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Curtiss P-60

Innovation in aircraft design made the Curtiss-Wright name famous. These air machines included the 0-52 -- a high-wing, strut-braced observation aircraft and last of a line and an era; the P-40 fighter -- the most advanced fighter available in quantity at the outbreak of World War II; and the XP-60 and XP-62 -- experimental fighter aircraft never produced in quantity.

The P-60 designation applies to a family of widely different Curtiss fighters, each reflecting the urgency of the builder's unsuccessful effort to develop a P-40 replacement. Though only four airframes carried out the P-60 programme, no fewer than nine designations were involved: XP-60, XP-60A, YP-60A, P-60A, XP-60B, XP-60C, XP-60D, XP-60E and YP-60E. The programme ran from early 1941 to December 1944 and was Curtiss's last gasp in the propeller-driven fighter field, an ambitious but unfocussed effort which involved several engines, propellers, and canopy configurations.

The XP-60 evolved from the Curtiss XP-53, which was designed to replace the P-40. The XP-53 was essentially a P-40 airframe that was reworked to fit the Continental XIV-1430-3 inverted V engine. The wing was somewhat redesigned to incorporate an 8 gun battery of machine guns. As work on the prototype was nearing completion, the Army decided that it wanted to evaluate one of the XP-53's fitted with a Merlin engine. The second airframe was designated the XP-60 and it was fitted with a Merlin 28 engine. Curtiss took the opportunity to further refine the airframe. The XP-60 flew for the first time on 18 September 1941.

Preliminary two-dimensional tests in late 1941 of the hinge-moment characteristics of a 0.1725c internally balanced aileron on the XP-60 wing section indicated that more internal balance would be required if light stick forces were to be obtained at high speeds. The tests were therefore undertaken in order to investigate methods of reducing the slope of the hinge moment curve while still maintaining the required aileron effectiveness.

In 1942 an investigation was made in the LWAL 7- by 10-foot wind tunnel of internally balanced, sealed ailerons for the Curtiss XP-60 airplane. Ailerons with tabs and. with various amounts of balance were tested. Stick forces were estimated for several aileron arrangements including an arrangement recommended for the airplane. Flight tests of the recommended arrangement are discussed briefly in an appendix, The results of the wind-tunnel and flight tests indicate that the ailerons of large or fast airplanes may be satisfactorily balanced by the method developed.

The P-60B was to be powered by a Wright engine and the P-60C was supposed to be powered by a new Chrysler engine, but development problems delayed the engine. The P-60C airframe was modified for the proven P&W R-2800, this time driving a contra-rotating propeller. While the first flight of the P-60C in mid-1943 was satisfactory, the USAAF already had a similar or better performing aircraft in the P-47 that was already being sent to units.

The P-60B was modified for the R-2800 as well, but this time fitted with a four bladed prop and designated the P-60E. This was a more promising design than the P-60C due to the less complex prop, but it still was not better than current P-47/P-51 aircraft. Even a redesign to provide a "bubble canopy" and to remove excess weight was unable to provide an aircraft with any promise so the program was cancelled in mid 1944.

The Army was never really able to make up its mind on this aircraft and what could have been developed into a successful aircraft was killed by indecision as much as anything else.