McDonnell’s ‘Moonbat’ Definitely Stood Out in the Early 1940s

The XP-67 was developed in the hopes of outperforming the Air Force interceptors of the time period.

Tuesday, August 08, 2023 at 10:55 AM ET

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The extensively sculpted airframe of the XP-67 stood out in stark contrast to existing types of the 1940s. [Photo: U.S. Air Force]

Key Takeaways:

The McDonnell XP-67 "Moonbat" was an ambitious 1940s prototype integrating numerous unproven concepts, including a highly aerodynamic blended-wing design and innovative Continental XL-1430 engines, aiming for exceptional interceptor performance.
Its over-ambitious design led to severe technical challenges, including significant weight increases, persistent engine overheating despite design efforts, and poor aerodynamic handling characteristics like instability and failure to reach promised top speeds.
Facing insurmountable technical problems and the destruction of its sole flying prototype due to an in-flight fire, the XP-67 program was canceled as emerging jet engine technology began to offer more promising solutions.

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Historically, some of the most compelling aircraft prototypes have served as launching pads for new and emerging technologies. From clean-sheet engine designs to new aerodynamic concepts to unusual airframe layouts, X-planes from all eras were smorgasbords of cutting-edge engineering. And in the early 1940s, McDonnell combined a multitude of new ideas into its XP-67 in the hopes its performance would eclipse existing interceptors.

A safe, conservative method of introducing a new aircraft design might be to incorporate only a few completely new and unproven concepts at a time. This philosophy enables engineers to isolate the concepts and evaluate them for more widespread use. But in the case of the unique McDonnell XP-67, nicknamed the “Moonbat,” it seems airframe and powerplant engineers alike were given carte blanche to reimagine every component and integrate all the resulting ideas into a single aircraft.