Looking through the Case History Report on the Whittle jet engine this morning, I noticed this summary of a 29 October 1943 letter from Brig Gen F. O. Carroll to Commanding General AAF, AC/AS, MM&D, Devel. Eng. Br., Lt Col M. C. Demler: "The [GE] I-16 engine was being considered by Consolidated Vultee Corp. for installation in an airplane that had been designed for the I-40. The reason for this was that the I-16 engine would be available much sooner than the I-40. Characteristics of the airplane both with the I-16 unit and the I-40 unit were listed." I'm not familiar with any such aircraft, does anyone know what it might have been and why it was being studied? I know there were huge numbers of purely conceptual designs being tossed around at the very dawn of the Jet Age, but this one has escaped me.
Consolidated-Vultee early jet fighter?
- Thread starter OldGeezer
- Start date
cvairwerks
Staff Sergeant
Probably the XP-81.
- Thread starter
- #3
Ah, I completely forgot about that one! Thanks!
cvairwerks
Staff Sergeant
Had to do a little digging as I had forgotten that the 81 was a twin engine project.
Someone has to re-peruse their Jones' U.S. Fighters. Tsk. Tsk. 
Users who are viewing this thread
Similar threads
