Bell XP-83

First flying in 1945, the Bell XP-83 (later redesignated ZXF-83) was a United States prototype escort fighter. . Apart from range, the XP-83 was inferior to its competitor, the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star and this led to the cancellation of the XP-83 project in 1947.

The first prototype was used in 1946 as a ramjet test-bed with an engineer’s station located in the fuselage behind the pilot. It was lost due to an engine fire, with both the pilot and engineer bailing out successfully.

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