Rear-Engine Pusher Fighter?

[gjs238]

Were there any?
I'm thinking a layout more like a jet aircraft, with the engine in the rear and the cockpit more forward.
Cooling could be with a P-51 type radiator scoop.

 

[gjs238]

OK, I see the XP54, XP55, XP56.

 

[mikewint]

The only one I know of is the Do335 and that was toward the end of the war with only about 20 having been delivered to combat units and it had a front puller engine in addition to the rear pusher.
others here may know of more

 

[tomo pauk]

Saab 21, image from Wikipedia. Note the coolers' location.

 

[gjs238]

Oooh-la-la. Nice find!

 

[mikewint]

I was thinking WWII but your original post did not specify that, nice find on the Sweatish 21 (Too bad its not a 13)

 

[davebender]

Dornier produced several tandem engine seaplanes so it's no surprise they chose a similiar arrangement when RLM finally agreed to fund the Do-335.

Does Saab have a history of producing rear engine aircraft?

 

[tyrodtom]

Most experimented with them.
America had the XP-54, 55 and 56, by Vultee, Curtiss, and Northrop. Japan had the Kyushu J7W. Italy had the Ambrosini SS.4. But Sweden is the only country that put a pusher fighter aircraft into service in the WW2 era. They later converted the same design to jet power.

 

[A4K]

Kyushu J7W1 Shinden

Shinden

 

[T Bolt]

Just had to throw that one in.

 

[The Basket]

Saab 21 looks good. But how does a pilot bail out with a blender churning behind him?

I hope the Saab had an ejection seat or the pilot was in for the chop.

 

[Shortround6]

Some of the pusher planes had schemes to jettison the prop before the pilot bailed out. I may be wrong but I believe the XP-56 had two turns of "det cord" around the reduction gear case on the engine to 'ensure' propeller separation.

 

[tyrodtom]

The Saab 21 had a ejection seat.

 

[Rivet]

Two pusher prop designs that never made it into operational usage might be the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender and the Japanese canard elevator Kawanishi Hein Shinden.

 

[gjs238]

The pusher layout seems to permit concentrated firepower in the nose.

 

[jjp_nl]

How about the Fokker D.XXIII...not strictly a pusher fighter but still an interesting and obscure find imho. One prototype flew prior to The Netherland being overrun by the Germans 1940.

 

[tomo pauk]

Plane of such an layout with 2 x Jumo 210 or with two Kestrels would've been interesting addition for many airforces of pre/early WW2. The scaled up version with Merlin/DB601-603/Allison/Klimov makes a potent warbird.

Or replace front engine with 4 x 20mm (or a pair of 37/40mm), and rear engine with something around 1500HP, give or take 200 HP. Okay, we end up at Saab 21

 

[gjs238]

As far as the two-engined bird, I wonder if that could develop into the night fighter you queried in another thread.

 

[jjp_nl]

As far as the two-engined bird, I wonder if that could develop into the night fighter you queried in another thread.

Not sure what you mean....

But, not intentionally no, but by request I could take it into that direction if it suits you

 

[davebender]

Front engine fighter aircraft would receive 1,500+ hp engines at the same time. How would a rear engine fighter stack up compared to the Fw-190, F4U, Spitfire IX, Me-109G6 etc.?