# Curtiss xp-55 Ascender



## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)

Curtiss XP-55 Ascender (CW-24) (s/n 42-78845) on the ground with the engine running. Image dated 16 October 1943.


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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2017)




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## at6 (Sep 30, 2017)

Sweet!!!!


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## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)




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## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)




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## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)

View attachment 467717


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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2017)




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## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)




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## Wurger (Sep 30, 2017)




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## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)



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## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)

Curtiss CW-24B: Sometimes confused with the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender, the Curtiss CW-24B was the testbed for that canard fighter. A lighter aircraft with its tube steel and fabric construction, the CW-24B was tested in Langley's 30 x 60 Full Scale Tunnel.



Curtiss cw-24b


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## Gnomey (Sep 30, 2017)

Good shots!

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## johnbr (Sep 30, 2017)

View attachment 467720
Good photo new one. 
*Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender fighter airplane test firing machine guns, 7 March 1944.*


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## Wurger (Oct 1, 2017)




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## Wayne Little (Oct 1, 2017)

Sweet.


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## polo1112 (Oct 3, 2017)

Very interesting pictures from the Curtiss Ascender.
Thank you very much for sharing them. Polo.


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## Old Wizard (Oct 5, 2017)




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## wuzak (Oct 5, 2017)

johnbr said:


>



"Shit, they put the engine in the wrong end!"


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## johnbr (Oct 5, 2017)

I think it was from too much beer.


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## Wurger (Oct 6, 2017)

So what kind of beer it was....oh boy...


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## johnbr (Oct 15, 2017)

The mockup.


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## Wurger (Oct 15, 2017)




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## Wildr1 (Feb 25, 2018)



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## Gnomey (Feb 25, 2018)

Nice shots!


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## Wildr1 (Mar 2, 2018)



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## dogsbody (Mar 4, 2018)

Drawings.

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## Gnomey (Mar 11, 2018)

Good stuff!


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## wlewisiii (Mar 23, 2018)

I often wonder what might have been had they gone the DO-335 route and stuck an Allison up front too...


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## wuzak (Mar 29, 2018)

1st prototype after crashing during stalling tests






It fell several thousand feet inverted. The pilot escaped, which in itself took a few thousand feet.

The third prototype also crashed, killing its pilot and four civilians - a family in their car. The XP-55 was performing at a war bonds air show in mid 1945.

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## wuzak (Mar 29, 2018)



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## Wildr1 (Mar 29, 2018)



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## Wurger (Mar 30, 2018)




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## johnbr (Jun 24, 2018)



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## P-39 Expert (Jul 4, 2018)

johnbr said:


> View attachment 499122
> View attachment 499119


In the top photo of the cockpit notice the two red handles on the right to jettison the canopy and the propeller for bail out. Don't want to forget to jettison that propeller!
The instrument panel looks very organized with the engine instruments on the right and the flight instruments on the left.


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## johnbr (Sep 19, 2018)

Missouri Historical Society | Find Yourself Here. 
*Test pilot Bob Fausel (in cockpit) preparing to test the second XP-55 fighter airplane the Ascender built by Curtiss-Wright. (Curtiss-Wright model CW-24), 18 February 1944.*

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## Wurger (Sep 19, 2018)




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## vikingBerserker (Sep 19, 2018)

It always looked hodge-podge to me, not as smooth as the Kyushu J7W Shinden.

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## P-39 Expert (Sep 19, 2018)

vikingBerserker said:


> It always looked hodge-podge to me, not as smooth as the Kyushu J7W Shinden.


I always really liked the looks of the Ass-ender as Curtiss called it relative to the Shinden, but the Shinden was an excellent effort (IMO) for a radial engined canard/flying wing.


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## johnbr (Aug 12, 2019)

net

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## Gnomey (Aug 12, 2019)

Nice shots!


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## MIflyer (Aug 12, 2019)

I think that technically the XP-55 was not a canard because the forward control surface was an elevator and not a wing. 

Anyway, too bad they never put a jet engine in it.


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## johnbr (Aug 24, 2019)

Facebook

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## johnbr (Oct 13, 2019)

Warbird Information Exchange • View topic - No Mocking this Mockup!! ...

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## Gnomey (Oct 14, 2019)

Nice shots!


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## Peter Gunn (Oct 14, 2019)

Was looking through this thread without signing in and, well, let's just say this happened...

I'm not judging mind you, just...

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## gumbyk (Oct 14, 2019)

Peter Gunn said:


> Was looking through this thread without signing in and, well, let's just say this happened...
> 
> I'm not judging mind you, just...
> 
> View attachment 556580



What's on your browsing history???


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## Capt. Vick (Oct 14, 2019)

Hahahahaha!


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## Peter Gunn (Oct 15, 2019)

gumbyk said:


> What's on your browsing history???


A rather weighty subject for discussion...

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## gumbyk (Oct 15, 2019)

Peter Gunn said:


> A rather weighty subject for discussion...


And probably best not in a public forum...

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## at6 (Oct 16, 2019)

Peter Gunn said:


> Was looking through this thread without signing in and, well, let's just say this happened...
> 
> I'm not judging mind you, just...
> 
> View attachment 556580


On the one hand, they do have loads of personality.

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## P-39 Expert (Oct 18, 2019)

at6 said:


> On the one hand, they do have loads of personality.


I believe the correct terminology is "junk in the trunk".

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## WJPearce (Oct 18, 2019)

A formation of heavies.

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## johnbr (Feb 13, 2021)

Warbird Information Exchange • View topic - No Mocking this Mockup!! ...


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## johnbr (Feb 13, 2021)




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## johnbr (Feb 13, 2021)



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## johnbr (Feb 13, 2021)

Aircraft disposition

42-78845: crashed during vertical dive on Nov 15, 1943. Pilot bailed out.
42-78846: on display at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is on long-term loan from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
42-78847: crashed during air show at Wright Field, Ohio on May 27, 1945. Pilot killed.

General characteristics

Crew: One (pilot)
Length: 29 ft 7 in (9.02 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 7 in (12.37 m)
Height: 10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)
Wing area: 235 sq ft (21.8 m2)
Empty weight: 6,354 lb (2,882 kg)
Gross weight: 7,710 lb (3,497 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 7,930 lb (3,597 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Allison V-1710-95 liquid-cooled V12 engine, 1,275 hp (951 kW)
Performance

Maximum speed: 390 mph (630 km/h, 340 kn) at 19,300 feet (5,900 m)
Range: 635 mi (1,022 km, 552 nmi)
Service ceiling: 34,600 ft (10,500 m)
Wing loading: 32.8 lb/sq ft (160 kg/m2)
Power/mass: 0.16 hp/lb
Armament
Guns: 4 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns in the nose


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## wlewisiii (Feb 13, 2021)

The reports are interesting. I always wondered if they had extended the fuselage with a plug behind the pilot big enough for a turbocharger similar to the P-47's. I'd think (with my just enough to get me in trouble aerodynamics knowledge) that would, along with increasing the area of the elevators till they were more actually canards, also help the stall characteristics.

Really though I can't help but wonder if the best thing that could have happened to it was a pair of J-35's in place of the V-1710 with the plug used for them and fuel.


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## Thumpalumpacus (Feb 13, 2021)

Jettison the canopy, jettison the prop ... but what about that air intake? You better have some strong legs to get out of that SoB.


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## gumbyk (Feb 14, 2021)

Thumpalumpacus said:


> Jettison the canopy, jettison the prop ... but what about that air intake? You better have some strong legs to get out of that SoB.


bail-out was usually done to the side. On most aircraft this was to avoid hitting the tail.

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## wuzak (Feb 14, 2021)

johnbr said:


> Aircraft disposition
> 
> 42-78845: crashed during vertical dive on Nov 15, 1943. Pilot bailed out.



Actually it was during stall tests.

The aircraft flipped on its back and fell to the ground in a flat orientation, but inverted. There was no forward speed, so the control surfaces were ineffective.

Pilot was able to bail out only after the aircraft fell many thousands of feet.

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