The Curtiss YP-37 was an American
fighter aircraft
Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...
developed by
Curtiss-Wright
The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is an American manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation (business), consoli ...
in the late 1930s for the
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...
(USAAC). A derivative of the
Curtiss P-36 Hawk
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...
, the YP-37 was designed to improve performance by replacing the P-36's radial engine with a turbo-supercharged, liquid-cooled
Allison V-1710
The Allison V-1710 aircraft engine designed and produced by the Allison Engine Company was the most common United States, US-developed V12 engine, V-12 Internal combustion engine cooling, liquid-cooled engine in service during World War II. Ve ...
inline engine, resulting in a lengthened fuselage and a rearward-shifted cockpit. Although it demonstrated promising speed, the aircraft suffered from unreliable turbo-superchargers and poor visibility, leading to its cancellation after 14 units were built. The project was abandoned in favor of the more practical
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
.
Design and development
In early 1937, recognizing the
P-36 Hawk
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...
's inferiority to emerging European fighters like the
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
and
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a monoplane fighter aircraft that was designed and initially produced by the Nazi Germany, German aircraft manufacturer Messerschmitt#History, Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW). Together with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the ...
, the USAAC sought to enhance its fighter capabilities. Curtiss was tasked with adapting a P-36 airframe to use a turbo-supercharged
Allison V-1710-11 engine, producing .
The prototype Hawk was fitted with a turbo-supercharged Allison V-1710-11 as the XP-37 (company designation Model 75I). The cockpit was moved back towards the tail to make room for the massive turbo-superchargers, and the engine was cooled by two radiators on either side of the nose. It was armed with one
M1919 Browning machine gun
The M1919 Browning is a .30-06 Springfield, .30 caliber medium machine gun that was widely used during the 20th century, especially during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The M1919 saw service as a light infantry, coaxial weap ...
and one
M2 Browning machine gun
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50-caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed near the end of World War I by John Browning. While similar to Browning's M1919 Browning machine gun, which was chamber ...
in the nose. The XP-37 first flew in April 1937, achieving a top speed of 340 mph (547 km/h), but its turbo-supercharger was prone to failure, and visibility was severely limited.
Intrigued by the speed potential, the USAAC ordered 13 service-test YP-37 aircraft in 1938 for $531,305.12.
These featured an improved V-1710-21 engine and a further extended nose to adjust balance. First flown in June 1939, the YP-37 retained the same armament but failed to resolve the reliability and visibility issues. By 1940, the USAAC canceled the project, shifting focus to the
P-40 Warhawk
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...
, which used a simpler Allison engine configuration.
Variants
;XP-37
:One prototype with a V-1710-11 engine.
;YP-37
:13 service-test aircraft with V-1710-21 engines and an extended fuselage.
Specifications (YP-37)
See also
References
{{USAF fighters
P-37
Curtiss P-37
The Curtiss YP-37 was an American fighter aircraft developed by Curtiss-Wright in the late 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A derivative of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk, the YP-37 was designed to improve performance by replacing the ...
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Low-wing aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1937
Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear
Single-engined piston aircraft