Curtiss P-60
Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1941 · fighter
The Curtiss P-60 was a single-engine, single-seat, low-wing monoplane fighter developed by Curtiss-Wright as a successor to the P-40.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Laminar-flow wing fitted to a P-40D-based fuselage and tail on the early XP-60 |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-engine low-wing monoplane fighter built as a successor to the P-40
- Laminar-flow wing fitted to a P-40D-based fuselage and tail on the early XP-60
- Later XP-60C with a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial and contra-rotating propellers; YP-60E with a cut-down rear fuselage and bubble canopy
The early XP-60 resembles a P-40 with a new wing; the later radial-engined XP-60C and YP-60E have a rounded cowling and, on the YP-60E, a bubble canopy.
Specifications
- The Curtiss P-60 has a length of 10.34 m (34 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 12.6 m (41 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 666 km/h (414 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
It grew from a proposal combining the P-40D fuselage and tail with a low-drag NACA laminar-flow wing, first as the XP-53 and then, with a Merlin-type engine, as the XP-60. The prototype first flew on 18 September 1941.
Variants
The type went through a long series of prototypes with different engines, including the XP-60A, XP-60B, XP-60C with contra-rotating propellers, XP-60D, XP-60E and YP-60E. Eventually the design bore little resemblance to the P-40.
Where you'll see it
None of the versions reached production. Production of the P-60A was cancelled in February 1942 so that Curtiss could build more P-40s and then Thunderbolts, and the XP-60E and XP-60C tested poorly against contemporary fighters.
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