The Lockheed XFV-1 was an American experimental vertical takeoff landing aircraft developed in the late 1940s. It was the result of a request for proposals issued by the US Army and Navy shortly after ...

The XFV-1, Lockheed’s daring 1950s prototype, was built to take off vertically—no runway or carrier deck required. Designed to defend naval convoys against Cold War threats, the aircraft combined a ...

Nearly two decades before the Harrier jump jet would prove the efficacy of vertical take-off and landing platforms, the U.S. Navy considered taking another approach to fielding fighters without a ...