NORTHROP XP-56 BLACK BULLET

The Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet was an American World War II prototype fighter in a metal spine design. The drive was provided by a single engine Pratt and Whitney R-2800-29 with a capacity of 2000 hp. The first flight of this machine took place in 1943. The plane never entered mass production - only two prototypes were produced. The deck armament was to consist of two 20mm cannons and four 12.7mm machine guns. The Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet was constructed as part of a competition announced in November 1939 by the US Air Force, which wanted to acquire an interceptor designed to defend strategically important points such as military bases or cities. The air force also allowed for the use of unusual aerodynamic solutions, which will radically increase the performance of the aircraft and - possibly - will be used in other constructions. As a result of this, Northrop developed an aircraft without a horizontal tail, which is similar in general configuration to a flying wing, with a push propeller instead of a pulling one. Ultimately, the XP-56 turned out to be a plane with a very high maximum speed, exceeding 740 km / h, and a high rate of climb. At the same time, however, it was very difficult to pilot and was very dangerous for the pilot during take-offs and landings. Also, its modernization potential was small, which in the face of the coming era of jet aircraft resulted in the cancellation of the entire program in 1946.