LF7235 CURTISS XP-42

The Curtiss XP-42 was an American experimental fighter aircraft that was first flown in March 1939. The plane was 8.69 meters long with a wingspan of 11.4 meters. The drive was provided by a single Pratt and Whitney R-1830-31 engine with a capacity of 1050 HP. The maximum speed was around 510 km / h, with a flight range of about 1150 kilometers. The deck armament consisted of 2 Browning machine guns: 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm. The XP-42 was developed by the Curtiss Airplane and Motor Company as a development of the P-36 Hawk. The main changes were the redesign of the front part of the fuselage and the use of the Pratt and Whitney R-1830-31 engine. The aim was to improve the aerodynamics of the machine, as well as to improve its performance. However, the design assumptions for the Curtiss XP-42 proved only to a limited extent, and the new aircraft did not offer a significant improvement over the P-36. Therefore, further work on this aircraft was abandoned.