Boeing XP-9

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The Boeing XP-9 (company Model 96) was the first monoplane fighter aircraft produced by the United States aircraft manufacturing company Boeing. It incorporated sophisticated structural refinements that were influential in later Boeing designs. The sole prototype exhibited unsatisfactory characteristics with its lack of pilot visibility directly leading to its cancellation.^[1]

Design and development

The XP-9 was designed in 1928 to meet the requirements of a US Army request for a monoplane fighter. Its primary contribution to aircraft design was its semi-monocoque construction, which would become a standard for future aircraft. Boeing employed the structural features of the XP-9 into their contemporary P-12 biplane fighter when the P-12E variant incorporated a semi-monocoque metal fuselage structure similar to that of the XP-9. The undercarriage arrangement of the P-12C had also been first tried out on the XP-9 and then transferred into the production model.^[2]

Operational history

The prototype XP-9, marked A 028-386, was first flown on 18 November 1930. It had impressive stats on the specification sheet, but it quickly became apparent that its large (6 ft chord) wing, which was placed atop the fuselage directly in front of the pilot, obstructed downward visibility so badly that simple landing maneuvers were hazardous.^[2] Test pilots at the Army Test Centre at Wright Field found that the XP-9's inherent instability was so severe that immediate modifications were requested to increase the size of the vertical tail.^[3] An enlarged vertical tail surface with smooth metal skinning was introduced, but failed to effect any significant improvement, and this revised XP-9 was grounded for instructional airframe use in August 1931, after only 15 hours of test flying.^[4]

Variants

Model 96, XP-9: one built
Y1P-9: option for five service test aircraft under the P-12D contract, option was not taken up^[4]

Operators (planned)

United States

United States Army

Specifications (Boeing XP-9)

Data from "The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft" ^[5]

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 25 ft 1.75 in (7.66 m)
Wingspan: 36 ft 6 in (11.13 m)
Height: 7 ft 10.25 in (3 m)
Wing area: 210 ft² (19.51 m²)
Empty weight: 2,669 lb (1,211 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 3,623 lb (1,643 kg)
Powerplant: × 1 Curtiss SV-1570-15 Conqueror, 600 hp (448 kW) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 185 knots (213 mph, 343 km/h)
Cruise speed: 156.4 knots (180 mph, 290 km/h)
Range: 369 nautical miles (425 mi, 684 km)
Service ceiling: 26,800 ft (8,170 m)
Rate of climb: 1,560 ft/min (7.9 m/s)

Armament

2 machineguns, one .30 (7.62mm) and one .50 (12.7mm), 125 lbs bombs.

References

Notes

↑ Yenne, Bill. World's Worst Aircraft. Greenwich, CT: Dorset Press, 1990. ISBN 0-88029-490-6
↑ 2.0 2.1 Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916 1969
↑ Baugher, Joe. Boeing XP-9. 6 June 1998. Access date: 17 March 2007.
↑ 4.0 4.1 Eden and Moeng 2002, p. 74-77.
↑ Eden and Moeng 2002, p. 321.

Bibliography

Eden, Paul and Moeng, Soph. The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft. London: Amber Books Ltd., 2002. ISBN 0-7607-3432-1.
Pedigree of Champions: Boeing Since 1916, Third Edition (booklet). Seattle, WA: The Boeing Company, 1969.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Boeing military planes.

United States Air Force Museum: Boeing XP-9

v t e USAAS/USAAC/USAAF/USAF fighter designations 1924–1962

Pursuit (pre-1948) Fighter (post-1948)	P-1 P-2 P-3 XP-4 P-5 P-6 XP-7 XP-8 XP-9 XP-10 P-11 P-12 XP-13 XP-14 XP-15 P-16 P-17 YP-18 YP-19 YP-20 P-21 XP-22 P-23 YP-24 P-25 P-26 P-27 P-28 P-29 P-30 XP-31 P-32 P-33 XP-34 P-35 P-36 P-37 P-38 P-39 P-40 XP-41 P-42 P-43 P-44 P-45 XP-46 P-47 XP-48 XP-49 XP-50 P-51 XP-52 P-53 XP-54 XP-55 XP-56 XP-57 XP-58 P-59 P-60 P-61/C XP-62 P-63 P-64 P-65 P-66 XP-67 XP-68 P-69 P-70 XP-71 XP-72 P-73 P-74¹ P-75 XP-76 XP-77 P-78 XP-79 P-80 XP-81 P-82 XP-83 P-84 XP-85 P-86/D XP-87 P-88 P-89 XF-90 XF-91 XF-92 YF-93 F-94 F-95 F-96 F-97 F-98 F-99 F-100 F-101 F-102 XF-103 F-104 F-105 F-106 F-107 XF-108 XF-109 F-110 F-111/B

Pursuit, Biplace	PB-1 PB-2 PB-3

Fighter, Multiplace	FM-1 FM-2

¹ Not assigned See also: F-24 • F-117 • P-400 • post-1962 sequence

v t e Boeing model numbers

Aircraft	1 2 3 4 5 6 6D 6E 7 8 10 15 16 21 40 42 50 53 54 55 58 63 64 66 67 68 69 72 74 75 77 80 81 83 89 93 95 96 99 100 101 102 200 202 203 204 205 214 215 218 221 222 223 226 227 234 235 236 246 247 248 251 256 264 266 267 273 280 281 294 299 300 306 307 314 316 344 345 367 367-80 377 400 450 451 464 466 474 479 701 953 707 717 (i) 717 (ii) 720 727 733 737 739 747 757 767 777 787 2707

Turbine engines	502 520 550

Vessels	929

Other	Boeing Customer Codes

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Records	Airspeed Altitude Distance Endurance Firsts Large Most-produced aircraft Most-produced rotorcraft

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