Oddity in the NACA Ames 7x10 Wind Tunnel

[SatinWings]

I found this wind tunnel model looking through the Internet Archive, and was at first torn whether to post this to the Mustang F.T.B. or XP-81 threads as they were the only things having any similarity to it (though there are several obvious reasons it is neither). But having nothing concrete to tie into either, and having no luck myself, I thought it best to start its own topic.

The given title and description at the link are equally mysterious to me, referring to it as a "Navy Fighter Research Model" with a semi-nonsensical description that perhaps describes the T-tail. The original upload gives a date of 3 December 1947, but this could just as well be incorrect.

 

[SatinWings]

After doing some searching through the NACA archives I came across this document (link), which uses the same wind tunnel model but doesn't have any better of a description as to what it is. It seems more and more likely this was a simple "representative model" that was made to test the efficacy of different configurations (for example, the first image has the aircraft fitted with a t-tail, while this one has the typical conventional arrangement). I haven't been able to track down what study that first image is from, though, so it could still be the model of an actual design they've co-opted for these tests out of convenience.
It also seems that the aircraft does represent some sort of mixed-propulsion aircraft. A shame that some NACA documents don't always give the name of the aircraft model they're using for these tests (for example, another document (link) I found appears to use an early XF15C design wind tunnel model, but refuses to call it more than a "fighter airplane"), if this is in fact a real design.

To protect against potential link-breakage, the documents in question are:
An Investigation of Submerged Air Inlets on a 1/4-scale Model of a Typical Fighter-type Airplane by Delany, Noel K. 2 June 1948. 19930085366
and
Development of NACA Submerged Inlets and a Comparison with Wing Leading-Edge Inlets for a 1/4-scale Model of a Fighter Airplane by Mossman, Emmet A, and Gault, Donald E. 7 August 1947. 19930092457

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

It is possible that the basic model was originally related to a real program, but equally likely it was a generic 'fighter' type model. Regardless of its origin, these tests are of specific features of interest. The inlet tests don't necessarily relate at at all to a mixed power fighter, they are generic tests of different inlet shapes on a representative fuselage model. Likewise the first image is most likely a specific test of the effect of high tail location.

NACA/NASA did often reuse models that weren't needed anymore in later tests, where appropriate. If the original model identity is irrelevant, it is often not identified.

 

[SatinWings]

It is possible that the basic model was originally related to a real program, but equally likely it was a generic 'fighter' type model. Regardless of its origin, these tests are of specific features of interest. The inlet tests don't necessarily relate at at all to a mixed power fighter, they are generic tests of different inlet shapes on a representative fuselage model. Likewise the first image is most likely a specific test of the effect of high tail location.

NACA/NASA did often reuse models that weren't needed anymore in later tests, where appropriate. If the original model identity is irrelevant, it is often not identified.

Yes, that's what I had believed myself (the tail is even completely removed from the model when testing intake geometry). However I should have been more specific that I base my conception of it being mixed power on the presence of the flat, circular end beneath the tail rather than its inclusion in tests on intake placement. Although this may just be mounting point or other unrelated feature.

 

[SatinWings]

As can be expected of an excellent researcher, Jared Zichek has already known about this airframe, BuAer's A.D.R. 27, for quite a while. This specific model appears to be the "Configuration A" of the turboprop design, which you can find more about from the June post on the Retromechanix Patreon:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pic8_srQ_c