Flexiglass 16 ft
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For night reconnaissance, the XF-12 had a belly hold which accommodated 18 high-intensity photo-flash bombs to be ejected over the target. One vertical, one split vertical, and one trimetrogon each using a 6 in (150 mm) Fairchild K-17 camera. Aviation Week was quoted as saying "the sharp nose and cylindrical cigar shape of the XF-12 fulfills a designer's dream of a no compromise design with aerodynamic considerations."įor its reconnaissance role, the XF-12 had three photographic compartments aft of the wing. Unusually, no compromises to the aerodynamics were made in the shape of its fuselage. Many features came from Republic's experience with fighter aircraft. Minimizing drag was a primary consideration throughout the design of the XF-12. The XF-12 was the fastest aircraft of its day to use four reciprocating engines, and the only one to exceed 450 mph (720 km/h) in level flight Design Army Air Forces, as the requirement evaporated after World War II ended, while the cheaper off-the-shelf Boeing B-29 Superfortress and Boeing B-50 Superfortress could temporarily fill the role until the jet-powered Boeing RB-47 Stratojet entered service. Only two prototypes were built each of the XF-11 and the XF-12 were ordered into service by the U.S. This "flying photo lab" was capable of mapping broad stretches of the globe. The XF-12 could photograph in both daylight and night and under conditions of reduced visibility at high altitudes over long ranges and with great speed. The XF-12's first flight was made on 4 February 1946 and during flight testing, it reached an altitude of 45,000 ft (14,000 m) at 470 mph (760 km/h), and demonstrated a range of 4,500 mi (7,200 km), exceeding design criteria. Republic Aviation submitted the XF-12 and it was competing against the Hughes XF-11. Roosevelt's son, Colonel Elliot Roosevelt, commander of a Lockheed F-5 (a modified P-38 Lightning) "recon" unit, recommended the acquisition of a dedicated high-performance photo reconnaissance aircraft to provide pre- and post-strike target analysis intelligence as well as photo interpretation to better allow commanders to make decisions for bombing raids. The need existed for dedicated photo-reconnaissance aircraft with speed, range, and altitude capabilities beyond what was available. During World War II, due to the range requirements of operating in the Pacific, existing fighters and bombers were being used but were poorly suited.
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Its primary objective was high-speed overflights of the Japanese homeland and key enemy installations. The original proposal from the United States Army Air Corps Air Technical Service Command in late 1943 was for a 400 mph (640 km/h) reconnaissance aircraft with a range of 4,000 nmi (7,400 km 4,600 mi) and a ceiling of 40,000 ft (12,000 m).