Curtiss YP-60E - A Series of Misdirected Attempts to Get Things Right (VI)

[Nostalgistic]

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Curtiss YP-60E

      Hello everybody. I’d like to introduce and suggest the Curtiss YP-60E for US aviation in War Thunder. Designated with a ‘Y’ status prefix, indicating its role as a service test aircraft, the YP-60E closely approached production standards, representing the last step before potential mass production. This variant featured a distinctive bubble canopy and a revised fuselage design that set it apart from earlier P-60 models. Additionally, the armament was expanded to six guns, enhancing its firepower. Unfortunately, the YP-60E was only flown twice during the summer of 1944 before the Army lost interest in the entire Curtiss P-60 project.

Key Characteristics

• Modified YP-60A with a bubble canopy
• 2,100 hp R-2800-18 radial engine
• Six M2 Browning machine guns
• Last and “definitive” P-60 variant

History

Background

With the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk entering production in 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.

YP-60E - The Final Version

Following the disappointing performance of the XP-60E during the USAAF evaluations at Elgin Field in January 1944, Curtiss requested the Army to terminate all further work on the P-60 program in May 1944. However, the Army made a final request for the last version of the P-60 series, the YP-60E, which was to be converted from the second-built YP-60A aircraft. Curtiss agreed to proceed with this proposal.

The YP-60E was powered by an upgraded 2,100 hp Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18 radial engine and featured a single four-bladed propeller. The design of the fuselage and vertical tail was significantly revised, giving the aircraft a fresh appearance that distinguished it from earlier P-60 models. A notable feature was the bubble canopy that replaced the turtledeck over the cockpit, resulting in a look reminiscent of the P-47 Bubbletop Thunderbolt. With these enhancements, the YP-60E was completed to the Army’s specifications and was prepared for its maiden flight in the summer of 1944.

On July 15, 1944, the YP-60E took to the skies for the first time and completed just two test flights before being delivered to Wright Field in September 1944. However, prior to its first flight, the Army officially communicated to Curtiss that it had no further interest in the project. As a result, the YP-60E was removed from the Army’s inventory on December 22, 1944, and later sold as surplus after World War II. The aircraft was intended to be privately purchased as a racer entry for the 1947 National Air Races, designated with Race Number 80 and civil registration NX21979. Tragically, it was destroyed in a crash while qualifying for the race before the event even began.

Specifications

Curtiss YP-60E

General Characteristics

• Crew: 1 (Pilot)
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 33 ft 7 in (10.23 m)
  • Height: 10 ft 9 in (3.27 m)
  • Span: 41 ft 3.75 in (12.59 m)
  • Wing Area: 275 sq ft (25.54 sq m)
• Propeller:
  • Type: 4-bladed propeller
  • Diameter: 11 ft (3.35 m)
• Powerplant:
  • Type: Pratt & Whitney R-2800-18 radial engine
  • Output: 2,100 hp (2,129.13 ps)
• Internal Fuel: 178 - 368 US gal. (674 - 1393 L)
• Weights:
  • Empty: 8,225 lb (3,371 kg)
  • Gross: 10,270 lb (4,658 kg)
  • Max. Takeoff: 11,520 lb (5,225 kg)

Performance

• Power-to-Weight Ratio: 0.20 hp/lb (0.46 ps/kg)
• Wing Loading: 37.3 lb/sq ft (182.3 kg/sq m)
• Critical Altitude Speed: 405 mph @ 24,500 ft (652 km/h @ 7,468 m)
• Average Initial Rate of Climb: 4,600 fpm (23.4 m/s)
• Service Ceiling: 34,000 ft (20,363 m)
• Range: 315 miles (507 km)

Armament

• Guns:
  • 6 x 0.50-cal. M2 Browning machine guns (200 - 267 rpg; 1,200 - 1,602 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 YP-60E, considered the definitive variant, boasted a powerful R-2800 engine and an increased armament of six guns, alongside enhanced visibility from its bubble canopy. It offered superior overall flight performance, making it a viable alternative to the XP-60C and XP-60E.

   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.

Related Suggestions

• XP-60 (Model 90A)
• XP-60D (Model 90B)
• XP-60A (Model 95A)
• XP-60C (Model 95C)
• XP-60E (Model 95D)

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! 😃

[AstralTitan]

Yeahhh BIG +1 to me

[jon_man1199]

Oh yes! Take my absolute+1

[Nostalgistic]

At last! The final variant of the P-60 series has been opened to the public. This marked the closure of the entire development of the Curtiss P-60.