Time Period: World War II
Country of Origin: United States
Type: Fighter Aircraft
Manufacturer: Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair)
Consolidated Vultee XP-81 Aircraft Overview
The Consolidated Vultee XP-81 was a prototype fighter aircraft developed by Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation during World War II. It was designed to be a long-range fighter that could escort bombers on missions deep into enemy territory.
The XP-81 was a twin-engine aircraft with a low-wing design. It was powered by a combination of a General Electric J31 turbojet engine and a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp piston engine. The aircraft was armed with four 20mm cannon and eight .50 caliber machine guns.
One of the unique features of the XP-81 was its combination of jet and piston engines. The jet engine was used for high-speed flight, while the piston engine was used for takeoff, landing, and cruising at lower speeds. This allowed the aircraft to have longer range than a pure jet fighter, which was important for escort missions.
The XP-81 first flew in February 1945, but proved to be underpowered and had poor performance, especially at high altitude. As a result, the aircraft was not put into production and only two prototypes were built.
After the war, the XP-81 was used for testing and research by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). The aircraft was eventually retired from service and both prototypes were scrapped.
Today, no XP-81s are known to survive. However, the aircraft’s design and concept influenced later aircraft, such as the North American F-82 Twin Mustang, which also had a twin-engine design and was used for long-range escort missions.
Consolidated Vultee XP-81 Specifications
- Crew: 1
- Length: 44 ft 8 in (13.61 m)
- Wingspan: 50 ft 6 in (15.39 m)
- Height: 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m)
- Wing area: 425 sq ft (39.5 m2)
- Empty weight: 12,979 lb (5,887 kg)
- Gross weight: 24,650 lb (11,181 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × General Electric T31-GE-3 turboprop engine, 2,300 shp (1,700 kW) plus 600 lbf (2.7 kN) residual thrust (estimated power of production engine)
- Powerplant: 1 × General Electric J33-GE-5 centrifugal flow turbojet, 3,750 lbf (16.7 kN) thrust (planned engine for production aircraft)
- Propellers: 4-bladed constant-speed propeller, 12 ft (3.7 m) diameter.
Consolidated Vultee XP-81 Performance
- Maximum speed: 478 mph (769 km/h, 415 kn) at sea level; 507 mph (816 km/h) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
- Cruise speed: 275 mph (443 km/h, 239 kn) at 30,000 ft (9,100 m)
- Range: 2,500 mi (4,000 km, 2,200 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 47,000 ft (14,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 5,300 ft/min (27 m/s)
- Wing loading: 106 lb/sq ft (520 kg/m2)
Consolidated Vultee XP-81 Armament
- Guns: 6 × 20 mm (0.787 in) cannon.
- Bombs: 2,000 lb (910 kg) of bombs.