Broke From United States of America, joined Apr 2002, 1322 posts, RR: 4 Posted (7 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 3040 times:
This is a topic that I've been thinking about for a while. I'm only including airplanes from the 1940's that flew, but deleting mid-engined airplanes such as the Bell P-39 and P-63.
6 airplanes, that I know of, meet my criteria; the Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose, the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender, the Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet, the Dornier Do-335 Pfeil, the Kyushu J7W1 Shinden, and the SAAB J-21.
5 of the planes have pusher propellers; the Do-335 has both a pusher and a tractor propellers.
The XP-54 and the J-21 have the empennage supported by twin booms aft of the propeller; the XP-55 and the J7W1 have a canard configuration; the XP-56 has no empennage; and the Do-335 uses a cruciform empennage forward of the pusher propeller.
The 3 American designs were originally to be powered by the P&WA X-1800 engine, but that program was cancelled other engines were substituted. These designs were in response to a 1939 Air Corps requirement R-50C, which called for an advanced design of unconventional configuration. None of these programs showed much promise and they were all cancelled.
The J7W1 was designed as an interceptor and was planned for both reciprocating and jet power. The end of WW II closed out this program.
The Do-335 was the most promising design reaching speeds of over 470 mph. Some reports have this airplane as the fastest reciprocating airplane of WW II. Again WW II ended the program.
The J-21 is easily the most successful design of the group, being placed in squadron service with the RSAF as the J-21A. Later the airplane was converted to jet power as the J-21R and it also saw service with the RSAF.
Examples of the XP-55, the XP-56, the Do-335, and the J7W1 are part of the National Aeronautics and Space Museum division of the Smithsonian Institution.
A J-21A is on display at the Swedish Air Force Museum near Stockholm.
2912n From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 2013 posts, RR: 11 Reply 1, posted (7 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 21 hours ago) and read 2887 times:
There was the Ryan Fireball...had a piston engine (radial) up front along with a jet engine. Just missed being used in WWII. A couple of websites with some information...
USAFHummer From United States of America, joined May 2000, 10685 posts, RR: 58 Reply 2, posted (7 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 17 hours ago) and read 2843 times:
Im thinking the F-82 Twin Mustang was pretty unconventional as well...
Greg
Chief A.net college football stadium self-pic guru
Jwenting From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10208 posts, RR: 25 Reply 4, posted (7 years 11 months 2 weeks 3 days 13 hours ago) and read 2807 times:
The flying pancake was one of the weirdest, but there were a LOT of weird ideas in the late 1940s.
I'm not at home right now or I'd open up my book about combat aircraft prototypes since 1945 which shows a lot of them.
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 1932 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (7 years 11 months 2 weeks 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 2629 times:
If you go into the 50's you have the highly unconventional XFY-1 Pogo Stick and XFV-1, the twin contra rotating turbo prop tail sitters that took off vertically then transitioned into horizontal flight.
RayChuang From United States of America, joined Jun 2000, 7489 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (7 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 8 hours ago) and read 2482 times:
Sorry, the Do 335 was NOT the fastest piston-engined fighter developed during World War II. That distinction went to the North American P-51H Mustang (which started to enter service near the end of the war) with a top speed of 487 mph and the Supermarine Spiteful, which almost became operational with the RAF with a top speed of 494 mph.
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 1932 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (7 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 6 hours ago) and read 2471 times:
Yes Jetmek, Douglas made 4 XB-42's, called the MixMaster. Twin engines in the fuselage driving 2 contra rotating pusher props.
HaveBlue From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 1932 posts, RR: 1 Reply 13, posted (7 years 11 months 1 week 5 days 1 hour ago) and read 2447 times:
Jwenting is correct on the XB-42.
But, the O-1 was called the bird dog. It was a single engine Cessna tail dragger... a light observation plane used for spotting and calling in airstrikes.
The O-2 is a military version of the Cessna 337, which is a push pull twin engine Cessna with tricycle landing gear, and two booms for tails in between which is housed the pusher prop (think P-38 tail).
And though the O-2 and the XB-42 are both twin engine prop planes, that's where the similarity ends. The XB-42 had both engine in the fuselage, with the 2 props inline with each other and contra rotating... both at the very tail of the plane and pushing.
Jwenting From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10208 posts, RR: 25 Reply 15, posted (7 years 11 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 2427 times:
ah yes, got confused between those 2
Keesje, that's no bomberlaunched parasite fighter. It's a light bomber/observation aircraft. http://www.luftarchiv.de/flugzeuge/blohm-voss/bv141.htm German text only.
Technically not 1940s either as it enteres service in 1937
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Apr 2002, 1322 posts, 
From Australia, joined Aug 2001, 1417 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Apr 2001, 10208 posts, 
From Vatican City, joined Dec 1999, 2456 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2004, 52 posts, 
From Germany, joined Sep 2003, 199 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
