XP-55 - Revision history

U28580205: /* Description */ Updated to new format

2024-01-15T03:15:12Z

‎Description: Updated to new format

U38088265: /* In-game description */ Reformatted

2022-10-19T22:40:41Z

‎In-game description: Reformatted

U44629479: Edits

2021-11-22T22:21:25Z

Edits

U44982996 at 21:23, 22 November 2021

2021-11-22T21:23:56Z

U44629479: Edits

2021-08-13T19:22:47Z

Edits

U44982996 at 18:06, 12 August 2021

2021-08-12T18:06:03Z

U44629479: Edits

2021-07-07T06:55:09Z

Edits

U43191476: /* See also */

2021-07-07T06:41:01Z

‎See also

U44982996 at 07:28, 24 June 2021

2021-06-24T07:28:04Z

U44982996 at 06:56, 24 June 2021

2021-06-24T06:56:31Z

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of and the creation and combat usage of the aircraft, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the aircraft in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium rank {{Specs|rank}} American fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.31]].
+Researching new designs for better fighter and interceptor performances, the United States encouraged companies to develop radical new designs away from conventional fighter aircraft. Among the different designs submitted, Curtis-Wright's CW-24B design won out and their aircraft became designated as the '''XP-55 ''Ascender'''''. With its front horizontal stabilizer (canard) contributing significantly to lift, it effectively acts as part of the wing, allowing the main wing area to be reduced, and also reducing the aircraft's drag. Three prototypes  were created, but the flight characteristics were deemed not sufficient enough upgrade compared to conventional designs, and incoming jet age caused the US to refocus priority into new jet designs, leading to the cancellation of the XP-55.
-The XP-55 Ascender is unlike anything you will fly in the U.S. Tech Tree. Flying this aircraft effectively requires a dedication to Energy Fighting. The XP-55 excels significantly in the ability to climb and dive, and this is your most significant advantage. The Ascender has decent manoeuvrability and best used in a Boom & Zoom function. All four of this aircraft's armament are packed tightly in the nose for devastating results.
+Introduced in [[Update 1.31]], the XP-55 Ascender is unlike anything most players would see in the U.S. tech tree. Flying this aircraft effectively requires a dedication to Energy Fighting. The XP-55 excels significantly in the ability to climb and dive, and this is your most significant advantage. The Ascender has decent manoeuvrability and best used in a Boom & Zoom function. All four of this aircraft's armament are packed tightly in the nose for devastating results.
 == General info ==

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 <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
-The U.S. Army-sponsored three prototypes for a new pusher power-plant propelled fighter in 1941. Out of this was born the Vultee XP-54, Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet, and the Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender. Four airframes were built for testing the Ascender. The first aircraft was delivered on July 13, 1943. During its testing, they discovered it required a long take-off run for the nose-mounted elevator to become effective. Before the issue could be addressed, the aircraft was lost on November 15th. The second and third XP-55 flew in the spring of 1944. The second aircraft was used as a testbed for armament.
+The U.S. Army sponsored three prototypes for a new pusher power-plant propelled fighter in 1941. Out of this was born the Vultee XP-54, Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet, and the Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender. Four airframes were built for testing the Ascender. The first aircraft was delivered on July 13, 1943. During its testing, they discovered it required a long take-off run for the nose-mounted elevator to become effective. Before the issue could be addressed, the aircraft was lost on November 15th. The second and third XP-55 flew in the spring of 1944. The second aircraft was used as a testbed for armament.
 On May 27, 1945, the third XP-55 took flight for public display over a crowd of 100,000 people. When the XP-55 crossed the airfield, the pilot began to roll the aircraft. Without warning, the plane dove straight into the ground while being inverted. The pilot was thrown from the wreckage and suffered severe injuries. A nearby bystander was killed.  After testing, the Ascender was judged to have poor performance and handling. The design was ultimately deemed too ineffective for a fighter. Although the XP-55 program was plagued with issues, it made numerous contributions to aircraft design. The second XP-55 is still on display today at the Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.
-=== In-game description ===
+{{break}}
 Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender single-engine army interceptor fighter prototype
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 As a result, no order for full-scale production followed, and all work on the ХР-55 was discontinued.
 == Media ==

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 The XP-55's level speed is decent compared to other planes at a similar tier, climb rate is quite good, although the acceleration is mediocre. Turn rate at very low speed is not satisfying, but it gets better once the plane reaches higher speed (~400 km/h) and once it gets there it turns very well, even near the structural limit speed which is very high. Stalling characteristics is very different compared to other planes, especially during the flight after reducing the power, it tends to stall without dropping on one wing and with no lean to any side, it can be very dangerous during the landing on the airfield at low speed.
-The engine can start overheating after a few minutes flying on War Emergency Power, especially on hot maps and when the player is using automatic engine controls, but it cools down fast once the power is reduced or after switching to manual engine controls and open the radiator. Also, when the XP-55 reaches a higher and colder altitude (above 4000 m), the plane is noticeably faster to accelerate and the engine is less prone to overheating.
+The engine can start overheating after a few minutes flying on War Emergency Power, especially on hot maps and when the player is using automatic engine controls, but it cools down fast once the power is reduced or after switching to manual engine controls and open the radiator. Also, when the XP-55 reaches a higher and colder altitude (above 4,000 m), the plane is noticeably faster to accelerate and the engine is less prone to overheating.
-Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the XP-55 is its impressive energy retention. The plane has earned the nickname "the UFO" from the community due to its ability to dive into an enemy at an insane speed and quickly climb back into altitude (up to 2000 m) as well as remains highly agile. This allows the XP-55 to tackle on any targets provided that it has an altitude advantage and pull off from them untouched.
+Perhaps the most distinctive characteristic of the XP-55 is its impressive energy retention. The plane has earned the nickname "the UFO" from the community due to its ability to dive into an enemy at an insane speed and quickly climb back to high altitude (up to 2,000 m) as well as remaining highly agile. This allows the XP-55 to tackle any target provided that it has an altitude advantage and pull off from them untouched.
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 {{Specs-Card
 |code=xp-55
-|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
+|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
 |cockpit=cockpit_xp-55.jpg
 }}
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 {{Specs-Avia-Flight}}
 <!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
-The XP-55's level speed is decent compared to other planes at a similar tier, climb rate is quite good, although the acceleration is mediocre. Turn rate at very low speed is not satisfying, but it gets better once the plane reaches higher speed and once it gets there it turns very well, even near the structural limit speed which is very high. Stalling characteristics is very different compared to other planes, especially during the flight after reducing the power, it tends to stall without dropping on one wing and with no lean to any side, it can be very dangerous during the landing on the airfield at low speed.
+The XP-55's level speed is decent compared to other planes at a similar tier, climb rate is quite good, although the acceleration is mediocre. Turn rate at very low speed is not satisfying, but it gets better once the plane reaches higher speed (~400 km/h) and once it gets there it turns very well, even near the structural limit speed which is very high. Stalling characteristics is very different compared to other planes, especially during the flight after reducing the power, it tends to stall without dropping on one wing and with no lean to any side, it can be very dangerous during the landing on the airfield at low speed.
-The engine can start overheating after a few minutes flying on War Emergency Power, especially on hot maps and when the player is using automatic engine controls, but it cools down fast once the power is reduced or after switching to manual engine controls and open the radiator.
+The engine can start overheating after a few minutes flying on War Emergency Power, especially on hot maps and when the player is using automatic engine controls, but it cools down fast once the power is reduced or after switching to manual engine controls and open the radiator. Also, when the XP-55 reaches a higher and colder altitude (above 4000 m), the plane is noticeably faster to accelerate and the engine is less prone to overheating.
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"

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 <!-- ''Describe how the aircraft behaves in the air. Speed, manoeuvrability, acceleration and allowable loads - these are the most important characteristics of the vehicle.'' -->
 The XP-55's level speed is decent compared to other planes at a similar tier, climb rate is quite good, although the acceleration is mediocre. Turn rate at very low speed is not satisfying, but it gets better once the plane reaches higher speed and once it gets there it turns very well, even near the structural limit speed which is very high. Stalling characteristics is very different compared to other planes, especially during the flight after reducing the power, it tends to stall without dropping on one wing and with no lean to any side, it can be very dangerous during the landing on the airfield at low speed.
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
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 == Usage in battles ==
 <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the aircraft, the features of using aircraft in a team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but instead, give the reader food for thought. Examine the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
-Quite high climb speed allows the plane to gets high fast after the start of the battle, which makes possible at what this plane excels - boom & zoom capability. It can dive at really high speed and easily get back to the previous altitude. Its armament that is located in the nose of the plane, high pitch and yaw responsivity makes head-on encounters not so hard, but the plane can be set on fire very easily when the player is not cautious, overall it can deal with encounters at a similar altitude and in most situations, only one attack and a few hits will be needed to destroy the enemy plane. The small profile of wings makes it harder to hit what can be used during evasion of the enemy attacks when they are above or at similar altitude, also the plane itself can take some damage and still fly.
+'''Against fighters'''
-High and level speed allows it to get away from most of the Japanese fighters, but it should not be overestimated since the XP-55's acceleration is not great, Japan also has fast planes like the J2M series, they can catch the Ascender, but only at low altitude, they can also easily out climb it.
+Its high level speed allows it to get away from most of the Japanese fighters, but it should not be overestimated since the XP-55's acceleration is not great. Japanese planes like the J2M series are fast and can catch the Ascender at low altitude, and they can also easily outclimb it.
-Compared to German planes it is not so fast, a player needs to be prepared for facing them at similar or higher altitude, their BF-109 series have better climb rate, and the Fw-190 series is as fast, although with worse climb rate. The last-mentioned type of German fighters should be avoided in head-on situation, mainly because of their exceptionally good armament.
+Compared to German planes it is not so fast, a player needs to be prepared for facing them at similar or higher altitude, their Bf 109 series have better climb rate, and the Fw 190 series is as fast, although with worse climb rate. The latter family of German fighters should be avoided in head-on situation, because of their exceptionally powerful armament.
-Against the Italian fighters similar tactics should be used to that one against the Japanese fighters, their planes are slower, with similar climb rate but the exceptionally good armament like in the Fw 190 series.
+Against Italian fighters, similar tactics should be used to that one against the Japanese fighters: their planes are slower, with similar climb rate but an exceptionally good offensive armament.
-Engine can start overheating after a few minutes flying on War Emergency Power, especially on hot maps and when the player is using automatic engine controls, but it cools down fast once the power is reduced or after switching to manual engine controls and open the radiator.
+'''Bomber hunting'''
-* Boom-and-zoom: Start by climbing to an optimal altitude (above 4000 m), target any bombers below you within your proximity range, then dive and unleash hell upon them, then pulling up back into altitude. Usually, a single pass is enough to destroy or cripple the enemy bomber, though you can perform a second pass in case if they survived the first attack.
+While the XP-55 features mediocre protection for the pilot, it can be used as a bomber hunter to great effect. There are two main tactics for the XP-55 for bomber hunting:
 === Manual Engine Control ===
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 Compared to German planes it is not so fast, a player needs to be prepared for facing them at similar or higher altitude, their BF-109 series have better climb rate, and the Fw-190 series is as fast, although with worse climb rate. The last-mentioned type of German fighters should be avoided in head-on situation, mainly because of their exceptionally good armament.
-Against the Italian fighters similar tactics should be used to that one against the Japanese fighters, their planes are slower, with similar climb rate but the exceptionally good armament like in the Fw-190 series.
+Against the Italian fighters similar tactics should be used to that one against the Japanese fighters, their planes are slower, with similar climb rate but the exceptionally good armament like in the Fw 190 series.
 Engine can start overheating after a few minutes flying on War Emergency Power, especially on hot maps and when the player is using automatic engine controls, but it cools down fast once the power is reduced or after switching to manual engine controls and open the radiator.
 === Manual Engine Control ===
 {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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 '''Pros:'''
 * Good high-speed manoeuvrability
 * Excellent climb rate
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 * Insane acceleration in a dive
 * Centre-lined, nose-mounted armament, cluster fire without the need for convergence
 * Outstanding energy retention in level flight, after a dive
 * Fantastic Boom & Zoom fighter
 '''Cons:'''
 * Cannot snap-roll at all unless you want a stall spin
 * Roll rate is somewhat lacking compared to most contemporaries
-* Almost no armour, especially from the front. Head-ons and bomber hunting are not advised
+* Will abruptly and heavily compress when diving at a speed higher than Mach 0.75
 * Engine in the rear of aircraft, susceptible to gunfire if being chased
 * Fighter only, no options for suspended ordnance

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 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=xp-55 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
 ;Videos
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 <!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 * ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
-* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->Aircraft with similar configuration:
+* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 * [[J7W1]]
 * [[J21A-2]]
 == External links ==
+''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
-* [http://airandspace.si.edu/collections/artifact.cfm?object=nasm_A19600289000 ''Smithsonian Institute's National Air and Space Museum Curtiss XP-55-CS Ascender'']
+* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 {{AirManufacturer Curtiss}}
 {{USA fighters}}
 {{USA premium aircraft}}

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 * 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plate behind the control panel
 * 9.5 mm Steel - Armour plate behind pilot's headrest
-* 40 mm Bulletproof glass at the front
+* 40 mm Bulletproof glass - Windshield
 While not a fully developed fighter aircraft, the XP-55 prototype initially only sported a 9.5 mm steel plate behind the pilot's headrest. Without any other protection, the XP-55 was susceptible to machine gun and cannon fire from all directions. While the headrest armour and the engine protected the pilot from the rear, there were not many stopping bullets from the front, sides, bottom, or top. Taking this fighter in a head-on with another aircraft is a mixed bag as the XP-55 has the perfect weapon configuration for it. However, the pilot is in an extremely vulnerable to inbound bullets. The aircraft's manoeuvrability can enable it to get some shots off and then manoeuvre out of the way.