Curtis-Wright XF15C-1

History

The Curtis XF15C-1 was to be a carrier-based fighter combining a traditional piston engine with the then new-technology jet engine. The piston-driven propeller would endow the plane with a reasonable cruising speed and useful range, while the jet engine would provide added thrust for take-off and burst of speed when needed for combat.

The XF15C-1 is an all-metal aircraft with a cantilevered low wing that folds for stowage aboard an aircraft carrier. It is equipped with a tricycle undercarriage and the cockpit has bubble canopy. The original horizontal tail was located low, at the end of the fuselage. The Pratt & Whitney redial engine is situated in the nose of the aircraft, while the Havilland H1-B Goblin jet engine was buried in the fuselage, behind the cockpit with the exhaust exiting just aft of the wing root. Armament consists of four 20mm cannons located in the wings.

The U.S. Navy ordered three prototypes on April 7, 1944, with the first one taking to the air (minus its jet engine) on February 27, 1945. The Goblin jet engine was installed in April of that year. On May 8, 1945, the piston engine quit during landing approach, and the test pilot, Lloyd Childs, was killed. Test flights resumed again in July 1945, with the horizontal tail plane now moved higher up on the tail in a T-tail arrangement.

The Navy took delivery of the remaining two XF15C-1’s which were used for testing at the Naval Aircraft Testing Center (NATC). By this time, the Navy had no further use for the mixed-propulsion fighter as it was already developing jet combat planes.

The aircraft on display, the third and final prototype, is Bureau Number: 01215 and has the distinction of being the very last aircraft manufactured for the U.S. Navy by Curtis-Wright.

Specifications

Description

Manufacturer: Curtis-Wright Corporation
Designation: XF15C-1
Type: Fighter, Carrier-based
Navy Bureau Number: 01215

Dimensions

Length: 44 ft
Height: 15 ft 3 in
Wingspan: 48ft

Weights

Empty Weight: 12,648 lb.
Max. Takeoff Weight: 18,698 lb.

Propulsion

Power Plant (front): Pratt & Whitney R-2800-34-W with water injection
Power Plant (rear): Allis-Chalmers - de Havilland H1-B Goblin

Performance

Range: 1,385 miles
Cruising Speed: 163 mph
Max. Speed: 373 mph @ (sea level)
Max. Speed: 469 mph @ (23,500 ft.)
Rate of Climb: 5,020 ft/min.

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