Ranking The Superprop Fighters Of WW2

In the closing stages of WWII, a new class of high-performance aircraft known as “Superprops” began to emerge. These advanced turboprop fighters were designed to push the limits of propeller-driven aviation. Below is a list of the best U.S. turboprop fighters from this era:

P-51H Mustang

At first glance, the P-51H may resemble the familiar WWII-era P-51D, but it was an entirely different airplane. It featured a longer, deeper fuselage, a redesigned tail, smaller landing gear, and employed weight-saving construction techniques. It also boasted a completely new wing design.

The P-51H was powered by the upgraded Packard Merlin V-1650-9 engine, which included water injection. This allowed the engine to produce over 2,200 horsepower, thanks to an increased manifold pressure of 90 inches.

A new propeller was also added to handle the extra power, propelling the plane to a top speed of over 470 mph. Though the P-51H reached production before the war’s end, it was too late to see combat. While it continued in military service, it was soon overshadowed by the rise of jet fighters.

XP-69

The XP-69 was designed to be powered by a liquid-cooled, 42-cylinder radial engine with a turbosupercharger. It was intended to feature counter-rotating propellers, four .50-caliber machine guns, and twin 37 mm cannons, along with a new NACA wing profile and a bubble-top canopy.

However, the XP-69 project was canceled, likely due to engine development issues.

P-47H

The P-47H was essentially a modified P-47D-15, fitted with an inverted, liquid-cooled V16 engine developed by Chrysler. Unfortunately, performance data for the P-47H is scarce, and original test records seem to be non-existent.

Estimates suggest the plane could reach a top speed of around 490 mph. While it did take flight, the project didn’t progress far enough to produce meaningful test data. Like the XP-69, the P-47H’s engine likely faced significant development issues, which prevented it from reaching production.

XP-72

The XP-72 was powered by a massive Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major, a four-row, 28-cylinder engine with a displacement of nearly 71.5 liters.

To address cooling concerns, similar to the German Fw 190, the XP-72 employed an engine-driven cooling fan, allowing the engine to be tightly cowled for improved aerodynamics without sacrificing cooling.

Despite these innovations, the R-4360 engine had a history of cooling issues in various aircraft. Only two XP-72 prototypes were ever built.