Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender – Foto e video

Le Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender Il CW-24 è un prototipo di caccia statunitense costruito dalla Curtiss-Wright negli anni '40. Insieme al Vultee XP-54 e al Northrop XP-56, fu il risultato della proposta R-40C del United States Army Air Corps emessa il 27 novembre 1939 per aerei con migliori prestazioni, armamento e visibilità del pilota sui caccia esistenti; ha specificamente permesso progetti di aeromobili non convenzionali. Un design molto insolito per il suo tempo, aveva una configurazione canard, un motore montato sul retro, ali spazzate e due code verticali. A causa del suo design pusher, è stato sarcasticamente indicato come il "Ass-ender". Come l'XP-54, l'Ascender fu inizialmente progettato per il motore Pratt & Whitney X-1800 e dovette essere ridisegnato quando quel progetto di motore fu cancellato. Fu anche il primo aereo da caccia Curtiss ad usare il carrello di atterraggio del triciclo.

fonte: Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender su Wikipedia

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.