Tá
Bell P-59 Airacomet byl dvoumotorový stíhací letoun, první ze Spojených států, navržený a postavený společností Bell Aircraft během druhé světové války. Letectvo armády Spojených států nebylo ohromeno jeho výkonem a zrušilo smlouvu, když byla vyrobena méně než polovina objednaných letadel. Ačkoliv do boje nevstoupil žádný P-59, stíhačka vydláždila cestu pro další konstrukční generaci amerických proudových letadel a byla prvním proudovým stíhacím letounem, který měl svůj proudový motor a vstupní gondoly integrované do hlavního trupu.
Zdroj: Bell P-59A Airacomet na Wikipedii
Další informace:
Tá Bell P-59A Airacomet was the first American jet fighter aircraft to enter service during World War II. It was designed and built by Bell Aircraft Corporation in response to a British request for a jet-powered fighter. The P-59A had a twin-engine design with a single-seat cockpit and a tricycle landing gear. The aircraft was armed with one 37 mm cannon and three 12.7 mm machine guns in the nose.
Tá P-59A made its first flight on October 1, 1942, and was delivered to the US Army Air Forces in 1943. However, the performance of the P-59A was disappointing compared to the German and British jet fighters, and it was soon relegated to training and experimental roles. The P-59A was never used in combat, and only 66 units were produced. The P-59A was retired from service in 1949, and most of them were scrapped or donated to museums. The P-59A Airacomet was an important milestone in the development of American jet aviation, but it was also a technological dead end that did not influence the design of later jet fighters.