Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender | |
|---|---|
| Land | Norge , Norge |
| Rolle | Fighter |
| Produsert | 19. juli 1943 |
| Bygget | 3 |
Den Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender (selskapsbetegnelse CW-24) er et amerikansk prototype jagerfly fra 1940-tallet bygget av Curtiss-Wright. Sammen med Vultee XP-54 og Northrop XP-56 var det et resultat av United States Army Air Corps forslag R-40C utstedt 27. november 1939 for fly med forbedret ytelse, bevæpning og pilotsynlighet over eksisterende jagerfly; Det tillot spesielt ukonvensjonelle flydesign. En svært uvanlig design for sin tid, den hadde en canard-konfigurasjon, en bakmontert motor, feide vinger og to vertikale haler. På grunn av sin pusher-design ble den sarkastisk referert til som "Ass-ender". I likhet med XP-54 ble Ascender opprinnelig designet for Pratt &; Whitney X-1800-motoren og måtte redesignes da motorprosjektet ble kansellert. Det var også det første Curtiss jagerflyet som brukte trehjuls landingsutstyr.
Kilde: Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender på Wikipedia
| XP-55 Ascender Walk Around | |
|---|---|
| Fotograf | Michael Benolkin |
| Lokalisering | Unknow |
| Bilder | 39 |
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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) |
|---|---|
| Rolle | Experimental Fighter Prototype |
| National Origin | USA |
| Produsenten | Curtiss-Wright Corporation |
| First Flight | 13 July 1943 |
| Antall bygget | 3 |
| Mannskapet | 1 (Pilot) |
| Lengde | 9.0 m (29 ft 6 in) |
| Vingespenn | 12.4 m (40 ft 8 in) |
| Høyde | 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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