Bell P-59
| Bell P-59 | |
|---|---|
 Bell P-59A |
|
| Type: | Jet-powered fighter aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
October 1, 1942 |
| Number of pieces: |
66 |
The Bell P-59 Airacomet was the first US jet aircraft .
history
After the design drawings of Whittles Turbine came to the USA, General Electric was commissioned to build the engine; Bell applied to build the cell. The project was kept under the utmost secrecy - the prototype was even fitted with a balsa wood propeller on the ground in order to mislead casual observers. The designation "P-59" already represented part of the confidentiality efforts - the "XP-59" was originally a piston fighter project.
However, this confidentiality had the disadvantage that only limited resources could be used; for example, the wind tunnels of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) could not be used. The performance of the model did not come close to the German and British competitive models. The US Army only ordered 100 copies, but only 20 P-59A and 30 P-59B were built; with the P-80 of Lockheed was already a much better aircraft available.
The first flight of the XP-59A, which was powered by two General Electric Type 1A jet engines, took place on October 1, 1942 in Muroc Dry Lake. Two more machines of the same type follow. A total of 66 aircraft were accepted by the USAAF: 1 in 1943, 36 in 1944 and 29 in 1945. The first small series aircraft were delivered in July 1944, the last in May 1945.
In 1942 the aircraft was observed in flight by the crew of a Lockheed P-38 ; When she reported about an "airplane without a propeller" after her return, no one believed the story.
In 2006 a P-59 was presented to the public in the USA after ten years of restoration.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Bell P-59A data | Bell P-59B data |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 1 | |
| length | 11.63 m | |
| span | 13.87 m | |
| height | 3.66 m | |
| Wing area | 35.84 m² | |
| Empty mass | 3610 kg | 3704 kg |
| Max. Takeoff mass | 5760 kg | 6214 kg |
| drive | two General Electric J31- GE-3 jet engines ; 8.9 kN thrust each | two General Electric J31-GE-5 jet engines; 8.9 kN thrust each |
| Top speed | 671 km / h at 9150 m altitude | 658 km / h at 9150 m altitude |
| Service ceiling | 14,080 m | |
| Range | 837 km (with two reserve tanks) | 644 km (with reserve tanks) |
| Armament | one 37mm cannon, three 12.7mm machine guns | |
See also
Web links
Individual evidence