Vought V-523 naval fighter - pre-VFAX study

Mark Nankivil

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Greetings All!

Happy New Year to the group - may 2010 be filled with many new finds!

Attached is a photo of the V-523 model in the Vought Archives collection. A friend of mine, Fred Harl, came along on my last trip down to Vought in August and photographed a number of the models while I was digging thru the document and photo drawers. A nice looking aircraft in my view...

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 

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Interesting cross between a Crusader and a V-1600... Thanks for sharing.
 
Compare the late V-1100 LWF : very similar (aside from the canopy and a larger radar and wingtip AIM-95 AAMs)
 
Last edited:
Mark Nankivil said:
Greetings All!

Happy New Year to the group - may 2010 be filled with many new finds!

Attached is a photo of the V-523 model in the Vought Archives collection. A friend of mine, Fred Harl, came along on my last trip down to Vought in August and photographed a number of the models while I was digging thru the document and photo drawers. A nice looking aircraft in my view...

Enjoy the Day! Mark

Poor Fred, came to photograph planes and trains, got models instead!
Thank him for his efforts, it was good to see the two of you.
 
Great find gents
Thanks!!
Nice looking bird - with some good wing area!

Overscan you beat me to the draw with the wingtip AIM-95 AAMs!


Regards
Pioneer
 
Better comparison. Pretty much identical.
 

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Different intake, too. Probably different engine. Moreover, the V-1100 has two little canards (probably retracting) for use at very high angle of attack, I suppose.
 
I thought that about the engines- but its hard to be certain due to the different angles.

The canards are retractable, so not being present on the V-523 model isn't conclusive.
 
Thanks to Bill S for some scans he sent me nearly 1-1/2 years ago (and only now realized I had ::) ),
we have some V-523 drawings to peruse.

Enjoy the Day! Mark
 

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overscan said:
I thought that about the engines- but its hard to be certain due to the different angles.

The canards are retractable, so not being present on the V-523 model isn't conclusive.

And indeed, I was right. V-523 does have canards :)
 
A sibling of the V-1100?
 

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Not quite.


V-523: 1973 (VFAX)
V-1100: 1971 (LWF)


V-523 was a further developed V-1100 for the US Navy VFAX. It was supplanted by the larger V-526 which met the requirements better.


Where are the photos from?
 
overscan said:
Not quite.


V-523: 1973 (VFAX)
V-1100: 1971 (LWF)


V-523 was a further developed V-1100 for the US Navy VFAX. It was supplanted by the larger V-526 which met the requirements better.


Where are the photos from?

Sorry about that, Paul! Thanks for correcting my mistake. But why do I have V-523 as the "VF-XX high-performance lightweight fighter project"? Another mistake??
 
overscan said:
Not quite.


V-523: 1973 (VFAX)
V-1100: 1971 (LWF)


V-523 was a further developed V-1100 for the US Navy VFAX. It was supplanted by the larger V-526 which met the requirements better.


Where are the photos from?
I shot the photos at Vought on February 2, 2012. I was there to see the restored V-173 and visited a meeting room which had a number of display cases of models, as well as their restoration area where they are building a Corsair I biplane and restoring a Cutlass.
 
Stargazer2006 said:
overscan said:
Not quite.


V-523: 1973 (VFAX)
V-1100: 1971 (LWF)


V-523 was a further developed V-1100 for the US Navy VFAX. It was supplanted by the larger V-526 which met the requirements better.


Where are the photos from?

Sorry about that, Paul! Thanks for correcting my mistake. But why do I have V-523 as the "VF-XX high-performance lightweight fighter project"? Another mistake??

Maybe not - I think V-523 was probably initiated before the official VFAX requirements were released. I haven't found any reference to VF-XX except Vought, so it may have been a notional not actual requirement.


According to Tony Buttler V-523 was drawn 17/08/1972. McDonnell-Douglas drew up the first Model 263 on 09/10/1972.

June 1974, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) released a presolicitation notice to the aerospace industry soliciting expressions of interest in and comments on the proposed VFAX development program. Industry responses were received in July 1974.
 
Richard N said:
overscan said:
Not quite.


V-523: 1973 (VFAX)
V-1100: 1971 (LWF)


V-523 was a further developed V-1100 for the US Navy VFAX. It was supplanted by the larger V-526 which met the requirements better.


Where are the photos from?
I shot the photos at Vought on February 2, 2012. I was there to see the restored V-173 and visited a meeting room which had a number of display cases of models, as well as their restoration area where they are building a Corsair I biplane and restoring a Cutlass.


Excellent, thanks for posting these.
 
A few more of the V-523 model.
 

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index.php



In the V-526 topic (http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,15854.msg157448.html#msg157448) we have the evolution of that design. I just noticed that the first configuration appears to be 100% identical to the V-523.
 
99.99% sure it is the same model as a number of the models from that showcase went to UTD.
 
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