Ryan Dark Shark

Wheels up · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2009 5:40 pm

Perhaps you've seen this one. I hadn't so here goes. A group photo of the boys at Ryan with the rare, one and only XF2R Dark Shark.....

Holedigger · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2009 5:46 pm

Interesting, hadn't seen that shot before. Bad time to be a prop driven fighter-wanna-be..jets were inbound! Almost 500mph.yeowww!

RickH · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2009 11:15 pm

It wasn't just a prop. It was an upgrade of the Ryan Fireball.

Recip on the nose and turbine buried in the fuselage.

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

rick
the darkshark replaced the fireball's recip with a turbo prop.
paul

RickH · **Posted:** Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:07 am

Yep, you're right. I knew that, just a little quick on the trigger ! :lol:

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sun Feb 01, 2009 8:32 am

almost looks like a p-80 shooting star in disguise!!

Wheels up · **Posted:** Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:05 am

This pic is of course the XF2R-1 as can be seen from the rounded vertical fin/rudder as carried by the Fireball. The curious XF2R-2 had a bit taller, squared top tail and the jet inlets moved back to fueslage (NACA diverging wall style) like later model Fireballs had. Why they were moved to the wing leading edge in the -1 is unknown to me.
Of interest is the landing gear differences when the -2 was offered up for USAF. The outboard swinging main gear of the FR-1 and XF2R-1 was altered to hinge inboard....I suppose to make room for armament hardpoints. Whether the wing fold was deleted is unknown.....perhaps the inboard folded gear and its accompanying wheel well blocked the leading edge inlets forcing the designers to move them to the fuse side like the fireball. Does this sound reasonable?
Either way, the wing had to be virtually new from the -1 to the -2.

RickH · **Posted:** Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:07 am

Wheels up · **Posted:** Sun Feb 01, 2009 10:26 am

That's the XF2R-1 above (note gear doors blocking view of outboard hinged gear).
And this is the XF2R-2...

The gear now swings inboard ...I assume to permit the hard points. So is the wing fold gone too? One would have to assume so.

oz rb fan · **Joined:** Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:33 am **Posts:** 474

did the -2 fly ? as the pic you have put up looks like a mock up

Mgawa · **Posted:** Mon Feb 02, 2009 1:37 am

All right- what will happen if I ask hi resolution samples for me?

Warbird Information Exchange

Ryan Dark Shark

Who is online