bellxp77

I've never seen one before. It looks way out of proportion. Too much engine and propeller. Good picture though!

Worried about the potential impact of an aluminum shortage, Bell was tasked to explore a lightweight fighter a/c made of alternative materials design using mostly wood. How this was going to help when hundreds of thousands of other aircraft were using masses of aluminum is another question, but the second XP-77 prototype (the 1st was XP-77-BE 43-34915) did manage to fly, under-performed on all of its design goals, and crashed after getting into an inverted spin during fuel consumption testing @ Eglin Field on 2 Oct 44 (pilot escaped via parachute).

Worried about the potential impact of an aluminum shortage, Bell was tasked to explore a lightweight fighter a/c made of alternative materials design using mostly wood. How this was going to help when hundreds of thousands of other aircraft were using masses of aluminum is another question, but 43-34915 (the 1st XP-77 prototype; the 2nd was XP-77-BE 43-34916) continued to fly after the loss of the no. 2 a/c, finishing out its days @ Wright Field before being scrapped due to weather deterioration (seen here while serving as a gate guard at an unknown base after its brief flying days were done).