Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender

Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender
País	E.e.u.u
Papel	Combatiente
Producido	19 de julio de 1943
Construido	3

el Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender (designación de la compañía CW-24) es un prototipo de avión de combate de los Estados Unidos de la década de 1940 construido por Curtiss-Wright. Junto con el Vultee XP-54 y el Northrop XP-56, resultó de la propuesta R-40C del Cuerpo Aéreo del Ejército de los Estados Unidos emitida el 27 de noviembre de 1939 para aviones con mejor rendimiento, armamento y visibilidad del piloto sobre los cazas existentes; permitió específicamente diseños de aviones no convencionales. Un diseño muy inusual para su época, tenía una configuración canard, un motor montado en la parte trasera, alas en flecha y dos colas verticales. Debido a su diseño de empujador, se le conocía sarcásticamente como el "Ass-ender". Al igual que el XP-54, el Ascender fue diseñado inicialmente para el motor Pratt & Whitney X-1800 y tuvo que ser rediseñado cuando se canceló ese proyecto de motor. También fue el primer avión de combate Curtiss en utilizar el tren de aterrizaje triciclo.

Fuente: Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender en Wikipedia

XP-55 Ascender Walk Around
Fotógrafo	Michael Benolkin
Localización	Unknow
Fotos	39

XP-55 Ascender 01

XP-55 Ascender 02

XP-55 Ascender 03

XP-55 Ascender 05

XP-55 Ascender 04

XP-55 Ascender 06

XP-55 Ascender 07

XP-55 Ascender 08

XP-55 Ascender 09

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General Characteristics and Role

The Curtiss XP-55 Ascender (Curtiss-Sperry Model 24) was an experimental fighter prototype developed for the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. It was the product of the 1940 “R-40C” proposal for unconventional aircraft designs, alongside the Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet and Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose. The Ascender featured a highly radical and futuristic design for its time: a tailless canard configuration with the engine mounted at the rear, driving a pusher propeller. This layout was intended to improve aerodynamics and provide an unobstructed forward field of fire. Despite the design’s potential, the XP-55 suffered from stability issues, poor low-speed performance, and did not live up to performance expectations, leading to its cancellation after three prototypes were built.

Property	Typical Value (XP-55)
Papel	Experimental Fighter Prototype
National Origin	Estados Unidos
Fabricante	Curtiss-Wright Corporation
First Flight	13 July 1943
Número construido	3
Equipo	1 (Pilot)
Longitud	9.0 m (29 ft 6 in)
Envergadura	12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
Altura	3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
Empty Weight	2,884 kg (6,358 lb)
Max Takeoff Weight	3,792 kg (8,360 lb)

Powerplant and Design

Engine: One Allison V-1710-95 (F23R) liquid-cooled V12 engine.
Power Output: 954 kW (1,275 hp).
Propulsion: 3-bladed propeller in a pusher configuration (at the rear).
Maximum Speed: 628 km/h (390 mph; 339 kn) at 5,800 m (19,000 ft).
Range: 1,040 km (650 mi; 560 nmi).
Design Layout: Canard (small horizontal surface in the nose) and a mid-set wing with twin tail booms supporting the rudders. The main wings were swept back slightly.
Pilot Safety: Due to the rear-mounted propeller, the pilot was equipped with a system to jettison the propeller assembly before bailing out in an emergency.

Armament (Intended) and Service

Intended Armament: 2 x 20 mm cannon and 2 x .50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns, all mounted in the nose. (Prototypes often flew with reduced or no armament).
Service History: The first prototype crashed due to a stall/spin in a test flight. Despite modifications to the second and third prototypes, they were ultimately outclassed by conventional and early jet fighters.
Legacy: The XP-55’s radical configuration helped advance research into canard aerodynamics, a concept later successfully used in aircraft like the Saab Viggen and Eurofighter Typhoon.

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