Curtiss XP-31 Swift: Difference between revisions
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* Boeing Company. Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition. Seattle, WA: The Boeing Company, 1969. |
* Boeing Company. Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition. Seattle, WA: The Boeing Company, 1969. |
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* Bowers, Peter M. ''Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947''. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8. |
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* Donald, David, ed. ''Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X. |
* Donald, David, ed. ''Encyclopedia of World Aircraft''. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X. |
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* Dorr, Robert F. and Donald, David. ''Fighters of the United States Air Force''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-60055-094-X. |
* Dorr, Robert F. and Donald, David. ''Fighters of the United States Air Force''. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-60055-094-X. |
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Revision as of 13:34, 26 March 2008
The Curtiss XP-31 Swift (company model XP-934) was a 1930s American experimental monoplane fighter built by Curtiss for the United States Army Air Corps.
Although the XP-31 featured the first enclosed cockpit on a U.S. pursuit aircraft, it was also the last pursuit aircraft to have fixed landing gear and externally braced wings. Despite its innovations, the XP-31 did not offer any advantages compared to its rival the Boeing P-26 and was not ordered into series production.
Design and development
Curtiss offered the XP-934 in a 1932 competition with the P-26. It was a low-wing monoplane with fixed, strut-braced landing gear, first flown in July. It was the AAC's first single-seat closed-cockpit fighter, and the last with fixed gear and wing struts. Despite its quite small size, it was badly overweight, and carried 125 U.S. gal (104 Imp gal, 474 liters) fuel. Although Curtiss considered the design significant in that it introduced various new technologies, compared to its contemporaries, the XP-934 was already outmoded, and, more importantly, testing showed that it fell below performance expectations.[1]
Testing and evaluation
Powered by a 700 hp (520 kW) R-1750 Cyclone radial, its performance was dismal, despite retractable slots on the wing leading edge and large trailing-edge flaps, so a 600 hp (450 kW) Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror was substituted. In this form, the Curtiss XP-31 Swift (s/n 33-178) was delivered on 1 March 1933, having already lost to the P-26. The sole example was scrapped in 1935.[1]
Operators
Specifications
Data from U.S. Fighters: Army-Air Force 1925 to 1980s and Fighters of the United States Air Force[1]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1 pilot
Performance
Related lists
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Boeing Company. Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition. Seattle, WA: The Boeing Company, 1969.
- Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
- Donald, David, ed. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
- Dorr, Robert F. and Donald, David. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-60055-094-X.
- Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Fighters: Army-Air Force 1925 to 1980s. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, 1975. ISBN 0-8168-9200-8.
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