High Gallery
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U. S. Military Aircraft
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Bell Aircraft's P-59 was the first jet powered plane to be developed in the USA. It was powered by two General Electric 1-A turbojets each of 1,400-lb thrust and developed from British Whittle engines. The first of the three Xp-59A prototype flew in October 1942, and these were followed by thirteen YP-59As with improved engines. First delivery was on July 1943. The third YP-59A was traded to Britain for a Gloster Meteor and the eight and night of that batch went to the USA Navy. Rare photo of the first Airacomet sitting on the run way at Muroc Dry Lake, which is now known as Edward's Air Force Base, California. |
TECHNICAL DATA
| Description | Specifications |
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Manufacturer: Bell Aircraft |
Length: 38 ft.10 in. |
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First Flight: October 1942 |
Height: 12 ft. 4 in. |
| Model: P-59B | Wing Span: 45 ft. 6 in. |
| Crew: One | Wing Area: 385.8 sq. ft. |
| Nickname: Airacomet | Empty Weight: 7,950 lb. |
| Basic Role: Fighter | Max. Weight: 12,700 lb. |
| Other Versions: P-59A and P-59B | Armament: One 37-mm cannon and three 0.5-in (12.7-mm) machine guns plus two 1,000 lb. bombs or eight rockets |
| Principal User: United States |
Propulsion |
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Performance |
Power Plant: General Electric J31-GE-5 Turbojets. |
| Range: 240 miles. | Horsepower: 2,000 lb. (907-kW) Thrust |
| Max. Speed: 413 Mph. | No. Of Engines: Two |
| Ceiling: 46,200 ft. | |
| Climb Rate: 20,000 ft. in 7.4 minutes. |