Curtiss xp-55 Ascender

[johnbr]

The mockup.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Wildr1]

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots!

 

[Wildr1]

 

[dogsbody]

Drawings.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[wlewisiii]

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

 

[wuzak]

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.

 

[wuzak]

 

[Wildr1]

 

[Wurger]

 

[johnbr]

 

[P-39 Expert]

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.

 

[johnbr]

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.

 

[Wurger]

 

[vikingBerserker]

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

 

[P-39 Expert]

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.

 

[johnbr]

net

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots!