JACK FISHER COLLECTION
No. 9629. Curtiss 34B XP-2 Hawk (25-420) US Army Air Service
Aeroplane Photo Supply (APS) Photo No. 507

Curtiss 34B XP-2 Hawk

01/31/2010. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The final five aircraft (s/n 25-420 to 25-424) built against the initial P-1 contract were fitted with the 510 hp Curtiss V-1400 (D-12) engine and delivered early in 1926 as P-2s. The first of these (s/n 25-420), initially flown in December 1925, was experimentally fitted with a side-mounted turbo-supercharger which increased the P-2' s absolute ceiling from 22,980 ft (7,005 m) to 32,790 ft (9,995 m), it was redesignated XP-2.

Three P-2s were subsequently converted to P-1A standard for squadron service. A fourth was fitted with the Curtiss V-1570 Conqueror engine of 600 hp as the XP-6 to participate in the 1927 National Air Races, in which it placed second, achieving 189 mph (304 kmh).

The probe seemingly fitted to the propeller is in fact a long boom (part of test equipment) fitted to the bracing strut of the left wing, not to the propeller."

Created January 31, 2010