Curtiss P-1032-7

Single-Seat, Single-Engine Jet Fighter Proposal [ 1946 ]

The Curtiss P-1032-7 jet fighter led a series of four proposals directed at the United States Army Air Forces in the latter stages of World War 2.

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In February of 1944, with the Allied victory in World War 2 (1939-1945) still in doubt and the turbojet engine clearly becoming the future of aerial warfare, the Curtiss Aeroplane Company pushed a series of advanced fighter designs for possible acceptance by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The first of a series of four total designs became the "P-1032-7", a project fighter featuring a single turbojet engine installation for the required power and performance. While the type was not furthered beyond its paper stage, it offers an intriguing look into the direction of American fighter design in the latter war years - particularly as the jet engine is concerned.

At its core, the Curtis P-1032-7 was a single-seat, single-engine monoplane fighter heavily armed and built around performance. The fuselage was made as slender as possible, seating the pilot aft of a lengthened nosecone assembly. A lightly-framed, two-piece canopy would be used to offer the best out-of-cockpit vision possible. The nose assembly housed a collection of 4 x 20mm automatic cannons, giving the potential fighter a most potent frontal punch against any German (or later, Soviet) adversary of the day. The mainplanes were set at midships and were of tapering, straight design with clipped tips. Its mounting was low with noticeable dihedral (upwards angle) towards the wing tips. The tail unit would rely on a single rudder fin with low-mounted horizontal planes to round out the control surfaces scheme for the jet. A modern tricycle (wheeled and retractable) undercarriage would be fitted for ground-running actions.

Taken as a whole, the P-1032-7 was an impressive fighter proposal on paper. Heavily-armed and potentially of high-performance, the jet fighter would have been a considerable addition to the stable of the massive USAAF as the war years seemingly dragged on, potentially into 1946.

Internally, the aircraft was to be powered by only a single air-breathing, fuel-thirsty turbojet engine of unknown make or model - those this eventually was to become the famous General Electric (Allison) J35 which went on to see some 14,000 units manufactured and powering such classic period types as the North American FJ-1 "Fury", Northrop F-89 "Scorpion", and the Republic F-84 "Thunderjet". Since the P-1032-7's armament was concentrated in the nose, this meant that the air breathing aspect of the engine would be satisfied through intakes embedded at each wing leading edge - requiring duct work funneling the fresh air through the wing into the middle-aft section of the fuselage. Beyond this, however, the design of the Curtiss fighter was largely conventional by late-war standards.

Dimensions of the proposed design included a running length of 40.10 feet with a wingspan measuring 36.8 feet. Gross weight was estimated at 13,000lb with an overloaded weight up to 15,500lb.

While pure estimates, the P-1032-7 was to have a maximum speed near 600 miles-per-hour (under ideal conditions) up to altitudes beyond 40,000 feet. Range was out to 1,200miles as the airframe could accept a pair of underwing jettisonable fuel tanks for extended flights.

At any rate, nothing became of the Curtiss P-1032-7. The subsequent P-1032-9 switched to a twin-engine layout with underslung wing engines (similar to the German wartime Messerschmitt Me 262 "Schwalbe" fighter) and the P-1032-11 combined the power output of an early-form turboprop engine with that of a turbojet. The P-1032-13 reverted back to a more traditional twin-jet arrangement though these were closely paired under the fuselage.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Curtiss Aeroplane Company - USA
Manufacturer(s)

United States (cancelled)
Operators

1946
Service Year

United States
National Origin

Cancelled
Project Status

1
Crew

0
Units

AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

INTERCEPTION
Ability to intercept inbound aerial threats by way of high-performance, typically speed and rate-of-climb.

X-PLANE
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

HIGH-SPEED PERFORMANCE
Can accelerate to higher speeds than average aircraft of its time.

HIGH-ALTITUDE PERFORMANCE
Can reach and operate at higher altitudes than average aircraft of its time.

PILOT / CREW EJECTION SYSTEM
Assisted process of allowing its pilot and / or crew to eject in the event of an airborne emergency.

CREWSPACE PRESSURIZATION
Supports pressurization required at higher operating altitudes for crew survival.

ENCLOSED CREWSPACE(S)
Features partially- or wholly-enclosed crew workspaces.

RETRACTABLE UNDERCARRIAGE
Features retracting / retractable undercarriage to preserve aerodynamic efficiency.

40.8 ft
(12.45 meters)
Length

36.7 ft
(11.20 meters)
Width/Span

13,228 lb
(6,000 kilograms)
Empty Weight

15,465 lb
(7,015 kilograms)
Maximum Take-Off Weight

+2,238 lb
(+1,015 kg)
Weight Difference

monoplane / low-mounted / straight, tapered
Mainplane Arrangement

Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represents the most popular modern mainplane arrangement.

Low-Mounted
Mainplanes are low-mounted along the sides of the fuselage.

Straight
The planform involves use of basic, straight mainplane members.

Straight, Tapered
The planform uses straight mainplane members which taper towards the wing tips.

1 x Turbojet engine of unknown make, model, and thrust output. Most likely to become the GE/Allison J35 turbojet engine of around 4,000lb thrust.
Propulsion

606 mph
(975 kph | 526 knots)
Max Speed

454 mph
(730 kph | 394 knots)
Cruise Speed

+152 mph
(+245 kph | 132 knots)
Speed Difference

41,010 ft
(12,500 m | 8 miles)
Ceiling

1,190 miles
(1,915 km | 1,034 nm)
Range

4,430 ft/min
(1,350 m/min)
Rate-of-Climb

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

PROPOSED:
4 x 20mm internal automatic cannons embedded in the nose assembly.

OPTIONAL:
2 x External, jettisonable fuel tanks held at underwing hardpoints for extended operating ranges.

0
Hardpoints

P-1032-7 - Base Series Designation.

P-1032-9 - Twin-engine design with underslung wing nacelles housing turbojet powerplants.

P-1032-11 - Combination turboprop / turbojet propulsion scheme.

P-1032013 - Twin-engine design with engines concentrated side-by-side under the fuselage.

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