| XP-55 Ascender | |
|---|---|
 Curtiss XP-55 Ascender in flight. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Curtiss-Wright Corporation |
| Status | Canceled at flight-test stage |
| Number built | 3 |
| History | |
| First flight | 19 July 1943 |
The Curtiss-Wright XP-55 Ascender (company designation CW-24) is a 1940s United States prototype fighter aircraft built by Curtiss-Wright. Along with the Vultee XP-54 and Northrop XP-56, it resulted from United States Army Air Corps proposal R-40C issued on 27 November 1939 for aircraft with improved performance, armament, and pilot visibility over existing fighters; it specifically allowed for unconventional aircraft designs. An unusual design for its time, it had a canard configuration with a rear-mounted engine, and two vertical tails at end of swept wings. Because of its pusher design, it was satirically referred to as the "Ass-ender".[1] Like the XP-54, the Ascender was designed for the 1,800 hp Pratt & Whitney X-1800 24-Cylinder H-engine, but was redesigned after that engine project was canceled. It was also the first Curtiss fighter aircraft to use tricycle landing gear.
- ^ Jenkins 2008. p. 8.