Better just to look, no explanation...

Ever see one of these?


[img]http://www.aviationpics.de/prev/curtiss-wright%20xp-55%20ascender%20prototype%20[usa].jpg[/img]

Yeah its the Crtiss XP-55 Ascender prototype pusher aircraft like the Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet, sometimes i get the confused but XP-56 is double engine, shorter, and wing tips are bent down.

Youre joking. Ijust spent half an hour looking for this and I get back to find out that someone pipped me at the post.
D'oh
Well apparently it was called the ascender because it looked as though it flew tail first.

now you beat me to the punch

Just in case anyone doesn't get what you mean, for 'ascender' read 'arse-ender'

2nd edit; hmm, interesting . The US word was blanked out but the english one is perfectly acceptable

[edit on 14-2-2005 by waynos]

HAHA I beat u *brag**brag**brag* IM 13, sorry. and i knew it off the top of my head. i feel so special.


I love the Ascender and Black Bullet, so pertty, dont correct my spelling i mean perrty.

You can fly one on CFS3

So what are the needles at the fron of the plane for? Poke the enemy aircraft in dog fight?

That is that ugly piece of airplane.

Surf

Originally posted by surfup
So what are the needles at the fron of the plane for? Poke the enemy aircraft in dog fight?

That is that ugly piece of airplane.

Surf

Radar, most likely.

Originally posted by surfup
So what are the needles at the fron of the plane for? Poke the enemy aircraft in dog fight?

That is that ugly piece of airplane.

Surf

I would say that the small one in the middle would be the pitot tube.
The canards are a feature which replaced a front mounted propellor in earlier prototype. The larger tubes are unusual though, I would agree with Richie in this and say radar too.

Saw it on Wings Channel,before it before it became Military Channel.Pretty cool concept back in the day.

Originally posted by Pilate
You can fly one on CFS3

I usually fight against either these, the P-80, the Me262, or the Gotha Go.229 while flying the DH Vampire whern I'm on this game.

The Me 262 is surprisingly easy to beat with a Spitfire IX in this game too.

Actually isnt that a German aircraft that they recovered after WWII I believe it is an ME (?) or a BMW-Stugart Design. I think you will find it on that Luft46 website.

www.luft46.com...


The BV P.208.02 utilized an Argus As 413 engine (the BV P.208.01 used a Jumo 222E engine) to drive its pusher propeller, and the radiator was larger and located more forward than the P.208.03. Also, small vertical fins were mounted at the trailing edge of the wingtip booms.

This is where that design came from, it was either latter modified by the US or was a currently undocumented variant of the above BVP208.02



[edit on 15-2-2005 by robertfenix]

[edit on 15-2-2005 by robertfenix]

No, its definitely an indegenous Curtiss design. Google for Curtiss XP-55 and you will see shedloads of info about it.

LOL, what a weird plane, it reminds me of Crimson Skies, anyone played it?

lol, does remind me of the planes on Crimson Skies.

:lolerhaps those spikes at the front are for catching the trapeze on a Zeppelin then.