Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender - Fotók és videók

A Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Növekvő (cég megnevezése CW-24) egy 1940-es években az Egyesült Államok prototípus vadászgép által épített Curtiss-Wright. A Vultee XP-54 és a Northrop XP-56 mellett az Egyesült Államok Hadseregének R-40C javaslatát is kiadták, amelyet 1939. kifejezetten lehetővé tette a nem hagyományos légijármű-terveket. Egy nagyon szokatlan design a maga ideje, volt egy canard konfiguráció, a hátsó szerelt motor, söpört szárnyak, és két függőleges farok. A tológép kialakítása miatt szarkasztikusan "Ass-ender"-nek nevezik. Az XP-54-hez hasonló ascendert eredetileg a Pratt & Whitney X-1800-as motorhoz tervezték, és újra kellett tervezni, amikor a motorprojektet törölték. Ez volt az első Curtiss vadászgép, amely tricikli futóművet használt.

Forrás: Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender a Wikipédián

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.