N. American XFJ-X Blue Charger

When North American Aviation won the competition for the first pure jet fighter to equip US Navy squadrons, they initially worked on a tail configuration for their NA-130 that applied directly the research done by NACA three years before. But since neither NAA nor the Navy were too sure about the results, the prototype was not properly designated until the final configuration was found. So was born the North American NA-131 "Blue Charger", which the Navy designated the XFJ-X, an aircraft that resembled the later FJ-1 version except for the rounded V-tail, a P-51 Mustang's cockpit and a primitive exhaust configuration.

Test flights began in September 1945 and ceased early in December. The tail configuration not only didn't provide sufficient advantage over a classic tail, it also caused the aircraft to spin dangerously, nearly killing one of the two test pilots on one occasion. The XFJ-X was returned to North American, who reworked it, fitted a specially redesigned cockpit, straight tail, and thus was born the XFJ-1 Fury, ancestor of all Furies and Sabresto come. But none would have seen the light of day without that forgotten V-tailed curiosity, the Blue Charger...