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.