Consolidated Vultee XP-81

The XP -81 was a planned escort fighter of the U.S. producer Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation from 1945. It had a hybrid drive, each consisting of a jet and a turboprop engine.

Two prototypes were ordered on February 11, 1944, and referred to as the XP -81. With them should be made to combine the respective advantages of jet and turboprop engines. Thus, a turboprop General Electric TG- 100 was built with four- blade propeller in the nose of the aircraft it came up an Allison J33 turbojet engine in the rear fuselage. The TG- 100 was later further developed and referred to as the XT -31. The turboprop engine was used in normal flight and switched the turbojet to reach high speeds.

The first XP -81 (serial number 44-91000 ) was completed in January 1945. However, since there were problems with the turboprop engine, it was time replaced for the first flights by the Merlin V -1650 -7 engine of a P -51D. On February 11, 1945, the first flight from Edwards Air Force Base took place. During the more than ten flights, the aircraft exhibited very good flying characteristics.

It ordered a further thirteen YP -81 pre-production aircraft. After the conquest of Guam and Saipan, however, there was no need for far-reaching escort fighters more. So the order was canceled shortly before the Japanese surrender, although already 85% of the YP -81 machine was finished constructed. The YP -81 was similar to the XP -81, but was lighter and equipped with an improved TG -110 turboprop engines. The wings were moved by about 25 cm to the rear. The armament consisted of six 12.7 -mm machine guns or six 20 - mm guns.

After the machine was returned to the Vultee Field, the flight tests were discontinued. The performance of the Turbopropmotors did not meet the expectations and reached only approximately that of the Merlin engine with 1490 hp ( 1110 kW).

Specifications

Credentials

  • William Green ( 1961). War Planes of the Second World War - Fighters, ( Vol 4 ). London: MacDonald
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