Convair XF-21 photographic recce aircraft ?

[hesham]

Hi,

in the book "Jet Warplanes" of the 1980s,the auther (Micheal J. H. Taylor);
he said that: The XB-46 was not selected for service with the USAF and
neither was a projected photographic recce variant reportedly designated
XF-21 (the USAF using "F" designation for recce aircraft up to 1947).
Who can explain it ?.

 

[Sundog]

I haven't heard of that, but just for your reference, the F designation was for "Foto."

 

[Stargazer]

The designation "XF-21" doesn't make any sense because the F- for Photo Reconnaissance series was redesignated as the R- series starting with the Hughes XR-11 and Republic XR-12. By the time the series reached #16, the "F" designator had been reallocated to fighter aircraft in replacement of the P- for Pursuit, and if any continuation had existed to the list, even on paper, it would have been as R-17 up.

The "XF-21" is probably either the result of wishful thinking on the part of a Convair employee not up to date with USAF designation systems, or a typo that stuck...