A Bell P-59A Airacomet of the 412th Fighter Group 4th Air Force U.S. Army Air Force - Land Field, Alaska 9 December 1944
 

The Bell XP-59A Airacomet was never mass produced or saw combat due to its poor overall performance but holds the distinction of being the United States first jet powered aircraft. Lessons learned on this aircraft would provide valuable information used in future more advanced designs. Its origins started out as a convention propeller driven aircraft, but a fateful event would change its outcome dramatically.

In April of 1941, Major-General H. H. Arnold was on a visit to Britain. As part of his visit he was shown the top-secret Gloster E-28/39 jet-powered aircraft, powered by one of Wing Commander Frank Whittle's W2B centrifugal turbojets. The British were well advanced in jet propulsion as were the Germans, and it became apparent that the USA was clearly behind in this technology. General Arnold was so impressed by the potentiality of this new technology that he immediately asked if American engineers could be given the blueprints of the new jet engine so that they could manufacture it under license in the USA. Under the terms of the Lend-Lease program technology was routinely exchanged and the British gave the Americans the engine design.

In the USA the General Electric Company, which had wide experience of the design, development and construction of industrial turbines was chosen initially to proceed with the development of national aircraft gas turbines based on the Whittle engine. Because of the Bell Aircraft Corporation's geographical location, in relation to the General Electric plant, this company was chosen to design and build a fighter aircraft to be powered by the first American-built jet engine. Bell accepted the assignment, and agreed to build three aircraft (serial numbers 42-108484/108786). They accepted a deadline to complete the first prototype eight months after signing the contract on 30 September 1941.

Bell realising that early engines would develop only limited thrust elected for a twin-engine installation, with one engine carried on each side of the fuselage, beneath the wings. The configuration selected was that of a mid-wing monoplane, and wide-span main landing gear units were mounted under the wings, well outboard of the engines and retracting inward into the wing, the nosewheel unit retracting aft into the fuselage nose. In other respects the design was conventional, with care taken to ensure a fairly high tailplane position so that it would be clear of the exhaust from the turbojets.

In order to provide for strict secrecy, some rather extreme measures were taken. In order to provide a cover, the Bell jet fighter project was assigned the designation XP-59A. This was done in the hope that even if Axis intelligence were to get wind of the XP-59A project, they would mistakenly think that it was just an adaptation of the totally-unrelated XP-59 piston-engined pusher fighter. At this time, Bell engineers were already hard at work on the XP-59 pusher, but work on this project was quietly abandoned in the next couple of months as work on the jet fighter got under way. The XP-59 project was officially cancelled on 1 December 1941. The General Electric jet engine was assigned the cover designation I-A, in the hope that enemy intelligence might mistake it for a new turbosupercharger.

With the XP-59A project being given the highest priority, work progressed very rapidly. Since the General Electric jet engines were being designed and built in parallel with the XP-59A, Bell engineers had little or no knowledge about performance data of the engines, so they 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 1,250 lbs (567 kg) thrust General Electric I-A jet engines, one mounted on either side of the fuselage under the wing roots. The aircraft had a high tailplane, well out of the way of the turbojet exhausts.

It was fitted with a pressurized cockpit, still a rather unusual feature for the time. Access to the cockpit was through a side-hinged canopy. The fuselage was to be built in two sections, the forward section comprising armament bay and cabin, and the rear section being of stressed-skin semi-monocoque construction. All control surfaces were fabric covered and manually-operated, the ailerons being of the pressure-balance type with pressure seals. The aircraft was fitted with aerodynamically-balanced, fabric-covered flaps located inboard of the ailerons. Although the XP-59A was primarily viewed as a test-bed for jet engines, the USAAF also viewed it as a potential combat aircraft it was also equipped to carry nose-mounted armament of two 37 mm cannon with 44 rounds per gun.

The first XP-59A prototype powered by two 1,250 lbs (567 kg) thrust General Electric Type I-A turbojets was ready by the late summer of 1942, and was ferried by rail out to Muroc Dry Lake, California (now Edwards AFB) on September 12, 1942. Once it arrived in California, it was fitted with a dummy propeller attached to its nose, just in case the curious might see it and start asking why this aircraft didn't have a propeller. On 1 October 1942, Bell's test pilot Robert Stanley was undergoing some high-speed taxiing trials with the XP-59A when the aircraft 'inadvertently' became airborne for a short time. It made its first official flight the next day, with a USAAF pilot at the controls. This was remarkably rapid progress, the first flight of the prototype taking place only 13 months after the contract had first been awarded. The XP-59A weighted 7,320 pounds empty and 12,562 pounds maximum loaded. Wingspan was 45 ft 6 in, length was 28 ft 2 in, height was 12 ft 4 in and wing area was 386 square feet.

As might be expected for such a revolutionary system of aircraft propulsion, there were serious problems right from the start. 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 engine installation was found to result in an inordinate amount of aerodynamic interference, and the aircraft was subject to severe directional snaking, making it a poor gun platform. Nevertheless, work on the P-59 continued unabated, and remedies were eventually found for its long list of faults. The second XP-59A flew on 15 February 1943 and the third late in April.

The first YP-59A reached Muroc in June of 1943, and the USAAF gave the aircraft the name 'Airacomet'. It first flew in August of 1943. The YP-59A had more powerful 1,650 lbs (749 kW) General Electric I-16 (J31) turbojets. However, the YP-59A showed little improvement in performance over the XP-59A. Empty weight increased to 7626 pounds, and maximum speed was a disappointing 409 mph at 35,000 feet. Service ceiling was 43,200 feet. The last four YP-59As had a heavier armament--three 0.50-inch machine guns and a single 37-mm cannon, which had been standardized for the production P-59A.

The third YP-59A (Ser No 42-22611) was shipped to Britain in exchange for the first production Gloster Meteor I. Upon arrival in England, it was assembled by Gloster at Moreton Vallance, where it was flown for the first time by a Bell test pilot on September 28, 1943. It was assigned the RAF serial number of RJ362/G. It was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough on November 5, 1943. It was on the top-secret Jet Flight list (along with the Gloster E.28/39, the De Havilland Vampire, and the Gloster Meteor), but the Airacomet was flown very little because of unserviceability and the lack of spares. The RAF test pilots found the aircraft to be badly underpowered, with an unacceptably-long takeoff run. Like all other early jet-powered fighters, the Airacomet suffered from very poor engine acceleration.

The Airacomet was to have one other major impact on aviation history, one that is not generally recognized. Bell engineers undertook some initial work on a single-engined version of the Airacomet, which was designated XP-59B (not to be confused with the P-59B). It had a low-mounted wing and was to be powered by a single General Electric I-16 turbojet engine housed in the rear fuselage with an air inlet at the wing roots and an exhaust in the tail. However, the Buffalo plant was so busy with other projects that in late 1942 the USAAF transferred the preliminary drawings of the single-engined XP-59B to Lockheed, where it became the inspiration of the famed P-80 Shooting Star.

A 1,650 lbs (748 kg) thrust General Electric J31 turbojet.

Variants

XP-59A Prototype - With the XP-59A project being given the highest priority, work proceeded very rapidly. Since the General Electric jet engines were being designed and built in parallel with the XP-59A, Bell engineers had little or no knowledge about performance data of the engines, so they 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 1,250 lbs (567 kg) thrust General Electric Type I-A turbojets, one mounted on either side of the fuselage under the wing roots. The aircraft had a high tailplane, well out of the way of the turbojet exhausts. It was fitted with a pressurized cockpit, still a rather unusual feature for the time. Access to the cockpit was through a side-hinged canopy. The fuselage was to be built in two sections, the forward section comprising armament bay and cabin, and the rear section being of stressed-skin semi-monocoque construction. All control surfaces were fabric covered and manually-operated, the ailerons being of the pressure-balance type with pressure seals. The aircraft was fitted with aerodynamically-balanced, fabric-covered flaps located inboard of the ailerons. Although the XP-59A was primarily viewed as a test-bed for jet engines, the USAAF also viewed it as a potential combat aircraft, and it was to carry a nose-mounted armament of two 37 mm cannon with 44 rpg. The USAAF approved the initial design, and construction of the three prototypes got underway on January 9, 1942.

Without even waiting for the flight of the first XP-59A prototype, the USAAF ordered thirteen service test YP-59As in March of 1942. Serial numbers of the YP-59As were 42-108771/108783. These were to be powered by the improved 1,650 lbs (748 kg) thrust General Electric I-16 (later J31) turbojets. They were to have rearward-sliding cockpit canopies in place of the hinged canopies of the prototypes.

The first XP-59A prototype was ready by the late summer of 1942, and was ferried by rail out to Muroc Dry Lake, California (now Edwards AFB) on September 12, 1942. Once it arrived in California, it was fitted with a dummy propeller attached to its nose, just in case the curious might see it and start asking why this aircraft didn't have a propeller. On October 1, 1942, Bell's test pilot Robert Stanley was undergoing some high-speed taxiing trials with the XP-59A when the aircraft "inadvertently" became airborne for a short time. It made its first official flight the next day, with a USAAF pilot at the controls. This was remarkably rapid progress, the first flight of the prototype taking place only 13 months after the contract had first been awarded. The XP-59A weighted 7320 pounds empty and 12,562 pounds maximum loaded. Wingspan was 45 feet 6 inches, length was 28 feet 2 inches, height was 12 feet 4 inches, and wing area was 386 square feet.

As might be expected for such a revolutionary system of aircraft propulsion, there were serious problems right from the start. 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 engine installation was found to result in an inordinate amount of aerodynamic interference, and the aircraft was subject to severe directional snaking, making it a poor gun platform. Nevertheless, work on the P-59 continued unabated, and remedies were eventually found for its long list of faults. The second XP-59A flew on February 15, 1943 and the third late in April.

YP-59A Airacomet (Pre-Production) - The first YP-59A reached Muroc in June of 1943, and the USAAF gave the aircraft the name Airacomet. The first YP-59A flew in August of 1943. The YP-59A had more powerful 1650 lbs (748 kg) General Electric I-16 (J-31) turbojets. However, the YP-59A showed little improvement in performance over the XP-59A. Empty weight increased to 7626 pounds, and maximum speed was a disappointing 409 mph at 35,000 feet. Service ceiling was 43,200 feet. The last four YP-59As had a heavier armament. Three 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-guns and a single 37 mm cannon, which had been standardized for the production P-59A.

The third YP-59A (Ser No 42-22611) was shipped to Britain in exchange for the first production Gloster Meteor I. Upon arrival in England, it was assembled by Gloster at Moreton Vallance, where it was flown for the first time by a Bell test pilot on September 28, 1943. It was assigned the RAF serial number of RJ362/G. It was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough on November 5, 1943. It was on the top-secret Jet Flight list (along with the Gloster E.28/39, the De Havilland Vampire, and the Gloster Meteor), but the Airacomet was flown very little because of unserviceability and the lack of spares. The RAF test pilots found the aircraft to be badly underpowered, with an unacceptably-long takeoff run. Like all other early jet-powered fighters, the Airacomet suffered from very poor engine acceleration.

In December of 1943, the US Navy got the eighth and ninth YP-59As (42-108778 and 42-100779) for use in tests. Some sources list their naval designation as being YF2L-1, which is sort of curious since the F2L designation was also used by a couple of Bell P-39Q Airacobras employed by the Navy as target aircraft. Perhaps this inconsistency was simply a part of the overall program of official deception, in the hope that enemy intelligence would mistakenly think that the jets were simply more naval Airacobras. In any case, the Airacomet was totally unsuited for carrier operations because of the poor view from its cockpit and the poor acceleration of its engines. In addition, the Airacomet suffered from a lack of adequate drag during landing approaches, so that there was a lot of "float" before touchdown when the power was cut. The lack of drag was primarily caused by the absence of dive brakes, which had been deliberately omitted because of the Airacomet's anticipated mediocre performance. A total of 13 aircraft were produced.

P-59A Airacomet - The production P-59A differed very little from the YP-59A. Only the first twenty of the P-59A order were actually completed as P-59As. Serials were 44-22609/22628. Most of these P-59As were powered by a pair of 1,650 lbs (748 kg) thrust General Electric J31-GE-3 turbojets, although the last few were powered by up rated Two 2,000 lbs (907 kg) thrust General Electric J31-GE-5 turbojets. The J31-GE-5-powered P-59A had a maximum speed of 413 mph at 30,000 feet and 380 mph at 5000 feet. Range on internal fuel was 240 miles, and range with two 125 Imperial gallon drop tanks was 520 miles. An altitude of 10,000 feet could be reached in 3.2 minutes, and 20,000 feet in 7.4 minutes. Weights were 7950 pounds empty, 10,822 pounds loaded, 12,700 pounds maximum. Dimensions were wingspan 45 feet 6 inches, length 38 feet 10 inches, height 12 feet 4 inches, and wing area 385.8 square feet. Armament consisted of one 37 mm cannon and three 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine-guns, all mounted in the nose. In addition, two 1,000 lbs (454 kg) bombs or eight 60 lbs (27.2 kg) rockets could be carried on underwing racks.

P-59B Airacomet - 30 aircraft powered by two 2,000 lbs (907 kg) thrust General Electric J31-GE-5 turbojets. Internal fuel capacity increased by 55 Imperial gallons. Maximum range was increased to 950 miles. Empty weight of the P-59B was increased to 8,165 pounds and normal and maximum loaded weights were 11,049 pounds and 13,700 pounds respectively. The last P-59B was delivered in May of 1945. Serials were 44-22629/22658.

YF2L-1 Airacomet - In December of 1943, the US Navy got the eighth and ninth YP-59As (42-108778 and 42-100779) for use in tests. They were given the naval designation being YF2L-1, which is sort of curious since the F2L designation was also used by a couple of Bell P-39Q Airacobras employed by the Navy as target aircraft. It is possible that this was done in the hope that enemy intelligence would mistakenly think that the jets were simply more naval Airacobras. In any case, the Airacomet was totally unsuited for carrier operations because of the poor view from its cockpit and the poor acceleration of its engines. In addition, the Airacomet suffered from a lack of adequate drag during landing approaches, so that there was a lot of "float" before touchdown when the power was cut. The lack of drag was primarily caused by the absence of dive brakes, which had been deliberately omitted because of the Airacomet's anticipated mediocre performance.

Specifications (Bell P-59B Airacomet)

Type: Single Seat Jet Fighter & Jet Trainer

Design: Bell Aircraft Corporation

Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft Corporation

Powerplant: (XP-59A) Two 1,250 lbs (567 kg) thrust General Electric Type I-A turbojets. (YP-59A) Two 1,650 lbs (748 kg) thrust General Electric I-16 (later J31) turbojets. (P-59A) two 1,650 lbs (748 kg) thrust General Electric J31-GE-3 turbojets. (P-39B) Two 2,000 lbs (907 kg) thrust General Electric J31-GE-5 turbojets.

Performance: Maximum speed 409 mph (658 km/h) at 35,000 ft (10 670 m); cruising speed 375 mph (604 km/h); service ceiling 46,200 ft (14080 m).

Range: 400 miles (644 km) on internal fuel. 520 miles (837 km) with two 125 Imperial gallon drop tanks at 289 mph (465 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6096 m).

Weight: Empty 8,165 lbs (3704 kg) with a maximum take-off weight of 13,700 lbs (6214 kg).

Dimensions: Span 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m); length 38 ft 1 1/2 in (11.62 m); height 12 ft 0 in (3.66 m); wing area 385.8 sq ft (35.84 sq m).

Armament: One 37 mm M4 cannon and three 12.7 mm (0.50 in) machine guns mounted in the nose.

Variants: XP-59, YP-59, P-59A, P-59B, YF2L-1 (naval version for carrier trials).

Avionics: None.

History: First flight (XP-59A) 2 October 1942; (production P-59A) 7 August 1944.