C-1, and was introduced at the U.S. Navy test base at Anacostia on June 18, 1929. Before testing began, however, it became apparent that the XFH-1 would not be suitable for service. The all-new metal design was too heavy on the tail and difficult to handle, but the Navy needed to test a machine of similar design, so it continued testing. During one test flight in October 1929, the rear spar of the upper wing bent during a dive, partially blocking the ailerons. After delivery of a new wing in January 1930, it was sent to Hampton Roads where it underwent landing tests with a grappling hook. On February 18, 1930, the engine failed during the flight and the pilot had to make an emergency landing. However, the landing gear remained attached to the fuselage, the machine partially sank, and the pilot climbed onto the aft fuselage while the nose was underwater. After three quarters of an hour, the aircraft was recovered from a quarter full of water, the fuselage passed an unplanned waterproofing test but was judged too complex for normal operation and the machine itself performed rather mediocre. The tests were terminated soon afterwards, but the use of all-metal aluminium construction proved itself a success.



Source:
Jones, LLoyd S.: U.S. Naval Fighters 1922 to 1980s, Aero Publishers, Fallbrook 1977, ISBN 0-81689-254-7
Boyne, Walter J.: The Best of Wings Magazine, Brassey's, Dulles 2001, ISBN 1-57488-368-2
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