Curtiss YP-60E

[HoOmAn]

Hi!

Looks like there is no thread on the YP-6ßE yet so I start a new one. Here´s my question:

What would a navalized YP-60E with folding wings and hook look like? Are there other modifications you would propose?

Thanks,

HoOmAn

[HoOmAn]

That´s great!

Moving the tail wheel forward is an idea I would not have had.

There is one question, though. With that antenna aft of the cockpit - how could the bubble move back to allow entrance to the planes cockpit?

Many thanks,

HoOmAn

[HoOmAn]

Not really. I´m running South Africa and my navy currently uses the Gloster F5 as carrier borne fighter. It´s not really the F5. I use my own stats but use photos of the F5 to give an idea what the plane looks like.

That YP-60E could become her sucessor, though I sense the step could be too large.

Any ideas for an intermediate solution?

[HoOmAn]

Your idea is not bad, fore sure. It makes sense to further develope the plane. Question is - what is possible. In WesWorld a 1938er plane represents 1941er technology from the real world most often. Not sure a modified Gloster F.5 can still compete. Hence my idea to use the YP-60E as most modern successor to be introduced ~1941 WW.

I posted some background information on engines (and other stuff) on the alternative history board. See: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,27240.0.html

An intermediate type could be this bird - Greg put it together for the Hurrican thread. It is so Zero-esque...but probably needs a tail hook etc.

[jcf]

To be honest for your scenario I'd stay away from the whole Curtiss Model 95/XP-60 A,B,C,E - YP-60E mess,
the entire project was a flop and the aircraft were not very good.
The YP-60E was a conversion of one of the two production-type YP-60A-1s built before the contract was canceled.
Curtiss and the Army agreed to the construction of this conversion after Curtiss stated they wished to discontinue
any further work on the Model 95, this was in May of 1944, the YP-60E flew in July of that year. So even if it had been
produced service entry would probalby have been late spring-early summer 1945 at the earliest, however, knowing how
screwed up Curtiss was, that is being very optimistic.

The Model 95 fiasco was one of the things that led to the demise of Curtiss as an aircraft manufacturer.

If you want to stay Curtiss and use a radial engine, how about a production version of Pratt & Whitney's H81A-Special NX28990?
This was an H81A  airframe with the experimental P&W R-1830-SSC7-G engine with two-stage supercharger and by November
1942 it was, evidently, regularly waxing the Merlin powered P-40Fs stationed at a nearby base. Max speed on full military power
was 388mph at 24,000 ft. So perhaps a further developed version of the engine mated to a P-40N airframe would be an option
and possibly available for service by late 1943 Real World.

Jon

[HoOmAn]

You´re right. The project finally leading to the YP-60E was a mess and the plane of no added value to an airforce already fielding P-47s and P-51s.

However, in WesWorld things are different. All I need here is a >picture< of a plane. I will neither copy the history of the YP-60E nor use her stats. All I need is a drawing or good photoshop showing a heavy naval fighter with a radial engine. I could even use the historcal stats of the P-47D and add it to the picture. It´s all fiction anyway.

What I want to make sure is that the picture then used fits the idea of a navalized fighter - so a hook is needed and probably a slightly heavier undercarriage.

Btw, if we assume the YP-60E to be the equivalent of he P-47D - what would she look like with a razorback to simulate the P-47B? The XP-60E probably is too far off....

[Arc3371]

For a fictional fighter, a TempestJug?

[HoOmAn]

Hmmm.... Probably got that wrong.

I am aiming for the YP-60E but for storytelling it might be nice to have a picture/drawing of a prototype or early version that has a razorback.

Regarding SAE markings (South African Empire) - somebody over on the WesWorld board once created some for me but it´s no longer online and I can´t find it among my saved data.    The only thing I can currently find is a drawing of the B-14 heavy bomber used by the RSAF showing some markings.


(You may note, it´s some sort of modified Ju89...)

[HoOmAn]

For a fictional fighter, a TempestJug?

Nice drawing. Thanks for sharing.

She sure makes a powerful fighter but somehow she doesn´t look like a carrier fighter and for my liking her cockpit is a bit small while her vertical tail plane is rather large. She also lacks a hook.

As a land-based plane I can see her as a good late war option.

[HoOmAn]

Thanks for that "photo". 

Here is an early version of the markings used on that bomber. It lacks an orange ring around at the outer edge.



Given the three major parts of the Empire a three colored roundel is used with brown for Cameroon, Orange for South Africa and Green for Grand Uruguay. The Leopard and the Protea play an important role (national symbols - though both not very common for airforces) so the idea was to use combine that with the colors.

Hope this helps.

[jcf]

As previously stated YP-60E started as one of the two production type YP-60A-1, the cut-down rear fuselage modification
was one of the things done that turned that airframe into the YP-60E. Any pic of any of the other Model 95 aircraft will show
you how the aircraft would look with the high-back.

Go to this thread on Secretprojects if you want tot see the variety of projects grouped under the P-60 header:
http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=9213.0

BTW the term razorback only applies to the P-47 and was reference to the sharpness of the spine, not that it had a high-back.

[Arc3371]