Warbird Information Exchange

Check out this article at RetroMechanix.com on the Lockheed V-156, a little-known project for a naval jet patrol airplane from November 1944:



The accompanying gallery features 26 images, including several high resolution artist's impressions of this elegant design.

-Jared

Must be where the Fouga came from.

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"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind each blade of grass..."
Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto

Does anyone see an air inlet?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

I see one in the underwing shadow... I think.

Yep, you got it Kyleb, easier to see on the zoom on the original page or the blow-up of the cutaway on page six.

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He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

Did the "V" designation come from Lockheed's Naval manufacturer designation (or whatever it was called), i.e. P2'V' Neptune? It seems to me other projects carried an "L" designation (presumably for "Lockheed").

Yes, "V" replaced the earlier "O" Navy designator for Lockheed. "L" denoted Lockheed's own factory model code.

Edit
Tho in retrospect, I see the dilemna in your question. Hmm...

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

The "V" in this designation stood for Vega Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Lockheed. There are many surviving studies with the V prefix I hope to eventually publish on the site.

-Jared

That figures, I originally thought Vega for Lockheed Burbank, but I've misplaced my Lockheed book. Thanks, for clearing that up, good website J!

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I'm not sure if this is what you measn, but the letter L stood for the following manufacturers: (in successive order):
Loening Aeronautical
Grover Loening, Inc
Langley Aviation
Bell

The last Lockheed to use the "V" code was the P3V...early P-3s...so they used the "V" Vega code up until 1962, long after Vega had ceased to be.
Early USN/USMC C-130s were called UVs (Utility Lockheed) or GVs (Tankers Lockheed)....and remember C-130s come from Georgia, not Burbank, so the "V" covered all Lockheed plants.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Mmmm we're starting to mix our apples and oranges. The "L" I was referring to was Lockheed's usage. The C-130 evolved from the L-206 design proposal. C-130E civilian counterpart became Lockheed L-100 etc. Connie began as L-049...

The first C-130's were products of Burbank before production was moved to the larger facilities in Georgia.
www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/hercules.html

_________________
He bowls overhand...He is the most interesting man in the world.
"In Peace Japan Breeds War", Eckstein, Harper and Bros., 3rd ed. 1943(1927, 1928,1942)
"Leave it to ol' Slim. I got ideas...and they're all vile, baby." South Dakota Slim
"Ahh..."The Deuce", 28,000 pounds of motherly love." quote from some Mojave Grunt
DBF

I thought the question had to do with the USN designation system...sorry.



Yes, those were the prototypes, all production 130s have been built in Georgia.
My point was that all USN Lockheeds used the "V" -Vega manufacturer code despite being made in Georgia (and long after Vega was history).
That's unlike the USAF serials where the plant location is part of serial number/block number code. LM for Lochkeed Marietta or LO for Lockheed Burbank.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Actually the Fouga V-tail design came from a much earlier line of gliders.

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Magister Aviation
It's all in my book

And the V-tail was rather popular in the immediate post-war years.

I beieve at one time Beech said all of its future aircraft wouod feature the it, whereas only the Bonanza did.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.