Convair XP-81
| Convair XP-81 | |
|---|---|
 Convair XP-81 in flight |
|
| Type: | Escort hunter |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
February 11, 1945 |
| Commissioning: |
never put into service |
| Production time: |
never mass-produced |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The XP-81 was a projected escort fighter of the US-American manufacturer Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation from the year 1945. It had a hybrid drive , consisting of one jet and one turbo-prop engine .
Two prototypes were ordered on February 11, 1944 and designated XP-81. An attempt should be made with them to combine the respective advantages of jet and turboprop propulsion. For example, a General Electric TG-100 turboprop engine with a four-blade propeller was installed in the aircraft's nose, plus an Allison J33 jet engine in the rear of the fuselage. The TG-100 was later developed and called the XT-31 . The turboprop engine was used in normal flight and the turbojet was switched on to achieve high speeds.
The first XP-81 (serial number 44-91000) was completed in January 1945. However, since there were problems with the turboprop engine, it was initially replaced by the Merlin V-1650-7 engine of a P-51 D for the first flights . On February 11, 1945, the first flight took place from Edwards Air Force Base . During the more than ten flights, the aircraft showed very good flight characteristics.
A further thirteen YP-81 pre-production machines were ordered. After the conquest of Guam and Saipan , however, there was no longer any need for long-range escort hunters. The order was canceled shortly before the Japanese surrender, even though 85% of the YP-81 machine had already been designed . The YP-81 was similar to the XP-81, but was lighter and equipped with an improved TG-110 turboprop engine. The wings were moved back about 25 cm. The armament consisted of six 12.7 mm machine guns or six 20 mm cannons.
After the machine returned to Vultee Field, flight tests were suspended. The performance of the turboprop engine did not meet expectations and only came close to that of the Merlin engine with 1490 PS (1110 kW).
Technical specifications
| Parameter | XP-81 data (estimated with TG-100 full load) |
|---|---|
| crew | 1 |
| length | 13.67 m |
| span | 15.39 m |
| height | 4.27 m |
| Wing area | 39.5 m² |
| Empty mass | 5786 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 8850 kg |
| Turboprop engine | 1 × General Electric T31 -GE-1 turboprop , 2,300 PS (approx. 1,690 kW) |
| Jet propulsion | 1 × Turbojet Allison J33 -GE-5, 16.7 kN thrust |
| Top speed | 811 km / h |
| Service ceiling | 10,800 m |
| Range | 4000 km |
| Armament | planned: 6 × 20 mm cannons, 900 kg bombs |
credentials
- William Green (1961). War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters , (Vol 4). London: MacDonald
