XP-56 Black Bullet- Which one is this?

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
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Ok, so it’s technically not a modeling question, but all this talk lately of the XP-56 Black Bullet has got me thinking. Not too long ago one of our resident experts, Blackwolf, posted a number of pictures of the only remaining XP-56, located in the Paul Gerber restoration center. Check it out here:

http://finescale.com/FSM/CS/forums/680891/ShowPost.aspx

If you look at the top fin, it’s clearly very short. This is a feature of the first prototype:

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Northrop/xp-56/xp-56.jpg

The second prototype had a much larger fin:

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Northrop/xp-56/xp-56_1.jpg

Now this seems like a no-brainer. The first prototype is the only airframe to survive, right? It would seem so, except for this:

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Northrop/xp-56/xp-56_crash.jpg

The reason the first prototype was written off was becaue of this, a crash during a taxi test. So this begs the question- which airframe is currently in storage? Is it a repaired first prototype, or a “backdated” second? This question has really got me annoyed lately, and I would love a definite answer.

That is, if I can get one. Thanks for checking this out.

(photo credit- http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Northrop/xp-56/body_xp-56.html)

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Vey nice links- thank you :slight_smile:

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The aircraft at the NASM is the second prototype. Here’s the XP-56 page on their website…

Oh, and I found the webpage where those walkaround photos came from…

Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet

Apparently the aircraft had been loaned to the Western Museum of Flight, and that’s where those photos were taken.

Fade to Black…

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Hm. Thanks for that, BlackWolf. I guess I thought the second prototype was more extensively modified, not that a fin extension was simply bolted on. I can see the attachment points now. In retrospect, I thought I saw the intake ducts on the wingtips also.

Well, my mind is now at ease. For a little while, anyway! [;)] Thanks.