Vultee XP-54
| Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose | |
|---|---|
 Test flight of the XP-54 prototype |
|
| Type: | Fighter prototype |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
January 15, 1943 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 |
The Vultee XP-54 (factory designation Model 84, unofficially also known as the Swoose Goose ) was an American fighter aircraft from 1943, of which only two prototypes were built.
history
The XP-54 was built based on a request from the US Army Air Corps . The XP-54 won the tender against the competing Curtiss-Wright XP-55 and Northrop XP-56 designs . Vultee Aircraft had derived the XP-54 from its earlier model V-78 , which already had a very similar design. After completing the first construction with wind tunnel tests , a contract for a prototype was signed on January 8, 1941 . The second prototype was then ordered on March 17, 1942.
The XP-54 had a pusher propeller . The double tail girders were connected to one another by the horizontal stabilizer. The radiators of the planned Pratt & Whitney X-1800 engine were integrated into the wings with a so-called “ducted wing section” . However, this engine was not fully developed, so it was replaced by a Lycoming XH-2470 , which was also water-cooled . As early as September 1940, the XP-54 was redesigned from a low-altitude fighter to a high-altitude fighter. It received a turbocharger, a pressurized cabin and heavy armament. The all-up weight increased sharply.
The XP-54 was a unique aircraft in many ways. The pilot was driven from the ground into the cockpit by a kind of elevator. The aircraft nose could be lowered 3 degrees upwards or 6 degrees downwards. Two 37 mm T-9 cannons and two 12.7 mm machine guns sat in the aircraft nose . The cannons were also tipped with the aircraft nose, so there was a compensating lens for the pilot.
The first flight took place on January 15, 1943. The flight attempts showed that the flight performance was significantly below the contractually guaranteed flight performance. Development of the Lycoming XH-2470 engine was discontinued and an Allison V-3420 engine was planned to be installed instead . The rebuilding effort and the costs prevented series production. The first prototype, USAF serial number 41-1210, was further tested, but the engine problems eventually ended the project after 86 flights. The second prototype with the serial number 42-108994 flew only once on May 24, 1944. Photos of the second prototype show the serial number 41-1211 painted on, which was probably applied by mistake on the first flights.
Parallel to the XP-54, a variant with the water-cooled 42-cylinder radial engine Wright R-2160, which was then in development , was commissioned by the Army. However , the design known as XP-68 was abandoned after a short development period due to major technical implementation problems.
Technical specifications
| Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose : | |
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| length | 16.69 m |
| Wingspan | 16.41 m |
| Wing area | 42.4 m² |
| height | 4.42 m |
| drive | A Lycoming XH-2470 -1 with 2,332 hp (1,715 kW) |
| Top speed | 613 km / h at an altitude of 8,700 m |
| crew | a pilot |
| Service ceiling | 11,300 m |
| Empty weight | 6,923 kg |
| All-up weight | 8,270 kg |
| Armament | two 37mm T-12 / T-13 cannons, two 12.7mm machine guns |
literature
- William Green: War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters . Vol 4. MacDonald London 1961.
