Curtiss XP-55 Ascender

E688073

The Curtiss XP-55 Ascender was an experimental World War II–era American fighter prototype notable for its radical canard pusher configuration and unconventional aerodynamic design.

All labels observed (2)

Label Occurrences
Curtiss XP-55 Ascender canonical 1
Curtiss XP‑55 Ascender 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf experimental fighter aircraft ⓘ
prototype aircraft ⓘ
single-seat fighter ⓘ
airForceUser United States Army Air Forces ⓘ
armamentPlanned cannon ⓘ
machine guns ⓘ
category World War II experimental aircraft of the United States ⓘ
canard aircraft ⓘ
pusher aircraft ⓘ
single-engined tractor and pusher aircraft ⓘ
configuration canard ⓘ
low-wing monoplane ⓘ
pusher ⓘ
construction all-metal airframe ⓘ
controlSurfaces ailerons on main wing ⓘ
elevons on canard ⓘ
countryOfOrigin United States ⓘ
crew 1 ⓘ
designer Curtiss-Wright Corporation ⓘ
developmentContext United States Army Air Corps Request for Data R-40C ⓘ
engineConfiguration single-engine ⓘ
era World War II ⓘ
firstFlightDate 1943-07-19 ⓘ
humorousNickname Ass-ender ⓘ
landingGear retractable tricycle landing gear ⓘ
manufacturer Curtiss-Wright Corporation ⓘ
nickname Ascender ⓘ
notableFeature pusher propeller configuration ⓘ
radical canard layout ⓘ
unconventional aerodynamic design ⓘ
numberBuilt 3 ⓘ
powerplant Allison V-1710 engine ⓘ
linked to: Allison V-1710
programOutcome not ordered into production ⓘ
programType experimental design study ⓘ
propellerPosition rear-mounted pusher propeller ⓘ
propulsion piston engine ⓘ
prototypeDesignation XP-55 ⓘ
reasonForNoProduction handling and stability concerns ⓘ
performance inferior to contemporary fighters ⓘ
role fighter aircraft ⓘ
safetyFeature jettisonable propeller for pilot bailout ⓘ
status prototype only ⓘ
retired ⓘ
survivorCount 1 ⓘ
survivorLocation Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum, Kalamazoo, Michigan ⓘ
tailConfiguration twin vertical fins ⓘ
usedFor aerodynamic research ⓘ
evaluation of unconventional fighter layouts ⓘ
wingType swept wing ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (2)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Allison V-1710 → usedInAircraft → Curtiss XP-55 Ascender ⓘ
United States Army Air Forces fighter programs → aircraftDeveloped → Curtiss XP‑55 Ascender ⓘ
linked to: Curtiss XP-55 Ascender