Curtiss XP-46
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| XP-46 | |
|---|---|
 Curtiss XP-46 (USAF photo) |
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| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss-Wright Corporation |
| Designed by | Donovan Berlin |
| Maiden flight | 15 February 1941 |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Corps (intended) |
| Number built | 2 |
| Variants | Curtiss P-40 |
The Curtiss XP-46 was a 1940s United States prototype fighter aircraft. It was a development of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation in an effort to introduce the best features found in European fighter aircraft in 1939 into an airplane which could succeed the Curtiss P-40, which was then in production.
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[edit] Design and development
A United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) specification based upon a Curtiss proposal was the basis for an order placed in September 1939 for the XP-46. The requirements called for a single-engine, low-wing aircraft, slightly smaller than the P-40, and with a wide-track, inward-retracting landing gear. The selected powerplant was an Allison V-1710-39 V12 engine rated at 1,150 hp. The planned armament included two 0.5 inch synchronized machine guns in the forward fuselage and provisions for eight 0.3 inch wing-mounted guns. The USAAC later added requirements for self-sealing fuel tanks and 65 lb of armor, the weights of which were to adversely affect performance.
[edit] Testing
Two prototype aircraft were delivered, designated XP-46A, with first flight occurring on 15 February 1941. However, the USAAC decided in July 1940 (while the XP-46s were under construction) to replace the XP-46 procurement effort with an upgraded P-40 which would use the planned XP-46 engine. In this manner, a serious disruption of the Curtiss production line would be avoided.
Subsequently, the performance during trials of the XP-46 was found inferior to the upgraded P-40 (designated P-40D).
A myth surrounding the origins of the P-51 Mustang is linked to the North American Aviation (NAA) purchase of test data on the P-40 and P-46. NAA paid $56,000 to Curtiss for technical aerodynamic data on the XP-46 and although there are certain design similarities in the radiator/oil-cooler configuration, the new NA-73X (the company designation for the future P-51) even in preliminary design had already progressed beyond the XP-46 [1]. In addition, after the war, NAA engineers revealed that they had learned of a European study (before the US entry into World War II) which indicated the value of a well-designed embedded radiator, and were eager to apply that knowledge to a new design.
[edit] Specifications (Curtiss XP-46A)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: one, pilot
- Length: 30.17 ft (9.20 m)
- Wingspan: 34.33 ft (10.47 m)
- Height: 13.0 ft (3.96 m)
- Wing area: 208 ft² (19.3 m²)
- Empty weight: 5,625 lb (2,551 kg)
- Loaded weight: 7,322 lb (3,321 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 7,665 lb (3,477 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Allison V-1710-39 V12 engine, 1,150 hp (858 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 355 mph (571 km/h)
- Range: 325 mi (523 km)
- Service ceiling 29,500 ft (9,000 m)
- Wing loading: 35 lb/ft² (171 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb (0.26 kW/kg)
Armament
- 2 × .50 in (12.7 mm) synchronized machine guns in the forward fuselage
- Provision for 8 × .30 in (7.6 mm) wing-mounted guns
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
[edit] Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft, 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
- Green, William. War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters. London: MacDonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1961 (Sixth impression 1969). ISBN 0-356-01448-7.
- Green, William and Swanborough, Gordon. WW2 Aircraft Fact Files: US Army Air Force Fighters, Part 1. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1977. ISBN 0-356-08218-0.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
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