Curtiss XF15C-1 – Photos & Video

Fotogaléria Curtiss XF15C-1, The Curtiss XF15C-1 was a mixed-propulsion fighter prototype of the 1940s. The first flight of the first prototype was on 27 February 1945, without the turbojet installed. When this was completed in April of the same year, the aircraft flew several mixed-power trials, however on May 8 it crashed on a landing approach. The second prototype flew for the first time on 9 July, again in 1945, and was soon followed by a third prototype. Both aircraft showed promise, however by October 1946 the Navy had lost interest in the mixed-power concept and cancelled further development.

Zdrojový: Curtiss XF15C-1 na Wikipédii

The Curtiss XF15C-1 was an experimental fighter aircraft designed by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation during World War II. It was intended to be a carrier-based fighter that could operate at high altitudes and speeds, using a combination of a propeller and a jet engine. The XF15C-1 was one of the first mixed-propulsion aircraft to fly in the United States, and the only one of its kind to be built by Curtiss.
The XF15C-1 had a conventional fuselage with a bubble canopy and a tailwheel landing gear. The wings were swept back at 35 degrees and had four 20 mm cannons mounted in the wing roots. The propeller was driven by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34W radial engine, while the jet engine was an Allison J33-A-1 turbojet mounted in the rear of the fuselage. The jet engine had a retractable intake under the fuselage and an exhaust nozzle above the tail. The propeller and the jet engine could be operated independently or together, depending on the flight regime.
The XF15C-1 made its first flight on February 27, 1945, piloted by Curtiss test pilot Harvey Gray. The flight tests revealed some stability and control problems, as well as excessive vibration and overheating of the jet engine. The aircraft also suffered from poor performance at low speeds and altitudes, due to the drag and weight of the propeller. The XF15C-1 reached a maximum speed of 414 mph (666 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) with both engines operating, but only 314 mph (505 km/h) with the propeller alone.
The XF15C-1 program was cancelled in October 1945, after only three prototypes were built and flown. The Navy decided to focus on pure jet fighters instead of mixed-propulsion designs, which were considered obsolete and complex. The XF15C-1 was an innovative but unsuccessful attempt to create a versatile fighter that could combine the advantages of both propeller and jet propulsion.