Test Flight - XFY-1 Pogo

"f86sabre" (f86sabre) 02/13/2014 at 21:41 • Filed to: Planelopnik, Kinja test

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This is my test of the new Kinja and this is the Convair XFY-1 Pogo. It was intended to answer a question that not many people had asked. How do we get a fighter on every Navy ship? The idea was to perfect vertical takeoff and landing. In 1954 terms the way to do this is with a turboprop engine. Initial test flights were held indoors and the craft was tricky to control. In order to land the pilot and to look back over his shoulder. Imagine that while strapped into an ejection seat and wearing a helmet. There were a number of flights and a handful led to conversion to horizontal flight. The test flights did clearly indicate that getting one of these back on a ship would be very tough. Controllability and structural issues led to the cancelation of the program.

Here is a video of the Pogo in flight. Note the classic "Wings" narration and the Speedvision logo.

Photo: Wikipedia.org

Jayhawk Jake > f86sabre 02/13/2014 at 21:49

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It used a strange side by side turboprop engine as well

We have half of one at the museum I give tours in

ttyymmnn > f86sabre 02/14/2014 at 01:15

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I miss the classic Wings. I've still got a number of episodes on VHS.