The WW2 Super Fighter That Was Built Backwards | Curtiss XP-55 Ascender [Aircraft Overview #76]
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Sources:
Norton.B. (2008), U.S Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects - Fighters 1939-1945.
Jenkins.D.R. & Landis T.R. (2008), Experimental & Prototype U.S Air Force Jet Fighters.
Bowers.P.M (1979), Curtiss Aircraft 1907 - 1947.
NASA Technical Reports Server - ntrs.nasa.gov/citations/19930...
0:00 Intro
3:19 Design Origins
4:25 Original Design Proposal
7:21 Full-Scale Design Testing
10:25 Prototype Development
12:34 The First XP-55
15:01 Second & Third XP-55
17:23 Difficulties & Disappointment
20:03 The XP-55 That Survived
F.A.Q Section Q: Do you take aircraft requests? A: I have a list of aircraft I plan to cover, but feel free to add to it with suggestions:) Q: Why do you use imperial measurements for some videos, and metric for others? A: I do this based on country of manufacture. Imperial measurements for Britain and the U.S, metric for the rest of the world, but I include text in my videos that convert it for both. Q: Will you include video footage in your videos, or just photos? A: Video footage is very expensive to licence, if I can find footage in the public domain I will try to use it, but a lot of it is hoarded by licencing studies (British Pathe, Periscope films etc). In the future I may be able to afford clips :) Q: Why do you sometimes feature images/screenshots from flight simulators? A: Sometimes there are not a lot of photos available for certain aircraft, so I substitute this with digital images that are as accurate as possible. Feel free to leave you questions below - I may not be able to answer all of them, but I will keep my eyes open :)
Are you Hush Kit?
And if you're not, have you considered a collaboration?
Dornier Do 335 Pfeil, please.
Could you do a video on the French arsenal vb-10 plane? It's quite a unique design
Hello, could you make a video on the Handley Page airliners? Especially the H.P.42/H.P.45?
I grew up about a mile from Wright field, now Wright Patterson. My mother worked out there repairing holes on damaged planes during the war. Our house was built on probably the last flat plane before making it to Wright field and it's well known that several planes landed there as well as crashed there too.. That flat plane became our baseball and football field growing up and during the Vietnam era many bombers flew directly over us while we stopped playing to wave hello to the crews. Some of them were so huge and low flying they would blot out the sun for a second or two..
My personal observation, on many trips traveled via I-75 from Michigan'ski to parts Kentuckistan, that virtually all of Ohio (the southeast corner being an exception) was near'about as flat as a dead level plate of piss, or even just a bit slightly flatter than that!
@@mustafasfleas7342 No, there's a few hills around Dayton and Wright Patterson. The whole area is in the Miami Valley.. You can't really drive out of the Dayton area without driving up some pretty big hills. Wright Field is at the bottom of the hill and Patterson Field is at the top.. The US Airforce Museum is on Wright Field. They usually fly from Patterson these days.
I have a few friends that work at wright patt :) awesome to read your story
I knew a guy who lived nearby during WWII and released a paper candle balloon that flew over the field. It went down in flames over the field and the MPs scoured his neighborhood looking for who they thought was intentionally trying to sabotage the war effort. He remained quiet and was never caught.
WP museum is my Disneyland. Never been to DL, but WP twice.
Looks like something from Crimson Skies. Imagine an alternate history WWII where these and Flying Flapjacks would fill the skies.
Looks like a fine aircraft for sky piracy.
Crimson Skies ! my brain said as soon as i seen the thumbnail. what a game, what a lovely game.
Please note, one of the planes with this plan in Crimson Skies is made by Curtiss Wright. So it's a definite art imitating weird life thing
Glorious!
The Crimson Skies starter aircraft, the fictional Hughes P21-J Devastator, is definitely based on this, with added wing and contra-rotating propellers. The Henschel P.75 and Blohm & Voss P.170.01 also lended their appearance to Crimson Skies planes.
The fact he named it that makes me so happy love that he had humour about his design
Never knew the Ascender moniker was an intentional injoke, figured the assender part came later
@@dave23024 the p47 was called the thunderbolt, it was also designed by republic, the parent company of fairchild-republic who designed the a10
Its the plane to fight an airwar over Uranus
I volunteer at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo as a docent, and it is a lot of fun to talk to guests about the XP-55. Some find it fascinating, some find it the weirdest looking airplane they’ve ever seen. For me, I don’t like it’s flight characteristics, but I love how it looks.
With a modern flight control system it might be regarded much better. Far too early and trying too much.
@@seriousthree6071 G'day, What do you think that you mean, "too early" ? Alberto Santos Dumont, the Brazillian midget millionaire, first flew "14-Bis", his CANARD layout Biplane, in France, in about 1905. The Wright Brothers 1903 Flyer was a CANARD Biplane. To get a Canard to fly properly does NOT require "modern control systems" ; it merely requires that the Proportions, Weight and Balance, and Thrustline are suitably arranged. And, for whatever it's worth, "Canard" is French for "Duck"..., and Ducks have long necks, and when Tail-First Aeroplanes are flying - because their Wings are at the back some Frog-Eater decided that Tail-First Aeroplanes look like Ducks in flight, so they were called "Canards...; and the term has less than nothing to do with whether or not the Nose Surface is a Stabiliser with movable Elevators, or whether it's an all-moving Stabilator. The fact that the Canard (Duck) Surface is at the front, and not at the Tail, is what makes the Canard a Canard. Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
If a plane cannot be controlled by an inexperienced pilot in a fight then it is worse than scrap iron.
@@20chocsaday G'day, Tell that to all the people who fly PROPERLY-DESIGNED Canard Aeroplanes - Bert Rutan's Vari-Viggen, Vari-Eze, and Long-Eze..., for example. When I was about 8 years old, maybe 10..., I couldn't get the hang of setting the Decollage (difference between Wing Incidence and Stabilisor Incidence) and all my Chuck Glider Designs were crashing ; and then I read of how Canard Designs are UNSTALLABLE, and thus they're a lot easier to get to fly properly than are conventionally laid-out designs. I was high-speed Catapault-Launching Sheet-Balsawood Canard Chuck-Gliders, with 10-ft Rubber Strips and 30-ft Towline, in the back yard in 1970. My first-cut analysis of this thing suggests that the Canard was too small and the Mainplane was too far forward - with too much weight behind the Trailing Edge. The Ascender flew badly because it was badly designed, by a bunch of people who only vaguely knew what they were trying to do, and they started trying to teach themselves, with over a ton of Airframe, 1,200 Hp, and doing it all at 300 mph. Not every Aeronautical Brainfart emerges and smells like a Rose. Just(ifiably ?) sayin'. Such is life, Have a good one... Stay safe. ;-p Ciao !
@@WarblesOnALot Yes, you got it PROPERLY.
Was this the first plane to have a "Shaker" stall warning? That's a feature that is standard in all planes today even Jumbo Jets. That makes this plane extraordinarily important historically!
I like the little arrow in the picture at 10:20. "The plane is flying that way. Yes."
10:20 - I love how someone had to draw an arrow for direction of travel just to avoid confusion 😅
The sole Kyushu J7W still exists. During the US occupation, it was taken to the US for further testing, though I don’t think any was done. It had now armament installed, and no provision for it in the nose. Now it is part of the Smithsonian collection awaiting restoration. Unlike the XP-55, the J7W had an air cooled engine. That was mostly what Japan used for aero engines, but in this case there was a second reason. With the larger intakes needed for air cooling and the pusher propeller, Kyushu made provisions for easily replacing the piston engine and propeller with one of the jet engines Japan was just beginning to build. It wouldn’t have looked the least bit awkward - unlike the way the unfortunate Ascender might have looked.
I built the Tamiya J7W many, many, years ago and thought it was a great-looking aircraft. So much so, that I have fantasised what the CAC Boomerang would look like as a canard-equipped pusher aircraft, with the 2 X 20 mm cannon and 4 x .303 machine guns in the nose, and the Wright Cyclone motor in the back. I know that the Royal Australian Air Force would not have approved it (too radical), but I still want to create one as a model, probably based on the Airfix Boomerang (it's cheap) rather than one of the other available brands of Boomerang. One can dream.
"That was mostly what Japan used for aero engines" Due to the simple fact that they had some amazingly good ones that were created during the 30s and early 40s. Had their industry been up to the task of massproducing them at good quality, most Japanese aircraft would have had 10-15% more power(and not required hours of "finishing" work by techs in units before replacement engines could be used).
@@brettcoster4781 Long ago, when I was a mad plastic modeller in my early teens, someone gave me a very poor quality kit of a Bf-109F. As I already had several good Bf-109's, I butchered it into a canard, inspired by the J7W, XP-55 and SAI SS4 I had read about in William Green's Warplanes of the Second World War pocketbook series. It made a fairly convincing looking "what if" aircraft.
The us did the same thing with the germans, and rumors are out there that we found some of there late era 109s the k's and the g 13s but mostly the Dora, i heard we came across some finished, unfinished and had them flying better than any existing allied aircraft. The germans were using really bad quality steel and the Jumo had overheating issues, we probably added better steal that conducted heat off the engine, and probably tinkered with the fuel and the absolute highest the jumo could operate at without knocking, that was the issue with it. The mw50 helped it not knock alot and was almost a 95% solution for it. Nobody knows the details, just claims about the results. So people can really only speculate, i get alot of people saying thats impossible to push more power out of the jumo, ive had others say thats not entirely true. So im not sure. But i bet we messed around with these aswell, but this is so far from anything at the time, this design was so alien pilots were probably sketchy about even test flying it, u need to bail ur hitting that rear prop lol, so they needid a way to have to prop destory itself right i think? but sometimes this wouldnt go off lol.
@@profo4544 Germany also had poor quality fuel. Which is part of why they pushed hard for jets, because it didn't matter much there.
Dad saw that thing fly. He worked for Curtiss on a Secret Navy Project to put Floats on R-4-Ds ( C-47s) and J.A.T.O Tanks ( Jet Assisted Take Off). At the time he was an Essential War Production Worker and Naval Reservist.
Actually, if you look at the Wright Flyer, you find the same configuration. Pusher engine with stubby forward wings and main wings aft.
With the huge difference being expected airspeed. The Wright Flyer needed the lift added by the elevator and the plane was slow enough for the pilot to handle it.
Also looks a lot like the Rutan Vari-Eze.
When you make it to the USA, set aside some time for McMinnville, Oregon, and the Hughes HK-1. It's amazing to see it firsthand.
I second that recommendation, I was actually there yesterday!
Yes, there is also an SR71 there, and a Bede pusher with the Honda engine. Very interesting museum. Also the air and space museum in San Diego has a lot of very unique aircraft. both are well worth the trip. And there is another near San Diego in El Cajon, at Galespie field. Oh, and the museum in Wichita Kansas.
@Fred brandon Not every part of the west coast is Portland, Seattle or San Francisco.
@Fred brandon aww, guy from jersey is jealous.
@Fred brandon made me laugh.
This plane reminds me very much of a computer game I played as a kid, Crimson Skies, specifically the Hughes P21-J Devastator. There were quite a few interesting planes in that game if I remember correctly, not to mention Zeppelin Aircraft Carriers...
This
Didn't play the PC game but did play the tabletop one. The Devastator was fun to run.
They used real designs for crimson skies 🎃
The zeppelin aircraft carriers were real too by the way, they both crashed in a thunderstorm almost immediately though, and didn't have broadside cannons unfortunately :P
Seeing pusher aircraft like this always reminds me of the Arwing from Star Fox
I have visited the Air Zoo several times from Toronto and can't recommend it enough. They have a great collection and have put real effort into making the displays interesting. While you are in the area you could zip over and visit the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Mt Hope outside Hamilton to see the only flying Lancaster in North America or travel a few hours east to Trenton and visit the only Halifax in North America. Great episode on the "Assender".
Going from Hamilton to Trenton DOES NOT take a "few" hours! !! As you have to contend with Toronto traffic. Budget 4 to 5 hrs for that trip!
Hey, thank you Canada for sending the Lancaster to airshows in the US. I never dreamt I would have the opportunity to crawl inside a Lanc but it happened at the "WW2 Weekend" in Reading PA! Also cool that it is painted to honor a Canadian Victoria Cross recipient.
@@RichNotWealthy here's a shocking fact. The museum that owns the Lanc doesn't get money from the government. They don't meet the conditions to get museum money. I was chatting with staff a few years back about it. I make sure to spend money there every time I'm in the area... picked up a hat for their 50'th anniversary.
Lancaster, what a beautiful beautiful aircraft that came out in WW2. Is all I can say about it. Will have to put that on my bucket list for sure. Would absolutely love to see a Lancaster in person.
The XP-55 is also one of my favorite "what if" planes, as Rex notes it's just incredibly cool looking, even if in practice it wasn't very good. Honestly I just love WWII-era pusher prop designs in general. They have this fascinating ability to look simultaneously old fashioned and surprisingly advanced at the same time.
There, you've said it... ! I tried to find the wording to explain the oxymoron that I had in my head... like.. it's kinda futuristic, actually, but it still looks ancient.. I think that the reason for us seeing it this way is that it is, basically, a modern (for the time) Wright Flyer .. I mean, if you look at it, it is the same configuration
One of my top x-planes that I wish had succeeded, but stability issues are a tough fix, especially when the worlds at war and more conventional designs are already proving themselves in combat.
If you're coming to the states to see museums, there is a really cool air museum south of Virginia Beach in a area called pungo. It's a private collection that you can view, guy owns a fighter restoration factory and even has a V1.
This reminds me of a plane I saw in the '80s. A private racer named Pushy Galore. They were competing with some pretty smart engineers in their own rights. The guys working over at the skunk works at Edwards Air Force Base had weekend hobby. And designed a little racer with more conventional design. I would love to see a video on that. I cannot remember the pilot's last name is first name was Dennis very humble.
Missed you Rex. Glad you're feeling better.
Point of trivia: Scott Field (now Air Force Base) is located in Illinois. Lambert Field is still located at St Loius, Missouri.
Came here to make sure that was said.
@@Brandon-vo3cb Small thing. Likely slip of tongue. (Script?) You stated that Scott Field was located in Missouri. Close! But not quite. Scott AFB was my final, active duty assignment. It was organized back in the day as a stop-over/support stop for dirigibles. The "Big Hangar" is still there. Akron, Macon and Shenandoah are not. During the '20s and '30s, Curtiss-Wright established numerous "fixed base operations" sites throughout the US. One of these remains active at St Louis Gateway Airport, formerly Parkes Field/University. These Curtiss-Wright facilities were very important for flight training. When I started flying in 1972, an FBO was still using a Curtiss hangar at Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Mitchel Field (KMKE). -- don't know if it remains standing.
You've done the XP-55,can we have a go at the J7W Shinden?
I had no idea that the XP-55 was tested roughly an hour's drive from where I live in Missouri. Neat!
Oh man, as a Michigander, just seeing the title of this took me right back to my childhood and our yearly summer visits down to the Air Zoo (live a bit far away to visit it that often). Though I do recall on my last visit, enjoying the subtle irony of a big whoopsie. They had a display set up to the V-1710 engine and it was dominated by a mural of a photograph of a lineup of P-40s... which were all... P-40Fs... lol.
Adds a whole new meaning to *reverse-engineered...*
badum tss
It really needed a second supercharger or a third one to boost at altitude. The second supercharger is what made the lightning usefull.
You will absolutely love the Air Zoo make sure to check out both buildings and in the smaller building you can see the planes being restored. I have been there many times. Its about 15 min from my house. I can't ever get enough of it.
i love it when people mention the air zoo. not only is it where the only existing xp55 is displayed, but its in the city where i went to school. ive been to the air zoo at least 4 times
Thank You for covering these 'what if?' aircraft. It would be interesting to have modern aircraft engineers of canards & flying wings 'fix' WW2 experimental aircraft like these. I'm sure there are some retired engineers that would enjoy the challenge.
Burt Rutan approves.
Another great review of a now forgotten aircraft. Get well soon and a BIG thumbs up and good luck with your future visit to the U.S.A. you'll love the place. Cheers.
The Air Zoo is an awesome museum! It has the Assender, SR-71,f-18,f-14 Tomcat,F4U Corsair and countless other historical aircraft. I love how in some displays they have motorcycles and vehicles of the same time frame as a aircraft. You can see just how advanced that airframe is when compared to other vehicles technology of that time period. Really enlightening! Every time I go to Kalamazoo Michigan I have to go to the Air Zoo! A must see!
Grew up going there, it has a very special place in my heart.
The Corsair at the Air Zoo was built by Goodyear.
Oh, a few years ago at Airventure I met an Aussie tourist as I was looking over the BF-109 outside the EAA museum. Had a great chat. Based on his recommendation I visited The Henry Ford museum which contains cars trains and aircraft. Along the way I stopped at The Air Zoo in Kalamazoo -and saw the Ass-ender😁
Someone that finally understands the difference between counter-rotating (different axis of rotation) and contra-rotating (same axis of rotation)!!!
Often wonder if the similar looking Kyushu J7W Shinden had undergone more testing how it would have turned out in comparison to the XP-55. IIRC only 3 test flights were flown before the end of the war put an end to it's testing.
The j7w is one of my favorite aircraft I really wish there was more information on it as well I feel like basically all the statistics currently available are sketchy due to the lack of testing
Unfortunately for the Japanese you are right, only 3 15 minute flights were done on 3rd, 6th and 9th of August (last two being the same days the Atom bombs were dropped). Flight was delayed as the engine was taking longer than expected to be built, and in early 1945 they wrecked one engine due to it prop-striking. Another prototype was completed but never got an engine to it. The designers noted major issues with the torque, unlike the XP-55 which was really quite disappointing in pefformance for the time the J7W didn't seem to be, but takeoff was said to be difficult and the aircraft flew at an angle the entire time due to the engine torque. The designers were supposedly confident they could fix this issue though. Arguably the J7W had far more potential as it wasn't underpowered to begin with, however that's just guesswork really.
The prototype Shinden still exists. It is part of the Smithsonian collection.
Sanka Mark B from sky crawler should be the answer on that question
Man I remember this game called Secret Weapons Over Normandy. This plane was so weird in that game but I loved it.
I have volunteered at the AirZoo in kalamazoo Michigan for over 25 years and worked on the XP-55 when it was acquired by the Air Zoo.
For your trip to the USA, the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton Ohio, along with the Udvar-Hazy Center annex of the National Air and Space Museum should be "must do" visits. There are many others, but these two locations combined also happen to have make up an incredible collection of historically significant aircraft, including both of the B-29s (the Enola Gay at the Hazy Center, and Bocks Car at the NMUSAF) which dropped the atomic bombs which encouraged the Japanese to surrender, ending WWII.
The museum at Dayton is at least a 3-day trip to see it all properly. The place is enormous and the collection is stunning.
@@ryllharu I have been there well over 60 times. We lived 10 miles away, and I used to take my son 3 Saturdays a month starting shortly after he could walk, as long as he had been nice to his little sister that week. My son is 20 now. Since that time I have been back about 8 additional single day visits. I could give tours I know it so well. I read him every display, and sat through every video multiple times.
I grew up in the DC area. The Smithsonian Air and Space museum was one of my favorite places to visit, along with the Baltimore Aquarium. I now live in WV, only a few hour drive to Dayton, Ill have to get over there and check that out sometime, really sounds amazing.
Both most excellent museums, especially with the SR71, Shuttle, and expansive GA collection at the Hazy Center. I would submit also - the Museum of Flight in Seattle which has some incredible aircraft
Dropping the bomb did not do anything for getting Japan to surrender. Some Japanese generals already wanted to surrender, others wanted to surrender on the condition of getting to keep the emperor, others were determined to fight to the last man. After Hiroshima was destroyed, no General changed his opinion. Japan surrendered when they feared the imperial artefacts might fall into the hands of the American ground troops. The US knew before dripping the bomb that the Japanese Generals were discussing conditional surrender, and the US was willing to grant their conditions but still wanted to see if they could force an unconditional surrender. Just out of principle. But if the earliest possible end to the war would have been the priority, then US could have just offered Japan the deal they both wanted. The two atomic bombs were little more than a matter of petty insistence on unconditional surrender and of revenge after years of war
Your animations are first rate! stay healthy, videos can wait.
SAAB J-21 had cooling problems too. At ground ops, the Swedish ground crews used an extra tank of water to keep the engine temperature down. This was cold Sweden...
Fantastic video! I admire your wonderful honesty on this aircraft - so many folk have said id was a 'lost opportunity', when in fact it was a dog. A very interesting dog for all that!
Nice video. I have been to the Air Zoo many times. It never disappoints. I can't remember if you did a video about the Abrams P-1 Explorer. From what I understand it's someplace in storage at the Smithsonian. Thanks for doing what you do.
The Assender name was appropriated from the earlier, Grandville Brothers (of GB-Z and R1 fame) "Ascender" aeroplane constructed sometime in the late 1920's(?) that came all to close to killing Zantford Grandville a.k.a. Grannie.
You should totally visit the Air Zoo. Last time I went the guide was a really nice and knowledgeable guy.
The anime The Sky Crawlers very much reminds me of this and the J7W Shinden.
In the 1980’s, I saw this aircraft at Silver Hill, the old storage facility of the Smithsonian air museum. Perhaps it is still there somewhere. It suffered from having the GG to far aft, a common design problem with early canard-type aircraft. Pub Piper designed a similar small plane with the same CG problem…and the same result. Flip over backwards and flat spin.
Thanks for a sterling narrative and sharply-focused analysis. Your summary at the end of each section brought the (by now, breathless) listener back into the stream of detail. Cannot say enough about the general quality of your presentation-- we subscribed.
Scott field is not in MO. Scott AFB (formerly Scott field)is in Illinois.
Solid video, and nice 3D work, mate.
that thing is SWEET, THX for the History!!
It's still a canard, just because it doesn't have a fixed surface doesn't make it not a canard in the same way a stabilator or all-moving rail is still a tail plane. All-moving elevator is just a more descriptive term.
I have been to the Air Zoo a dozen or so times. It is one of about a dozen museums I make regular visits to. My favorites: 1) Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio 2) Pima Air Museum in Tucson, Arizona 3) Smithsonian Air & Space Museum in Washington DC 4) Udvar Hazy Annex to the Smithsonian in Chantilly, Virginia 5) Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida 6) Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan 7) Strategic Air Command Museum in Omaha, Nebraska 8) USS Intrepid Museum in New York City, New York 9) Commemorative Air Force Museum in Midland, Texas 10) NASA Rocket Garden in Titusville, Florida These are spread over vast distances. I make it a point to visit these whenever I can and just fill my SD cards with pictures.
Saw a civilian aircraft a few days ago that had a very similar plan to the XP-55. Not sure what it was tbh as there are a few types of similar design The concept has been proven and Curtis-Wright vindicated! lol
This sort of layout is used in many Burt Rutan designs. You may have seen one of those.
Great video. Thank you for posting. Doggone - I never got that Ass-ender thing. Classic! Right up there with the US Navy's CIWS ("Sea Whiz") close-in anti-aircraft system.
this is my kind of plane, its wacky n weird and yet has such a sense of elegance to it and i love the asscender for it
If Curtiss has had access to the jet engine (Like Bell), that airplane would be not only saved, but because of its uncommon pusher layout (for piston-engined fighters), it could be one of the most impressive first jets.
Congrats on 100K subs!! Love to see it man, love all your effort you put in to these lovely aviation vids!
Aaaand again. I feel the need to launch Kerbal Space Program to try building this weird flying machine. It can't be as hard as the DFW Floh though. That monster was a nightmare to build!
Get well soon. Outstanding video and presentation.
I literally had my hands on the last surviving Ascender yesterday. Thanks for the video! She's in great shape other than some hangar rash on the trailing edge of the left wingtip.
This plane & the Dornier 335 are my favorite looking fighters of WWII.
Good video! Refreshing that you have favorite aircraft simply for aesthetic reasons. Too many creators want to use serious metrics justify their favourite tank, plane, ship whatever as if they are fighting in them.
Thanks Rex for your great videos. I do wonder if this plane might have worked better if they had used a fixed canard with an ajustable elevator on it's back edge.
Didn't know there had been a flying mockup of this thing (like the Vought 173 tester for the stillborn F5U).
Seeing this plane the Dornier do 335 comes to mind, a model also plagued with problems though quite fast.
great video dude
This is a fascinating video! Even my hubby, who loves all things aviation, had not known anything about this plane. (It's a given that *I* don't know, haha.) Rex, your fact-based humor is always enjoyed ! 😂 The 3-D models fooled me... I thought it was the inside of a new museum which didn't yet have the display accoutrements set up yet! Hubby knew it was 3D but he was very impressed with the beautiful work. Take it easy and take care of your health...your fans won't give up on you!
I'd suggest going in late July instead, then after the Air Show you could pop over to the other side of Lake Michigan for the Oshkosh Air Show. Lots and lots of old war birds flying there! And you can see them up close on the ground too.
I’ve been to the Air Zoo, and the was amazed by the airplane! They also have a two seater Blackbird and a Saturn 5 engine you can stand under! Hoping your health improves and can go! All the best!
Great video!
As jets where just coming into play, I wonder if the thought of putting a jet engine in this plane would have worked ever came up within Curtiss???
Considering Bell and Lockheed kinda got the first run at American jet fighters I don't think so. But funny enough the J7W which is relatively similar in design did in fact have plans for a potential jet engine
Live right by the airport, it's a nice place.. definitely worth checking out. Take my kids there once a year for special events.
I like it. the strongly swept wings seem ahead of its time.
Congrats on the 100k subs!
If you do come to Michigan to visit the Air Zoo, by all means please plan to also visit the Henry Ford Museum.
I hope you feel better soon Rex!
Great video, Rex...👍
This plane had so much unrealized potential.
Nicely done. Thanks for stories on bizarre aircraft.
One had to be brave indeed to be a test pilot in those days.
Liked and subscribed! Good job from Texas, USA!
Been waiting for this episode! XP-67 next please!
Your videos are excellent and well appreciated by me.
Love this plane so much.
I've come across your content before, but it always seems to be at an inconvenient time. This is the first video I've gotten to sit down and actually watch. Hope your trip to the states is successful. I'm not in the position at the moment to help contribute to that thrip through Patreon, though I would like to, however I've subscribed and will try to watch as many of your videos as I can. I've enjoyed this one and even though I cannot become a Patron, hopefully the few extra views will help the algorithm spread your videos to more users and add in some small way to any proceeds you get through views. Thanks and keep them coming.
ive got such a hard on for pusher aircraft for some reason. looks beautiful
Great! Thanks!
Excellent.
With the tendency to flip over into an inverted flat spin when they stalled, I'm thinking a shoulder-mounted wing was called for. With the all-moving canard barely above the wing, downwash from it cancelled any lift for a slightly wider span on the wing than the elevators themselves had. It's a pity they couldn't strip a Packard Merlin from a Mustang before the USAAC caught them... Or a Rolls Royce Griffon with contra-rotating props.
Very interesting again!
You will enjoy the Kalamazoo Air Zoo when you get to the States. Don't forget to visit the Flight Discovery Center as well as the main building. The Flight Discovery Center is the original building for the Kalamazoo Air Museum (always nicknamed the AirZoo, which became the official name when they built the new main building).
the air zoo in michigan is awesome, i used to go with my father as a little kid before we moved to california
Welcome back, Rex! Stay strong.
I love Dark Skies channel a lot, but now finding this, its even better, way more direct information and citation and just in depth in general
thanks
Easily the coolest looking prototype aircraft ever
Great video. I've known about XP-55 and have read a little on it, but this was a real nice in depth history of the plane. I always wondered if Burt Rutan based his Long EZ design on the XP-55? Hope your able to make it over to this side of the pond next year, they're a lot of great air museums to visit. The Smithsonian Air and Space in D.C. would be at the top of my list, however if you make it out to the west coast, the Planes of Fame museum in Chino California is one of the best I've been too. Most of their planes fly, and before Covid, they used to put on a fantastic airshow.
This is the first time I've seen the XP-55, but I immediately had the same thought about Burt Rutan! I love the Ascender/Assender pun!
looks cool
Ohhh you did it? Thank You!!!