5 Most Unbelievable WW2 Warplanes You've Never Seen Before

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MysteryNetwork
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Thanks to its rear-facing pusher propeller design, the American Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender was referred to as the "Butt-ender." A special lever had to be included to jettison the propeller to prevent pilots from hitting it when bailing out.

The unusual configuration came from a 1939 US Air Corps request for unorthodox solutions to improve pilot visibility and armament space. A strange design for its time, the XP55 had a canard configuration, with a rear-mounted Pratt & Whitney X-1800 engine, swept wings, and two vertical tails that gave it an arrow-like appearance.

In 1940, Curtiss received an Army contract for a wind tunnel model under the P55 designation. Although the Air Corps did not like the results, Curtiss decided to build a full-scale model to continue testing.

During these trials, Curtiss changed to other engine configurations and armaments, alternating between 20 mm cannons and 0.50 caliber Browning machine guns.

The first XP55 flew in July 1943, and the performance was mediocre. Takeoff was very long for the aircraft. In November 1943, pilot Harvey Grey performed a test flight in which the plane went into an unexpected descent of 4,900 m, leading to its destruction.

One year later, the second XP55 was modified with a larger-nose elevator and upgraded control systems. Still, it proved to be underpowered. The result of these ongoing failures was the third and last prototype, which added four-foot wingtip extensions.

The prototype had its maiden flight in May 1945, when the war had finished in Europe but was still raging in the Pacific Ocean. During the closing day of the Seventh War Bond Air Show at Wright Field in Dayton, pilot William C. Glasgow, flying the XP55 prototype, attempted to perform a slow roll. However, he lost altitude and crashed near a highway near the airfield.

Pieces of debris hit a civilian crowd nearby, resulting in various people and the pilot's loss. After this tragedy, the project was canceled once and for all.
Category
Unexplained Mysteries
Tags
ww2, wwii, airplane
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