Curtiss XBTC
XBTC | |
---|---|
A Curtiss XBTC-2 with the "Model B" wing in 1946 | |
Role | Torpedo/dive bomber |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company |
First flight | 20 January 1945 |
Number built | 2 |
The Curtiss XBTC was a
Design and development
In the 1930s and early 1940s, the Navy divided carrier-borne bombers into two types: the torpedo bomber and the dive bomber, each with crews of two or three men. Wartime experience showed that pilots could aim bombs and torpedoes without assistance from other crewmembers as well as navigate with the aid of radio beacons and the development of more powerful engines meant that faster aircraft no longer needed a rear gunner for self-defense. Furthermore, the consolidation of the two types of bombers greatly increased the flexibility of a carrier's air group and allowed the number of fighters in an air group to be increased.[1]
In January 1942 the Navy issued a specification to replace the prewar two-seat, carrier-capable VSB (
Little documentation about the early development of the XBTC-2 has survived, but photographs of the
To improve landing performance the aircraft intended to be fitted with "duplex" (slotted) flaps, but wind-tunnel tests revealed problems with the flaps so two different outer wing panels were developed, both. The so-called "Model A" panel lacked the flaps and was lengthened by 2 ft (0.6 m). Its leading edge was perpendicular to the fuselage centerline and its trailing edge followed the taper of the inner wing panel. It was fitted with an aileron that started at the tip and extended inwards for about 3/4s of the panel's span; the remaining space was used by ordinary slotted flaps. It was also equipped with another pair of dive brakes. The "Model B" panel reversed the relationship of the leading and trailing edges. Its aileron occupied the entire trailing edge and the "duplex" flaps were positioned on the underside of the wing, just ahead of the aileron. In use, they were lowered to create space for air to reach the underside of the ailerons.[4]
The armament of the XBTC-2s consisted of four 20 mm autocannon, each with 200 rounds. The bomb bay contained a single shackle that could handle ordnance up 1,600 pounds in weight. In a dive, the bomb was swung clear of the propeller on a H-shaped trapeze prior to release. A 2,000-pound (907 kg) torpedo (such as the Mark 13) could be mounted on the bomb bay doors, although nothing could be dropped from the bomb bay in that case. The wing hardpoints were stressed to carry weapons weighing up to 1,000 pounds.[5]
Development and construction of the two prototypes was delayed by the low priority given to the program by the Navy, so the aircraft did not make its first flight until 20 January 1945. It was fitted with a pre-production XR-4360-8A engine and the "Model A" wing. Although the second aircraft equipped with a production R-4360-14 engine and the "Model B" wing, both prototypes were initially fitted with 14-foot-2-inch (4.3 m)
The United States Army Air Forces assigned the designation A-40 to a proposed 'de-navalized' version of the XBTC; however, it later decided not to acquire any further single-engine attack aircraft and the project was cancelled.[7]
Variants
- Curtiss XBTC-1: Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone engine
- Curtiss XBTC-2: Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major engine
Operators
Specifications (XBTC-2)
Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947;[8] Curtiss XBTC-2 "Eggbeater"[9]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Length: 39 ft 0 in (11.89 m)
- Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)
- Height: 12 ft 11 in (3.94 m)
- Wing area: 425 sq ft (39.5 m2)
- Empty weight: 13,410 lb (6,083 kg)
- Gross weight: 21,660 lb (9,825 kg) with one Mk 13 torpedo
- Fuel capacity: 540 US gallons (2,000 L; 450 imp gal), plus 2 × 150 US gal (570 L; 120 imp gal) drop tanks
- Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major radial engine, 3,000 hp (2,200 kW)
- Propellers: 6-bladed contra-rotating propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 374 mph (602 km/h, 325 kn) at 16,000 ft (4,900 m)
- Cruise speed: 188 mph (303 km/h, 163 kn)
- Range: 1,835 mi (2,953 km, 1,595 nmi) at 188 mph (303 km/h)
- Service ceiling: 26,200 ft (8,000 m)
- Rate of climb: 2,250 ft/min (11.4 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: 4 × 20 mm cannon
- Missiles: One torpedo
- Bombs: Up to 2,000 pounds (910 kg)
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Douglas AD Skyraider
- Kaiser-Fleetwings XBTK
- Martin AM Mauler
Related lists
References
Notes
Bibliography
- Andrews, Hal. "XBTC-2". Naval Aviation News. November–December 1987. pp. 16–17. ISSN 0028-1417
- ISBN 0-370-10029-8.
- Breihan, John R., Stan Piet & Roger S. Mason. Martin Aircraft, 1909–1960. Santa Ana, California: Narkiewicz/Thompson, 1995. ISBN 0-913322-03-2
- Kowalski, Bob. Curtiss XBTC-2 "Eggbeater" (Naval Fighters, Number 77). Simi Valley, California: Steve Ginter, 2007 ISBN 0-942612-77-9
- Wagner, Ray. American Combat Airplanes of the 20th Century: A Comprehensive Reference. Reno, Nevada: Jack Bacon & Co., 2004. ISBN 0-930083-17-2
Further reading
- Fey, Tom (16–18 July 2009). "The Short but Interesting Life of the Aeroproducts Dual-Rotation Propeller" (PDF). USA: www.enginehistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2012.