Consolidated P-30

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Consolidated P-30 (PB-2) was a 1930s United States two-seat fighter aircraft. An attack version called the A-11 was also built, along with two Y1P-25 prototypes and YP-27, Y1P-28, and XP-33 proposals. The P-30 is significant for being the first fighter in United States Army Air Corps service to have retractable landing gear, an enclosed and heated cockpit for the pilot, and an exhaust-driven turbosupercharger for altitude operation.

Design and development

In 1931, the Detroit Aircraft Corporation, parent company of the Lockheed Aircraft Company built a two-seat single-engined fighter aircraft based on the Lockheed Altair high-speed transport as a private venture. The prototype, the Detroit-Lockheed XP-900, flew in September 1931 and was purchased by the United States Army Air Corps as the Lockheed YP-24. Its performance was impressive, being faster than any fighter then in service with the Air Corps, and an order for five Y1P-24 fighters and four Y1A-9 attack aircraft was placed for the new aircraft, despite the loss of the prototype on 19 October 1931.^[1]^[2] The Detroit Aircraft Corporation went into bankruptcy eight days later, however, leading to the cancellation of the contract.^[3]^[1]

When the Detroit Aircraft Corporation failed, the chief designer of the YP-24, Robert J. Woods was hired by Consolidated Aircraft.^[3] Woods continued to develop the YP-24, the design becoming the Consolidated Model 25, with all-metal wings replacing the wooden wings of the YP-24 and a larger tail. The Army Air Corps ordered two prototypes as the Y1P-25 in March 1932, to be powered by a Curtiss V-1570-27, fitted with a turbo-supercharger on the port side of the forward fuselage. The order for the second prototype was quickly changed to a Y1A-11 attack aircraft, omitting the supercharger.^[4]^[5]

First to fly was the Y1P-25, which was delivered to the Air Corps on 9 December 1932. It demonstrated promising performance, reaching a speed of 247 miles per hour (398 km/h) at 15,000 feet (4,600 m), but was destroyed in a crash on 13 January 1933, killing its pilot, Hugh M. Elmendorf (whose name was later given to Elmendorf Air Base in Alaska).^[4]^[6]

The Y1A-11, armed with four forward-firing machine guns instead of the two of the Y1P-25 and racks for 400 lb (182 kg) of bombs was delivered to Wright Field on 5 January 1933. On 20 January 1933 the Y1A-11 disintegrated in midair, killing pilot Irvin A. Woodring.^[7] Despite the loss of both prototypes in a week, on 1 March 1933, the Air Corps placed an order for four P-30 fighters and four A-11 attack aircraft. These production variants differed from the prototypes in having stronger fuselages, simplified undercarriages and more powerful engines.^[8]^[3]

Operational history

The first P-30 was delivered in January 1934.^[8] Testing showed that the gunner's cockpit was uncomfortable and cold at the high altitudes where the P-30 was intended to fight, while the rearward facing gunners were liable to blackout when the aircraft was maneuvered.^[9] Despite these concerns, on 6 December 1934, the U.S. Air Corps placed an order for a further 50 P-30As, with more powerful V-1570-61 engines driving a three-bladed variable-pitch propeller and with oxygen supplies for the crew.^[10]^[11]

Three of the four P-30s were delivered to the 94th Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge Field in 1934. The first P-30A, by this time redesignated PB-2A (Pursuit, Biplace), made its maiden flight on 17 December 1935, with deliveries to service units starting on 28 April 1936. The last of the 50 PB-2As were completed by August that year.^[11]

While intended as a high altitude fighter, the PB-2 flew relatively few high altitude flights, partly because of the discomfort for the crew. One exception took place in March 1937, when a PB-2A was flown to 39,300 feet (12,000 m) before being forced to return to lower altitudes when the aircraft's controls froze.^[12] On 17 October 1936, a PB-2A flown by Lt. John M. Sterling won the Mitchell Trophy air race with a speed of 217.5 miles per hour (350.0 km/h).^[13] Since the PB-2A was one of the few aircraft at the time to have retractable landing gear, they were frequently damaged in "wheels-up" landings when the pilots forgot to extend the landing gear.^[14]

One PB-2A was modified to a single-seat configuration as the PB-2A Special, to compete in a 1936 Air Corps competition for a new fighter to replace the Boeing P-26 Peashooter. It was larger and heavier than the other competitors and was much more expensive. It crashed during testing, with the Seversky P-35 being ordered into production.^[15]^[16] One A-11 was converted to the XA-11A testbed with the new 1,000 hp (746 kW) Allison XV-1710-7 engine.^[13]

While the PB-2 was sturdy,^[14] the two-seat fighter concept was obsolete by the time the aircraft entered service,^[13] and by 1939, all had been replaced in front line service by Seversky P-35 and Curtiss P-36 Hawk aircraft. The survivors remained in use as training aircraft until after the start of World War II, with the last being withdrawn from use on 2 June 1942.^[17]

Variants

Y1P-25: Further development of Lockheed YP-24 with all-metal wing, 600 horsepower (450 kW) Curtiss V-1570-27 Conqueror turbosupercharged engine. Two fixed forward firing .30 in machine guns and one flexibly mounted gun in rear cockpit. One built.^[6]
Y1A-11: Ground attack version of Y1P-25. Powered by unsupercharged engine and armaent of 4x forward firing .30 in guns in nose, one in rear cockpit and up to 400 lb (182 kg) of bombs. One built.^[3]^[7]
YP-27: Proposed variant of Y1P-25 with 550 horsepower (410 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-21G Wasp radial engine. Unbuilt.^[18]
Y1P-28: Proposed variant of Y1P-25 with 600 hp R-1340-19 Wasp; unbuilt.^[18]
P-30: Initial production batch for Army Air Corps. 675 horsepower (503 kW) V-1570-57 turbosupercharged engine. Four built, later redesignated PB-2.^[3]^[15]

The last of the four Consolidated A-11s

A-11: Initial production ground-attack aircraft, with unsupercharged V-1570-59 engine. Four built.^[3]
P-30A: Main production fighter powered by 700 horsepower (520 kW) turbosupercharged V-1570-61 engine; 50 built, redesignated PB-2A.^[15]

The PB-2A Special

PB-2A Special: Seventh PB-2A modified to single-seat configuration. Crashed during flight testing.
XP-33: Proposed version with 800 horsepower (600 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1830-1 Twin Wasp engine; unbuilt.^[15]
XA-11A: Conversion of A-11 as testbed for 1,000 horsepower (750 kW) Allison XV-1710-7. One converted.^[13]

Specifications (PB-2A)

Data from Singular Two-Seater^[11]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 30 ft 0 in (9.14 m)
Wingspan: 43 ft 11 in (13.38 m)
Height: 8 ft 3 in (2.51 m)
Wing area: 297 ft (27.6 m)
Empty weight: 4,306 lb (1,950 kg)
Loaded weight: 5,623 lb (2,556 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss V-1570-61 Conqueror liquid-cooled V12 engine, 700 hp (520 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 275 mph (239 knots, 443 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,620 m)^[15]
Cruise speed: 215 mph (187 knots, 346 km/h) at 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
Range: 508 mi (442 nmi, 818 km)
Service ceiling: 28,000 ft (8,530 m)
Climb to 15,000 ft (4,600 m): 7 min 48 s

Armament

Guns:
- 2 x 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine guns firing through the propeller
- 1 x 0.30 in machine gun in the rear cockpit
Bombs: 170 lb (80 kg) bombs

References

Notes

↑ 1.0 1.1 Francillon 1982, pp. 114–115.
↑ Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 262.
↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Wegg 1990, p. 68.
↑ 4.0 4.1 Pelletier 2000, p. 2.
↑ Angelucci and Bowers 1987, pp. 95–96.
↑ 6.0 6.1 Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 51.
↑ 7.0 7.1 Pelletier 2002, pp. 2–3.
↑ 8.0 8.1 Pelletier 2002, p. 3.
↑ Dorr and Donald 1990, p. 57.
↑ Wegg 1990, pp. 68–69.
↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Pelletier 2000, p. 5
↑ Pelletier 2002, p. 10.
↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Wegg 1990, p. 69.
↑ 14.0 14.1 Pelletier 2002, p. 9.
↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 97.
↑ Green and Swanborough 1979, p. 11.
↑ Pelletier 2002, p. 11.
↑ 18.0 18.1 Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 96.

Bibliography

Angelucci, Enzo. and Peter M. Bowers. The American Fighter. New York: Orion Books, 1987. ISBN 0-517-56588-9.
Dorr, Robert F. and David Donald. Fighters of the United States Air Force. London: Temple Press/Aerospace, 1990. ISBN 0-600-55094-X
Francillon, René J. Lockheed Aircraft since 1913. London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30329-6.
Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. "The end of the beginning ... The Seversky P-35". Air Enthusiast Ten, July–September 1979, pp. 8–21.
Pelletier, Alain J. "Singular Two-Seater: Consolidated's PB-2A - The USAAC's Only Two-Seat Fighter". Air Enthusiast No. 85, January/February 2000, pp. 2–11. ISSN 0143-5450.
Swanborough, Gordon and Peter M. Bowers. United States Military Aircraft Since 1909. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian, 1989. ISBN 0-87474-880-1.
Wegg, John. General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors. London: Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-833-X.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Consolidated military planes.

v t e Aircraft produced by Consolidated Aircraft

Manufacturer designation	1 2 7 8 9 10 14 15 16 17 18 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 36 37 39 40

By role	Trainers NY PT-1 PT-2 PT-11 AT-22 Observation aircraft O-17 Fighter P-30 Patrol PY P2Y P3Y XP4Y-1/P4Y-2 PBY PB2Y XPB3Y PB4Y-1/-2 Bombers X/B-24 B-32 XB-41 B-36 BY XB2Y LB-30A/B Liberator B.I Liberator GR.I Transports C-11 C-22 C-87 XC-99 C-109 RY R2Y Liberator C.IX Reconaisance F-7

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

A-1¹ A-2 A-3 A-4 A-5 A-6 A-7 A-8 A-9 A-10 A-11 A-12 A-13 A-14 A-15 A-16 A-17 A-18 A-19 A-20 A-21 A-22 A-23 A-24 A-25 A-26 A-27 A-28 A-29 A-30 A-31 A-32 A-33 A-34 A-35 A-36 A-37 A-38 A-39 A-40 A-41 A-42 A-43 A-44 A-45

¹ Not assigned

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 Lists relating to aviation

General	Aircraft manufacturers Aircraft engines manufacturers Gliders Airlines defunct Airports Civil authorities Museums Registration prefixes Rotorcraft manufacturers Timeline

Military	Air forces Weapons Experimental Missiles Unmanned

Accidents/incidents	Commercial airliners by location Fatalities by death toll General aviation Military

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

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike; additional terms may apply for the media files.