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Bell P-59 Airacomet était un avion de chasse bimoteur à réaction, le premier des États-Unis, conçu et construit par Bell Aircraft pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale. L’armée de l’air américaine n’a pas été impressionnée par ses performances et a annulé le contrat alors que moins de la moitié des avions commandés avaient été produits. Bien qu’aucun P-59 n’entre en combat, le chasseur a ouvert la voie à une autre génération de conception d’avions turboréacteurs américains, et a été le premier chasseur turboréacteur à avoir son moteur turboréacteur et ses nacelles d’entrée d’air intégrés dans le fuselage principal.
Source: Bell P-59A Airacomet sur Wikipedia
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Lla 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.
Lla 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.