The prototype in its prime

The second Sea Dart, YF2Y-1 BuNo 135762, in San Diego Bay. The garish yellow markings were applied to the first and second Sea Darts to enable Convair engineers to assess spray patterns during the type's intensive test programme.

Ярко окрашенный YF2Y-1 выполняет руление на подводных крыльях. Самолет с технической точки зрения был неудачным, а сценарий боевых действий, в котором подобный истребитель мог быть востребован представить сложно.

The sole XF2Y-1, BuNo 137634, transitions from the Pacific Ocean to the Convair ramp at San Diego during the aircraft’s early test programme. Seen here with twin hydro-skis and short jetpipes for its J34 engines, as per its original configuration, the XF2Y-1 was fitted with a single hydro-ski and more powerful XJ46 engines in the summer of 1954.

Первый экземпляр «Си Дарта»

The fourth Sea Dart in Balboa Park

Установка первого экземпляра «Си Дарта» на трейлер. Осень 1952 г.

YF2Y-1 N 1 съезжает с рампы перед испытательным полетом

The intriguing Convair XF2Y-1 Seadart jet-powered hydro-skied interceptor reflected the amount of money available to service procurement officials in the early 1950s. Far too challenging a project to gain serious consideration today, Bu Aer 137634 is seen taxiing out into San Diego Bay. Employing a 60 degree sweep, thin-sectioned delta wing, the Seadart employed a retractable hydro-ski system reminiscent of the World War I Ursinus floatplane. This system was to create numerous problems with the handling of the aircraft on water over the 46 months of F2Y-1 flight testing and underwent several major modifications. A total of three Seadarts were built, the sole XF2Y-1 and two YF2Y-1 pre-production examples, one of which was lost, killing Convair's Charles E. Richbourg, during a Convair family day display on 4 November 1954. The crash cause was attributed to pilot induced oscillation.

Апрель-май 1953г.: 9 апреля Convair XF2Y-1 Sea Dart (фото) выполнил первый полет, после спуска на воду 16 декабря 1952 года в заливе Сан-Диего и рулежных испытаний в начале 1953 года. Впервые в мире боевой самолет с дельтовидным крылом был оснащен убираемыми гидролыжами. Силовая установка состояла из двух турбореактивных двигателей Westinghouse J34. С фирмой "Convair" был заключен контракт на постройку двух прототипов, вслед за которыми предполагалась постройка 11 самолетов с более мощными двигателями для эксплуатационных испытаний.
The sole XF2Y-1 prototype, BuNo 137634, during one of its many water trials. A total of five Sea Darts was built - one XF2Y-1 and four pre-production YF2Y-1S - although the last two of the latter remained engineless and never flew. The XF2Y-1 was initially fitted with a pair of Westinghouse J34s, but was later fitted with two J46s.

Амбициозной попыткой создания сверхзвукового гидросамолета-истребителя стал Convair F2Y Sea Dart, оснащенный шасси в виде двух убираемых гидролыж. Построено пять прототипов XF2Y-1, первый из которых взлетел в 1953 году. Несмотря на недостаточную тягу двигателя, самолет превысил скорость звука в пологом пикировании. Программу закрыли в середине 1950-х годов.
The first prototype Sea Dart, 137634, making a high speed run across San Diego Bay.

«Си Дарт» N 2 на перекатной тележке
Test pilot Chuck Richbourg (seen aft of the cockpit) makes preparations on the San Diego ramp for the ill-fated flight of the first YF2Y-1, BuNo 135762, on November 4, 1954. Note the small wing fences, added only to this machine, to cure a high-speed spanwise migration; and the wing of the R3Y Tradewind at the left of the image.

A US Navy frogman perches on the wing of the first YF2Y-1, BuNo 135762, at San Diego on November 4, 1954, a matter of minutes before Convair test pilot Chuck Richbourg took off on his final display in the aircraft. Encountering a pilot-induced oscillation (PIO), Richbourg was killed when the aircraft disintegrated during a high-speed low-level run.

Next stop oblivion - Richbourg taxies out for his demonstration flight in BuNo 135762 on November 4, 1954. The jetpipes of the afterburning J46-WE-2 engines were much longer than those of the J34s fitted in the XF2Y-1 prototype.

«Си Дарт» в акватории бухты Сан-Диего. 1954 г.

«Си Дарт» № 2 на взлете

With Chuck Richbourg at the controls, Sea Dart BuNo 135762 pounds its way into the air from San Diego Harbour on November 4, 1954. Double “hydro-skis” were fitted to all five Sea Darts, although the XF2Y-1 prototype was also extensively tested with a single hydrofoil-type ski, which proved superior, if still not fully satisfactory.

XF2Y-1 N 1 в первом испытательном полете. 9 апреля 1953 г.
The first Sea Dart during a test flight in August 1954.

The Convair Sea Dart disintegrated while making a high-speed pass over San Diego bay.

«Си Дарт» № 1 перед посадкой. Лыжи полностью выпущены

The Convair XF2Y-1 is shown taxiing onto the beaching ramp. Note the small wheels at the rear of the machine's hydro-skis, supported by a centrally mounted retractable skid under the rear fuselage. Despite nearly four years and 300 flight hours of testing, re-engining from the original two 3.400lb s.t. Westinghouse J34-W-32s to 5.725lb s.t. Westinghouse J46s, plus much ongoing remedial work, the Seadart would have required a major Whitcombe-waisted re-design of its fuselage in order to achieve supersonic flight and was destined to remain in the 'development only' category.

«Си Дарт» заходит в док-камеру десантного корабля

XF2Y-1 N 3 - экспонат музея в Сан-Диего

Доработанный «Си Дарт» N 1 приводняется на монолыжу
The first Sea Dart on the water.
As part of the Convair-US Navy hydrodynamic research programme, an XF2Y-1 Sea Dart was fitted with a hydro-ski. Among the problems faced by the designers were prevention of water ingestion, low hydrodynamic drag, and stability during take-off and landing.

The fifth XF2Y-1, 135765, after restoration but before being primed and painted.

The third Sea Dart, 135763, is currently displayed at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station in incorrect markings.

Техническое обслуживание XF2Y-1 N 1. Май 1953 г.

Воздушный тормоз - водяной руль

Доработанная правая лыжа первого «Си Дарта»

Колесо, установленное на лыже, в рабочем положении

Хвостовое колесо перекатного шасси «Си Дарта» N 1

Кабина летчика

Катастрофа второго «Си Дарта». 4 ноября 1954 г.

During Richbourg’s low-level pass at some 500kt (900km/h) the YF2Y-1 broke up under severe aerodynamic loads caused by the pitch-divergent oscillations which plagued numerous high-speed projects of the era. Richbourg initially survived the break-up, but was so badly injured that he died shortly afterwards. Sea Dart trials were suspended immediately and, although ski trials later continued, the type never flew at speed again.

Convair XF2Y Sea Dart BuNo 137634 in open store at the Smithsonian's Paul Garber facility at Silver Hill, Maryland, in 1989. Clearly, restoration did not take place!

The futuristic Betta No 1 was a study for a supersonic waterborne attack aircraft, and incorporated a small 60°-swept delta wing, twin retractable hydro-skis and three fuselage-mounted General Electric J53 engines without afterburners fed by a crescent-shaped air intake mounted on the upper surface of the fuselage, plus a small fin.

"Naval aviators ... the punch of the air arm" - this early 1950s US Navy recruiting advertisement uses Convair’s Sea Dart to represent the cutting edge of the USA’s military aviation capabilities, and appeal to “a very special kind of men - our naval aviators - born, like aviation itself, in America...”

“Engineering to the Nth power” - this contemporary Convair advertisement uses the Sea Dart and the XF-92, referring to the forthcoming F-102 developed from it, to extol the virtues of the delta-wing plan forms of both. Convair optimistically anticipated both being adopted by the military, and, while the F-102 did enter service with the USAF after modification, the Sea Dart never saw service with the US Navy.

An artist’s impression of the SSF in action, as published in the Convair brochure, with Tactical F2Ys sweeping overhead a semi-permanent support base “in sheltered water as near as possible to advance base operations”. Anchored LSTs (tank-landing ships) and CVEs (escort carriers) combine with R3Y-2 Tradewind flying-boats to keep the base supplied.

Resembling an exotic deep-sea fish, the Betta No 2 returned to the blended wing/hull configuration developed during the Skate studies, dispensing with the Betta No 1’s hydro-skis. Both Nos 1 and 2 were extensively windtunnel-tested during the first half of 1950.

A more detailed view of the two-seat Tactical F2Y from the Convair brochure. The General Electric J79 engines of some 15,000lb+ (6,800kg+)-thrust were the same as those used for the company’s four-engined B-58 Hustler, as well as for the single-engined Lockheed F-104 Starfighter and twin-engined McDonnell F-4 Phantom II.

Convair’s water babies Skate to Sea Dart, 1946-52

The Convair brochure for the Tactical F2Y included several mission profiles, including this one for a 5hr extended-range “hi-lo-hi” attack mission using the “buddy” refuelling system, in which another F2Y would serve as an air-to-air refuelling tanker. In this profile, 7,700lb (3,500kg) of fuel was to be transferred 575 miles (925km) from the take-off point.

THE TACTICAL F2Y & THE SEAPLANE STRIKING FORCE

Around 1956 Convair prepared a confidential document offering details of a proposed tactical variant of the F2Y, which would incorporate a second crew position, as shown in this three-view from the brochure. This “son of Sea Dart”, to be used in the tactical support role as part of the SSF, incorporated an internal bomb-bay and a single hydro-ski.