The Consolidated P-27C Comet

Spinners · December 26, 2015

Consolidated P-27C Comet - 18th Pursuit Squadron, 18th Pursuit Group, United States Army Air Corps, 1941

In 1933, and in a departure from it's flying boat traditions, the Consolidated Aircraft Corporation responded to a tentative but far-sighted United States Army Air Corps requirement issued to several manufacturers for a monoplane pursuit fighter with a retractable undercarriage. Boeing were thought to be favourites to win the design competition due to the success of their P-26 'Peashooter' and their preliminary work of an advanced version known as the P-29. However, in March 1934 Consolidated were awarded the contract to produce their P-27 'Comet' design an advanced low-wing cantilever monoplane with retractable landing gear with a short and stubby wooden monocoque fuselage (then in vogue due to the success of the racing aircraft produced by the Granville Brothers) and wings based around a Reynolds chrome-molybdenum steel alloy wing spar, alloy ribs and aluminium skinning on the centre and leading edges but with the remaining portions of the wings being fabric covered.

Full-scale work on the YP-27 prototype began in April 1934 and the first flight was made on December 24th, 1934 with Consolidated being given a late Christmas present with an initial order for 150 P-27A's on December 30th. Development at Consolidated's Buffalo plant moved smoothly but production was delayed slightly by Consolidated's planned move to it's huge new 'continuous flow' factory in San Diego but by the end of 1935 production P-27A's were coming off the production line and were soon followed by the P-27B (an export version for China) and the more advanced P-27C equipped with the more powerful Wright Cyclone R-1820-52 engine rated at 1,000 hp (750 kW). P-27C's were still in service with the 18th Pursuit Group at Wheeler Field, Hawaii in December 1941.