Bell XP-59A Airacomet - America's first Jet Fighter

The Bell XP-59A Airacomet was America's first jet aircraft. With the XP-59A project being given the highest priority, work proceeded
very rapidly. The Bell adopted a fairly conservative design approach. Within two months after the initial order, Bell engineers had
submitted a design for a fairly conventional aircraft, with a cantilever, laminar-flow, mid-mounted wing and a fully-retractable
tricycle landing gear. The aircraft was fitted with two 1400 lb. st. General Electric I-A jet engines. The jet engines were too heavy in
relation to the amount of power they could develop, and their exhaust was so hot that the turbine blades regularly overheated and often
broke off with catastrophic results. The maximum speed was 404 mph at 25,000 feet, somewhat below expectations.
The third YP-59A was shipped to Britain in exchange for the first production Gloster Meteor.

One of the later prototypes with nose canons in flight.

The 2nd Airacomet - note change of fin.

XP-59A on lake bed.

Prototype with dummy propeller to hide the  plane's real purpose.

The first XP-59A during a test flight.

XP-59A # 3 which was later delivered to the RAF.

Rare color photo of the Airacomet.

Bell XP-83

The XP-83 was designed to overcome a major flaw the P-59 Airocomet, namely meager fuel load and thus short range.
The XP-83 was constructed along the same lines as the P-59 though in a much more portly fashion.
Performance was disappointing at best and the project was eventually abandoned.

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