Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender – Fotografie & Videa

Tá Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender (označení společnosti CW-24) je americký prototyp stíhacího letounu ze 40. let 20. 20. Spolu s letouny Vultee XP-54 a Northrop XP-56 byl výsledkem návrhu amerického armádního letectva R-40C vydaného dne 27. listopadu 1939 pro letadla se zlepšeným výkonem, výzbrojí a viditelností pilotů nad stávajícími stíhačkami; výslovně umožnila netradiční návrhy letadel. Na svou dobu měl velmi neobvyklý design, měl konfiguraci kanyáže, motor na zadní montáži, zametá křídla a dva vertikální ocasy. Díky svému tlačné konstrukci byl sarkasticky označován jako "Ass-ender". Stejně jako XP-54 byl Ascender původně navržen pro motor Pratt & Whitney X-1800 a musel být přepracován, když byl projekt motoru zrušen. Byl to také první stíhací letoun Curtiss, který používal tříkolový podvozek.

Zdroj: Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender na Wikipedii

The Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender was a prototype fighter aircraft that featured an unconventional design with a canard configuration, a rear-mounted engine, swept wings and two vertical tails. It was built by the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in response to a proposal from the United States Army Air Corps for a high-performance fighter with improved armament, pilot visibility and aerodynamics. The XP-55 was one of three experimental aircraft, along with the Vultee XP-54 and the Northrop XP-56, that resulted from this proposal.
The XP-55 was originally designed to use the Pratt & Whitney X-1800 engine, but this engine was canceled and replaced by the Allison V-1710 engine. The armament consisted of four 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns mounted in the nose. The XP-55 had a propeller jettison lever in the cockpit to allow the pilot to bail out safely without hitting the propeller. The XP-55 was also the first Curtiss fighter to have tricycle landing gear.
The first XP-55 flew on 19 July 1943, piloted by J. Harvey Gray, a Curtiss test pilot. The flight testing revealed several problems with the aircraft, such as excessive takeoff run, poor stability, low maneuverability and tendency to stall and spin. The second XP-55 crashed on 15 November 1943 during an air show, killing the pilot. The third XP-55 was modified with a larger vertical tail and a ventral fin to improve stability, but it still performed poorly compared to other fighters of the time. The XP-55 program was canceled in 1944 after only three prototypes were built and flown.