General Motors / Fisher P-75 Eagle
GM tried to build a long-range fighter, that used parts of the
P-40 (wings),
A-24
(army version of the
SBD Dauntless dive-bomber -
tail) and
F4U (gear). This "Frankenstein"
aircraft was powered by the Allison V-3420, a 24-cylinder engine that was created by
coupling two V-1710 engines. This was installed behind the cockpit, and drove
contra-rotating propellers in the nose by an extension shaft. The P-75 was a qualified
success, after a lot of redesign. Performance was disappointing, however, and better
escort aircraft were already in service.
| General characteristics XP-75 |
| Primary function |
Fighter |
| Power plant |
One Allison V-3420-23 engine |
| Thrust |
3,916 HP |
2,920 kW |
| Wingspan |
49.3 ft |
15.04 m |
| Length |
40.4 ft |
12.32 m |
| Height |
15.5 ft |
4.72 m |
| Wingarea |
347 sq ft |
32.24 sq m |
| Weight |
empty |
11,506 lb |
5,219 kg |
| max. |
18,226 lb |
8,267 kg |
| Max. speed |
433 mph |
697 km/h |
| Ceiling |
36,420 ft |
11,100 m |
| Max. range |
2,050 miles |
3,300 km |
| Armament |
10x 12.7mm machine gun, 2x 500 lb bombs |
| Crew |
One |
| First flight |
November 17, 1943 |
| Number built |
14 |
Jirka Wagner
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