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| 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.
 | A three-view drawing (1278 x 966) |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 4658 kg | 10269 lb |
| Empty weight | 3758 kg | 8285 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 12.60 m | 41 ft 4 in |
| Length | 10.34 m | 34 ft 11 in |
| Height | 3.81 m | 13 ft 6 in |
| Wing area | 22.55 m2 | 242.73 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 652 km/h | 405 mph |
| 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. reply | | 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. reply | | 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. reply |
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