The Super-Fighter That Was Betrayed By Its Engine | Vultee XP-54 [Aircraft Overview #68]

[@RexsHangar]

F.A.Q Section Q: Do you take aircraft requests? A: I have a list of aircraft I plan to cover, but feel free to add to it with suggestions:) Q: Why do you use imperial measurements for some videos, and metric for others? A: I do this based on country of manufacture. Imperial measurements for Britain and the U.S, metric for the rest of the world, but I include text in my videos that convert it for both. Q: Will you include video footage in your videos, or just photos? A: Video footage is very expensive to licence, if I can find footage in the public domain I will try to use it, but a lot of it is hoarded by licencing studies (British Pathe, Periscope films etc). In the future I may be able to afford clips :) Q: Why do you sometimes feature images/screenshots from flight simulators? A: Sometimes there are not a lot of photos available for certain aircraft, so I substitute this with digital images that are as accurate as possible. Feel free to leave you questions below - I may not be able to answer all of them, but I will keep my eyes open :)

[@steveshoemaker6347]

Thanks again my friend...l really liked the look of this aircraft.....Shoe🇺🇸

[@atomicshadowman9143]

NACA is pronounced En A Sea A. My father worked for them.

[@Underwaystudios]

Thank You Rex. What can you tell us about Sea Plane development and the US Coast Guard's use of them.

[@anonymous12345678935]

I would like to see a video of yours on flying the hump in WW2 specifically on the C46 commando's roll. Or design and development of the C46. My grandpa was a C46 hump pilot, so it holds special interest to me.

[@brucegibbins3792]

@@anonymous12345678935 that being true, you will be aware of the several video programmes detailing this courageous event that are already available to view. Yet, is there still more unaired material that we can learn more from?

[@kringe700]

"The Super-Fighter that was betrayed by its engine." A story as old as the aviation history itself.

[@bigblue6917]

Seems to be quite a common theme.

[@suzi_mai]

That p+w h 2600 looks a maintenance nightmare!

[@whyjnot420]

Heavier than air aviation at least. Arguably all of powered aviation. But not all of aviation history itself, which includes things that do by definition cannot have engines such as hot air balloons. That said I think the sentiment in the OPs statement is spot on.

[@allangibson2408]

It could easily have become an American version of the SAAB J21R…

[@joshkamp7499]

Before avionics became the most important part of aircraft design, aviation was always limited almost exclusively by engines.

[@olsonspeed]

Interesting concept that seemingly had a lot of potential. The Japanese Kyushu J7W Shinden is worthy subject for your attention.

[@oldgringo2001]

Yeah, it was interesting. It even was the subject of a story arc in *Oh My Goddess!*. But like all the American pushers, it was too slow and too late.

[@kalui96]

Ace Combat Fan did a video about it on his "Know Your Plane" series. I'd still watch one on this channel though

[@steveproctor1748]

The J7W1 was actually intended to be powered by a jet type engine. The propeller version was used basically for testing the concept. Propeller version would have been built and flown until the intended powerplant was ready, if it ever would have been. I always thought that the J7W1 was the most beautiful of all of the concept plane that anyone else ever made.

[@olsonspeed]

@@steveproctor1748 I think it is a beauty contest between the Kyushu J7W1 and the Lockheed Starjet L-133. The Starjet project was sadly cancelled before it was flown.

[@billalumni7760]

Yes, please do a series on WWII pusher aircraft and add Dornier DO 335

[@Dragon_Werks]

The sole surviving Curtiss XP-55 Ascender (#2 of 3) has been restored and sits in the Kalamazoo (Michigan) Aviation History Museum, aka, The Kalamazoo Air Zoo. I've seen her up close and personal several times; she's a beauty.

[@chesspiece81]

The trajectory of the aircraft from when the Wright Brothers first flew in 1903 to what was being done by the end of WW2 is unbelievable. I heard once that the entire distance of the Wright Bros first flight could have been done inside Hughes H4 Hercules aka the Spruce Goose that was assembled and "flew" 44 years later.

[@stianberg5645]

And 22 years after that, humans reached the moon. Kinda feel we lost momentum since then. On the other hand, we take flying for granted now and I guess that is a milestone as well.

[@rubiconnn]

@@stianberg5645 The problem is that the difficulty of advancement does not scale linearly. It's easy to design aircraft that can travel 500 mph when they currently travel 100 mph. It is much much, much difficult to design an aircraft that travels 2500 mph when current aircraft travel 500 mph.

[@henrikgiese6316]

@Steel Ringer IIRC it didn't have enough engine power to get out of ground-effect flight (WIGE long before the Russians!) so it was arguably not a "real" aircraft. OTOH that was just a power problem. The short flight distance was AFAIK just because of the limited testing area. Incidentally, it was so large it might well have crossed the Atlantic as a WIGE... Now that's an interesting start for an alternate history!

[@KuK137]

@@stianberg5645 We 'lost' momentum thanks to ultra-rich bankster scum stealing public money. In 1960s, the top earner tax was 90%. Yes, this is not a mistake, you wanted to live like king, you were taxed properly and the state could afford stuff like technological progress or Apollo program easily. Now? These scum pay 10-12%, if that, even Buffet complained he pays less tax than his secretary without even trying. There is like FIVE TRILLION $ of stolen money in tax havens, no wonder we "lost" momentum...

[@aendranireho6038]

@@rubiconnn There's also the question for the need of such fast aircrafts : modern fighter are actually slower than late Vietnam war fighters. We're also thinking of making airliner slightly slower. We can make hypersonic aircrafts, NASA has done it, they're just so expensive that beyond science and missiles, they're kinda useless. And very hard to fly for a human.

[@yes_head]

The fact that this plane began life before the USA was even in WWII showed how rapidly aviation design was moving back then.

[@mikedrop4421]

It truly is incredible that we went from bi-planes to jets during one war.

[@aserta]

The thing that most people don't get is that most of our technologies existed in various formats before they became the thing they are. IN this case, all the basic tech regarding airplanes, was already in existence from cars, boats, and gliders. Then at some point, various people across the planet had the thought to put motors on gliders, then they figured out that beyond wing lift this air thing has another effect on bodies so they began skining them using tech like kayak making, then moved on to metal skins, and so on. As for the shape, well, we didn't invent anything regarding that, we just mimicked what nature already did. Slower airplanes have slower profiles, faster airplanes have faster profiles. The funny thing is that once you reach the limit of what you can piece together (the variations on a theme as they were) you reach a bottleneck. SO that's why airplanes can go only so fast, and have shapes that match those speeds, because for example, we still haven't figured how to not turn humans into goop that needs to be scooped up at high speeds, nothing past pressure suits and maybe training and meds.

[@jimtaylor294]

Lockheed was working on a Jet Fighter prior to the US's entry to WWII as well... but the USAAF turned them down, claiming the design was "too advanced".

[@cosmoray9750]

Eisenhower Farewell Address - Military Industrial Complex kzbin.info/www/bejne/maq9oIicg9iIopo

[@RidinDirtyRollinBurnouts]

Gigantic budgets that allowed for elaborate r&d along with a bunch of technologies and industries that came into being just in time for the aviation industry to take flight, pun intended

[@HamiltonStandard]

There is something timeless about this design. I am certain it could be perfected now. Those guys came soooo close. 👏🏻

[@kdrapertrucker]

Yeah, you could put in a turboprop today, but at that time the first turboprop engines had problems with gearboxes.

[@gregbolitho9775]

Thanks!

[@AudieHolland]

That photo showing the XP-54 being maintenanced and checked by all those personnel, really hammers back the message that after each failed project, there are many professionals that tried their utmost, worked off their asses, to try and make it succeed.

[@papat7435]

"worked off their asses".... The expression is "Worked their asses off". But your version is cute.

[@oakbrookconsultants]

Loving the videos, Rex. Just a note on the name "Swoose" that others may have already pointed out. Swoose was pinched from a cartoon which featured a half-swan, half-goose, hence Swoose. It was first used for a salvaged B17 in the Pacific theatre that was a combination B17c and e, hence it was neither one thing or the other, a hybrid. By the sound of it whoever called the Vultee that thought much the same about it!

[@michaelwilson6483]

So why not just call it a swoose. Or was it quarter swan 3 quarter goose?

[@Caseytify]

Fun Fact: the pilot of that fortress had a daughter he later named Swoosie, in honor of the plane. She later became an actress known as Swoosie Kurtz.

[@bluetopguitar1104]

So many stories like this in ww2. A lot of teething problems with early jets but they had less complexity than late piston engines. A great "what could have been"

[@edsutherland8266]

The Westinghouse J40 similarly sank a few otherwise promising designs, so it was far from unusual for engines to doom projects. The problem with the piston engines was that sizes & power outputs were so different, so it wasn’t always easy to just stick a rival power plant in. With early jets, there were often a few options in the same rough size class, so it was slightly easier.

[@jkoysza1]

@@edsutherland8266 As a Vietnam era Naval Flight Officer, I can confirm that reports of the weak performance of the Westinghouse J40 were still then passed around. Oh for an F7 with a 12,000 lb thrust turbojet!

[@tsbrownie]

Another great video. Note: As one with experience in burning magnesium, I would not call using a torch or similar to ignite it, "extremely flammable". Gasoline and oil can be set alight with a match, but an airframe of magnesium, not so much. In comparison, finely divided steel wool can be lit with a match, but one does not call steel extremely flammable.

[@soberedsoldier2578]

From the context of the video, I believe he meant in the circumstances compared to other airframes. You mention magnesium requiring a decent amount of heat to ignite, and while that shouldn’t be extremely flammable on its own, in a combat vehicle it may be so. What I mean is the potential for engine or fuel fires are possible, and even more so in aerial engagements. If the engine catches fire, the normal aluminum airframe still retains most of its structural strength, whereas it sounds like magnesium would ignite the plane at a much more rapid pace. Though he really may have meant it in your sense, too. Interesting, nonetheless.

[@calvingreene90]

@@soberedsoldier2578 Putting out burning steel wool and easy but with burning magnesium just put it someplace where it can burn itself out safely.

[@kyle857]

Magnesium alloys are widely used in jet engines, in the structures of military and civilian helicopters, and in hundreds of auto components, without flammability issues

[@tsbrownie]

@@soberedsoldier2578 Magnesium melts at 650C, Aluminum at 660C. Oil/gas mixtures used in aircraft engines burn at over 2500C, aluminum ignites at around 2000 and whereas magnesium is lower, it does not matter since both will be burning. I've worked an aircraft accident where the engine melted out of the fuselage, after which the movement of CG aft caused it to stall. Both people died. BTW, shredded aluminum in oxygen was used in old flashbulbs (it was not magnesium as was popularly thought).

[@soberedsoldier2578]

@@tsbrownie The more you know. Thanks for clarifying that for me! In that case, no idea why he said that then. Oh well.

[@kyle857]

I love pusher aircraft. I know they often had problems with cooling and other issues, but they were often beautiful. This one combines aspects of two of my favorite fighters, the XP55 and P38. The XP55 is a monster of a plane in War Thunder. At least in Sim mode.

[@oldgringo2001]

Yeah, pushers are prolific in video games. They look like they should be faster. But they ain't in real life. I'm old enough to remember what a B-36 sounded like when it took off overhead, six turning and four burning. Even with four jet engines bolted on and five cannon-armed turrets, it didn't have a chance in hell against a Mig-15. But it was great for Texas, where they were built! Back in 1988 I sat through a lecture about where they were going to build the Superconducting Supercollider. After the lecture, I talked to the physicist who had delivered it, and set him straight: If it was built at all, it would be built in Texas. Why? Because thanks to the Electoral College, the Federal Government is a life support system for Texas. And guess what, I was absolutely right. The best thing that came out of the failed project was the hilarious Herman Wouk novel *A Hole in Texas*. Billions of dollars for a hole in the ground. Well, a BIG hole in the ground.

[@Unfassbarer]

Danke!

[@elennapointer701]

I bet the aircrews would have come up with some choice nicknames for this thing had it gone into full production. That "ejection seat" is horrifying. Baling out at low level in some planes was possible (two members of John Hopgood's Dambuster Lancaster crew baled out at around 200ft as the plane disintegrated, and survived, albeit injured) but jumping from the Goose at low level would be a guaranteed death sentence. Mind you, with all that magnesium, the funeral pyre would have been bright.

[@Colt45hatchback]

It would have been a terrifying thing to fly, cant bail out low, cant get out if you make a gear up landing, i find it more scary than an me163. At least its theoretically possible to get out of that haha

[@kyle857]

Magnesium alloys are widely used in jet engines, in the structures of military and civilian helicopters, and in hundreds of auto components, without flammability issues

[@Rapscallion2009]

@@kyle857 yes - it's not clear if "magnesium" refers to pure magnesium or alloys. Probably alloys as magnesium's known engineering properties are generally poor for most purposes. People used to refer to some car alloys as "mag alloys" as they were magnesium alloy wheels.

[@DeliveryMcGee]

@@Rapscallion2009 Still burns like a mofo if it gets hot enough. I've worked with firefighters, SOP for a magnesium fire is to just stand back and watch it burn, because water only makes it worse -- it's so hot it breaks the water into hydrogen and oxygen, which then burn back into water.

[@arkboy3]

Gorgeous vid! Yet another to re-watch.

[@noonehere1793]

Thanks for shedding light on the many XP’s built during the war years….not much is generally known about these many interesting aircraft except to us die hard old timers! Well done.👍👍

[@reynaldoandannieangnged6434]

You've discussed one of my favourite planes!!! 😄👏👏👏 Thanks Rex. Since the day it piqued my interest, I have made a complete redesign as a modern, low cost, ground attack version powered by Lycoming/Honeywell t-55 spinning a 4-bladed wide prop taken straight out of skyraider.

[@duncangrainge]

Great production Rex. Very interesting. Thanks.

[@stephenremington8448]

Great looking unusual plane, shame it didn't work out. Interestingly Vultee joined up with Consolidated to become Convair and built the mighty legend, the B-36. About magnesium, it has commonly been used in the aviation industry for parts of planes, especially in the engines, from the Bf109 up to Airbus and British Aerospace, the main concern has always been corrosion. People know the thing from school, the magnesium ribbon put in a flame, but solid magnesium is a lot harder to burn, it has to be heated to melting point with continued sustained heat to catch fire. Aluminium has the same sort of melting point, aluminium powder has been used in rocket propulsion.

[@grafixbyjorj]

Exactly this. If you already have a fire bad enough to light bulk magnesium, magnesium isn't your problem 🙂

[@JHamList]

man all those old aircraft engines are a thing of exquisite beauty

[@caiuscosades6423]

This plane that looks like it came from Crimson Skies is actually a treat to fly on FSX IMO.

[@jasons44]

Love your stuff 1930's and 1946-1960 fighter and bombers

[@thebalsaboy]

I’ve seen this before on the internet, thanks for posting this on this aircraft.

[@elgato9445]

Excellent Rex. Love how you present info on these obscure aircraft.

[@axl0506]

Rex's lessons are also great to learn sophisticated English - Greetings from Germany

[@klausschwabshubris]

Amazing looking plane, it’s a shame for its deficiencies.

[@AnthonyHandcock]

Beauty like that deserves success doesn't it? Damn you reality! Damn you all to hell! 😃

[@Jonathan.D]

I kept waiting for Rex to say "Unfortunately, a careless army officer flicked a cigarette butt within sight of the aircraft and it went up in flames." 😄

[@DavidSiebert]

One of many problems was by the time it was ready it was not needed. The US had no need for a high-altitude interceptor by that point in the war. The P-47 did that job well if needed and the P-80 was being developed. If they had needed that plane they could have possibly used the Chrysler IV-2220 but why bother to put another engine and aircraft type into production at that point in the war?

[@williamvbone5734]

Inspired by freedom until poverty loses

[@Cythil]

I really like the looks of it. One of my favourite planes from the era looks wise. But it had stiff competition, even if it did not have any engine problems. (And the magnesium structure do freak me out a bit. Yeah... I paid attention in chemistry class, at least when we did pyrotechnics. ;) )

[@oddshot60]

Glad to hear you are on the mend. I really enjoy the a/c you choose and your story telling style. Do you need research material? I have more than a couple gigs of .pdf's of it. Happy to try to work out a way to get it out to you.

[@jankjason]

"Mr. Burns: We'll take the spruce moose! Hop in!"

[@rayceeya8659]

This reminds me of the scene in Pentagon Wars where they go into the development of the Bradley.

[@nosorab3]

"Lemme just swooce right in." ~The USAF

[@Chuckles..]

Wow these planes are cool. Would definitely like to know more the Curtiss-Wright XP-55, great vid, thanks.

[@jodypitt3629]

Hi Rex, your commentary has reminded me of the "Thunderbird 6" movie where "Brains" loses his temper over proposed models of this new addition to the International Rescue fleet being repeatedly rejected.

[@silentone11111111]

Love info on the rare and failed . Great vid

[@rockyraab8290]

As a former Air Force O-2 guy, that one strikes a chord. If only it had held on long enough to have a turbine engine installed, it might have been a terrific "fast FAC" plane. Or at least "faster FAC."

[@vumba1331]

Exhaust from the jet would've had a ball with the stab, that would need to be relocated, tops offins?

[@rockyraab8290]

@@vumba1331 I should have said "turboprop" Sorry if you thought I meant a jet engine.

[@davefellhoelter1343]

I grew up near the plant? Customers on my paper route lived on "Vultee" St and/or Ave. I think I noticed an old sign on a Rock Well Downey building.

[@shiekyerbooti4068]

I’m not sure how confident I’d feeling about jumping out of a pusher aircraft.

[@projectlessweforget]

It would be interesting to see the Curtiss XP-55 in a future video because it makes a appearance in the War Thunder video. The game gives a vague history of the aircraft to players and I thought it was a captured Japanese Shinden, until now when I watched this video. I picked this aircraft because it was designed by Curtiss which I'm working on a book on the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk and I find it interesting that Curtiss participated in the contest while continuing with the development of the XP-40 (I don't know if the company did both at the same time before the US officially entered WW2) and I say officially because of the Flying Tigers that helped defend China from Japan until the attack on Pearl Harbor that changed the future of the mercenary group known as the Flying Tigers and the ultimate disbandment of the group (I got off tracked). Please consider making a video on the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender in the future and keep up the excellent work.

[@aaronseet2738]

Never heard of this type of aircraft before. Fascinating.

[@dallesamllhals9161]

Man! I need to play good good OLD Crimson Skies(2000) again. x86! NOT the console only sequel...

[@tempestfury8324]

That was a really fun game! The production of it was really top notch!

[@HootOwl513]

''Half Swan. Half Goose, Alexander is a Swoose...'' Novelty hit by Kay Kyser and His Orchestra.. ''Swoose'' was also the pet name of an early model B-17.

[@jonbezeau3124]

The 3D model was a really nice touch!

[@CreamTheEverythingFixer]

Saab was able to make something similar to this design work in 1945, the Saab 21. However it was pretty short lived as it ceased production within 4 years was decommissioned in 9 as the Saab 21R variant had a jet engine.

[@rudywoodcraft9553]

New stuff for me excellent video thanks!

[@jacksavage4098]

Great work again.

[@peterjohn3123]

Nice video 👍👍

[@larsrons7937]

Incredible that they started developing this aircraft and continued until stopping only near the end of the war. And even more incredible the long row of problems they faced, most of which were not fault of their own. 2:39 That plane down to the left looks a bit like the German Me-163 only with piston engine instead of rocket engine.

[@kronop8884]

One of the few pusher designs ever to see service was the SAAB J21 fighter, that turned out to be less of a fighter but a stabile attack platform instead, incidentally it is possibly the only piston engined aircraft to be successfully be jet converted and entered service as the J21R. The J21 also required SAAB to develop their own ejection seats roughly at the same time as Germany did during WWII

[@larryjacobsen4079]

The first Russian jet fighters looked like piston-engine converted to jets (Mig-9 and Yak-15)

[@kronop8884]

@@larryjacobsen4079 True, Yak-15 (based on the Yak-3 fuselage) and the Swedish Saab 21R were the only two jets to be successfully converted from piston-power to enter production. Mig-9 was a clean sheet design afaik

[@slick4401]

I don't know about you, guys, but I think it looks awesome.

[@kimroos8110]

SAAB J21(J=Jakt=Pursuit) served whit the Swedish Air Force from 1945 to 1954. Same designphilosophy and using the same engine as the German Bf 109, built under licence. Was the first aircraft to use an ejection seat devoloped but not patented by Bofors. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAAB_21

[@Draugh39]

It was layer developed into the jet version J21r, which looked a bit like the de Havilland Vampire.

[@Rapscallion2009]

Definitely I can see elements of the P38 in there. The tails, particularly. It looks like something from Crimson Skies, though.

[@aurorch9942]

The layout reminds me of the Saab 21 (J21)

[@sharg0]

Which later got a jet engine and renamed to 21R (64 built)

[@anthonysantiago1999]

Sad that so many stories of only single prototype aircraft are left for destruction rather than kept for future testing.. Great story as usual..

[@jeffbrinkerhoff5121]

"Swoose" was a popular song of the Era about a creature that was a cross between a swan and a goose. Additionally the actress Swoosie Kurtz is the daughter of heroic ww2 aviator Frank Kurtz who had a hybrid plane cobbled together from a couple wrecks to get back in action. That plane was very successful and as the progeny of 2 different designs was dubbed the "Swoose" like the bird in the song.

[@CraigLYoung]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@nathangreer8219]

My grandfather was denied service in WW2 due to a heart defect. He spent the war in Southern Cal on the assembly line at Vultee, building Valiants.

[@theorangeofallahpbuh1840]

This whole design seems terrifyingly needlessly complex. The dangerous ejection system, the unnecessary seat lowering system, the cabin pressurisation, and the moving guns. I'm surprised it wasn't thrown out because of the cost and complexity.

[@sockmonkey6666]

Yeah they broke one of the cardinal rules of aircraft development. When you need something soon, never try out a bunch of brand-new ideas on the same plane or you're gonna run outta time troubleshooting everything.

[@theorangeofallahpbuh1840]

@@sockmonkey6666...and especially if those features are unnecessary at best.

[@donjones4719]

I knew 2 out of the 4 planes from this contract/specification - not this one. A very interesting story. When the original engine was cancelled, why wasn't Vultee allowed to switch to the Allison engine? It would get the plane flying, the design's aerodynamics were the real thing that needed to be explored.

[@sgthop]

@Cancer McAids I'm...not entirely sure what you're getting at. The 1710 was quite a bit lighter, but they could have pretty easily adjusted the CG while they were in the prototype phase. It probably came down to the fact that it was just not feasible in budget or timeline to continue work with the design, considering the much faster P-51 first flew three years prior, and had already been in service for a year by the time the XP-54 first flew.

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Sir thank you

[@herbertshallcross9775]

It might be interesting to know more about results and even comments from it's flight testing. Designers keep "seeing" theoretical potential for higher efficiencies of pusher propellors, but few pushers have become successful aircraft. The clean air the flight surfaces and fuselage skins are supposed to benefit from because the propellor isn't trashing the air seems to be largely offset by the propellor not seeing clean air entering the prop disk. Many pushers (notably the Beech Starship) are god-awful noisy because of the propellor cutting through the different pressure areas from the lifting surfaces. and generating that noise has to have an impact on efficiency. The Molt Taylor Mini-Imp and the Lesher Teal seem to have made pushers work, but even though plans were offered tor the Mini-Imp, I don't think many were constructed.

[@thetopsecretpentagonsclass6350]

Wow its look like a drone, nice video!.

[@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188]

In Germany the very/too advanced Heinkel 177 bomber also had two engines coupled along the propeller axle in each wing and when "Dicke Herman", Herman Göring saw the engine, he became furious, as he knew they would be very difficult to maintain in the field. It also had a very advanced cooling system below the plates on the wings, making the plates flex in the cold, high altitudes. But it was faster than the fighters, so it didn't need much protective armament by that.

[@bjornpilot]

The XP54 is a design very close to the successful Saab J21/A21. It was produced in a couple of hundred examples and the only major problem was cooling on ground.

[@tenchraven]

The XP-54 was beautiful. But I think the concerns about the magnesium frame are over blown. Yes, scraped down magnesium will burn, but the same applies to aluminum and that isn't a whole lot harder to catch on fire. Both have an ignition point below that of av gas or burning ordinance if you are talking shavings, but if you have big chunks they aren't going to burst into flames randomly or even just from some bullet holes. Of course, both will burn as part of a crash. And a garbage engine can lead to that.

[@gryph01]

Love your videos! Please consider doing an episode on Bush planes line the Dehavilland Beaver and Noorduyen Norseman.

[@George_M_]

Whoever approved this design was insane. I'm amazed the thing flew, regardless of it's uselessness for the military.

[@poggergen1937]

Can you make a video on the XP-55, XF5F or the XP-50? (and for those who will ask, yes, I know of these aircraft from war thunder, however I am curious about them.)

[@lewiswestfall2687]

great video

[@sky_professor3051]

Be cool to see one about the Caproni C.3 model and the Macchi floatplanes.

[@donjones4719]

0:18 Anyone else get the vibe of the Japanese "Baka Bomb" from this simple view? The long bomb-like body with the glazed cockpit sticking up out of it, and the twin tails, makes for a surprising resemblance.

[@russward2612]

I was getting a kamikaze torpedo vibe, but I do see what you mean.

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

The F-104 also had a downward firing ejection seat because of it's high vertical tail. In air craft designed to take off and rapidly climb to altitude to intercept Warsaw Pact intruders - this was not considered a problem. Then - some of the nations buying them - such as Germany - wanted the F-104's to serve as ground attack aircraft as well ... Of course ... all aircraft must land and take off - which pretty much by definition happens at "low altitude" and thus people eventually saw the need for Zero Altitude Ejection Seats. .

[@MonkeyJedi99]

That seat is SO sci-fi. I expected to see the same lift for the astromech droid.

[@RedXlV]

Clarification: Some nations, such as Germany, had a requirement for a ground attack jet. And Lockheed bribed their officials into selecting a high-altitude interceptor for the role.

[@calvingreene90]

An upward firing soft launch rocket ejection seat replace the downward ejection seat. Please note that the word soft is comparable to acceleration of a gun type ejection seat.

[@calvingreene90]

@@RedXlV The F-104G was a good ground attack plane. Lockheed was burned on the bribery scandal because they were the winner and American not European. Everyone was offering bribes.

[@jimtaylor294]

^ Nope. The F-104 was not good in the GA role, as illustrated by the fact it was not even popular with the USAF, as a Day Interceptor. (a role that unlike GA, requires different [and heavier] avionics, and a larger weapons load) The F-104 had an underpowered engine (one reason for its lightweight build), couldn't carry the radar the USAF wanted, and originally had none of the features of an All Weather Interceptor. The FRD regime in Bon was bribed into accepting an inferior product; one that various Luftwaffe pilots would pay for with their lives, and also resulted in a weaker air defence against airspace incursons by the GDR/USSR, than alternatives could have provided.

[@rolanddutton4723]

I've always loved this one, it looks like something from Anime. I'm sure there's a Japanese aircraft of similar configuration but I can't remember the name (with push/pull props). A video on the XP-67 Bat would be cool. It also came from R40C and is one of the most beautiful aircraft ever built imo.

[@christofferwillenfort4035]

It is very simmilar in apearence to the SAAB j21 (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SAAB_21) but the SAAB made 400MPH on only 1,455HP. (from a Daimler-Benz DB 605B )

[@Deviation4360]

Elegant as a Girraf, no doubt the first of the designs that lead to monstrosities like that of the Douglas egg-beater powered flying barns and Hugh's twin boom job that would have impressed the designers of the Dreamliner.

[@Deviation4360]

Sorry I meant Virgin Mothership, not Dreamliner.

[@wlewisiii]

I look forward to the video on the Ass-Ender. It always seemed like the best of the options and might have been a success with a rear mounted R2800 engine.

[@mpetersen6]

I've always wondered about a turbojet with the airframe cleaned up. Another possible engine if it worked could have been the Wright 42 cylinder Tornado.

[@RamonInNZ]

@@mpetersen6 aka British Vampire...

[@sgthop]

@@mpetersen6 The Swedes kinda did this with the J21s.

[@ericgrace9995]

I'm sorry but you really can't call an aircraft intended for military service an "Ass-Ender". You are begging for ridicule, misnaming and abuse.

[@sgthop]

@@ericgrace9995 It's a play on the given name, Ascender.

[@RaeSyngKane]

Was there ever a successful fighter fielded with independently aim-able guns like those seen here? I feel like we’ve seem quite a few of them in the reject pile.

[@jp-um2fr]

The Rolls Royce R Series engines designed in 1929 and 2800 hp. They were used to win the Schneider Trophy outright. The development of RR V12's went on through Spitfires, Hurricanes, Lancasters, Shackletons and even the P41, etc. Not bad for a piddling little island stuck in the North Sea. My father said if you went through the gate (an emergency only throttle setting) all hell broke loose.

[@duneydan7993]

Would you look at that! Another plane I need to add to my "weird/beautiful/funny aircrafts to try to build in Kerbal Space Program" list. Thanks Rex!

[@stevetournay6103]

The XP-54 was one of those few aircraft that looked better parked than flying!

[@FlyingBuzzard]

Great info

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

5:41 the Me-108 had Magnesium skins and did not immolate itself in a crash.

[@kyle857]

Magnesium alloys are widely used in jet engines, in the structures of military and civilian helicopters, and in hundreds of auto components, without flammability issues

[@hatman4818]

... Because theyre alloys. I dont think mettalurgy was quite there yet in WW2.

[@kyle857]

​@@hatman4818 It was. The plane wasn't made of straight magnesium.

[@Straswa]

Great vid Rex, I enjoy your vids on concept planes. Nice to learn about the aircraft that could have been.

[@merafirewing6591]

The engine must really hate the aircraft and the turbocharger.

[@cal-native]

Gorgeous, innovative design, ahead of its time. I kept cringing as they went through engine choices, knowing that none were successful. Was wondering to myself how it would have performed with some of the early jet engines.

[@louisavondart9178]

Yep, a Goblin 3 engine would have made it comparable to a Venom fighter is my guess.

[@mycroft1905]

Most interesting. TFP. Is that a Vengeance in the background at 12:00? There are similarities between the wing forms of the two designs; more pronounced on the XP-54.

[@Dv087]

I wonder if Vought use the ideas of the inverted gull wing and installing the supercharger/turbochargers radiators being in the wing root facing forward on the F4U Corsair

[@markploeger8624]

Is structural magnesium really that flammable? Its used in airplanes and car structures all the time because its relatively high strength-to-weight ratio and high temp properties. I mean, sure, if you grind it into a powder and ignite it with something super hot it'll burn like crazy, but I don't think you'll realistically get that kind of environment in a plane crash.

[@mliittsc63]

it's not significantly flammable. Was used as armor at least one American WW2 fighter.

[@egocyclic]

My grandfather worked in management for Fisher Body throughout WWII. Now that you’ve apparently moved into reviewing rubbish American aircraft, I would pleased if you were so inclined to detail the dumpster fire that was the P-75 Eagle.

[@masonsykes2240]

WATCH ME SWOOCE RIGHT IN

[@alessiodecarolis]

Without all these problems perhaps it could've worked, don't understand why using magnesium for the build, the downward ejection seat was really idiotic (oh wait, the early F104s), the design was similar to the SAAB 21, with the difference that it worked. So well that it was modified in the SAAB 21R, the first swedish jet fighter, and it had an ejection seat from the early versions. Perhaps also the P54 could've been modified with a jet engine.

[@kKingKazuma]

Can you cover the developement of the Ki-84s or the Kawanishi N1Ks? My favorite planes in the 5.3 ~ 6.0 range of aircraft in War Thunder

[@vascoribeiro69]

It was huge. I made one for X-Plane 9, and an alternative with contra prop engine.

[@janetizzy6741]

@7:06 That is a 1952 (54?) Oldsmobile steering wheel. Just 12 years ahead of its time.

[@leondillon8723]

Prior to WW II, there was a song called "The Swoose". Half SWan and half gOOSE. The song was the cause of an US actress getting named Swoosie by her father. Kurtz wrote "Part Swan, Part Goose", an autobio.

[@reynaldoandannieangnged6434]

And Rex, you've progressed from pictures, drawings and some footage to 3d rendering.

[@timewaster504]

The plane being made out of magnesium is crazy. When that burns it is so bright it can blind you temporarily. Thank goodness they never had to deal with that.

[@jebise1126]

15:49 that is xp52? that is really odd looking. i cant really figure out its shape. looks like there is hole in nose.

[@bobjoatmon1993]

As someone who has worked with magnesium casting in a foundry in a summer job then later with magnesium sheet metal as an aircraft mechanic it always irks me when the dangers of magnesium are exaggerated like they do in this video where it's just scare tactics. Yes, it's flammable and requires special techniques to put it out (no water for example, it's a Class 4 flammable) but it doesn't ignite THAT easily or it wouldn't be useful or used at all. And FYI an aluminum sheet metal plane disappears pretty dam fast in a fire TOO.

[@dantupper1784]

Had they ditched the 'hyper engine' for a couple of early jet engines, raised the horizontal stabilizer- end up with an extra-large version of a De Havilland Vampire. Might have worked.