| FR-1 Fireball | |
|---|---|
 An FR-1 Fireball of VF-66 at NAS North Island, 1945 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Ryan Aeronautical |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 71 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1944–1945 |
| Introduction date | March 1945 |
| First flight | 25 June 1944 |
| Retired | 1 August 1947 |
| Developed into | Ryan XF2R Dark Shark |
The Ryan FR Fireball is an American mixed-power (piston and jet-powered) fighter aircraft designed by Ryan Aeronautical for the United States Navy during World War II. It was the Navy's first aircraft with a jet engine.[1] Only 66 aircraft were built before Japan surrendered in August 1945. The FR-1 Fireball equipped a single squadron before the war's end, but did not see combat. The aircraft ultimately proved to lack the structural strength required for operations aboard aircraft carriers and was withdrawn in mid-1947.