Curtiss XP-37

Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1939 · fighter

The Curtiss XP-37 was an American high-speed pursuit prototype of the late 1930s, powered by an Allison V-1710 turbo-supercharged engine that gave it exceptional speed at altitude but chronically unreliable performance.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Radiator under the fuselage in a chin position behind the nose
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Long-nose low-wing monoplane with Allison V-1710 liquid-cooled engine
Cockpit set far aft giving an extreme nose-heavy appearance
Radiator under the fuselage in a chin position behind the nose

Unmistakable for its enormously long nose, the cockpit perched far aft, and the slim Allison inline engine; the under-fuselage radiator and tapered low wing complete the picture.

Specifications

The Curtiss XP-37 has a length of 9.65 m (32 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.37 m (37 ft).
Its maximum speed is 567 km/h (352 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Designed around the high-altitude performance of the turbosupercharged Allison V-1710, the XP-37 achieved speeds that no production US fighter could match at the time. However, the Allison supercharger proved extremely unreliable and 13 YP-37 service-test aircraft ordered in 1937 spent most of their time unserviceable. The project was abandoned in 1942 without leading to production, though data from the programme informed later designs.

Variants

Seven XP-37 and thirteen YP-37 service-test aircraft were built; no production followed.

Where you'll see it

No operational service; the YP-37s were evaluated at Wright Field and by tactical units but were found unsuitable.

Related aircraft

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