@ Washington, D.C.
August 2018
Suspended in the main gallery of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum is the first jet produced in the United States, the Bell XP-59A Airacomet. First flown in 1942, only 66 of these underpowered jet fighters would be produced. To maintain wartime secrecy, the USAAF gave the project the designation P-59A, to suggest it was a development of the unrelated Bell XP-59 fighter which had been canceled. This aircraft was shipped to Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base) on 12 September 1942 by train for flight testing. The aircraft first became airborne during high-speed taxi tests the day before the “official” first flight. During ground handling operations, the aircraft was fitted with a dummy propeller as a disguise. Flight tests revealed many problems including poor engine response and reliability, stability issues making it a poor gunnery platform. Operational use of the P-59 provided the USAAF and the USN experience with jet aircraft operations.
