XP-31 Swift

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XP-31 Swift
Curtiss XP-31 in test flight (U.S. Air Force photo)
Type	Experimental monoplane fighter
Manufacturer	Curtiss
Maiden flight	1933
Introduced	1933
Primary user	United States Army Air Corps
Number built	1

The Curtiss XP-31 Swift (company model XP-934) was a 1930s American experimental monoplane fighter built by Curtiss for the United States Army Air Corps.

Although the XP-31 featured the first enclosed cockpit on a U.S. pursuit aircraft, it was also the last pursuit aircraft to have fixed landing gear and externally braced wings. Despite its innovations, the XP-31 did not offer any advantages compared to its rival the Boeing P-26 and was not ordered into series production.

1 Design and development
2 Testing and evaluation
3 Operators
4 Specifications
5 References
- 5.1 Notes
- 5.2 Bibliography

[edit] Design and development

Curtiss offered the XP-934 in a 1932 competition with the P-26. It was a low-wing monoplane with fixed, strut-braced landing gear, first flown in July. It was the AAC's first single-seat closed-cockpit fighter, and the last with fixed gear and wing struts. Despite its quite small size, it was badly overweight, and carried 125 U.S. gal (104 Imp gal, 474 liters) fuel. Although Curtiss considered the design significant in that it introduced various new technologies, compared to its contemporaries, the XP-934 was already outmoded, and, more importantly, testing showed that it fell below performance expectations.^[1]

The Curtiss XP-934 in its original radial engine configuration

[edit] Testing and evaluation

Powered by a 700 hp (520 kW) R-1750 Cyclone radial, its performance was dismal, despite retractable leading-edge slots and large trailing-edge flaps, so a 600 hp (450 kW) Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror was substituted. In this form, the Curtiss XP-31 Swift (s/n 33-178) was delivered on 1 March 1933, having already lost to the P-26. The sole example was scrapped in 1935.^[1]

[edit] Operators

United States

United States Army Air Corps

[edit] Specifications

Data from U.S. Fighters: Army-Air Force 1925 to 1980s and Fighters of the United States Air Force^[1]

General characteristics

Crew: 1 pilot
Length: 26 ft 3 in (8 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft in (11 m)
Height: 7 ft 9 in (2.4 m)
Wing area: 203 ft² (18.86 m²)
Empty weight: 3,334 lb (1,512 kg)
Gross weight: 4,143 lb (1879 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror water-cooled 12-cylinder vee engine, 600 hp (450 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 208 mph (335 km/h)
Range: 370 miles (595 km)
Service ceiling: 24,400 ft (7,437 m)

Armament

2 × fixed, forward-firing .30 M1919 Browning machine guns in cowl
2 × fixed, forward-firing .30 M1919 Browning machine guns in cheeks

Related lists

List of military aircraft of the United States

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 60.

[edit] Bibliography

Boeing Company. Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition. Seattle, WA: The Boeing Company, 1969.
Bowers, Peter M. Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
Donald, David, ed. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
Dorr, Robert F. and Donald, David. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Aerospace Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-60055-094-X.
Jones, Lloyd S. U.S. Fighters: Army-Air Force 1925 to 1980s. Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, 1975. ISBN 0-8168-9200-8.

v • d • e USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF fighter designations 1924–1962

Pursuit (pre-1948) Fighter (post-1948)	P-1 • P-2 • P-3 • XP-4 • P-5 • P-6 • XP-7 • XP-8 • XP-9 • XP-10 • P-11 • P-12 • XP-13 • XP-14 • XP-15 • P-16 • XP-17 • XP-18 • XP-19 • YP-20 • XP-21 • XP-22 • XP-23 • YP-24 • Y1P-25 • P-26 • YP-27 • Y1P-28 • P-29 • P-30 • XP-31 • XP-32 • XP-33 • XP-34 • P-35 • P-36 • XP-37 • P-38 • P-39 • P-40 • XP-41 • XP-42 • P-43 • P-44 • XP-45 • XP-46 • P-47 • XP-48 • XP-49 • XP-50 • P-51 • XP-52 • XP-53 • XP-54 • XP-55 • XP-56 • XP-57 • XP-58 • P-59 • YP-60 • P-61 • XP-62 • P-63 • P-64 • XP-65 • P-66 • XP-67 • XP-68 • XP-69 • P-70 • XP-71 • XP-72 • XP-73 • (P-74 not assigned) • P-75 • XP-76 • XP-77 • XP-78 • XP-79 • P-80 • XP-81 • P-82 • XP-83 • P-84 • XP-85 • P-86 • XP-87 • XP-88 • P-89 • XF-90 • XF-91 • XF-92 • YF-93 • F-94 • YF-95 • YF-96 • F-97 • XF-98 • F-99 • F-100 • F-101 • F-102 • XF-103 • F-104 • F-105 • F-106 • F-107 • XF-108 • XF-109 • F-110 • F-111

Pursuit, Biplace	PB-1 • PB-2 • XPB-3

Fighter, Multiplace	YFM-1 • XFM-2

See also	Post-1962 list

v • d • e Aircraft produced by Curtiss

Manufacturer designations	No. 1 • No. 2 Model: C • D • E • F • G • H • J • K • L • M • N • JN • R Model: 1 • 2 • 3 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 23 • 26 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59A/59B • 60 • 61 • 63 • 64 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 79 • 81 • 82 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 90 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99

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