Curtiss P-1032-11

Hybrid Propulsion Fighter Proposal [ 1946 ]

The hybrid-powered Curtiss P-1032-11 was the third of four proposed fighters for the USAAF during World War 2.

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VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

The third of four jet-powered fighter designs proposed to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in February of 1944 was the P-1032-11. The original P-1032-7 appeared with a single, embedded engine configuration leading to the P-1032-9 with its podded twin-engine arrangement. The P-1032-11 was a wholly-different approach attempting to mate the inherent power of a turboprop engine with that of a single turbojet to maximize performance. None of the designs were evolved beyond their paper stage.

The P-1032-11 was noticeably different in its profile lines: the nose section was reworked to house the turboprop powerplant to be used to spin a large-diameter, four-bladed propeller unit and the single turbojet installation was buried within the middle-aft end of the fuselage. This resulted in a deeper side profile for the once-sleek fighter proposal. The crew remained a single pilot aft of the nose assembly and under a lightly-framed canopy. The tail stem ran over the engine exhaust ring which terminated under it. The tail unit comprised a single vertical fin with low-set horizontal planes. The mainplanes remained straight, tapering forms mounted low along the sides of the fuselage. A tricycle wheeled undercarriage standard across all four of the Curtiss submissions related to P-1032.

Power would stem from a General Electric T-31 (TG-100) turboprop coupled with a General Electric I-40 turbojet engine.

This turboprop became the first such engine to be designed and manufactured in number within the United States, running for the first time in May of 1945 and going on to power such types as the Consolidated Vultee XP-81 and Ryan XD2R "Dark Shark" experimentals (both detailed elsewhere on this site). However, it was not an outright success and only 28 units were completed of the 1,700 horsepower-rated engine. This more conventional powerplant would be used to rotate a 12-foot-diameter propeller unit at the nose in "puller" fashion. The exhaust from the engine would be jettisoned from underneath the aircraft at the belly.

The GE I-40 (J31) turbojet engine appeared in April of 1943 and was based in the GE I-A development. It managed to reach 241 units in production with use seen in the Bell P-59 "Airacomet" as well as the Ryan FR "Fireball". Further development of this jet resulted in the GE J33 series. Because of the nose-mounted position of the turboprop engine, the J31 would have its air fed through intakes found at the wing leading edges, ducts delivering the much-needed air to the engine within the body of the aircraft.

Complex to-be-sure but the combination powerplant scheme was a sought-after arrangement of many late-World War 2 and post-war fighter designs, attempting to combine the best performance qualities of both engine types into one complete machine.

As in the P-1032-7, the P-1032-11 was to have provision for the carrying of 2 x Jettisonable fuel tanks to help increase its operational ranges. This was much-needed considering the twin-engine types at play. Because of the turboprop in the nose section, the original's proposed 4 x 20mm autocannon armament was reduced to 4 x 12.7mm heavy machine guns and these to be featured in pairs at each wing member.

Dimensionally, the proposed fighter was to have a wingspan of 45.8 feet and a running length of 45 feet. Loaded weight was 18,500lb against an MTOW of 22,300lb. Maximum speed was estimated at 550 miles-per-hour and range was out to 2,300 miles. Slower and heavier than previous iterations of the aircraft, the P-1032-11 at least held the advantage in range and fell only slightly behind the P-1032-9 in terms of rate-of-climb (6,050 feet-per-minute versus 6,650fpm).

Despite all this, none of the four designs progressed to something meaningful and eventually fell to naught, even after review by USAAF authorities still wrapped up in the World War 2 effort.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1946

Origin

United States

Status

CANCELLED
Development Ended.

Crew

1

Production

0
UNITS

Curtiss Aeroplane Compny - USA

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

United States (cancelled)

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
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 (Developmental, Prototype, Technology Demonstrator)
Aircraft developed for the role of prototyping, technology demonstration, or research / data collection.

MULTI-ENGINE

Incorporates two or more engines, enhancing survivability and / or performance.

MIXED-POWERPLANT

Utilizes two or more types of propulsion systems to achieve desired performance / flight actions.

RUGGED AIRFRAME

Inherent ability of airframe to take considerable damage.

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.

EXTENDED RANGE PERFORMANCE

Capability to travel considerable distances through onboard fuel stores.

SUPER PERFORMANCE

Design covers the three all-important performance categories of speed, altitude, and range.

MARITIME OPERATION

Ability to operate over ocean in addition to surviving the special rigors of the maritime environment.

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.

Length

45.1 ft
(13.75 m)

Width/Span

45.8 ft
(13.95 m)

Empty Wgt

18,519 lb
(8,400 kg)

MTOW

22,300 lb
(10,115 kg)

Wgt Diff

+3,781 lb
(+1,715 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Curtiss P-1032-11 production variant)

monoplane / low-mounted / straight, tapered

Monoplane
Design utilizes a single primary wing mainplane; this represent the most popular 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.

(Structural descriptors pertain to the base Curtiss P-1032-11 production variant)

Installed: 1 x General Electric J31 (I-40) turbojet engine of unknown thrust output power buried within the fuselage; 1 x General Electric T-31 (TG-100) turboprop engine of unknown output power in the nose driving a four-bladed propeller unit in puller arrangement.

Max Speed

553 mph
(890 kph | 481 kts)

Cruise Speed

357 mph
(575 kph | 310 kts)

Max. Speed Diff

+196 mph
(+315 kph | 170 kts)

Ceiling

40,354 ft
(12,300 m | 8 mi)

Range

2,299 mi
(3,700 km | 6,852 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

6,050 ft/min
(1,844 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Curtiss P-1032-11 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

PROPOSED:
4 x 0.50cal (12.7mm) Browning M2 Heavy Machine Guns (HMGs) in wings (two guns to a wing mainplane member).

OPTIONAL:
2 x Jettisonable fuel tanks carried under the wings.

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft heavy machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft external fuel tank

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

P-1032-11 - Base Project Designation.

P-1032-7 - Original single, embedded turbojet engine proposal.

P-1032-9 - Underwing, podded twin turbojet configuration.

P-1032-13 - Paired, nacelled turbojet engines under fuselage centerline.

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