| XP4Y Corregidor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Maritime patrolflying boat |
| Manufacturer | Consolidated Aircraft |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | 5 May 1939 |
TheConsolidated XP4Y Corregidor (companyModel 31) was an American twin-engined long-rangemaritime patrolflying boat built byConsolidated Aircraft for theUnited States Navy. Only one was built and a production order for 200 was cancelled.
The Model 31 was a new flying boat design started in 1938, intended for both military and commercial use. The aircraft was of all-metal construction with a high-mounted, high-aspect ratiocantilevermonoplane wing (theDavis wing, which was later used in theB-24 Liberator)[1] and an upswept aft fuselage with a tail unit with twin endplate fins and rudders. It had retractable floats on the undersides of the wings and was powered by two of the newWright R-3350 radial engines. The civil version could carry seats for 52 passengers, or sleeper accommodation for 28.[2]
The prototype Model 31 first flew on 5 May 1939, demonstrating excellent performance.[2] TheJapanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 brought America into theSecond World War just as testing was complete and theUnited States Navy purchased the prototype, designatedXP4Y-1, which was converted into a prototype patrol aircraft, fitted with nose, tail and dorsal gun turrets and 4,000 lb (1,820 kg) of external stores.[3]
A production order for 200 P4Y-1 was placed in October 1942, with a new aircraft plant which had been constructed atNew Orleans, Louisiana to build the aircraft. Delays in preparation of the prototype and the shortage ofWright Duplex Cyclone engines (which were required to power theB-29 Superfortress) led to the production order being cancelled, with the factory being used to build thePBY, instead.[4]
Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982–1985), 1985, Orbis Publishing, p. 1194
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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