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Hello everybody. I’d like to introduce and suggest the Curtiss XP-60C for US aviation in War Thunder. This version was equipped with a powerful R-2800 radial engine driving contrarotating propellers and featured a reduced armament of four machine guns. It was the heaviest variant of the P-60 series, completed in early 1943, but it failed to meet the expected flight performance during testing. What makes the XP-60C particularly distinctive is that it was the only version in the series to feature contrarotating propellers, setting it apart from other variants.
History
BackgroundWith the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk entering production by 1940, Curtiss began an ambitious effort to develop a superior aircraft that could replace the P-40. The US Army Air Corps (USAAC) was interested in supporting these efforts and awarded a contract to fund the development of potential successors.
Curtiss initially designed the XP-46 prototype, which shared similarities with the P-40, except it was built to be smaller and equipped with an inward-retracting undercarriage. The XP-46 took its first flight on February 15, 1941, but it offered no meaningful performance improvements over the P-40 and was outright rejected by the USAAC.
After the XP-46 did not secure production orders, Curtiss shifted focus to a new design: the Model 88, later designated the XP-53 by the Army. This model was intended to use a Continental XIV-1430-3 engine. However, engine development issues led to the cancellation of the XP-53 before it could be built.
Curtiss then moved on to the development of Model 90, which was designated XP-60. At the Army’s request, the XP-60 was initially designed to be powered by a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine and include laminar-flow wings, a type of airfoil designed to reduce drag and make the aircraft fly faster. Curtiss produced four airframes during this project, which resulted in nine different designations: XP-60, XP-60A, YP-60A, P-60A, XP-60B, XP-60C, XP-60D, XP-60E, and YP-60E. These versions represented Curtiss’ long and desperate attempts to develop a worthy successor to the P-40—efforts that lasted until late 1944.
XP-60C - Model 95CAfter the cancellation of the 1,950 P-60A order and the dismantling of the XP-60A in 1942, Curtiss initially planned to fit the experimental 2,300 hp XIV-2220 engine into the XP-60C. However, the engine’s significant development issues and the excessive weight it added led to a change of plans. Curtiss instead opted for a 2,000 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-53 radial engine paired with a set of six-bladed contrarotating propellers and four machine guns.
In September 1942, Curtiss proposed the revised XP-60C design to the Army, promising superior performance with a projected climb rate of over 4,500 feet per minute. Persuaded by the proposal, the Army awarded Curtiss a development contract for the XP-60C and authorized an order for 500 P-60A-1s, with a potential follow-up for 2,500 more units.
Curtiss quickly rebuilt the XP-60C prototype, which made its first flight on January 27, 1943, at Patterson Field in Ohio. The aircraft handled well in general but exhibited high rudder and elevator forces during flight. In April 1943, the XP-60C was sent for service trials at Patterson Field, as the XP-60E—another version under development—was not ready for evaluation.
During the trials, the XP-60C reached a top speed of 400 mph at 20,000 feet, but due to the rushed construction, the aircraft lost the aerodynamic benefits of its intended laminar flow wing design, and the engine failed to deliver its full power. By this time, the Army had already shifted its focus toward the more promising high-altitude fighters like the P-47 Thunderbolt and P-51 Mustang, both powered by similar R-2800 engines with better performance. As a result, the order for 500 P-60A-1s was canceled on June 3, 1943.
Following the cancellation, the XP-60C was rebuilt into the XP-60E after another XP-60E aircraft was damaged in a crash landing in early 1944. This marked the end of the XP-60C’s development.
Specifications
Curtiss XP-60C (Model 95C)General Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Length: 34 ft 1 in (10.38 m)
- Height: 12 ft 4 in (3.75 m)
- Span: 41 ft 3.75 in (12.59 m)
- Wing Area: 275 sq ft (25.54 sq m)
- Propeller Type: Six-bladed contra-rotating propellers
- Propeller Diameter: 12 ft 1.2 in (3.69 m)
- Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-53 radial engine
→ 2,000 hp (1,471 kW)- Internal Fuel: 178 - 225 US gal. (674 - 852 L)
- Empty Weight: 8,698 lb (3,945 kg)
- Gross Weight: 10,785 lb (4,892 kg)
- Max. Takeoff Weight: 11,835 lb (5,368 kg)
Performance
- Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.18 hp/lb (0.30 kW/kg)
- Critical Altitude Speed: 414 mph @ 20,350 ft (666 km/h @ 6,203 m)
- Wing Loading: 39.2 lb/sq ft (191.5 kg/sq m)
- Average Initial Rate of Climb: 3,890 fpm (19.8 m/s)
- Time to Altitude: 6 minutes to 30,000 ft (9,144 m)
- Service Ceiling: 38,400 ft (11,704 m)
- Range: 315 (507 km)
Armament
- Guns:
- 4 x 0.50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (300 rpg; 1,200 rounds)
Images
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
The addition of the Curtiss XP-60 series would bring an interesting variety of “what-could-have-beens” to US aviation in War Thunder, offering a potential successor to the P-40 Warhawk. The XP-60C stands out for being the only variant equipped with contrarotating propellers, one of its most distinctive features. However, it was also heavier and armed with only four machine guns, making it a little underwhelming compared to other P-60 versions.
What makes the XP-60 series unique is its flawed but exhaustive development history—a series of prototypes that never fully evolved into a reliable fighter for the US Army Air Forces. Despite its potential, the XP-60 ultimately symbolized Curtiss’ final effort to secure production orders and replace the Warhawk during World War II, an ambition that unfortunately never came to fruition.
See Also - P-60 Family
- Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947 (1979)
- The American Fighter The Definitive Guide to American Fighter Aircraft from 1917 to the Present (1987)
- US Fighters of World War Two (1991)
- America’s Hundred Thousand US Production Fighters of WWII (1997)
- US Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939-1945 (2008)
- Curtiss Company Profile 1907–1947 (2014)
- Curtiss P-60
- Curtiss P-60 - Wikipedia
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃