Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis...XP-55_Ascender

The Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender (company designation CW-24) was a 1940s United
States prototype fighter aircraft built by Curtiss-Wright. Along with the Vultee
XP-54 and Northrop XP-56, it resulted from United States Army Air Corps proposal
R-40C issued on 27 November 1939 for aircraft with improved performance,
armament, and pilot visibility over existing fighters; it specifically allowed
for unconventional aircraft designs. A highly unusual design for its time, it
had a canard configuration, a rear-mounted engine, swept wings, and two vertical
tails. Because of its pusher design, it was sarcastically referred to as the
"Ass-ender". Like the XP-54, the Ascender was initially designed for the Pratt &
Whitney X-1800 engine and had to be redesigned when that engine project was
cancelled. It was also the first Curtiss fighter aircraft to use tricycle
landing gear.

On 10 July 1942, the United States Army Air Forces issued a contract for three
prototypes under the designation XP-55. Serial numbers were 42-78845 through
42-78847. During this time, the Pratt & Whitney X-1800 H-block sleeve valve
engine was experiencing serious developmental delays, and was eventually
cancelled. Curtiss decided to switch to the 1,000 hp (750 kW) Allison V-1710
(F16) liquid-cooled inline engine because of its proven reliability. Armament
was to be two 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon and two 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns.
During the mock-up phase, it was decided to switch to the more powerful 1,275 hp
(951 kW) V-1710-95. The 20 mm cannons were also replaced by 0.50 in machine
guns.

A special feature of the XP-55 was a propeller jettison lever located inside the
cockpit to prevent the pilot from hitting the propeller during bailout. The
jettison device was invented by W. Jerome Peterson while working as a design
engineer for Curtiss-Wright.

Role
Fighter

Manufacturer
Curtiss-Wright Corporation

First flight
19 July 1943

Status
Cancelled at flight-test stage.

Number built
3

The performance of the XP-55 was not very impressive and was often inferior to
that of more conventional fighter aircraft already in service. In addition, by
1944 jet-powered fighter aircraft were already well along in development and
there was no further development of the XP-55.

The third prototype XP-55 (s/n 42-78847) was lost on 27 May 1945 during the
closing day of the Seventh War Bond Air Show at the Army Air Forces Fair at
Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio. After a low pass in formation with a Lockheed P-38
Lightning and a North American P-51 Mustang on each wing, its pilot, William C.
Glasgow, attempted a slow roll, but lost altitude and crashed, sending flaming
debris into occupied civilian ground vehicles on a highway near the airfield.
The crash killed Glasgow and four civilians on the ground.

Aircraft disposition

42-78845 – crashed during vertical dive on Nov 15, 1943. Pilot bailed out.

42-78846 – on display at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is on long-term
loan from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C..

42-78847 – crashed during air show at Wright Field, Ohio on May 27, 1945. Pilot
killed.

Specifications (XP-55)

General characteristics
Crew: one pilot
Length: 29 ft 7 in (9.0 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 7 in (12.4 m)
Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.0 m)
Wing area: 235 ft² (21.83 m²)
Empty weight: 6,354 lb (2,882 kg)
Loaded weight: 7,710 lb (3,497 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 7,930 lb (3,600 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Allison V-1710-95 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,275 hp (951 kW)

Performance
Maximum speed: 390 mph at 19,300 ft (628 km/h)
Range: 635 mi (1,020 km)
Service ceiling: 34,600 ft (10,500 m)
Rate of climb: 2,350 ft/min (11.9 m/s)
Wing loading: 32.8 lb/ft² (160.2 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.27 kW/kg)

Armament
4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose





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