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American Combat Planes of the 20th Century is an incredible reference for anyone who is interested in any American Combat Plane History. There are 758 pages and 1700 b/w photos in this substantial labor of love by Ray Wagner, who has been passionately researching and writing about aircraft for over 50 years. Whether you are already familiar with his past works, or just discovering this accomplished author for the first time... This is the book that you've been waiting for!

If you'd like to see the book's Table of Contents ... Click here. You can also browse the entire Index Section to get an idea of the extensive amount of information that is covered within this book.

Search our site for other combat planes. A- 1 Eaton A- 4 Skyhawk A- 6 & A- 7 Air Weapons AV- 8 to A- 10 A- 20 Havoc A- 22 Martin Maryland A- 23 Martin Baltimore A- 24 Douglas A- 26 Douglas Invader Attack Planes B- 2A, F-111, F-117 Stealth B- 17 Flying Fortress B- 24 Liberator B- 25 North American B- 26 Marauder B- 29 Superfortress B- 32 Dominator B- 35 Flying Wing B- 36 B- 47 Stratojet B- 50 Boeing B- 52 Stratofortress B- 57 Canberra B- 58 Hustler Biplanes Biplanes, Army Pursuits Bombers, B- 70 to Stealth Bombers, First Big Curtiss Falcon CO- 1 DH- 4 De Havilland F3D- Douglas Skyknight F3H- McDonnell Demon F4D- 1 Skyray F4F Grumman Wildcats F- 4U Corsair F6F Grumman F7F Grumman F7U Vought F9F G. Cougar F9F G. Panther F- 16 Fighting Falcon F- 84 F- 86 Sabre F- 89 to F-94 F- 100 to F-108 First Fighters Flying Boats GAX Iraq to Afghanistan Martin Bombers Missile Era Fighters Navy Fighers Navy Flying Boats O- 2 Douglas P- 35 Seversky P- 36 to 42 Curtiss P- 38 Lightning P- 39 Airacobra P- 40 Line P- 47 Thunderbolt P- 51 Mustang Fighter P- 61 Black Widow P- 63 Kingcobra P- 79 to P-81 P- 82 Twin Mustang SB2C Helldiver TBF-TBM Avenger Thomas-Morse Torpedo Planes V- 11 Vultee XB -28 XP -48 / 77

Army Pursuits the Biplane Period, 1920-1932

P-12's, Boeing Models 100, 202, & XP-15

Page 13

BOEING P-12B BOEING MODEL 100

A number of P-12 models were converted by engine changes. They include the XP-12G, the first P-12B fitted with a turbosupercharger and three-bladed propeller. The XP-12H was a D with a geared Wasp, and the P-12J was an E testing the H Wasp. In 1934, seven P-12Es service testing the first Marvel fuel injection systems became the YP-12Ks, and one trying an F-7 supercharger was briefly designated XP-12L.

Ebb Tide for Biplanes
Thomas-Morse, luckless since the MB-3, again ventured a fighter called the XP-13 after the Army purchased it during flight tests in June 1929. An all-metal biplane with a Clark Y airfoil, “I” struts, and a corrugated metal fuselage, the Viper had an experimental air-cooled 600-hp Curtiss H-1640-1. A twin-row radial with the second row of six cylinders directly behind the first row of six, the engine had cooling difficulties that were not solved until later twin-row radials were introduced with a staggered cylinder arrangement.

When the XP-13 failed to win a contract, the Thomas-Morse firm was absorbed by Consolidated in August 1929. A Pratt & Whitney Wasp and a new tail were installed on the aircraft by the Army by September 1930, and the fighter redesignated XP-13A.

The fabric-covered metal tube structure of early P-12 fuselages was replaced by the XP-15’s all-metal semi-monocoque body on the Boeing Model 218 first flown September 29, 1930, and tested by the Army in December as the XP-925. Sometimes seen with wheel pants, it became the XP-925A in August 1931 when the 450-hp SR-1340C was replaced by a 500-hp R-1340F, and was also tested by the Navy. BOEING MODEL 202 BOEING XP-15

Boeing had been doing well in the fight for pursuit contracts, but Curtiss did not let their West Coast competitor capture the field entirely. New versions of the Hawk appeared sporting the latest wrinkles in design. The Curtiss XP-17 was actually the first P-l airframe modified by Army engineers in June 1930 to test the 480-hp air-cooled inverted inline Wright V-1460-3 Tornado. A pair of Curtiss designs, the XP-18 biplane and the XP-19 low-wing monoplane, were planned for the 600-hp Wright V-1560-1, but both were discarded on the drawing board.

The next Curtiss Hawk also had an air-cooled power plant, in this case the Wright R-1820-9 Cyclone. The YP-20 was actually a P-11 completed in October 1930 with this new radial, a ring cowl, and wheel pants. This was a very busy year in pursuit aviation at Wright Field, what with testing the P-6A, XP-9, XP-10, Model 100, P-12B, P-12C, XP-13A, XP-15, XP-16, XP-17, and the YP-20. BOEING P-12C

The Curtiss XP-22 appeared in May 1931 as a rebuilt P-6A with a V-1570-23 in a neatly streamlined nose, three-bladed propeller, and Prestone cooler between the legs of a single-strut panted landing gear. Flight tests in June demonstrated a 202-mph speed, the highest yet for an Army fighter.

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