Curtiss YP-60E

1944

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Curtiss YP-60E

In May 1944, Curtiss indicated to the AAF that it wished to abandon further work on the P-60 series fighters because of the disappointing results achieved with the XP-60C and XP-60E. Earlier, the P-60 had been eliminated from the production schedules, the number of aircraft on contract having been reduced to two. However, the AAF insisted on completion of one of the two aircraft still on order. These, originally ordered as YP-60As, had been redesignated as YP-60Es because the design modifications incorporated were most directly descended from the XP-60E. The YP-60E differed principally in having a 2,100hp R-2800-18 engine, a deeper cowling incorporating the ventral cooler intake, a cut-down rear fuselage and a bubble-type cockpit canopy. The sole YP-60E completed was flown on 13 July 1944, but only one further flight was made before the aircraft was transferred to Wright Field where it was eventually disposed of without further testing. Armament comprised six wing-mounted 12.7mm machine guns.

3-View 
Curtiss YP-60EA three-view drawing (1278 x 966)

Specification 
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight4658 kg10269 lb
  Empty weight3758 kg8285 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan12.60 m41 ft 4 in
  Length10.34 m34 ft 11 in
  Height3.81 m13 ft 6 in
  Wing area22.55 m2242.73 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed652 km/h405 mph

Comments
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bobgolly@aol.com, e-mail, 19.11.2022 04:45

I was a teenager with Jimmy DeSanto the race pilot who owned the Curtis P60E. While testing the tail came off due to flutter. The claim was that Curtis had some bad parts on the tail assembly causing trim tab and / or tail section failure In 1946 he bought & raced a P38 after only 23 minutes of flight time in it. He had no previous Warbird flying & self -taught himself using the manual only. There was a story about it in a Wings mag. 1985 with cover stating "Born To Fl"y with photos of the clipped wing P60E.

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Stacy Bowen, e-mail, 11.01.2018 17:35

Cobra, by Birch Matthews, pg 327 describes the crash at the 1947 National Air Races as flown by James C DesSanto experiencing tail flutter due to an elevator trim tab failure. Fortunately he parachuted out safely.

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Lynn Timmerman, e-mail, 15.03.2015 23:23

I was an Air Corps Engineering Officer attached to Wright Field, and temporarily assigned to Curtis-Wright, Buffalo, in 1944, and worked on the YP-60 project without success.
Curtis wanted an aircraft that would exceed the P-47.
It was too heavy.

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Brad Linscott, e-mail, 17.10.2010 19:16

My father, Austin B. Linscott, led a team that designed the landing gear for the YP-60E. He reported that the airplane was sold to a person that entered the airplane in a race. While in the race the aft fuselage, including the vertical and horizontal surfaces, of the aircraft separated in flight, causing the plan to crash.

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