Key Points – The Convair Model 200 was a supersonic, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) fighter jet proposed for the US Navy in the 1970s.
-It was designed to operate from a new class of small “Sea Control Ships” intended to protect convoys and support amphibious landings.
-The Model 200’s design featured a swiveling exhaust nozzle for vertical lift.
-Ultimately, neither the Sea Control Ship nor the Model 200 were ever built, due to developmental hiccups and shifting naval priorities.
-However, the initial research into the Model 200’s innovative nozzle concept played a role in the eventual development of the F-35B Lightning II’s VTOL propulsion system.
Convair Model 200
The U.S. Navy wanted the Convair Model 200 fighter jet to fly off small U.S. Navy aircraft carriers in support of amphibious landings, or to protect convoys in transit.
And though it was never built, the Model 200 did influence the most-produced stealth fighter in history: the F-35.
VTOL Aircraft
Interest in vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft started in the 1960s, when NATO war planners realized that air bases could be vulnerable to a preemptive Soviet attack that would destroy runways and make it difficult, if not impossible, for aircraft that take off conventionally to get in the air.
And while the VTOL concept certainly appeared to be a good one for land-based fighter aircraft, it also had a potential application for naval forces.
The Convair Model 200 was proposed as a family of VTOL-capable jets. It was developed in the 1970s specifically for the U.S. Navy.
The Navy’s intention was that this unique jet would operate from the Sea Control Ship, a proposed class of carriers that would launch helicopters and VTOL aircraft in support of larger naval task forces, especially in areas where larger flattop aircraft carriers would have been impractical.
The Sea Control Ships would have performed anti-submarine warfare and fleet-defense duties, rather than carrying out direct offensive operations against surface vessels.
Two distinct Model 200s were to be built: the Model 200A for VTOL applications, and the Model 201A, a conventional take-off and landing, or CTOL, configuration.
Ultimately, neither the Sea Control Ships nor the Convair Model 200 left the drawing board. Some of the research that went into these platforms, however, did contribute to other Navy projects.
Sea Control Ship Concept
The Navy’s Sea Control Ship was envisioned as a smaller, cost-effective carrier platform. It was to be capable of providing anti-submarine warfare capabilities, as well as a limited amount of air cover, for which it would turn to VTOL jets like the Model 200.
Unlike the larger American carriers, which were the centerpiece of Carrier Battle Groups (which have since evolved into Carrier Strike Groups), Sea Control Ships would provide protection to convoys during sea crossings and work with the U.S. Marine Corps in near-shore waters during amphibious landing operations.
Convair Model 200
Convair’s Model 200 would have been a supersonic fighter intended to operate from the small, compact Sea Control Ship flight decks. VTOL was an essential requirement given the ships’ lack of arrestor gear or catapults as seen on larger aircraft carriers.
To that end, the Model 200’s engine would have been equipped with a swiveling exhaust nozzle, which would allow the jet to direct-thrust downward, instead of backward, and give the jet a vertical lift.
The Navy wanted future VTOL aircraft to also operate as conventional carrier-launched fighters, a requirement that necessitated afterburning engines. Lockheed Martin explains the negative effect this requirement had on the design:
“This dual operational approach led to larger, heavier aircraft designs that needed more vertical thrust than could be provided by just the primary engine or engines. The most popular solution was to add small lift engines just aft of the cockpit to provide vertical thrust forward of the aircraft center of gravity. These designs were called Lift Plus Lift/Cruise.
“Allison, Rolls-Royce, and other engine manufacturers developed compact turbojet engines specifically for such applications. Various combinations of numbers and locations of engines were built and flown on several VTOL prototypes and experimental aircraft.”
Rockwell XFV-12
Another jet was in the running to become the Navy’s VTOL aircraft of choice: Rockwell’s XFV-12. The jet’s design was ambitious. It would combine the Mach 2 speed of the F-4 Phantom II, and the Phantom’s robust payload capabilities, with a VTOL capability.
Despite the project’s ambitions, Rockwell ultimately built only one of two planned prototypes. The aircraft’s vertical thrust was found to be woefully insufficient to lift the aircraft into the air, and the XFV-12 program was canceled.
Dead in the Water
Ultimately, neither the Sea Control Ship concept vessel nor Convair’s Model 200 progressed beyond the initial research and design phase. Developmental hiccups with VTOL-capable aircraft, as well as shifts in budget and priorities, dropped the SCS concept out of favor.
However, the Convair Model 200 program did contribute to the development of advanced VTOL technology, thanks to its swivel exhaust-nozzle concept. The initial research into the Model 200’s nozzle ultimately played a role in the development of Pratt & Whitney’s F135-PW-600 engine, which powers the F-35B Lightning II, Lockheed Martin’s VTOL F-35 variant.
Postscript
While neither the Convair Model 200, the proposed Sea Control Ship, nor Rockwell’s XFV-12 left the drawing board for the high seas, their development did affect future projects.
They contributed to the VTOL propulsion concept that powers today’s F-35B joint strike fighter, a vertical and/or short take-off and vertical landing F-35 variant.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe.
The Best Tanks on Earth
AbramsX: The Tank the US Army Wants
