Vultee XP-54 "Swoose Goose"

[Steve Pace]

Any good pictures/drawings out there? Googleing didn't help much.

 

[verner]

Don't have any real good pics but this drawing may do. Cheers

 

[Steve Pace]

Nice!

 

[Artie Bob]

When in the Civil Air Patrol, I attended a summer encampment at Wright Patterson, IIRC during the summer of 1951. While there we were given a fire fighting demonstration, complete with 50 gallons or so of 100/130. The fire fighting hulks included part of a B-36 and the fuselage of an XP-54, which I climbed around and even managed to pull off a small piece (carried it around for many years, but it finally has disappeared). My main memories are the inverted "Y" control yoke needed to span the floor opening for the pilot's elevator. The rudder pedals were the same as a BT-13, which our CAP squadron flew.

Best regards,

Artie Bob

 

[Bailey]

Colour profile from the pen of Vincent Bourguignon.

Regards Bailey.

 

[Bailey]

U.S Patent D138795 Stoughton Airplane. Became the XP-54 Swoose Goose.

Regards Bailey

 

[Justo Miranda]

Some additional info here-Post-1
From
-Aviation History,september 2003
-Scale Masters File 56
-Air Age Inc.
-Planet Models Nº72
-Aircam unknown issue
-Model-Aire International
-U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects ,by Bill Norton , 2008
-Fantastic Plastic

 

[Justo Miranda]

Some additional info here-Post-2
From
-Aviation History,september 2003
-Scale Masters File 56
-Air Age Inc.
-Planet Models Nº72
-Aircam unknown issue
-Model-Aire International
-U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects ,by Bill Norton , 2008
-Fantastic Plastic

 

[Justo Miranda]

Some additional info here-Post-3
From
-Aviation History,september 2003
-Scale Masters File 56
-Air Age Inc.
-Planet Models Nº72
-Aircam unknown issue
-Model-Aire International
-U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects ,by Bill Norton , 2008
-Fantastic Plastic

 

[Stargazer]

Great scans, as usual. Thanks!

Worthy of notice is the erroneous USAAF serial number 42-1211.

The XP-54 was the winning design against the Curtiss XP-55 and Northrop XP-56. It was to have resulted in a production version but this did not happen. I'd be thrilled to see pics of the proposed V-78 "Shrike" and V-84 "Tornado" (XP-68) developments of the "Swoose Goose".

 

[Justo Miranda]

Please see ANIGRAND page ... :-\

 

[Steve Pace]

Please see ANIGRAND page ... :-\

ANIGRAND?...

 

[Justo Miranda]

Yes ,resin models page ,please see http://www.anigrand.com/

 

[Tophe]

I'd be thrilled to see pics of the proposed V-78 "Shrike" and V-84 "Tornado" (XP-68) developments of the "Swoose Goose".

The V.78 picture is on my site http://cmeunier.chez-alice.fr/update_FG.htm
I don't remember which source, probably dear Lark's.

 

[Stargazer]

I'd be thrilled to see pics of the proposed V-78 "Shrike" and V-84 "Tornado" (XP-68) developments of the "Swoose Goose".

The V.78 picture is on my site http://cmeunier.chez-alice.fr/update_FG.htm
I don't remember which source, probably dear Lark's.

Thanks Tophe! Of course I DID know your line art versions of these designs, quite nice! But what I want is genuine Vultee material...

 

[Justo Miranda]

It must be the only existant drawing of the XP-68

 

[Antonio]

But what I want is genuine Vultee material...

me too

 

[Tophe]

from the Specialty Press book "U.S. Experimental & Prototype Aircraft Projects: Fighters 1939-1945" by William Norton, much reduced here:

 

[redstar72]

Hi all!
Maybe somebody can help with any photos/pictures of XP-54 cockpit?

 

[Triton]

Vultee patent diagrams.

Source:
http://www.jitterbuzz.com/other_air_patents.html

 

[Triton]

The San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive on Flickr has a wonderful selection of Vultee XP-54 "Swoose Goose" drawings and photographs. Perhaps you could write or call them if you need a high resolution image for an article?

URL: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=swoose&w=49487266%40N07

Sources:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605454/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605500/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605838/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4555977151/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4555977435/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556606144/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4555976325/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605990/

 

[Triton]

Vultee XP-54 Swoose Goose

The XP-54 Swoose Goose, Vultee Model 70, was designed as a fast interceptor using the Pratt & Whitney X-1800-4AG engine. When the engine program was canceled, the aircraft was redesigned for the Lycoming XH-2470 and redesignated Vultee Model 84. The first of two XP-54s built made its initial flight on Jan. 15, 1943, and flew 86 times before it was grounded by engine problems. The second aircraft flew only once.

The XP-54 nose section had a very unusual design. It tilted slightly upward when firing its 37mm cannon to increase the firing range while the .50-cal. machine guns were tilted down at the same time.

Technical Notes
Armament: Two 37mm cannon and two .50-cal. machine guns
Engine: Lycoming XH-2470 of 2,200 hp
Maximum speed: 381 mph at 28,500 ft.
Service ceiling: 37,000 ft.
Range: 500 miles
Span: 53 ft. 10 in.
Length: 54 ft. 9 in.
Height: 13 ft. 0 in.
Weight: 15,262 lbs. empty/18,233 lbs. gross

Remarks
Two built. Pusher aircraft (S/N 41-1210 and 42-108994)

Source:
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=2258

 

[Stargazer]

Two built. Pusher aircraft (S/N 41-1210 and 42-108994)

Yeah. But the second aircraft, for some reason, never sported the correct serial... It had 41-1211 instead, which seemed logical since it followed after the first prototype's own...

One thing that is sadly forgotten about this odd but beautiful aircraft is that it was actually the WINNER of the competition against the much better known Curtiss XP-55 Ascender and Northrop XP-56 Silver Bullet/Black Bullet. In fact it was meant to be produced with a more powerful Tornado engine as the Model 84 (and procured as the P-68) but this never came to be, and the Air Force reverted to more "conventional" types (if the Twin Mustang can be called that...). An intermediary version called the Model 78 Shrike has also been quoted, but I do not know much about it. Info or graphics, anyone?

 

[Tophe]

The V.78 is depicted in my book "Forked Ghosts" (freely downloadable at http://cmeunier.chez-alice.fr/Free_EoFG_MV.htm )
and the preliminary V.70 is on my update site http://cmeunier.chez-alice.fr/update_FG.htm
A Shrike (another one?) was a Northrop twin-boom before the XP-61 (source: Airpower, Der Deutsche Sportflieger).

 

[Hammer Birchgrove]

Reminds me of the Saab J/A 21.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_21

I assume Vultee had similar reasons for the twin boom pusher design: freeing up space for guns in the nose and improving forward view (at the expense of having no 360 degrees vision).

 

[sienar]

From American Secret Pusher Fighters of World War II: XP-54, XP-55, and XP-56, by Gerald Balzer

First drawing is one of the early model 70 designs

The other two are the model 78

Lots of other good stuff on this bird in that book

 

[blackkite]

Hi!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTK0frRRWsI

 

[blackkite]

How about move this topic to the Early Aircraft Projects board.

 

[Johnbr]

Great photos here of the xp-54.
http://aerospacelegacyfoundation.com/new-page/

 

[edwest4]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhKenDU-dyY

 

[riggerrob]

Why so many twin-boom pusher prototypes, but so few production examples?
The only production twin-boom pushers that come to mind are the Anderson-Greenwood, Cessna 337, SAAB 21 and SIAI-Marchetti FN.333 Riviera amphibian.
My theory is that turbulent airflow around the aft center nacelle created too much drag.

 

[yasotay]

Perhaps the senior pilots of the Army Air Corps innately thought "I should not like to bail out of that aeroplane."

There were likely other reasons to be skeptical, but surviving is pretty high on the list.

Never under estimate perception and first impression on decision making.

 

[misoyote308]

The San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive on Flickr has a wonderful selection of Vultee XP-54 "Swoose Goose" drawings and photographs. Perhaps you could write or call them if you need a high resolution image for an article?

URL: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=swoose&w=49487266@N07

Sources:

https://flic.kr/p/7WDN41

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605454/

https://flic.kr/p/7WDN4N

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605500/

https://flic.kr/p/7WDNaC

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605838/

https://flic.kr/p/7WAzhc

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4555977151/

https://flic.kr/p/7WAzn6

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4555977435/

https://flic.kr/p/7WDNfU

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556606144/

https://flic.kr/p/7WAz2X

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4555976325/

https://flic.kr/p/7WDNdf

View: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/4556605990/

In your second photo the main gear has one door per side, as opposed to the blueprints which show them as having two doors per side. I've also noticed that there is no consensus in any diagrams about the flap structure, but there is a rear photo with the cooling flaps open, clearly extending about 2/3 of the way forward along the lengths of the flaps and about 4/5 the width of the trailing edge between the fuselage and the booms (shown below). I know it was experimental, but given that it did very much exist, I'm confused as to why the diagrams are so inconsistent. Do they reflect various phases of development prior to construction?