Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender

Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender
País	Eua
Papel	Lutador
Produzido	19 de julho de 1943
Construído	3

O Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascendente (designação da empresa CW-24) é um avião de caça protótipo dos Estados Unidos da 1940 construído por Curtiss-Wright. Juntamente com o Vultee XP-54 e Northrop XP-56, resultou da proposta do Corpo Aéreo do Exército dos Estados Unidos R-40C emitida em 27 de novembro de 1939 para aeronaves com melhor desempenho, armamento e visibilidade piloto sobre os caças existentes; ele especificamente permitiu projetos de aeronaves não convencionais. Um design altamente incomum para o seu tempo, ele tinha uma configuração canard, um motor montado na traseira, asas varridas, e duas caudas verticais. Por causa de seu design empurrador, foi sarcasticamente referido como o "Ass-ender". Como o XP-54, o Ascender foi inicialmente projetado para o motor Pratt & Whitney X-1800 e teve que ser redesenhado quando o projeto do motor foi cancelado. Foi também o primeiro avião de caça Curtiss a usar trem de pouso triciclo.

Fonte: Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascendente na Wikipédia

XP-55 Ascender Walk Around
Fotógrafo	Michael Benolkin
Localização	Desconhecido
Fotos	39

XP-55 Ascender 01

XP-55 Ascender 02

XP-55 Ascender 03

XP-55 Ascender 05

XP-55 Ascender 04

XP-55 Ascender 06

XP-55 Ascender 07

XP-55 Ascender 08

XP-55 Ascender 09

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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)
Papel	Experimental Fighter Prototype
National Origin	Estados Unidos
Fabricante	Curtiss-Wright Corporation
First Flight	13 July 1943
Número construído	3
tripulação	1 (Pilot)
comprimento	9.0 m (29 ft 6 in)
Envergadura	12.4 m (40 ft 8 in)
altura	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.