XP-31 Swift

Infobox Aircraft
name=XP-31 Swift


caption=Curtiss XP-31 in test flight (U.S. Air Force photo)
type=Experimental monoplane fighter
manufacturer=Curtiss
designer=
first flight=1933
introduced=1933
retired=
status=
primary user=United States Army Air Corps
more users=
produced=
number built=1
variants with their own articles=

The Curtiss XP-31 Swift (company model XP-934) was a 1930s American experimental monoplane fighter built by Curtiss for the United States Army Air Corps.

Although the XP-31 featured the first enclosed cockpit on a U.S. pursuit aircraft, it was also the last pursuit aircraft to have fixed landing gear and externally braced wings. Despite its innovations, the XP-31 did not offer any advantages compared to its rival the Boeing P-26 and was not ordered into series production.

Design and development

Curtiss offered the XP-934 in a 1932 competition with the P-26. It was a low-wing monoplane with fixed, strut-braced landing gear, first flown in July. It was the AAC's first single-seat closed-cockpit fighter, and the last with fixed gear and wing struts. Despite its quite small size, it was badly overweight, and carried 125 U.S. gal (104 Imp gal, 474 liters) fuel. Although Curtiss considered the design significant in that it introduced various new technologies, compared to its contemporaries, the XP-934 was already outmoded, and, more importantly, testing showed that it fell below performance expectations.

Testing and evaluation

Powered by a 700 hp (520 kW) R-1750 Cyclone radial, its performance was dismal, despite retractable leading-edge slots and large trailing-edge flaps, so a 600 hp (450 kW) Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror was substituted. In this form, the Curtiss XP-31 Swift (s/n 33-178) was delivered on 1 March 1933, having already lost to the P-26. The sole example was scrapped in 1935. Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 60.]

Operators

;USA
*United States Army Air Corps

pecifications

aerospecs
ref="U.S. Fighters: Army-Air Force 1925 to 1980s" and "Fighters of the United States Air Force"
met or eng?= eng

crew=1 pilot
capacity=
length m=8
length ft=26
length in=3
span m=11
span ft=36
span in=
swept m=
swept ft=
swept in=
rot number=
rot dia m=
rot dia ft=
rot dia in=
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
width m=
width ft=
width in=
height m=2.4
height ft=7
height in=9
wing area sqm=18.86
wing area sqft=203
swept area sqm=
swept area sqft=
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
volume m3=
volume ft3=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=1,512
empty weight lb=3,334
gross weight kg=1879
gross weight lb=4,143
lift kg=
lift lb=

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror water-cooled 12-cylinder vee engine
eng1 kw=450
eng1 hp=600
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
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max speed kmh=335
max speed mph=208
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=595
range miles=370
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=7,437
ceiling ft=24,400
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=
climb rate ftmin=
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=2 × fixed, forward-firing .30 M1919 Browning machine guns in cowl
armament2=2 × fixed, forward-firing .30 M1919 Browning machine guns in cheeks
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

aircontent
see also=
related=
similar aircraft=
sequence=
lists=
*List of military aircraft of the United States

References

Notes

Bibliography

* Boeing Company. Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition. Seattle, WA: The Boeing Company, 1969.
* Bowers, Peter M. "Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947". London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
* Donald, David, ed. "Encyclopedia of World Aircraft". Etobicoke, ON: Prospero Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85605-375-X.
* Dorr, Robert F. and Donald, David. "Fighters of the United States Air Force". London: Aerospace Publishing, 1990. ISBN 0-60055-094-X.
* Jones, Lloyd S. "U.S. Fighters: Army-Air Force 1925 to 1980s". Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, 1975. ISBN 0-8168-9200-8.