Hall XP2H
The Hall XP2H-1 was an American prototype four-engined biplane flying boat of the 1930s. Intended as an experimental very-long-range maritime patrol aircraft, a single example was built. The XP2H-1 was the largest four engine biplane aircraft ever procured by the US Navy.[1]
| XP2H-2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Patrol flying boat |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Hall-Aluminum Aircraft Corporation |
| First flight | November 15, 1932 |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 1 |
Development and design
In 1930, the United States Navy ordered a single example of a large flying boat from the Hall-Aluminum Aircraft Corporation, to meet a requirement for an experimental very-long-range patrol aircraft. The resulting design, designated XP2H-1, was a four-engined biplane with an all-aluminum hull, scaled-up from the smaller PH flying boat, which accommodated a crew of six. The wings were of fabric-skinned aluminum construction and were of trapezoidal shape. The water-cooled V-12 Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror engines were mounted in tandem push-pull pairs between the wings, in nacelles attached to the lower wings.[2][3]
The XP2H-1 first flew on November 15, 1932, and was extensively tested, demonstrating excellent performance, being 11 mph (10 kn; 18 km/h) faster than predicted.[4] It was possible to cruise on just two engines to extend range, and in 1935, the XP2H-1 was used to carry out a nonstop flight between Norfolk, Virginia and Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone. The XP2H-1 took 25 hours and 15 minutes to fly the 2,000 mi (1,738 nmi; 3,219 km) distance between these two locations.[5] It was destroyed later in the year attempting to alight in open water.[6] No further P2Hs were built, with the US Navy equipping its patrol squadrons with smaller flying boats such as the Consolidated P2Y.
Specifications
Data from General Dynamic Aircraft and their Predecessors [4]
General characteristics
- Crew: 6
- Length: 64 ft 6.5 in (19.672 m)
- Wingspan: 112 ft 0 in (34.14 m)
- Height: 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m)
- Wing area: 2,742 sq ft (254.7 m2)
- Airfoil: root: Clark Y 10.7-15.99%; tip: Clark Y 11.7%[7]
- Empty weight: 20,865 lb (9,464 kg)
- Gross weight: 35,393 lb (16,054 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 42,193 lb (19,138 kg)
- Powerplant: 4 × Curtiss V-1570-54 Conqueror V-12 water-cooled piston engines, 600 hp (450 kW) each
- Propellers: 3-bladed tractor and pusher propellers
Performance
- Maximum speed: 140 mph (230 km/h, 120 kn)
- Cruise speed: 120 mph (190 km/h, 100 kn)
- Range: 2,150 mi (3,460 km, 1,870 nmi)
- Ferry range: 3,350 mi (5,390 km, 2,910 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 10,900 ft (3,300 m)
- Time to altitude: 5,000 ft (1,524 m) in 8 minutes 42 seconds
Armament
- Guns: 5x flexibly mounted 0.3 in (7.62 mm) Browning machine guns in nose, dorsal waist and tail positions
- Bombs: 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
References
- Test Pilot Airpower, September 1974 pp. 11-12
- Wegg 1990, pp.113-114.
- Flight January 24, 1935, p.94.
- Wegg 1990, p.114.
- Flight 21 February 1935, p.195.
- Loftin 1985, Chapter 8: Boats in the Sky :Biplane Flying-Boat Developments, 1920-30.
- Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- "For Long Range Patrol". Flight, 24 January 1935. p. 94.
- "A Long Distance Flight" Flight, 21 February 1935, p. 195.
- Boyne, Walter J. "The Flying Hallmarks: The Hall Aluminium Classics". The Best of Wings Magazine. Washington, DC:Brasseys, 2001. ISBN 978-1-57488-368-8. pp. 52–61.
- Loftin, Laurence K. Quest for Performance:The Evolution of Modern Aircraft,SP-468. Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, History Office, Scientific and Technical Information Branch, 1985.
- Wegg, John. General Dynamic Aircraft and their Predecessors. London:Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-833-X.