| XP-54 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Heavy Fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Vultee Aircraft |
| Status | Canceled |
| Primary user | United States Army Air Forces |
| Number built | 2 |
| History | |
| First flight | 15 January 1943 |
| Variant | XP-68 Tornado |
TheVultee XP-54Swoose Goose was a prototypeheavy fighter built by theVultee Aircraft Company for theUnited States Army Air Forces (USAAF).
Vultee submitted a proposal in response toU.S. Army Air Corps request R40C.[1] The Vultee design won the competition, beating theCurtissXP-55 Ascender and theNorthrop XP-56 Black Bullet. Vultee designated it Model 84, a descendant of their earlier Model 78. After completing preliminary engineering and wind tunnel tests, a contract for a prototype was awarded on 8 January 1941. A second prototype was ordered on 17 March 1942. Although it appeared to be a radical design, performance was lackluster, and the project was canceled due to budget overruns and extreme delays.
The XP-54 was designed with apusherengine in the aft part of the fuselage. The tail was mounted rearward between two mid-wing booms, with the twelve-foot propeller between them. The design included a "ducted wing section" developed by theNACA to enable installation of cooling radiators andintercoolers in theinverted gull wing. ThePratt & Whitney X-1800 andWright R-2160 Tornado[2] engines were proposed as possible powerplants, but after the discontinuation of thePratt & Whitney X-1800 and being denied access to theWright R-2160 Tornado[2] the liquid-cooledLycoming XH-2470 was substituted.
In September1941, the XP-54s mission was changed from low-altitude to high-altitudeinterception. Consequently, twin Wright Bturbo-superchargers[2] and heavier armor was added, and empty weight increased to 18,000 lb (5,200 to 8,200 kg).
The XP-54 was unique in numerous ways. The pressurized cockpit required a complex entry system: the pilot's seat acted as an elevator for cockpit access from the ground. The pilot lowered the seat electrically, sat in it, and raised it into the cockpit. Bail-out procedure was complicated by the pressurization system and pusher configuration, necessitating a downward ejection of the pilot and seat to clear the propeller arc.[3] Also, the nose section could pivot through the vertical, three degrees up and six degrees down. In the nose, two37 mm M4 T-12/T-13 cannons were in rigid mounts while two.50 cal machine guns were in movable mounts. Movement of the nose and machine guns was controlled by a special compensatinggun sight. Thus, the cannon trajectory could be elevated without altering the flight attitude of the airplane. The large nose section gave rise to its whimsical nickname, theSwoose Goose, inspired by a song about Alexander who was half-swan and half-goose: "Alexander was a swoose." – a name shared withthe oldest surviving B-17.
Flight tests of the first prototype,41-1210, began on 15 January 1943. Trials showed the XP-54 had great handling although, the performance was found to be substantially below guarantees. Simultaneously, development of the XH-2470 engine was discontinued. Although theAllison V-3420 engine could be substituted, that required substantial airframe changes. Projected delays and mounting costs resulted in the decision to not consider purchasing of production aircraft.
The prototypes continued to be used in an experimental program until problems with the Lycoming engines and lack of spare parts caused termination. The second prototype,42-108994 (but mistakenly painted as42-1211) had the twin Wrightturbo-supercharger setup replaced with a single experimental GE XCMturbo-supercharger,[2] this airframe made ten flights before it was relegated to a "parts plane" to keep the first prototype in the air.[4]
Data from Green and Swanborough 1978, p. 84.
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
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