XP-50

The Grumman XP‑50 was a prototype fighter‑interceptor developed in the early 1940s as an evolution of the successful F4F Wildcat series. Conceived in 1940 to meet a United States Army Air Forces requirement for a high‑altitude, twin‑engine interceptor, the XP‑50 combined the Wildcat’s robust airframe with a new power plant—a pair of 1,600‑hp Pratt & Whitney R‑1830‑53 radial engines mounted in a streamlined nacelle configuration. The aircraft featured a laminar‑flow wing, tricycle landing gear, and a pressurized cockpit equipped with a modernized fire‑control system that incorporated radar for night and all‑weather operation. Armament consisted of six .50‑caliber machine guns and provisions for up to 500 lb of external ordnance. Although the prototype flew successfully in early 1942, development was halted when Grumman was redirected to the more promising F6F Hellcat and the twin‑engine XP‑71 series. Nevertheless, the XP‑50 contributed valuable data on high‑altitude aerodynamics, engine synchronization, and radar integration that informed later designs such as the F7F Tigercat. Its brief existence underscores the rapid innovation pace of World War II aviation and Grumman’s willingness to explore unconventional fighter concepts. Although it never entered service, the XP‑50's concepts influenced later twin‑engine fighters.