Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender resulted from United States Army Air Corps proposal R-40C which was issued on 27 November 1939 for aircraft with improved performance, armament, and pilot visibility over existing fighters; it specifically allowed for unconventional aircraft designs. Other contender for the design were the Vultee XP-54 and Northrop XP-56, neither of which entered service.
Many firsts were including in the design, such as a canard layout, tricycle undercarriage and a propellor ejection device, so that the pilot would not hit the propeller when they bailed out. Designed for the Pratt & Whitney X-1800 engine, it was re-designed after that engine project was canceled and the Allison V-1710 (F16) was used instead.
Of the three prototypes built, two crashed, with one of the test pilots being killed. Performance was disappointing, being inferior to existing designs and the project was cancelled in 1944.
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