Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet Pursuit Fighter / Pusher-Type Flying Wing (1943)
The Northrop XP-56 was another Army Air Corps proposal to research the benefits of pusher-propeller design.
The XP-56 was fitted with large-area wings, bent at the outer portions and attached to a stubby fuselage. The engine intakes were masterfully incorporated into the wing roots while the engine was mounted at rear, just behind the single vertical tail surface. The pilot was offered a commanding view high atop the fuselage design and tricycle landing gears rounded out the features. Proposed armament for the system would have been a pair of 20mm cannons and 4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns presumably mounted in the nose or the wings or both. Power was derived from a 2,000 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800-29 engine.
The Black Bullet was initially flown in its first prototype form on September 23, 1943 though this aircraft was quickly lost to a taxi test accident. The second completed prototype would follow on March 23, 1944 and feature some improvements to the original design including a yaw control system and a large-area vertical stabilizer. The second prototype took to the air and underwent a battery of tests only to reveal that the system offered up no real benefits in its design or layout. As such, the XP-56 was limited to just the two prototype examples. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet
Pursuit Fighter / Pusher-Type Flying Wing
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Northrop - USA
Initial Year of Service: 1943
Production: 2
Focus Model: Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet
Crew: 1
Length: 27.56ft (8.4m)
Width: 42.45ft (12.94m)
Height: 10.99ft (3.35m)
Weight (Empty): 8,699lbs (3,946kg)
Weight (MTOW): 11,349lbs (5,148kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-2800-29 engine delivering 2,000hp.
Maximum Speed: 465mph (748kmh; 404kts)
Maximum Range: 0miles (0km)
Service Ceiling: 32,999ft (10,058m; 6.2miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 0 feet per minute (0m/min)
Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
Proposed Armament:
2 x 20mm cannons
4 x 12.7mm machine guns
Variants:
XP-56 - Prototype Model Series Designation; 2 examples produced with first prototype lost to accident; second prototype featured larger-area vertical stabilizer, improved wingtip design and yaw control flight system.
Operators: the United States of America
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