some photo or artist impression about CURTISS xP-60

[blue max]

Sorry but I ask again the help of this Forum about the Curtiss P-60 , in this moment I have this informations, and only two very bad photos in black & white,,, I looking on the searching banner and I found only a topic about Curtiss Fighter ( with many info from Stargazer) but no more about the Xp-60.

CURTISS XP-60
The P-60 series of aircraft were the last attempts by Curtiss to build a replacement for the P-40. Previous attempts included the XP-46 and XP-53. The Army Air Corps wanted a "Merlin"-powered aircraft, so the second XP-53 was modified for the new engine and re-designated XP-60. Because the V-1650 engine was in demand for production aircraft (e.g. P-51), the P-60 underwent many modifications to test different engines more readily available. First, the Allison V-1710-75 was substituted for the Packard in the XP-60A. Next, a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-53 radial engine was tried with a contra-rotating propeller on the XP-60C. An order for 500 P-60s (26 YP-60A and 474 P-60A) was canceled in June 1943, and Curtiss built 354 P-47Gs instead.
Type Number built/
converted Remarks
XP-60 1 Improved P-40
XP-60A 3 Improved XP-60 with eight .50-cal. mgs.
YP-60A 0 Service test A model; 26 canceled
P-60A 1 Production A model; 473 canceled
XP-60B 1 (cv) Modified XP-60A with turbosupercharger
XP-60C 1 (cv) Modified XP-60A; contra-prop
XP-60D 1 (cv) Modified XP-60; engine change; four-blade prop.
XP-60E 1 (cv) Modified XP-60B; engine change; four-blade prop.
YP-60E 1 (cv) Modified P-60A; engine change; four-blade

 

[Bailey]

Hi, attached side views. (William Green, War planes of the second world war, fighters vol.4)

Regards Bailey.

 

[Stargazer]

Please note that when dealing with the P-60 series, we're actually talking about two very different models. Only the XP-60 (Model 90/90A) and the XP-60D (Model 90B) resemble the P-40 series. The rest of the series are all Model 95 versions, which have quite a different appearance: XP-60A (Model 95A), XP-60B (Model 95B), XP-60C (Model 95C) and XP-60E (Model 95D).

From an unidentified Polish source, the two Model 90 configurations. The photo represents XP-60C/E.

 

[Boogey]

Try this site, please, classic and indispensable :

Curtiss L-Z

Someday the National Museum of the USAF site was much better, now only this remained :

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?fsID=2265

@Stargazer2006 Probably the draft comes from a monography of the Curtiss P-60 issued by AJ-PRESS or MILITARIA publishers.

 

[Apteryx]

I've been looking for material on this series, and what I've seen is confusing. So many variants, so much tinkering.

I'm attaching a rough beginning of a side view of the XP-60E. It's incomplete, but more accurate than any side view I've seen. It's totally based on photos of XP-60C, XP-60E and YP-60E, which shared many components. I had intended to do a more accurate plan as well, but I haven't found enough to work from.
One thing that's puzzling is the way Curtiss switched out vertical tails on these three models. There's a larger tail, apparently similar to the XP-60, and, as on this drawing, a more compact tail, but it's either not a linear replacement of one with the other or the dates given on published photos are wrong. Or both.

--Ian

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 info Post-1
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 info Post-2

Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 A info Post-1
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 C info Post-1
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 C info Post-2
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 C info Post-3
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 D
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

XP-60 E
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

YP-60 E Post-1
Unknown file and source

 

[Justo Miranda]

YP-60 E Post-2
Unknown file and source

 

[Apteryx]

Sr. Miranda--you're a bottomless well.

Although the plan drawings are all in vague agreement about the wing shape, I still dream of someday finding a photo showing something close to an overhead shot, or a factory drawing...

 

[joncarrfarrelly]

I've been looking for material on this series, and what I've seen is confusing. So many variants, so much tinkering.

I'm attaching a rough beginning of a side view of the XP-60E. It's incomplete, but more accurate than any side view I've seen. It's totally based on photos of XP-60C, XP-60E and YP-60E, which shared many components. I had intended to do a more accurate plan as well, but I haven't found enough to work from.
One thing that's puzzling is the way Curtiss switched out vertical tails on these three models. There's a larger tail, apparently similar to the XP-60, and, as on this drawing, a more compact tail, but it's either not a linear replacement of one with the other or the dates given on published photos are wrong. Or both.

--Ian

The XP-60E (42-79425, MSN 15525) was the airframe of the never completed XP-60B (V-1710 with Wright SU-504-2 turbo-supercharger), the designation change was covered under Contract AC-28113.
The Material Center at Wright Field took action on October 31, 1942 to change the designation to XP-60E which was described as being " identical to the XP-60C with the exception of the reduction gearing and propeller".

The YP-60E (43-32763, MSN 27691) was one of the aircraft started as a YP-60A-1under the aborted production contract. Evidently it was designated YP-60E because it most closely resembled the XP-60E and was actually completed before the XP-60E, yet accepted nearly six months later.

Info from Curtiss Fighter Aircraft: A Photographic History 1917 - 1948, Francis H. Dean & Dan Hagedorn, Schiffer 2007
Page 333 of the book has a reproduction of Curtiss drawing P-1012-14, General Arrangement XP-60C.

Jon

 

[Stargazer]

Justo, I can't thank you enough for always coming right on cue... As usual this is perfect!

 

[joncarrfarrelly]

Curtiss drawing P-1012-14, General Arrangement XP-60C.

Note that in the drawing the aircraft has a rudder with a horn balance,
the same as what is in some of the photos. Other photos of the XP-60C
show an inset hinge balance rudder. The XP-60E photos/drawings also
show the two different types of rudder, YP-60E photos and drawings
are inset hinge only.

Jon

 

[Apteryx]

The XP-60E (42-79425, MSN 15525) was the airframe of the never completed XP-60B (V-1710 with Wright SU-504-2 turbo-supercharger), the designation change was covered under Contract AC-28113.
The Material Center at Wright Field took action on October 31, 1942 to change the designation to XP-60E which was described as being " identical to the XP-60C with the exception of the reduction gearing and propeller".

Jon

That gen. arr. drawing is exactly what I was hoping to find. Thanks! I'll have to try and get hold of the Schiffer Curtiss book.

It's not exactly wrong to say the XP-60C and -E were identical apart from the propeller hardware. It's more complicated...

Photos of a (the?) XP-60C prototype show a shorter front fuselage than the -E. There's a plug, about ten inches long, inserted on the -E just forward of the cockpit, presumably to compensate for the reduced weight of the single-rotation prop installation. The confusing part is that other photos of the XP-60C show it with the smaller tail and longer fuselage, like the -E! Yet other photos show the -E with the large tail. Some planes have visible serial numbers, others don't, so it's hard to be sure which airframe is which.

Let me note also--there are two completely different vertical tail assemblies on these various prototypes. It's not just different rudders. The tail sometimes seen on XP-60c and -E, and later on the YP-60E, is considerably smaller than the other unit.

--Ian

 

[joncarrfarrelly]

The XP-60E (42-79425, MSN 15525) was the airframe of the never completed XP-60B (V-1710 with Wright SU-504-2 turbo-supercharger), the designation change was covered under Contract AC-28113.
The Material Center at Wright Field took action on October 31, 1942 to change the designation to XP-60E which was described as being " identical to the XP-60C with the exception of the reduction gearing and propeller".

Jon

That gen. arr. drawing is exactly what I was hoping to find. Thanks! I'll have to try and get hold of the Schiffer Curtiss book.

It's not exactly wrong to say the XP-60C and -E were identical apart from the propeller hardware. It's more complicated...

Photos of a (the?) XP-60C prototype show a shorter front fuselage than the -E. There's a plug, about ten inches long, inserted on the -E just forward of the cockpit, presumably to compensate for the reduced weight of the single-rotation prop installation. The confusing part is that other photos of the XP-60C show it with the smaller tail and longer fuselage, like the -E! Yet other photos show the -E with the large tail. Some planes have visible serial numbers, others don't, so it's hard to be sure which airframe is which.

Let me note also--there are two completely different vertical tail assemblies on these various prototypes. It's not just different rudders. The tail sometimes seen on XP-60c and -E, and later on the YP-60E, is considerably smaller than the other unit.

--Ian

The "identical to" quote is from the Army document changing the designation.

 

[SatinWings]

From the wartime training film "Profile of a World War 2 Test Pilot" there's a brief (15 second) view of the XP-60C from the front and a closeup of its intercooler, starting at 5:51:

 

[PabloSniper]

I remember that a few years ago, when I searched for "Curtiss XP-60" on Google, all I would see were links to my topics on various forums. Today there is a lot of content.
I like the XP-60A and the XP-60E

 

[Mark Nankivil]

From the Gerald Balzer collection, 3 views for the XP-60C and XP-60E.

Enjoy the Day! Mark