Curtiss XF15C

Curtiss · United States · first flew 1945 · fighter

The Curtiss XF15C was an experimental composite-powered carrier fighter using both a piston engine driving a propeller and a jet engine in the tail, developed for the US Navy at the end of World War II. It represented one of several transitional designs bridging piston and pure jet propulsion.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.32 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Mixed-power composite fighter with piston and jet engine
Both propeller nose and tail-mounted jet exhaust
Last Curtiss fighter design for US Navy

A large mid-wing carrier fighter with a big radial engine at the nose and a jet exhaust at the tail base; the combination of propeller disc and jet efflux makes it unique among US naval fighters.

Specifications

The Curtiss XF15C has a length of 13.32 m (44 ft).
It has a wingspan of 14.63 m (48 ft).
Its maximum speed is 755 km/h (469 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

First flown in 1945, the XF15C combined a Wright R-3350 radial engine in the nose with an Allis-Chalmers J36 turbojet exhausting through the tail. The concept aimed to provide the range and loiter time of a piston aircraft with a speed boost from jet power. Three prototypes were built but the design was outpaced by pure jet fighters and was cancelled in 1948.

Variants

Three XF15C-1 prototypes were constructed; no production variants followed.

Where you'll see it

The XF15C never entered US Navy operational service; all three aircraft were used for flight testing and evaluation.

Related aircraft

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