Lockheed XP-49

The History of the Lockheed XP-49

The XP-49 was developed by Lockheed during World War II (1939-1945) as a possible successor to the classic 1941 P-38 Lightning twin-armed fighter. The XP-49 is designed to be a high flyer with raw abilities. The project arose out of the U.S. Army's growing concern over the rising cost of the latest P-38 production model.

After considering several proposals from different manufacturers, the Army decided on a new Lockheed design - the Type 522.

The XP-49 is similar in appearance to the P-38 in most respects. The dual-arm design proved effective even against fighters, such as the P. 38, and the XP-49 would follow suit. In addition to sharing this important physical feature, the XP-49 also features a new design.

The plane will be equipped with a pair of Pratt & Whitney's new "X-1800" engines capable of producing an impressive 2,300 horsepower and enabling the XP-49 airframe to reach a top speed of nearly 500 mph.

A single prototype was completed and flew for the first time in November 1942, without all the proposed weapons, to speed up development. The proposed weapon kit is centered on a 2 x 20mm cannon, supported by 4 x .50 caliber Browning heavy machine guns - paired with a single-shot 20mm cannon and 4 x .50 caliber gun assemblies.

Like the P-38, the XP-49's armament is concentrated in the nose area in front of the pilot's position.

While the XP-49 was designed as a single-seat fighter, a second observer cockpit was added behind the pilot for flight testing.

A new engine - Continental XI-1430 - was chosen to replace the expected (now cancelled) Pratt & Whitney engine. This reduced the estimated speed by 75 mph.

The delays exacerbated the program's problems, which gradually lost momentum as the war continued to tilt toward the Allies and the Army's current inventory of fighter jets exceeded the mission.

As such, the XP-49 underwent a very short test life before experiencing further engine problems. Like the Pratt & Whitney engine, the Continental development engine has also been eliminated. Also, during flight tests, a forced landing occurred when the landing gear failed to lower - these are signs of opposition to the XP-49. Eventually, with the cancellation of the two scheduled engines, U.S.

Army authorities looked elsewhere, leaving the XP-49 program almost dead on arrival.

In its final "Hour of Glory", the XP-49 fuselage was brutally tested by being dropped from a height onto a concrete floor. These tests are done to understand how much damage G-forces can cause to modern aircraft airframes.

The remains of the XP-49 were later shown before being cannibalized and eventually scrapped.

Specification

Basic

Production

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Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Changes