XP-50

XP-50

360://https://wiki.warthunder.com/images/a/ab/Cockpit_xp-50.jpg

XP-50

USA

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	4.0	4.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Fighter

Interceptor

Purchase:1 600

Show in game

Description

The XP-50 is a premium rank III American twin-engine fighter with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.31.

General info

Flight performance

The XP-50 has great climb rate and acceleration, although it does tend to lock up at high speeds. It can easily maintain a 20-25 degree climb. Your engines will also commonly overheat, but they cool off relatively quickly. Low-speed maneuverability is excellent, especially when you have your flaps deployed.

Characteristics	Max Speed (km/h at 6,700 m)		Max altitude (metres)	Turn time (seconds)		Rate of climb (metres/second)		Take-off run (metres)
	AB	RB		AB	RB	AB	RB
Stock	662	646	10400	19.8	20.4	17.2	17.1	444
Upgraded	698	680		18.2	19.0	23.0	20.0

Details

Features
Combat flaps	Take-off flaps	Landing flaps	Air brakes	Arrestor gear
✓	✓	✓	X	X

Limits
Wings (km/h)	Gear (km/h)	Flaps (km/h)			Max Static G
		Combat	Take-off	Landing	+	-
745	370	480	480	290	~10	~6

Optimal velocities (km/h)
Ailerons	Rudder	Elevators	Radiator
< 350	< 400	< 350	> 300

Compressor (RB/SB)
Setting 1
Optimal altitude	100% Engine power	WEP Engine power
5,520 m	2,200 hp	2,398 hp

Survivability and armour

• 9.5 mm steel - bulkhead in front of the cockpit
• 9.5 mm steel - behind the pilot
• Self-sealing fuel tanks (1 below the pilot, 1 fuel tank behind pilot)

Armaments

Offensive armament

The XP-50 is armed with:

• 2 x 20 mm AN/M2 cannons, nose-mounted (60 rpg = 120 total)
• 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (500 rpg = 1,000 total)

Usage in battles

Its excellent climb rate and acceleration make this plane great for energy fighting. It won't be hard to get altitude advantage upon the majority of your opponents, which this plane can out-climb.

Use your climb rate to be the highest plane of the battle, unfortunately, this aircraft does not have WEP, as so, it is best to climb at a 20-25 degree angle to get to altitude. Your priority targets are the highest enemies where you can pick and choose and work your way down to lower aircraft as needed.

If you notice you were out-climbed, don't hesitate to roll away and climb more as a dive is a risky trade with this plane. If an enemy climbs to catch you, make a 90° climb at full power and when they start to stall, try to boom & zoom them. Use your acceleration and/or climb rate if someone gets on your six to lose them. If you do lose energy, do not worry. You turn extremely well at low speeds with your flaps out and will out turn most things you fight.

Make sure to have a disciplined and accurate fire, since you will quickly chew through the ammunition. While you may only have 120 rounds total of the cannon rounds, it doesn't take a lot of hits to knock out enemy aircraft. Your guns are extremely accurate and they are nose mounted. Gun convergence can safely be set to 800 meters, however, accuracy works best when close in around 200 - 300 meters. You should take Air Targets ammo for the cannons and Universal ammo for the machine guns to maximize the damage output for air to air engagements.

Manual Engine Control

MEC elements
Mixer	Pitch	Radiator			Supercharger	Turbocharger
		Oil	Water	Type
Controllable	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Controllable Not auto controlled	Separate	Controllable 1 gear	Auto controlled

Modules

Tier	Flight performance		Survivability	Weaponry
I	Fuselage repair	Radiator		Offensive 12 mm
II		Compressor	Airframe	New 12 mm MGs
III	Wings repair	Engine		Offensive 20 mm
IV			Cover	New 20 mm cannons
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent climb rate
• Great acceleration
• Good manoeuvrability
• Powerful weaponry, thanks to the two AN/M2 cannons
• Good cockpit visibility
• The engine quickly cools down if you idle the power
• Good dive speed

Cons:

• Only 120 cannon shells and, once gone, only two .50 MGs
• No WEP available in RB/SB
• Manoeuvrability not as responsive during long steep dives (control surface compression)
• Fragile airframe

History

In-game description

Grumman XP-50 twin-engine army fighter prototype

Practically at the same time the XF5F-1 Skyrocket carrier-based fighter was being created, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation designers worked on the development of a promising interceptor, based on the XF5F-1, for the United States Army Air Corps. The prototype was given a company designation of Model G-46 and an army designation of ХР-50.

The USAAC issued an order for production of the new aircraft on November 25, 1939. Although the ХР-50 was similar to the XF5F-1 externally, a number of significant changes were introduced into the original layout. Unlike its carrier-based predecessor, the ХР-50 was not a low-wing but a mid-wing monoplane, the fuselage was significantly lengthened, the shape of the pilot's cockpit canopy was changed, and the tailplane span was reduced.

The plane was powered by two Wright XR-1820-67/79 Cyclone nine-cylinder, air-cooled engines, with a left- and right-handed reduction gear, producing a takeoff power of 1,200 hp. Due to the new engines installed, the shape of the nacelles and engine cowlings was changed.

The aircraft's armament included two 20 mm Hispano-Suiza AN-M2 cannons, with 60 rounds each, and two 12.7 mm Colt-Browning AN-M2.5 machine guns, with 500 rounds each, mounted in the forward fuselage. In addition, the aircraft could carry two 100 lb (45 kg) bombs under its wing panels.

Instead of the XF5F-1's tail wheel, the ХР-50 had a nose landing gear. The plane's fuel tanks were self-sealing, and the pilot was protected just as he was in the Navy version, i. e. with the help of an armored front bulkhead, an armored backrest, and an armored floor.

The XP-50 (Ser No. 40-3057) prototype got off the ground for the first time on 18 February 1941, with Robert Hall, a Grumman test pilot, at the controls. The test flights showed that the ХР-50 had a better controllability than the XF5F-1. In addition, the turbosupercharged engines ensured the ХР-50's much better characteristics at medium and high altitudes.

On 14 May 1941, during the 15th test flight of the ХР-50 prototype, the turbosupercharger of one of the engines was destroyed, the cause undetermined, and the turbine blades flying in all directions severed the line running to the hydraulic nose landing gear extension system.

Pilot Robert Hall successfully bailed out of the damaged vehicle. After the first prototype was lost, all work on the ХР-50 was discontinued.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

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.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the aircraft;
• other literature.

Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
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