Curtiss XP-60E - A Series of Misdirected Attempts to Get Things Right (V)

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Curtiss XP-60E (Model 95D)

   Hello everybody. I’d like to introduce and suggest the Curtiss XP-60E for US aviation in War Thunder. This variant was an improved model in the P-60 series, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 radial engine with a lighter four-bladed propeller. While it performed better than its predecessors, the XP-60E missed its chance to compete in the USAAF evaluations during the spring of 1943. Ultimately, the program was abandoned as attention shifted to the superior P-47 and P-51 fighters already in production during World War II.


TL;DR:

An XP-60E of Model 95E featured a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine, a single four-bladed propeller, and retained an armament of four machine guns, representing an enhanced variant of the P-60 series.


History

Background

With 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-60E - Model 95D

Following the XP-60C’s first flight on January 27, 1943, a partially built XP-60B was reworked to incorporate a Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 radial engine with a General Electric B-14 turbo-supercharger, replacing the original Merlin V-1710-75 inline engine. Unlike the XP-60C, which used six-bladed contrarotating propellers, the XP-60E featured a simpler four-bladed single-rotation propeller. The aircraft retained its armament of four M2 Browning machine guns but was slightly lighter than the XP-60C. As a result, the Army redesignated it as the XP-60E.

To accommodate the lighter propeller, the R-2800 engine had to be shifted forward by ten inches, which addressed the balance issues. The XP-60E also encountered engine problems during initial ground testing, leading to delays that caused it to miss a critical fly-off at Patterson Field, Ohio. With the XP-60E unavailable, Curtiss sent the heavier XP-60C in its place for the April 1943 evaluations. Unfortunately, the XP-60C’s rushed construction negatively affected its performance, undermining its high-speed potential.

Once repaired, the XP-60E took to the skies for its maiden flight on May 26, 1943. In January 1944, it was transferred to Elgin Field, Florida, for official Army trials. However, an engine failure during testing caused a crash landing, damaging the aircraft. Curtiss subsequently rebuilt the XP-60C to XP-60E specifications to continue evaluations.

During these tests, Army pilots found that while the XP-60E matched the P-47 and P-51 in climb rate, it offered no significant advantages over them. Additionally, the aircraft’s four-gun armament was deemed inadequate, and pilots reported that it required constant trimming for stable flight.

With the program showing little promise, Curtiss requested permission to abandon the P-60 project in May 1944. The Army agreed but made a final request for a YP-60E variant with an R-2800-18 engine and a bubble canopy. After only two flights, the project was terminated for good.

The fate of the XP-60E, formerly the XP-60C, remains unknown to this day, as its disposition following the war is unclear.


Specifications

Curtiss XP-60E (Model 95D)

General Characteristics

  • Crew: 1 (Pilot)
  • Length: 33 ft 11 in (10.33 m)
  • Height: 12 ft 6 in (3.81 m)
  • Span: 41 ft 3.75 in (12.59 m)
  • Wing Area: 275 sq ft (25.54 sq m)
  • Propeller Type: 4-bladed propeller
  • Propeller Diameter: 11 ft (3.35 m)
  • Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-10 radial engine
    → 2,000 hp (1,471 kW)
  • Internal Fuel: 178 - 225 US gal. (674 - 852 L)
  • Empty Weight: 8,285 lb (3,758 kg)
  • Gross Weight: 10,320 lb (4,681 kg)
  • Max. Takeoff Weight: 11,520 lb (5,225 kg)

Performance

  • Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.19 hp/lb (0.31 kW/kg)
  • Critical Altitude Speed:
    • 405 mph @ 15,000 ft (652 km/h @ 4,572 m)
    • 410 mph @ 20,200 ft (660 km/h @ 6,157 m)
  • Wing Loading: 37.5 lb/sq ft (183.3 kg/sq m)
  • Average Initial Rate of Climb: 4,200 fpm (21.3 m/s)
  • Time to Altitude:
    • 2.5 minutes to 10,000 ft (3,048 m)
    • 4.8 minutes to 15,000 ft (4,572 m)
  • Service Ceiling: 38,000 ft (11,582 m)
  • Range: 315 (507 km)

Armament

  • Guns:
    • 4 x 0.50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (300 rpg; 1,200 rounds)

Diagrams


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-60E, a lighter alternative to the heavy XP-60C with contrarotating propellers, still suffered from a weak armament of just four machine guns. As the final version with a prototype designation, the XP-60E marked the culmination of Curtiss’ efforts in the program.

   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

XP-60 (Model 90A)

XP-60D (Model 90B)

XP-60A (Model 95A)

XP-60C (Model 95C)

YP-60E


Sources

  • 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! 😃

4 Likes

The entire series of suggestions is super interesting!
I feel a bit bad, because I started to laugh as I read the names of all of them (with the number increasing with each one)

1 Like

A +1 from me! Give all the P-60s

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Only two flights? That wakes the question if performance data was from a test flight with armament and armor or only calculated? Not that it matters that much. Do you know if it had intercooler?

IIRC, the XP-60E’s performance data was calculated without armament and armor during the first flight test. I believe this was a standard practice to collect the metrics for the engineers if they needed to make any necessary adjustments to the design. As far as secondary sources went, there were no mentions of the intercooler.

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Stay tuned for the final member of the P-60 family… the YP-60E. It is in the works and queue ;)

2 Likes