XP-13 Viper
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| XP-13 | |
|---|---|
 Thomas-Morse XP-13 |
|
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Thomas-Morse |
| Designed by | B. Douglas Thomas[1] |
| Introduced | June 1929 |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Service |
| Number built | 1[2] |
The XP-13 Viper was a prototype biplane fighter aircraft designed by the United States company Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation. The airplane was delivered to the United States Army in 1929.
Contents |
[edit] Design and development
This aircraft was one of several B. Douglas Thomas designs built in hopes of a production contract from the Army, following the successful Thomas-Morse MB-3 of 1919. Financed by the company, and named the "Viper", it was officially purchased by the Army in June of 1929 and designated "XP-13".
The XP-13 fuselage had a corrugated aluminum skin built over a metal frame; the flying surfaces were also metal-framed, but covered with the traditional fabric. While designed to use the 600 hp Curtiss H-1640-1 Chieftain engine, for which the XP-13 incorporated a complex system of baffles to direct cooling air over the engine, the engine simply would not stay cool enough, and in September of 1930 it was replaced with a Pratt & Whitney SR1340C Wasp of 450 hp. Ironically, the lower-power engine actually resulted in a speed increase of 15 mph, at least partly because of the weight savings.[3]
In the end, the Army decided against production, Thomas-Morse was acquired by Consolidated Aircraft, and the prototype was lost to an inflight fire.
[edit] Variants
- XP-13
- Prototype, serial number 29-453 with 600 hp (448 kW) Curtiss H-1640-1 Chieftain hex engine[2]
- XP-13A
- The XP-13 modified with a 525 hp (391.5 kW) Pratt and Whitney SR-1340-C enclosed in a NACA cowling, along with a revised fin and rudder[4]
- XP-14
- This designation was used for a proposed Curtiss version of the Viper with the Curtiss H-1640-1 Chieftain hex engine
[edit] Operators
United States Army Air Service
[edit] Specifications (XP-13 (Chieftain engine))
Data from "The Complete Book of Fighters" cover Editors: William Green & Gordon Swanborough (Barnes & Noble Books New York, 1998, ISBN 0760709041), 608 pp.
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
- Wingspan: 28 ft 0 in (8.53 m)
- Height: 8 ft 5 in (2.56 m)
- Wing area: 189 ft² (17.6 m²)
- Empty weight: 2,262 lb (1,026 kg)
- Loaded weight: 3,256 lb (1,477 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Curtiss H-1640-1 Chieftain, 600 hp (448 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 150 knots (172 mph, 277 km/h) (at sea level)
- Cruise speed: 113 knots (130 mph, 209 km/h [5])
- Range: 168 NM (193 mi, 312 km [5])
- Service ceiling 20,775 ft (6,300 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,700 ft/min[5] (8.64 m/s)
Armament none
[edit] References
- ^ "The Complete Book of Fighters" cover Editors: William Green & Gordon Swanborough (Barnes & Noble Books New York, 1998, ISBN 0760709041), 608 pp.
- ^ a b "U.S. Army Aircraft 1908-1946" by James C. Fahey, 1946, 64pp.
- ^ "U.S. Fighters", by Lloyd S. Jones, (Aero Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0816892008, 1975) pp. 46-47
- ^ "The American Fighter", Enzo Angellucci and Peter Bowers, (Orion Books ISBN 0517565889), 1987
- ^ a b c Dorr and Donald 1990, p.43
- Dorr, Robert F. and Donald, David. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London:Temple, 1990. ISBN 0 600 55094 X.
[edit] External links
Related lists
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