[Tripower455]

Originally Posted by OVERULD

Very cool pictures. That XP-72 looks like a cross between the Thunderbolt and a Mustang. The F-105 looks like it was painted in the Thunderbird paint scheme. I had never heard of the XR-12 but man what a cool looking plane. I can understand why it holds the speed record.

BJ

The XP-72 is basically a P-47 with a PW 4360 in it. It outperformed the P-47, but it never saw production, because the war effort needed airplanes as fast as they could be produced, and couldn't take the time to shut down the P-47 line and retool for the p-72. I think they only built 2 XP-72s. IOne of them had a contra rotating prop on it. None survive AFAIK.

The Rainbow was definitely a neat airplane that was about 5 years too late. After the war, they were gonna try to market it as an airliner, but all the surplus transports were so cheap, that they'd never compete.

BTW, when I worked at FRG, we had a Super Seabee on the certificate. I got a few hours in it with the VP of flight ops. Neat airplane!