P-38s
History's Unique AircraftThe Short, Unconventional Life of the Curtiss XP-55 Ascender
Unlike more traditional aircraft of the time, the XP-55 design mounted a 1,275 hp Allison V-12 powerplant behind the pilot.
Jason McDowell![](https://www.flyingmag.com/uploads/2022/12/Curtiss-XP-55-Ascender-Jason-McDowell-scaled-e1670946621520.jpeg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
![](https://www.flyingmag.com/uploads/2022/09/Pilot-and-copilot_adobe-stock-rs.jpg?auto=webp&auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=1440)
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