The Model 222 had the same general arrangement as the P-38, but featured a pressure cabin and was powered by a pair of turbosupercharged twenty-four cylinder Pratt & Whitney X-1800-SA2-G (military designation XH-2600) liquid-cooled engines which were supposed to develop somewhere between 2000 and 2200 horsepower. Lockheed proposed to replace these engines by a pair of 2300 hp Wright R-2160 Tornado turbosupercharged radials in production aircraft. Armament was to be a pair of 20-mm cannon and four 0.50-inch machine guns. Total fuel capacity was to be 300 US gallons, as compared to 230 US gallons for the early production P-38. The Model 222 was rather optimistically estimated to have a top speed of 473 mph at 20,000 feet when powered by the Pratt & Whitney XH-2600s, and a speed of no less than 500 mph at the same altitude when powered by the Wright Tornadoes.

A contract for a single XP-49 prototype was officially issued on January 8, 1940. Because the Lockheed company was preoccupied with the P-38 Lightning, work on the XP-49 proceeded quite slowly during the early months of 1940. Both the USAAC and Lockheed soon came to realize that with either the Pratt & Whitney XH-2600 or the Wright R-2160 engines, the XP-49 would be seriously overpowered. Consequently, in March 1940 it was decided to substitute a pair of experimental Continental XIV-1430-9/11 twelve-cylinder inverted-vee liquid-cooled engines rated at 1540 hp for takeoff. In order to counteract torque, the engines rotated in opposite directions--the port propeller rotated CCW when viewed from the rear, and the starboard propeller rotated CW. Other changes included the substitution of dummy armor plate for the genuine armor plate called for in the original specification, thus expediting construction of the prototype. A maximum speed of 458 mph at 25,000 feet was now anticipated.

On December 23, 1940 , detailed design of the XP-49 began under the direction of project engineer M. Carl Haddon. Two-thirds of the XP-49 airframe components were common with the P-38. The primary differences were in the engine installation, the use of a heavier and stronger undercarriage, and a pressurized cockpit similar to that of the XP-38A.

Since much of the airframe was common with the production P-38, the construction of the XP-49 prototype (serial number 40-3055) went fairly rapidly. However, the first flight was delayed by problems with the experimental Continental engines, which were not yet cleared for flight operations at the time they were delivered to Lockheed in April 1942. It was not until November 14, 1942 that the XP-49 took to the air for the first time, flown by test pilot Joe Towle.

The aircraft handled fairly well and had good maneuverability, but the Continental engines gave the XP-49 a rather uninspiring performance--the maximum speed was only 406 mph at 15,000 feet as against a promised speed of 458 mph at 25,000 feet.  The questionable future of the troublesome Continental engine caused the Army to abandon any further consideration of quantity production of the XP-49.

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Original P38J 3Dz model and skin by Airbuddha

Adapted by: Col. Gibbon,  Capt. Kurt, Rotton50
