VERSIONS – XF-88A, B
XF-88 s/n 46-525 – later
XF-88B s/n 46-525 – later
2 x XJ34-WE-15 axial-flow
turbojets with afterburner
Perforated speed brakes
(hinged at rear)
Prop boss with 4 supersonic
blades (shown in feathered
position for take-off and
landing)
McDonnell designed afterburner
Turboprop exhaust
New nose section added with
Allison XT38-A-5 1,949 kW
(2,650 shp) turboprop engine
slightly offset to port
Additional bladder type
fuel cells in wings
Internal fuel load
decreased to 2,055 lt
(452 Imp gal, 543 US
gal) to make way for
test equipment
109 kg (240 lb) ballast
added to rear fuselage
to balance engine weight
Starboard intake
further forward
than port
Conversion from XF-88 as a supersonic
propeller test bed for NACA (later NASA)
Nose gear offset to starboard
Large engine intake offset to port
Smaller engine intake to starboard
Type Va spherical spinner with
3 short supersonic blades
XF-88B s/n 46-525
2 x XJ34-WE-15 axial-flow
turbojets with afterburner
Perforated speed brakes
(hinged at rear)
Enlarged ailerons
with slightly cranked
trailing edge
Provision for 1 x 454 kg
(1,000 lb) bomb and 4 x
127 mm (5 in) HVAR
rockets under each wing
All-moving tailplanes
New, rear exhaust section for McDonnell designed afterburner
6 x 20 mm (.79 in) M-24 cannons
with 220 rounds per gun,
ammunition belts electrically
loaded to save space and weight
Yaw damper incorporated
into Flight Control System
Nose later modified as F-101 mock
up with retractable IFR probe for
refuelling probe tests
Additional bladder type
fuel cells in wings
Details as XF-88 unless otherwise indicated
XF-88A
s/n 46-526
2 x Westinghouse XJ34-WE-22 axial-flow turbojets
Test boom
Forward-opening speed brakes
(hinge at rear)
Pitot
Wing fence
Rearward sliding canopy
Split, semi-span
trailing edge flaps
Outboard aileron
Leading-edge flaps
Intake blended
into wing root
Thin, mid-mounted wing with
35º leading edge sweep
Horizontal tailplanes
mounted low on
vertical tail unit
Wooden intake lips
allowing modifications
during flight testing
Provision for AN/APG-5
(SCR-720) radar
Armour plating in cockpit
Flight Control System with
irreversible power-boosted
controls and artificial feel
Hydraulically
operated
elevators
Provision for 1,325 lt
(292 Imp gal, 350 US
gal) wingtip fuel tanks
AN/ARC-3 radio
McDonnell ejector seat
Perforations to speed brakes
Engines upgraded to 2 x XJ34-WE-15
axial-flow turbojets with afterburner
New, rear exhaust section for McDonnell designed afterburner
XF-88 s/n 46-525 – early
XF-88: 3
ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015 • NO ITEMS MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER
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ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015
