LF4815 CONSOLIDATED PB-2A FIGHTER PROTOTYPE

The Consolidated P-30 (another designation: PB-2) was an American low-wing fighter with a classic landing gear - retractable in flight. The flight of the prototype took place in 1934, and about 60 machines of this type were built during serial production. The plane, in the PB-2A version, was 9.14 meters long with a wingspan of 13.38 meters. The drive was provided by a single Curtiss V-1570-61 engine with 700 hp. The maximum speed was up to 450 km / h, with a climb speed of 9.8 m / s. The deck armament consisted of three 7.62 mm machine guns. The machine could also carry a load of bombs weighing up to 80 kilograms. The Consolidated P-30 was developed as, in fact, a far-reaching development of the successful technical and prospective Lockheed YP-24, which was flown in 1931. Compared to its predecessor, the new machine had redesigned wings, a slightly changed front part of the fuselage and received a new version of the Curtiss V-1570 engine with a turbocharger. The new machine was dedicated primarily to carrying out combat missions at high altitudes - for this reason it received (as the first fighter in the history of the US Air Force!) A heated crew cabin. Interestingly, the Consolidated P-30 was a solid construction with good performance, but conceptually it turned out to be not very promising as a fighter plane. For this reason, its production was discontinued relatively quickly.