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Republic XP-69

1943 WORLD WAR 2 X-PLANE

Republic XP-69 History

The Republic won the war gold medal with its successful P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. The Thunderbolt entered American aviation history as one of the classic designs of World War II (1939-1945).

In addition to having a healthy roster of competing designs, it helped defeat the initiative in European and Pacific air battles, ultimately resolving the years-long conflict in 1945.

The P-47 was so important to America's wartime needs that it left little room for the Republic to pursue other promising endeavors. Nonetheless, several projects were undertaken for various roles on the battlefield, and in July 1941 the company adopted a new high-speed single-seat/single-engine fighter design in the "AP-18".

The high-speed high-performance aircraft will be combined with Wright Tornado or Pratt & Whitney Major Wasp engines. The Tornado appears to be ahead and backed by the Army since the June 1939 contract.

In order to use the engine as soon as possible in the form of a fighter, the army commissioned the Republic to produce a suitable aircraft within a short period of time. The deal will include a pair of prototypes, one with a single propeller and the other with counter-rotating propellers. The Tornado engine with an onboard turbo is estimated at 2,500 horsepower, but this also requires a large diameter propeller assembly.

Again, this would require a larger fuselage, and a pressurized cockpit would be necessary to meet the height requirements.

The proposed armament package will revolve around a set of 4 x .50 caliber heavy Browning machine guns paired with 2 x 37mm automatic cannons. All weapons will remain in the wings to clear the arc of the nose rotating propeller blades.

The fuselage has a sleek, narrow appearance to improve aerodynamic efficiency. Early versions had a raised ridge that limited rear visibility, while later, more sophisticated approaches included a bubble canopy (like the late P47 fighter). Winged main aircraft like the P-47 with rounded tips were placed forward amidships. The tail is conventional, fixed to a vertical tail, and the aircraft is set low. The landing gear should take a "smear" attitude.

It is believed that the engine is placed behind the cockpit and drives the propeller (like the Bell P-39) through a shaft under the cockpit floor.

In June 1942, a wind tunnel model three-quarters the size of the intended aircraft was constructed and formally inspected by Army personnel. The Republic began building actual prototypes in November of the same year, but problems continued with the 1943 Tornado engine program, affecting all related aircraft programs, such as Vultee's XP-69 and XP-68 proposals.

Its eventual cancellation resulted in the cancellation of two fighter jet programs, with only a wind tunnel model and a partially built XP-69 prototype showing the Republic.

The XP-69 was officially discontinued on May 24, 1943, and the Republic continued to produce more P-47s with additional development, as well as the development of the promising XP-72 "Ultrabolt", which might serve the same battlefield needs Like the suggested XP-69. In any case, the XP-72 was neither officially adopted nor mass-produced.