Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender

Curtiss-Wright · United States · first flew 1943 · fighter

The XP-55 Ascender was an unconventional American experimental fighter with a canard layout and rear-mounted pusher propeller, designed to improve pilot visibility and forward firepower. Its swept wing and absence of a conventional tail gave it a radical appearance for its era.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × piston, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	Allison engine buried in rear fuselage driving pusher propeller
T — Tail	No tailplane

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

Spot it by:

Pusher-propeller canard with no conventional tail surfaces
Swept mid-wing with prominent wingtip fins and rudders
Allison engine buried in rear fuselage driving pusher propeller

Unmistakable canard configuration with a swept mid-wing, twin endplate fins at the wingtips, and no rear horizontal tail; the propeller is at the tail driven by a rear-facing engine.

Specifications

The Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender has a length of 9.02 m (30 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.37 m (41 ft).
Its maximum speed is 628 km/h (390 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Designed in response to a 1939 USAAF specification calling for unorthodox fighter designs, the XP-55 first flew on 19 July 1943. Three prototypes were built; one was lost in a fatal accident during an airshow demonstration in 1945, and the programme was cancelled as jet propulsion rendered piston-engine experimentals obsolete.

Variants

Three prototypes (XP-55 series) were completed; no production variant was ordered.

Where you'll see it

The XP-55 was a pure experimental aircraft and never entered service; one surviving airframe is preserved at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Related aircraft

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