The Bell P-59 Airacomet holds a significant place in aviation history as the first jet aircraft produced in the United States. Designed and built by Bell Aircraft during World War II, its development marked
a crucial step in America's entry into the jet age. While it ultimately did not achieve widespread operational success as a combat fighter, the P-59 served as an invaluable experimental testbed, laying the groundwork for future generations of U.S. turbojet-powered aircraft. Its journey from concept to flight was fraught with challenges, including secrecy, performance issues, and the rapid evolution of jet technology.
The Genesis of American Jet Power
The impetus for the P-59's development came from Major General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, who became aware of the United Kingdom's advanced jet program in April 1941. After witnessing a taxiing demonstration of the Gloster E.28/39, Arnold secured the plans for its powerplant, the Power Jets W.1 engine. He brought these plans back to the U.S. and arranged for an example of the Whittle W.1X turbojet engine, along with drawings for the more powerful W.2B/23 engine and a team of Power Jets engineers, to be flown to the U.S. on October 1, 1941. This British engine became the basis for the General Electric J31 jet engine, which would power the P-59.
On September 4, Arnold offered General Electric a contract to produce an American version of the engine, which subsequently became the General Electric I-A. The very next day, he approached Lawrence Dale Bell, head of Bell Aircraft Corporation, with the task of building a fighter aircraft to utilize this new engine. Bell agreed, and work began on producing three prototypes. To maintain secrecy and mislead potential adversaries, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) assigned the project the designation P-59A, suggesting it was a continuation of the unrelated and canceled Bell XP-59 fighter project.
Design Specifications and Early Construction
The design for the P-59A was finalized on January 9, 1942, and construction commenced shortly thereafter. Even before the prototypes were completed, an order for 13 YP-59A pre-production aircraft was added to the contract in March. The P-59A featured an oval cross-section, an all-metal stressed skin semi-monocoque fuselage, and a single pressurized cockpit. It had a mid-mounted, straight wing with two spars and a false spar in the inner panel. The electrically powered tricycle landing gear was attached to the center spar, a modern feature for its time.
Power for the P-59 came from a pair of General Electric J31 turbojets, which were positioned under the wing roots in streamlined nacelles. Armament was located in the nose of the aircraft. Two of the three XP-59As and most of the YP-59As were equipped with a pair of 37-millimeter M10 autocannons. Later aircraft, including the production models, featured one M10 autocannon and three 0.5-inch AN/M2 Browning heavy machine guns. The aircraft carried a total of 290 US gallons of fuel in four self-sealing tanks within the inner wing panels. Both production models could also carry 150-US-gallon drop tanks under the wings, and the P-59B was further equipped with a 66-US-gallon fuel tank in each outer wing panel.
Flight Testing and Performance Disappointments
The crated prototype of the P-59 was initially built on the second floor of a disused Trico Plant 2 factory. Its components were so large that a hole had to be broken in the brick outer wall to remove the first XP-59A. It was then shipped by train to Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base) in California on September 12, 1942, for flight testing. The aircraft first became airborne during high-speed taxiing tests on October 1, with Bell test pilot Robert Stanley at the controls. The first official flight was conducted by Colonel Laurence Craigie the following day. During ground handling, a dummy propeller was fitted to the aircraft to conceal its true nature as a jet.
Over the subsequent months, tests on the prototypes and pre-production P-59s revealed numerous problems. These included poor engine response and reliability, common shortcomings of early turbojets, as well as poor lateral and directional stability at speeds exceeding 290 mph. The aircraft tended to "snake," making it a poor gunnery platform. The most significant issue was the insufficient thrust from its engines, which fell far below expectations and greatly hampered its overall performance. In February 1944, the Army Air Force conducted combat trials pitting the P-59 against propeller-driven Lockheed P-38J Lightning and Republic P-47D Thunderbolt fighters. These trials demonstrated that the older propeller aircraft outperformed the jet. Consequently, the USAAF concluded that the P-59 was best suited as a training aircraft to familiarize pilots with jet-engine technology rather than as a frontline combat fighter.
Production Adjustments and Legacy
Despite the performance issues, the USAAF had placed a preliminary order for 100 production machines, designated P-59A Airacomet, with the name chosen by Bell employees. This order was confirmed on March 11, 1944. However, after the initial evaluations and the realization of the aircraft's limitations, the order was cut to 50 aircraft on October 10. The 50 completed production aircraft were ultimately used as trainers, and the USAAF instead selected the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star as its first operational jet fighter. Although no P-59s saw combat, the aircraft's role as an experimental testbed was crucial. It provided invaluable data and experience in jet technology, paving the way for the development of more advanced and successful U.S. turbojet-powered aircraft.
