New R.A.F. Types

THE original version of this unconventional aeroplane (the XP‐39) was first flown as long ago as the middle of 1938. The combination of the rearward engine with shaft drive and a tricycle undercarriage was a bold experiment. The layout was chosen as being the best way in which the American Armaments Corporation 37 mm. (1–58 in.) cannon could be mounted in a single‐seater fighter. Naturally, such a new design had rather more than the usual number of teething troubles, but the type is now established and is being delivered to the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Corps.