View source for Grumman XP-50

{{short description|1941 fighter aircraft prototype by Grumman}}
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{{Infobox aircraft
| name = XP-50
| image = File:Grumman XP-50.jpg
| caption = Grumman XP-50 "Skyrocket"
| type = {{Plainlist|
* [[Heavy fighter]]
* [[Interceptor aircraft|Interceptor]]}}
| manufacturer = [[Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation]]
| designer = 
| first_flight = 18 February 1941 <ref name ="Dorr p. 97"/>
| introduction = 
| retired = 
| status = Cancelled
| primary_user = 
| more_users = 
| produced = 
| number_built = 1
| unit cost = 
| developed_from = [[Grumman XF5F Skyrocket]]
| variants = 
}}

The '''Grumman XP-50''' was a land-based development of the shipboard [[Grumman XF5F Skyrocket|XF5F-1 Skyrocket]] fighter, entered into a [[United States Army Air Corps]] (USAAC) contest for a twin-engine heavy [[interceptor aircraft]]. The USAAC placed an order for a [[prototype]] on 25 November 1939, designating it '''XP-50''', but it lost the competition to the [[Lockheed XP-49]].

==Design and development==
First assigned '''Design 34''', later '''G-41''' by the builder, [[Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation|Grumman]], the design was entered into competition alongside proposals from Bell, Brewster, Curtiss, Lockheed, and Vought.<ref>Baugher, Joe. [http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p50.html "Grumman XP-50."] ''USAAC/USAAF/USAF Fighter Aircraft'', 2 August 1999. Retrieved: 2 April 2010.</ref> The XP-50 design was similar to that of the XF5F-1 with modifications to the fuselage nose to house the nose-wheel of the tricycle landing gear and provisions for [[self-sealing fuel tank]]s and pilot armor. The planned armament was two 20&nbsp;mm (.79&nbsp;in) cannon and two .50&nbsp;in (12.7&nbsp;mm) machine guns.<ref name ="Dorr p. 119">Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 119.</ref>

==Testing==
During testing, the XP-50 prototype (39-2517) was lost on 14 May 1941, falling victim to a turbo-supercharger explosion that destroyed the aircraft. The test pilot [[Robert Hall (aircraft designer)|Robert Hall]] bailed out while the XP-50 plunged into Smithtown Bay in Long Island Sound.<ref name ="Dorr p. 97">Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 97.</ref>

Based upon experience with the XF5F-1 and the XP-50, Grumman had begun work on a more advanced fighter, designated model G-51. Thus, the USAAC decided to replace the XP-50 with the newer design and recommended procurement of two G-51s, designated '''XP-65''', using the original XP-50 expenditure order to cover the development. Consideration was given to combining the Air Corps and Navy requirements into a common design, but the weight and performance penalties inherent in conflicting requirements were considered great enough that separate designs would be needed. Since the U.S. Navy considered Grumman one of its major production sources and that producing two different model aircraft by Grumman would impede manufacture of aircraft types the U.S. Navy needed, it was decided that development of the [[Grumman F7F Tigercat|XF7F-1]] would continue, and the XP-65 as a parallel development was abandoned.<ref name ="Dorr p. 119"/>

==Variants==
;XP-50
:Version of the [[XF5F Skyrocket|XF5F]] for the [[United States Army Air Corps]] with two 1,200&nbsp;hp (895&nbsp;kW) [[Wright R-1820]]-67/69 engines, one built.
;XP-65
:Improved version of the XP-50 with two R-2600-10 engines; none built—project only.

==Specifications (XP-50, estimated)==
{{Aircraft specs
|prime units?=imp


|crew=One
|length ft=31
|length in=11
|length m=9.73 
|span ft=42 
|span m=12.80 
|height ft=12 
|height m=3.66 
|wing area sqft=304 
|wing area sqm=28.24 
|empty weight lb=8,310 
|empty weight kg=3,770 
|gross weight lb=10,500 
|gross weight kg=5250 
|max takeoff weight lb=13,060 
|max takeoff weight kg=6,530 
|eng1 name=[[Wright R-1820]]-67/69
|eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled [[radial engine]]s
|eng1 number=2
|eng1 hp=1,200 
|eng1 kw=895 
|max speed mph=424 
|max speed kmh=680 
|max speed note=at 25,000 ft (7,620 m)
|range miles=1,250 
|range km=2,010 
|ceiling ft=40,000 
|ceiling m=12,190 
|climb rate ftmin= 5000 
|climb rate ms=25 
|power/mass= |armament=
* 2 × 20 mm (.79 in) cannons (60 rounds per gun)
* 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns (500 rounds per gun)
* 2 × 100 lb (50 kg) bombs
}}

==See also==
{{aircontent|
|related=
* [[Grumman XF5F Skyrocket]]
* [[Grumman F7F Tigercat]]
|similar aircraft=
* [[SNCASE SE.100]]
* [[Focke-Wulf Fw 187]]
* [[Gloster F.9/37]]
* [[IMAM Ro.57]]
* [[Kawasaki Ki-45]]-II
* [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning]]
* [[Mikoyan-Gurevich DIS]]
* [[Nakajima J1N]]
* [[PZL.38 Wilk]]
* [[Tairov Ta-3]]
* [[Westland Whirlwind (fighter)|Westland Whirlwind]]
|see also=
|lists=
}}

==References==

===Notes===
{{Reflist|30em}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
*  Dorr, Robert F. and David Donald. ''Fighters of the United States Air Force''. London: Temple, 1990. {{ISBN|0-600-55094-X}}.
* Green, William. ''War Planes of the Second World War, Volume Four: Fighters''. London: MacDonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd., 1961 (Sixth impression 1969). {{ISBN|0-356-01448-7}}.
* Lucabaugh, David and Bob Martin. ''Grumman XF5F-1 & XP-50 Skyrocket, Naval Fighters Number Thirty-one''. Simi Valley, California: Ginter Books, 1995. {{ISBN|0-942612-31-0}}.
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_fighters/p50.html Joseph F. Baugher – Grumman XP-50]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121002184021/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2255 Grumman XP-50 Skyrocket]

{{Grumman aircraft}}
{{USAF fighters}}

[[Category:Grumman aircraft|P-050]]
[[Category:1940s United States fighter aircraft|Grumman P-50]]
[[Category:Low-wing aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1941]]
[[Category:Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft]]
[[Category:Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear]]