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| Description | |||
| Manufacturer: | Bell Aircraft Corp | ||
| Designation: | P-59 | ||
| Version: | A | ||
| Nickname: | Airacomet | ||
| Type: | Fighter | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Length: | 38' 10" | ||
| Height: | 11' 11 3/4" | ||
| Wingspan: | 45' 6" | ||
| Max Take-off Weight: | 13,700 lbs | ||
| Propulsion | |||
| No. of Engines: | 2 | ||
| Powerplant: | General Electric J31-GE-3 | ||
| Pounds of static thrust (each): | 2,000 | ||
| Performance (below is for P-59B) | |||
| Range: | 440 miles | ||
| Cruise Speed: | 320 mph | ||
| Max Speed: | 450 Mph | ||
| Ceiling: | 43,400 Ft | ||
Although the"Airacomet" never saw Combat service, this design paved the way for the development of the first series of operational jet fighters in the United States.
The first successful run of a jet engine was in April of 1937. This engine was designed in Britain by Sir Frank Whittle. Two years later in 1939, the Germans flew the first jet propelled aircraft.
In later 1941, the "Whittle' technology was passed to the United States. General Electric was awarded the contract to build the engines. Bell Aircraft was given the task of building an airframe suitable for the new engines.
Shrouded in complete secrecy, both the engines and airframe were constructed. Based on the P-39 airframe but built primarily to test the first General Electric turbine jet engines, the components were shipped to Muroc Army Air Field, California (now Edwards Air Force Base) and assembled. First flown in October of 1942, the XP-59A "Airacomet" was equipped with the General Electric Model 1-A an improved version of the "Whittle" engine.
Never seeing combat in World War II, the "Airacomet" series of aircraft provided immense amounts of valuable flight data for America's next series of jet fighter, the Lockheed P-80 "Shooting Star". The United States' first attempt at a jet fighter was fairly successful and the fifty aircraft were operational in 1945. World War II was over before the P-59's saw any action and with advancements in jet design, the P-59's were quickly replaced by P-80's after a little more than one year of service.
The planes were built by Bell Aircraft in Wheatfield, NY, which is between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Bell Aircraft was originally located in Buffalo but later moved to the Wheatfield site. The actual Bell plant in Wheatfield was right next to the Niagara Falls municipal airport.
There were 57 airplanes built, consisting of 7 "XP" pre-production models, 20 "A" production models, and 30 "B" production models. Later, at least one of the XP models was converted to an "A" models. Of the 57, only about 6 are currently known to exist.
Twenty A models were assigned to the 412th Fighter Group at Muroc, who later moved to Bakersfield, CA. Thirty B models were built and also went to the 412th, now at Santa Maria, CA; and then in December 1945 the 412th Fighter Group moved to March Field, Riverside,CA.
Our P-59A "Airacomet" was accepted from Bell Aircraft on the 25th of September, 1944., and was assigned to the 412th Fighter Group, located sequencially at Muroc, Bakersfield, and Santa Maria Army Air Fields in California. In October of 1945, the unit was stationed at March Field, and in 1946 the plane was retired. After service with the Air Force, our "Airacomet", serial number 44-22614, was used as an instructional airframe at a technical school in Santa Maria, California. Sometime later it went into storage at Edwards AFB.
In 1980, the plane came back by truck to March Field Museum in desperate need of restoration. A very ambitious crew from the 452nd Air Refueling Wing and museum volunteers began the work. It was painstaking as the aircraft was overun with corrosion and many years of neglect. By the early 1990s, only museum volunteers were left to complete the job. Years went by with different crews working on the jet until finally in 1997 it was completed.
This aircraft is the only remaining P-59A aircraft of the twenty production P-59A aircraft built. This aircraft is on loan from the USAF.
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According to the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA/RSA), Maxwell AFB, AL, the museum's P-59A has the following history:
P-59A-1, s/n 44-22614
Manufactured by Bell Aircraft, Buffalo New York and delivered to the U.S. Air Force on October 5th 1944.
Oct 1944 - To 31st Fighter Squadron (Fourth Air Force), Palmdale AAF CA.
Dec 1944 - To 412th AAF Base Unit (Air Technical Service Command), San Bernardino AAF CA.
Feb 1945 - To 31st Fighter Squadron (4th AF), Palmdale AAF (deployments to 445th Fighter Squadron, Barksdale AAF LA).
Jul 1945 - To Santa Maria AAF CA.
Oct 1945 - To 412th Fighter Group (Continental Air Force), Santa Maria AAF CA.
Nov 1945 - To 420th AAF Base Unit (CAF), March AAF CA.
Apr 1946 - Dropped from inventory as surplus.
