Bell P-59B Airacomet - A Potential Addition to the US Aviation Tech Tree

[Nostalgistic]

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Bell P-59B Airacomet

   Hello everybody. I’d like to suggest the Bell P-59B Airacomet for US aviation in War Thunder. The P-59B was an improved variant of the P-59A with uprated turbojet engines, but it had an internal fuel capacity increased by 66 US gallons. However, it had provisions for six rockets and two bombs. The P-59B was operationally used by the 412th Fighter Group to familiarize and gain experience with the first jet aircraft in preparation for the more advanced types that would shortly become available.

Key Characteristics

• Uprated General Electric J31-GE-5 turbojet engines with 2,000 lbf thrust each
• Increased fuel capacity by 66 US gallons, only 215 pounds heavier
• New provisions for two 1,000-lb bombs and six 60-lb rockets

History

Background

The Bell XP-59A Airacomet was the United States Army Air Forces’ first jet aircraft, and it first flew on October 1, 1942, only inadvertently airborne for a short time by a Bell test pilot while undergoing some high-speed taxiing trials. The next day, it made its first official flight with a USAAF pilot at the controls. This occurred only 13 months after the contract was first awarded to Bell. Several pre-production P-59 aircraft would be built and conduct flight testing from early 1943 to early 1944, with the last YP-59A delivered by the end of June 1944.

Initially, the USAAF had placed 100 production P-59 Airacomet aircraft in March 1944, but due to the lackluster performance of the YP-59 service test aircraft, the order was later halved to 50 aircraft in October 1944. The USAAF tested the Airacomet aircraft in combat trials against P-38J Lightning and P-47D Thunderbolt fighters in February 1944 and found the piston-engined fighters outperformed the jet aircraft. Consequently, the Airacomets were relegated to the operational training role, as they were not considered combat-ready.

Operational Service

The first 20 out of 50 aircraft were completed as P-59As powered by a pair of 1,650-lbf General Electric J31-GE-3 turbojet engines, and the last 30 were completed as P-59Bs powered by a pair of uprated 2,000-lbf J31-GE-5 turbojets. The P-59B was considered an improved variant with an internal fuel capacity increased by 66 US gallons, further increasing the maximum range to 950 miles. This change only made the overall weight heavier by 215 pounds. Two 1000-pound bombs or eight 60-pound rockets could be carried on underwing racks of the P-59B. The last P-59B was delivered in May 1945.

The P-59A/B Airacomet aircraft went into service with the 412th Fighter Group of the Fourth Air Force at Muroc Dry Lake, California. The 412th FG was the USAAF’s first jet fighter, formed on November 30, 1943.

The US Navy also took over one of the XP-59s and three P-59Bs for evaluation from 1945 to 1946, but the USN placed no orders. They were designated YF2L-1s. They were technically the Navy’s first jet aircraft flying at NAS Pax River, Maryland, as trainers and for flight testing.

The pilots of the 412th FG flew the P-59A/Bs after March 1944 to familiarize themselves with the handling and performance characteristics of jet aircraft. Only the 445th Fighter Squadron was assigned to begin flying the P-59s for operational testing. Later, in June 1944, the group moved to Palmdale Army Air Field, California, and was brought up to full strength in the summer, with the 29th and 31st Fighter Squadrons assigned, where they would continue the operational testing and training. With enough experience and lessons gained, the FG transitioned to the new Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star later in 1945, an aircraft that would become the USAAF’s first operational fighter.

Specifications

Bell P-59B Airacomet

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1 (Pilot)
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 38 ft 10 in (11.84 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
  • Span: 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m)
  • Wing area: 386 sq ft (35.86 sq m)
• Powerplant:
  • Type: 2 x General Electric J31-GE-5 turbojet engines
  • Power Output: 4,000 lbf (17.8 kN) thrust
• Internal Fuel: 356 - 656 US gal. (1,350 - 2,483 L)
• Weights:
  • Empty: 8,165 lb (3,704 kg)
  • Gross: 11,040 lb (5,008 kg)
  • Max. Takeoff: 13,700 lb (6,214 kg)

Performance

• Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.29
• Wing Loading: 28.6 lb/sq ft (139.6 kg/sq m)
• Speed
  • Cruising: 375 mph (604 km/h)
  • Critical Altitudes:
    • 380 mph @ 5,000 ft (612 km/h @ 1,524 m)
    • 413 mph @ 30,000 ft (665 km/h @ 9,144 m)
• Time to Altitude: 15.5 minutes to 30,000 ft (9,144 m)
• Service Ceiling: 46,200 ft (14,082 m)
• Combat Range: 375 miles (604 km)
• Max. Range: 950 miles (1,529 km)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 1 x 37-mm M10 cannon (45 rounds)
  • 3 x 0.50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (200 rpg; 600 rounds)
• Bombs:
  • 2 x 1,000-lb bombs
• Rockets:
  • 6 x 60-lb rockets
• Drop Tanks:
  • 2 x 150-gal drop tanks

Cockpit

Images

Conclusion | Why it should be in the game

   While the P-59B is nearly identical to the P-59A, it is a different aircraft with 700 lbf thrust extra and 66 gallons extra in the fuel tank, and the P-59B variant could be placed in War Thunder as the tech tree aircraft available for research. The two big differences are enough to warrant its potential addition to the WT. After all, the P-59B was the most produced variant, with only 30 produced versus 20 P-59A produced, and the P-59B could mount bombs and rockets as well. With a minimum amount of fuel, the P-59B would fly noticeably faster than the P-59A. Regarding its place in WT, it probably would be the best aircraft to bridge the massive gap between the P-38L and P-80A.

Sources

• The American Fighter: The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present (1987)
• Fighters of the United States Air Force: From World War I Pursuits to the F-117 (1990)
• US Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939-1945 (2008)
• Bell P-59 Airacomet
• Bell P-59 Airacomet
• Bell P-59 Airacomet - Wikipedia
• 412th Test Wing - Wikipedia

Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃

[FlyingOstridge]

I mean it is already in the files (Unless that’s already been mentioned) so it would take them all of 5 seconds to add it to the tree. Waiting on the Airacomet Mk 1 for the British Tree.

[BasherBenDawg8]

PLEASE GAIJIN! I’m tired of the fun/interesting vehicles being locked behind MASSIVE paywalls…

Depending on how the engines help the aircraft, that massive increase in thrust could allow it to be 6.3 even.

[jon_man1199]

A +1 from me! It would make a neat addition at Rank Iv and would finally mean being able to have a TT P-59, so this has my support!

[S3b5]

I personally think that this would be a very good Rank IV/V squadron vehicle. It doesn’t really fit anywhere else in the tree I don’t think.

[Nostalgistic]

@FlyingOstridge

I mean it is already in the files (Unless that’s already been mentioned) so it would take them all of 5 seconds to add it to the tree. Waiting on the Airacomet Mk 1 for the British Tree.

Wait, is P-59B in the files? I am not aware of it and have never seen it being on a list of leaked assets.

@S3b5

I personally think that this would be a very good Rank IV/V squadron vehicle. It doesn’t really fit anywhere else in the tree I don’t think.

Fair, I can agree with that compromise.

[jon_man1199]

@Nostalgistic

Wait, is P-59B in the files? I am not aware of it and have never seen it being on a list of leaked assets.

Turns out it’s not the P-59B in the files. But there is a YF2L-1, which is just a P-59A that the USN tested

Spoiler

[hog4ndy]

@S3b5

It doesn’t really fit anywhere else in the tree I don’t think.

It fits perfectly in Branch 1 of Rank IV after the F-82E, probably at BR 6.0. There is already a natural gap there, since it’s the only branch in US Rank IV that currently has only 1 vehicle. Branch 1 is also the line where all the P-39s and P-63s already.

[Ayrek2023]

this could definitely fit well in the TT

[oom1992]

Sadly, I don’t know battle rating (Air AB, RB, SB) and locate to 1st or 2nd line for P-58B

[Nostalgistic]

Should be the same as P-59A.

5.3, 5.7, and 6.7, respectively. It will likely be on the 1st line for the P-59B.