Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender – 사진 및 비디오

Tthe 커티스 라이트 XP-55 어센더 (회사 명칭 CW-24)는 Curtiss-Wright가 제작 한 1940 년대 미국 프로토 타입 전투기입니다. Vultee XP-54 및 Northrop XP-56과 함께 기존 전투기에 비해 성능, 군비 및 조종사 가시성이 향상된 항공기에 대해 1939 년 11 월 27 일에 발행 된 미국 육군 공군 제안 R-40C에서 비롯되었습니다. 그것은 특히 비 전통적인 항공기 설계를 허용했습니다. 당시에는 매우 특이한 디자인으로 캐나드 구성, 후방 장착 엔진, 스윕 날개 및 두 개의 수직 꼬리가있었습니다. 푸셔 디자인 때문에 냉소적으로 "Ass-ender"라고 불 렸습니다. XP-54와 마찬가지로 어센더는 처음에 프랫 & 휘트니 X-1800 엔진을 위해 설계되었으며 엔진 프로젝트가 취소되면 다시 설계해야했습니다. 또한 세발 자전거 랜딩 기어를 사용한 최초의 Curtiss 전투기였습니다.

소스: 커티스-라이트 XP-55 어센더 위키백과에

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.