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The Republic XP-72 was based upon the P-47 airframe and was designed by Alexander Kartveli's fighter team as a 'Super Thunderbolt' around the 2237kW Pratt & Whitney R-4360-13 Wasp Major radial engine. The powerplant was, simply, the most powerful piston engine to reach production in any country during World War II. Intended primarily to be faster than the Thunderbolt, the XP-72 was viewed in part as a remedy for the Third Reich's high-speed V-l buzz bomb. The USAAF planned to use the fighter to intercept buzz bombs, taking advantage of its ability to reach 6000m in just under five minutes. An armament of six 12.7mm guns would have been carried.
The first of two examples flew at Farmingdale on 2 February 1944 using a large four-bladed propeller. The second XP-72 flew in July 1944 with the intended Aeroproducts six-bladed contra-rotating propeller. The second aircraft, however, was lost on an early flight.
With priority shifted to long-range escort fighters, this promising interceptor was not needed. The other XP-72 airframe is thought to have been scrapped at Wright Field around VJ-Day.
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 6690 kg | 14749 lb |
| Empty weight | 4973 kg | 10964 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 12.49 m | 40 ft 12 in |
| Length | 11.17 m | 36 ft 8 in |
| Height | 4.42 m | 14 ft 6 in |
| Wing area | 27.87 m2 | 299.99 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Max. speed | 788 km/h | 490 mph |
| Ceiling | 12800 m | 42000 ft |
| Range | 1930 km | 1199 miles |
| ARMAMENT | 6 x 12.7mm machine-guns, 2 x 450kg boms |
Stanley Pasternack, renee567(@)aol.com, 29.06.2008
I worked for Republic Aviation Company for 45 years and was in the ground crew of the XP-91 at Muroc Air Force Base for a 9 month stint while Carl Bellinger was the test pilot. I was saddened to hear about his death in an automobile accident as mentioned by Pete Mesmer. He really was a great pilot and a great man. I am now 86 and if my memory serves me, this plane was the first military plane to break the sound barrier, with a military load, on the deck, in 1949.
Pete Mesmer, pmesmer(@)md.metrocast.net, 07.06.2008
I have a correction for my previous comments. It's been many years since I worked the tower at Republic and my memory is fading. Carl Bellinger was the executive in charge of Flight Operations. Jack Bade was the Test Site Manager and also an executive. Jack was a company test pilot and regretably, was killed in a mid air collision with another F105 on a routine test flight. I witnessed several regretable accidents while working in the tower, some of them fatal. Sadly___ I believe all of them could have been prevented.
Pete Mesmer, pmesmer(@)md.metrocast.net, 07.06.2008
I worked as a control tower operator at Republic Aviation during the flight test program of the F-105.(late 50's to mid 60's). Carl Bellinger was the Test Site Manager. Just before Republic closed down, Carl brought to me in the tower a ton of old photos from the photo lab. They were going to throw them all away and Carl thought I would like to have them. Among the photos were picx of the XP-72. He was kind enough to sign the photos for me and told me the story behind the first few flights. He was the test pilot. On the first flight,the a/c had two contra rotating props. They were afraid the airplane would do a torque roll on take-off because of the 4360 hanging up front. Carl put the airplane thru its paces and his first comment upon landing was "GET RID OF THAT @#*#@@*# MANAGERIE THAT'S HANGING ON THE FRONT OF THIS THING AND PUT A REAL PROP ON IT" The contra-rotating props were not needed. They hung a Curtis Electric prop on it and it performed just fine. Carl said it was one of the finest airplanes he ever had the privledge of flying. His career as a test pilot with Republic began with the P47 program and continued up thru the F84. When the F105 came on the scene, he became the Test Site Manager. As a pilot, he had extraordinay skill. He was a giant in the industry, a real gentleman amd a good friend. After Republic closed, Carl retired and was later killed in an automobile accident. I miss him dearly.
Lek, desmo079(@)hotmail.com, 02.09.2007
Too bad a few didn't survive to race today at air races.
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Do you have any comments concerning this aircraft ?
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